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'18th-Century Antique' Will Not be Razed for Westower Ridge Project
BY DENA SLOAN
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
A deal has been struck to save what may be one of Richmond's oldest homes from being leveled to make way for new houses.
The Patteson-Schutte House at 5600 Westower Drive is believed to have been built in the mid-18th century by James Patteson, an associate of William Byrd III. Byrd was an early Richmond landowner and son of William Byrd II, who founded the city. Preservationists speculate that it was once part of a large plantation along the south bank of the James River.
The house and about 5 acres just south of Forest Hill Avenue were sold last year to a developer who planned to tear down the building and use the property as part of the Westower Ridge development project.
The city granted a demolition permit in July, but building plans were put on hold when the historic value of the house became known, said John Nolde, who is leading the development project.
About a week ago, Nolde and the Historic Richmond Foundation agreed to a deal in which the organization would purchase the house and some surrounding property at a discounted price. Nolde has agreed to redraw development plans to allow the house to stay in its current location.
The foundation plans to clean up the house and hopes to sell it as a residential property with restrictions protecting historic aspects of the home, said Tom Fahed, a foundation board member.
"I'm really glad it will be inhabited," said Kathy Fling, who lives across the street from the house and contacted preservation groups in hopes of protecting the building.
"I hope it's someone who appreciates its heritage."
Selling the Patteson-Schutte House is less financially beneficial than it would have been to tear it down and use the land for new homes, Nolde said.
The decision to sell the house eliminates three of about 43 buildable lots from the project, and negotiations have delayed construction plans. However, keeping the historic structure near the housing development could help increase the value of the homes, Nolde said.
"This is not a financial transaction. This is more of a just a good way to preserve something," he said. "We feel good about the transaction."
Returning the house to a condition fit to live in will take some work. The building smells of mold, and overgrown plants and downed trees sit in the front yard.
However, an engineer has said the house is structurally sound, Fahed said, and the appeal of living in one of the city's few 18th-century houses should make it easier to find a buyer.
"If you're going to buy this place, it's like buying a really good 18th-century antique," he said. "These [historic buildings] are just little treasures."
Listen: Tom Fahed, a trustee with the Historic Richmond Foundation, explains how they were able to save a pre-Revolutionary War house
Contact Dena Sloan at (804) 649-6860 or dsloan@timesdispatch.com
A.C.O.R.N.
422-2148
info@richmondneighborhoods.org