St. Clair, Alexander, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1879-80 west of Bluefield, this two-story brick house with an integral ell was constructed for Alexander St. Clair, a Tazewell County banker, farmer and later state senator. The builder, Thomas M. Hawkins, erected roughly twenty fine houses in the county, and this is the only brick one known. The house is a modified Italianate design with identical south and west facades, center gables, paired sawn brackets under a deep cornice, and a patterned tin roof. Inside, a curved stair resembles illustrations in an 1879 Baltimore builders' supply catalogue, showing how fancy details were ordered rather than hand-crafted. Alternating ash and walnut floors and marbleized mantels and baseboards, signed by painters Frank T. Wall and O. T. Jones, set the interior apart. The house replaced an earlier log residence on land Maria St. Clair inherited from her father. Original outbuildings, including a brick kitchen, spring house and smokehouse, survive on the nine-acre farm.
Significance in brief: It is a documented work of Thomas M. Hawkins, who built about twenty fine houses in the area, and his only known brick house. It shows stylish catalogue-ordered details applied to traditional house forms in a remote part of the state. Its marbleized interior woodwork is signed by local painters Frank T. Wall and O. T. Jones.
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 82004606, listed June 28, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | W of Bluefield on VA 650, Bluefield |
|---|---|
| County | Tazewell County |
| Listed | June 28, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82004606 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Thomas Hawkins |
| Architectural style | Modified Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Art, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; the form notes it has remained in the St. Clair family, and a modern laundry addition and an enclosed covered walk have altered it. |
| Acreage | 9.3 |
| Coordinates | 37.23291, -81.31468 (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 82004606.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15179165
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.