Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 03/17/1999
NRHP Listing Date 06/29/1999
DHR's Virginia Board of Historic Resources easement
NRHP Reference Number 99000725
Marshall-Rucker-Smith House is a large, two-story, brick house dating to 1894 and located on Park Avenue near downtown Charlottesville. A prominent example of the Queen Anne style in the city, the house was constructed by Charlottesville builder William T. Vandergrift for dry goods merchant J. William Marshall. The house, marked by lavish interior appointments, is distinguished by its octagonal corner tower and Romanesque-inspired arcading in the gable. A later owner, philanthropist William J. Rucker, added a two-story solarium and library wing and an outdoor swimming pool in the 1930s. In the mid-20th-century, the house was converted into apartments, one of which housed future Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. The Marshall-Rucker-Smith House retains its historic appearance, and its lot features shade trees, iron fences, stone retaining walls, and planting beds.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: April 14, 2022
