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Built for Frederic
and Elisabeth Scott in 1911, the house at 909 West Franklin
Street is among the most respected projects by the eminent
Richmond architectural firm, Noland and Baskervill. Both
architecturally and historically significant, the
Scott House reflects the prosperity of early 20th-century Richmond,
when the city was one of the principal insurance and banking
centers of the South. Virginia Commonwealth University
purchased the house in 2001 from the children of Elisabeth
Scott Bocock –– the daughter of Frederic and
Elisabeth Scott and last member of the Scott family to
live in the house. Bocock was dedicated to preserving and
reclaiming many of the 18th- and 19th-century homes in
Richmond, notably by founding the Historic Richmond Foundation.
The Scott House, now a Virginia Historic Landmark, is
one of Richmond’s most important architectural survivors
from the great age of American patronage called the American
Renaissance (1876-1914). The house’s exterior is patterned
after the Petit Trianon at Versailles. Like other American
Renaissance dwellings, the first floor of the Scott House
resembles an architectural museum, with rooms in many different
styles, each style having been chosen for its association
with the function of the room. The entry hall and drawing
room pay tribute to 18th-century France, famed for the refinement
of its social life; the library cites the Gothic Era, a great
age of learning; the dining room follows the Adamesque taste
of the late 18th century, when Britons developed the modern
dining room; the Renaissance den evokes the studies or studioli
of 15th- and 16th-century Italy; and the conservatory is
decorated with a Pompeian bacchanale, which completes the
set of styles.
The university is currently preserving the first level
of the Scott House and has made it available to the Richmond
community in a manner similar to that of other local historical
buildings, such as the Virginia Museum’s Center for
Education and Outreach and the Woman’s Club of Richmond’s
Bolling Haxall House. VCU will create sophisticated, yet
functional, spaces that reflect the grandeur of the American
Renaissance, while basing the design schemes on the architecture
of the original dwelling and information available through
surviving documents that record the original appearance.
VCU commenced its restoration project in 2001 with a complete
overhaul of the building’s fire safety, heating and
cooling, and electrical capabilities. In 2003, internal budget
allocations and a $50,000 grant from a private Richmond-based
foundation allowed the university, under the direction of
interior designer Gary Inman (M.A.’93), to begin Phase
I of the restoration process: wall, ceiling and floor repair;
woodwork and cabinetry restoration; bathroom and kitchen
modernization, and decorative painting throughout the public
areas of the house. Phase II includes hard and soft furnishings
such as core furniture pieces, wall and floor coverings,
and window treatments. Phase III, planned for 2006-2008,
will include additional period detailing, artwork, lighting,
furniture and structural enhancements.
For more information
on how you can help with the preservation and restoration
of one Richmond’s most significant landmarks, please
visit: www.vcu.edu/campaign/priorities
/campaign_scott.html
VCU Scott House Web site: http://www.vcu.edu/scotthouse/ |
