Beers, William, House
Also known as: Beers House
Why it's listed
Built in 1839 by William Beers, a merchant tailor, this brick townhouse at 1228 E. Broad Street in Richmond began as a Greek Revival house of two and a half stories with a gable roof and dormers. The Beers family added a third story in 1860, topping the building with an Italianate bracketed cornice and shallow hipped roof. The change is sympathetic but visible in the brickwork. The three-bay facade has a door with sidelights and pilasters under a porch with coupled Greek Doric columns. Inside, a fine early staircase and most other features remain largely intact. An iron fence set in a brick retaining wall encloses the small front yard. The Beers family owned the house until 1872, and the Morris Nelson family held it from 1883 to 1909. The Medical College of Virginia acquired it in 1965 for offices. Its importance lies in its setting at College and Broad Streets, beside Monumental Church, the African Baptist Church and the Egyptian Building, and as the last early house on Broad Street west of Shockoe Valley.
Significance in brief: The nomination concedes the house is not especially distinguished in a historic sense. It argues the house is an integral link in a group of historic buildings in the Medical College of Virginia area, near Monumental Church, the African Baptist Church and the Egyptian Building. It is also described as the last remaining early house on Broad Street west of Shockoe Valley.
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 69000346, listed April 16, 1969. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1228 E. Broad St., Richmond (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Richmond (city and county) |
| Listed | April 16, 1969 |
| Reference number | 69000346 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1839) |
| Architect / builder | William Beers, merchant tailor (builder/original owner) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, with an Italianate bracketed cornice |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as indifferently maintained but with most interior features intact; the form marks condition as deteriorated and occupied. Acquired by the Medical College of Virginia in 1965 and used for offices. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Within district | James River and Kanawha Canal Historic District |
| Coordinates | 37.53871, -77.42971 (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 69000346.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15615834
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.