Merrillat, J. C. M., House
Also known as: Hunter House
Why it's listed
Perched on a landscaped hilltop on East Beverley Street in Staunton, this two-story board-and-batten house was built in 1851 for J. C. M. Merrillat, a native of Bordeaux, France. He was the first principal of the blind department at the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind, founded in 1839, and later became superintendent of both departments. The house shows the Gothic Revival cottage form, with steep gables, scrolled bargeboards, finials, diamond-paned windows and a porch carried on large carved brackets. The original four-room section has a side hall, while wings added later, including a bedroom wing from the 1930s, were designed to blend with it. A former carriage house stands on the grounds, and the rear garden was laid out in 1935-36 by landscape architect A. A. Farnham. The nomination calls it one of the few Gothic cottages in the Staunton area and the finest of them. Later owners included the Lara family and banker Charles S. Hunter.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an ideal mid-19th-century Gothic Revival cottage, with steep gables, scrolled bargeboards, board-and-batten siding and diamond-paned windows. It is described as one of the few examples in the Staunton area and certainly the finest. It is also tied to its first owner, an early administrator of the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind.
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 82004602, listed September 16, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 521 E. Beverley St., Staunton (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Staunton |
| Listed | September 16, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82004602 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1851 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, occupied, and used as a private residence; later additions were designed to harmonize with the original character. |
| Acreage | 2.1 |
| Within district | Gospel Hill Historic District |
| Coordinates | 38.15212, -79.06553 (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 82004602.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16895050
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.