The Barringer House was Dr. Paul B. Barringer’s family’s first “off-grounds” (non-campus) home in Charlottesville. The Queen Anne-style two-story brick dwelling dates from 1894. It features an elaborate turret with garland frieze adorning the cornice, three different styles of windows, and prominent Jacobean chimneys. Dr. Barringer (1857-1941) was a noted physician, scientist, executive, and publisher, however, he would prefer to be remembered as a “teacher of men.” Enjoying his proximity to the University of Virginia’s Medical School, of which he was on faculty, Dr. Barringer encouraged medical students to visit his home frequently. He became chairman of the faculty (then equivalent to the university’s president), and later served as the sixth president of Virginia Tech. In 1967 a subsequent owner converted the large home into apartments. The University of Virginia Medical School Foundation purchased the property in 1981 to use as an annex to the university’s medical facilities. It has since gone on to serve as the French Language Residence for university students.

The buildings and districts listed under the Charlottesville Multiple Resource Area nomination represent a cross section of all the city’s historic periods, from the founding of Charlottesville in the 1760s through the advent of the automobile and the impact it had on the city’s expansion. Also included are buildings that have played an important part in the history of Charlottesville’s black community. The Barringer Mansion was listed in the registers under the Charlottesville MRA without a formal nomination document.