Wilton House Museum

Wilton House Museum

215 South Wilton Road

Richmond, Virginia

23226

The Wilton House is one of the most prominent antebellum plantations along the banks of the James River.  William Randolph III, a prominent member of Virginia society in the eighteenth century, built the home between 1750 and 1753.  The sprawling brick mansion rested on two-thousand acres of Randolph land and was modeled after the English Georgian style of architecture.[i]  The home features predominately original interiors including an elaborate staircase, a refined parlor, a dining room, library, a nursery, and many bedrooms; adorned by large windows, working fireplaces, and marble accents.[ii] Wilton House is one of the most unique architectural homes from the pre-revolutionary era Virginia due to its floor-to-ceiling vertical paneling completely throughout the structure.[iii] Originally located fifteen miles west of its current location on the James, Wilton House was one of the most significant homes in antebellum Richmond.  The Randolph’s owned the home for more than a century, during which time Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Marquis de Lafayette were guests.[iv]  Wilton House was eventually purchased in 1933 by the National Society of Colonial Dames of America.[v]  This organization took apart and rebuilt the home at its current site in Henrico County.  The Wilton House contains eighteenth and nineteenth century art, furnishings, and archival collections which represent the cultural style antebellum Virginia gentry.[vi]  Additionally, this home represents the crucial role that the James River played in the lives of individuals throughout the Richmond. The Wilton House is a beautiful architectural site to explore, offering individuals a unique view into the lifestyles and customs of the eighteenth century Richmond elite.

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[i] “National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form, Wilton,” Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff, United States Department of the Interior: National Park Service, Richmond, Virginia, 1975, 2.  

[ii] “National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form, Wilton,” Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff, United States Department of the Interior: National Park Service,  Richmond, Virginia, 1975, 3.  

[iii] “National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form, Wilton,” Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff, United States Department of the Interior: National Park Service, Richmond, Virginia, 1975, 2.  

[iv] “About Wilton House,” Wilton House Museum, Wiltonhousemuseum.org, 2014.

[v] “About Wilton House,” Wilton House Museum, Wiltonhousemuseum.org, 2014.

[vi] “About Wilton House,” Wilton House Museum, Wiltonhousemuseum.org, 2014.