The King-Runkle House is a picturesque two-story Victorian dwelling with Queen Anne massing and simple Eastlake detail.  Tax records indicate that the house was likely built in 1891 by L. A. King, though tradition places the construction date at 1875.  The Charlottesville building served primarily as a rental property throughout the 20th century and was known as “The Runkle House” while a boardinghouse at mid-century.

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 King-Runkle House was listed in the registers under the Charlottesville MRA without a formal nomination document.