Wallace, Thomas, House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built around 1855 for Thomas Wallace, a prosperous merchant and lawyer, this two-story pressed-brick house stands at the corner of Brown and South Market Streets in Petersburg, Virginia. Its Italianate design includes a bracketed cornice, a low hipped roof, cast iron window hoods and a wrought iron balcony. A Greek Revival entrance porch was later joined by a Georgian Revival porch ending in a round pavilion, added after 1903. Inside, double parlors have matching carved marble mantels, and the front library holds a later Eastlake overmantel. The house earned its place in Civil War history on April 3, 1865, when President Abraham Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant met in the library to discuss the coming end of the conflict and surrender terms. Grant also used the house as his Petersburg headquarters. It was once on the city's most fashionable street, and today it is one of only two surviving residences on the west side of South Market Street.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to Civil War history: on April 3, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant met in its library, and the house served as Grant's headquarters in Petersburg. It is also an impressive example of Italianate architecture on a street once noted for fine houses, and it is one of the few remaining residences on the west side of South Market Street.
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 75002116, listed May 2, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SW corner of Brown and S. Market Sts., Petersburg (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Petersburg |
| Listed | May 2, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75002116 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architectural style | Italianate with Georgian Revival elements |
| Areas of significance | Military, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition but altered; the form notes it was threatened with demolition in 1975. A later data sheet lists it as not in use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | South Market Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 37.22405, -77.40583 (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 75002116.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16902874
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.