Whitworth, John, House
Also known as: Vdhr 127-248-0001
Why it's listed
Built about 1857 for John Whitworth, this two-story frame house at 2221 Grove Avenue sits in Richmond's Fan District, set back behind a white picket fence among brick rowhouses. It began as a three-bay, central-passage dwelling mixing late Greek Revival symmetry with Italianate cornice brackets. In 1923 landscape architect Charles F. Gillette bought the run-down house and remodeled the facade in Georgian style, adding modillion blocks, wooden quoins and a Georgian door surround. He also combined the east parlors, enclosed the rear porch as a garden room, connected the kitchen ell and built a brick garage. Behind an eight-foot brick wall he created a formal private garden with a central lawn, round pool, brick paths and ornaments, much of which survives. The property is notable as the home and showcase of a leading Virginia landscape architect, and as one of the few mid-19th-century frame houses left in the Fan.
Significance in brief: The house and garden are significant for their association with Charles F. Gillette, a prominent Virginia landscape architect who lived here from 1923 and made it his private showpiece. The house is also a rare surviving mid-19th-century frame dwelling in the Fan, and Gillette's Georgian Revival remodeling reflects the Colonial Revival period. The rear garden expresses his personal design vision.
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 99000143, listed February 5, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2221 Grove Ave., Richmond (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Richmond (city and county) |
| Listed | February 5, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000143 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1857-1944 |
| Architect / builder | Charles F. Gillette |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th century Greek Revival/Italianate; Late 19th and 20th century Revivals: Colonial Revival/Georgian Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling with its garden; the facade remains as Gillette remodeled it and the garden remains largely as he planned it. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | James River and Kanawha Canal Historic District |
| Coordinates | 37.55261, -77.46774 (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 99000143.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16903369
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.