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An 18th-Century Treasure or an Expendable Old House?
BY DENA SLOAN
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
An updated 18th century home that some preservationists say is possibly one of Richmond's oldest buildings.
A thick wall of trees and a layer of white aluminum siding hide what some local preservationists call an 18th-century treasure, possibly one of the oldest buildings in Richmond.
A piece of paper issued last week appears to have cleared the way to tear it down.
The Patteson-Schutte house at 5600 Westower Drive is not on any official list of historic buildings or sites. But some local preservationists say it would be a major loss if plans go through to demolish the structure to make way for a new housing development in South Richmond.
Believed by some to have been built by James Patteson, an associate of William Byrd III, the house was originally part of a large plantation along the southern bank of the James River, said Jennie Dotts, executive director of the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods. Insurance policies were taken out on the house in 1803, but it is possible the structure dates before Patteson's death in 1767, she said.
City records indicate it was built in 1785 and sits on about 5 acres just south of Forest Hill Avenue.
A family cemetery on a nearby plot of land contains headstones displaying births and deaths in the 1850s. It is believed a slave auction block also sits near the structure, Dotts said.
"We cannot take buildings of that rarity for granted. There is a very limited and diminishing supply," said Calder Loth, a senior architect with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources who visited the house in May.
Word of the house's possible significance was a surprise to John Nolde, who heads the Westower Ridge development project, which calls for constructing roads and homes on 44 lots, including the land where the Patteson-Schutte home sits. He said he began hearing a few months ago from groups and individuals who want to preserve the home, which had appeared to him to be nothing more than a run-down building.
"The walls had been stripped out; the floors were rotten, termite-infested," he said.
The exterior of the small, two-story house is covered with white aluminum siding, but the two large chimneys on opposite ends of the house show evidence of 18th-century brick work, Loth said.
Dotts said she began speaking with Nolde in May about options for preserving the house, including donating it to ACORN with plans to relocate it. The organization signed a confidentiality agreement last month that prevents her from discussing details of negotiations, Dotts said.
City records indicate a demolition permit for the property was granted Thursday. Nolde said Monday that he had not received word of the permit approval and that there are no imminent plans to tear down the structure.
Nolde said he does not know when plans call for building on the Patteson-Schutte property. He said there are no ongoing discussions with preservation groups to preserve the building.
"I think the house can be preserved by some manner," he said. "I would like to see that happen. . . . If we don't get to that goal, we'd have to figure that one out later."
But some neighbors are not as optimistic.
Kathy Fling has lived across the street from the Patteson-Schutte property for 12 years and said she is concerned the house will be destroyed. She said she has contacted the mayor's office requesting that development be stopped and the building's history be investigated. Fling said she has not yet received a response from City Hall.
"I have a feeling this is a losing battle," she said.
Contact Dena Sloan at (804) 649-6860 or dsloan@timesdispatch.com
This story can be found at: Times Dispatch Online
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