Hunt-Sitterding House
Also known as: Sitterding House; Gilbert Hunt House; 127-0202-0001
Why it's listed
Built between 1889 and 1891 at 901 Floyd Avenue in Richmond, this brick town house was designed and constructed by Gilbert J. Hunt, Jr. as his home and basement office. It originally anchored the end of a row of similar houses Hunt built, all since demolished and replaced by a university student commons. The house combines Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival features, including a three-story corner tower with a pointed roof, rough-faced granite trim, slate roofing, and a room-like entrance porch with a wide arch on polished pink granite columns. Inside, the original oak staircase survives, along with parlor mantels and decorative cast-iron firebacks, though most other rooms were modernized. Hunt was a leading builder in the Fan District, and the house served as a showcase of his skills. Virginia Commonwealth University acquired it in 1975 and uses it for offices. Its exterior remains little changed.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a distinctive example of late 19th-century upper-middle-class urban domestic architecture, freely combining Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival elements. It is also tied to Gilbert J. Hunt, Jr., a prominent builder/architect/developer who designed and built about fifty-five houses in Richmond's Fan District. The exterior retains a high degree of 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 08000877, listed September 12, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 901 Floyd Ave., Richmond |
|---|---|
| County | Richmond (city and county) |
| Listed | September 12, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000877 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1891-1921 |
| Architect / builder | Hunt, Gilbert J., Jr. |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Queen Anne/Romanesque subcategory |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by Virginia Commonwealth University and used for offices; the exterior is well maintained and largely unaltered, while the interior was altered in 1977 and 1984. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | James River and Kanawha Canal Historic District |
| Coordinates | 37.54702, -77.45312 (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 08000877.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15226885
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.