Tonsler, Benjamin, House
Why it's listed
Built between 1875 and 1879 on a lot Benjamin E. Tonsler bought in 1876, this stuccoed house at 327 Sixth Street SW in Charlottesville blends several nineteenth-century styles on a modest scale. A gabled main block with a Gothic Revival wall dormer is paired with a two-story corner tower under a Mansard roof, giving the asymmetrical house Italianate and Second Empire touches. A rear wing and an enclosed side porch were added, and the house already had this form by 1907. Tonsler, a Hampton Institute graduate and friend of Booker T. Washington, served as principal of Jefferson School, the city's first Black public school, from 1895 until his death in 1917. He lived in the house for 38 years, and more than 1,000 people reportedly attended his memorial service. Tonsler Park, a block away, carries his name. The house was listed for its link to him as a leading local educator and as an unusual vernacular design.
Significance in brief: It was the home of Benjamin E. Tonsler, a prominent Black educator and longtime principal of Jefferson School, who lived there for 38 years. The reviewer accepted it under Criterion B for its association with him. It is also an unusual vernacular mix of Romantic-era styles and an example of an early African-American dwelling that was enlarged over time.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83003274, listed August 10, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 327 6th St., Charlottesville (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Charlottesville |
| Listed | August 10, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003274 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Benjamin E. Tonsler (original owner; tax records indicate he built the house) |
| Architectural style | Vernacular combination of Italianate, Second Empire and Gothic Revival elements; no identifiable single style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Survey of fall 1980 rated the condition as poor and the use as residence; the owner had lived there until a few years earlier. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 38.02825, -78.49064 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83003274.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15198416
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.