Once Upon A House: Centre Hill Mansion

Few residences can boast visits by the President of the United States, but Centre Hill in Petersburg, Virginia, can claim the honor not once or twice, but three times. John Tyler’s visit came after his term in office, but while William Howard Taft was still very much in charge, a huge and very elaborate luncheon was staged here in his honor in 1909, featuring festivities both inside the house and on the extensive grounds. As well, during the Civil War, the Union Army appropriated Centre Hill as headquarters, and here on April 5, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln paid a visit to Major General George L. Hartsuff. Eleven days later, Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC.

The house was built as a Federal design between 1818 and 1823 by Robert Bolling, IV - one of Petersburg’s most prominent citizens, and a distinguished veteran of the American Revolution. That design endured until 1850 when Bolling’s son, Robert B. Bolling, modified the house with Greek Revival elements. A third owner, Charles Davis, acquired the house in 1901 and accomplished a major restoration of both house and grounds.

Davis was the homeowner during the elaborate presidential visit by Taft, but soon after the visit he suffered a reversal of fortune that resulted in the sale of building lots and a small neighborhood that subsequently grew up around the house. These days, those early 20th century houses are considered old themselves. Their styles include Colonial Revivals, Foursquares, and Bungalows.

The Great Depression, however, dealt another blow to the decline of Centre Hill, and the property was auctioned off in 1936 with my guess being that the past presidential visits had no effect whatsoever on the sale price.

A happy ending finally came along in 1972 when the City of Petersburg took ownership. Today the Centre Hill Mansion Museum occupies five acres of land and is open to the public with regular tours of the house and grounds available. The Garden Club of Virginia stepped in with a beautiful restoration of the grounds, and the house itself contains a wealth of furnishings with Petersburg significance. Both the house and grounds are National Register, as is the surrounding early 20th century neighborhood, now known as the Centre Hill National Historic District.

From an illustrious beginning, through a succession of social triumphs followed by humbling defeats, the grand mansion on the hill today stands with her head held high, having lived to tell the all of the tales, both good and bad.

Photo of Centre Hill by Beth Yarbrough.