Judge William J. Robertson House is a picturesque Italianate/Gothic Revival dwelling built in the city of Charlottesville about 1859 for the noted Virginia jurist. The two-story brick dwelling has rendered walls scored to simulate ashlar masonry. The front has two gables separated by a narrow space containing the entrance. The interior features simple Greek Revival detailing. Though no specific source can be cited, it seems certain that the builder was familiar with the popular architectural guides of the day. Judge Robertson was the first president of the Virginia Bar Association and served on the Virginia Court of Appeals. After the Civil War, he represented several railroads. Perhaps his most celebrated case was his representation of the Lee family in its efforts to recover its Arlington House estate confiscated by the federal government during the Civil War.