Atlantic Motor Company (127-6163)
Also known as: Ricmond Valeteria; Gathright's Inc.; Lauritzen Motors, Inc.
Why it's listed
Built in 1919 on a prominent trapezoidal corner lot at West Broad Street and Hermitage Road in Richmond, 1840 West Broad Street was constructed as the Atlantic Motor Company automobile dealership. Architect Albert F. Huntt, working with Bascom J. Rowlett, designed the Classical Revival brick building, and contractor W. L. Ragland built it for $45,000, then the costliest garage permit the city had issued. A two-story showroom with a mezzanine fronts Broad Street, while single-story repair and storage areas extend behind. Original features survive, including terra cotta floor tiles, pressed tin ceilings and wooden balustrades. The building is considered an early example of West Broad Street's growth as an automobile sales district and the last known work of Huntt, who died in 1920. After the dealership closed in the mid-1920s, it housed a laundry, an appliance store, and from 1946 a Nash dealership. It is currently vacant while rehabilitation is under way.
Significance in brief: The building is argued to be one of the best surviving purpose-built early 20th-century automobile dealerships on West Broad Street outside the Broad Street Commercial Historic District, and an early example of the corridor's emergence as an automobile sales area (Criterion A, Commerce). It is also the last known work of Richmond architect Albert F. Huntt (Criterion C, Architecture), and retains excellent architectural integrity.
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 05001271, listed November 16, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1840 W. Broad St., Richmond (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Richmond (city and county) |
| Listed | November 16, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05001271 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1919-1955 |
| Architect / builder | Albert F. Huntt and Bascom J. Rowlett |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant/not in use, with rehabilitation in progress. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | West Broad Street Industrial and Commercial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 37.55874, -77.45970 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 05001271.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16835060
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.