The Samuel Pleasants Parsons House, located in the historic neighborhood of Oregon Hill in Richmond, was built in 1818 for Samuel Parsons, a prominent Quaker and superintendent of the nearby state penitentiary.  Over the years, the building also served as a home for unwed mothers, a foster care screening clinic, a boarding house, and a halfway house for women.  In 1987, it became surplus property of the State Correctional System, and remained empty until Richmond developer Robin Miller acquired it and began renovations in 2000.  Miller, who in 1995 began rehabilitating historic buildings in downtown Richmond that were listed on state and national historic registers, undertook the project of renovating the Samuel Pleasants Parsons House into an upscale complex comprised of 12 apartments. They were completed in September 2001 and are currently fully leased. 

During rehabilitations, Miller was able to restore many of the building’s best decorative features, such as the original hardwood floors, Federal-style mantels, and winding staircases.  The project represented a $1 million investment in the city.

Due to the huge success of the apartments, Miller has gone on to construct new upscale town houses behind the property.  “The Samuel Parsons House was the catalyst for the development of 21 new market-rate homes currently being built behind the house. This project is an interesting example of combining tax credit-aided historic rehabilitation with new construction of  ‘for-sale’ town homes,” Miller said.   The construction of the Parson’s Row town houses was a truly unique change—it was the first new residential construction project to take place in the heart of the capital in 30 years, and has helped to fuel the growth and revitalization taking place in the downtown area.