Daniel Call House

The Daniel Call House is one of the oldest houses in Richmond. It was originally built at 9th and Broad Streets and has the appearance of a typical late 18th century farmhouse built in the Federal style. Records can date it as far back as 1796, when the property belonged to John Hopkins and was occupied by a "Monsieur Chevilee." In 1798, Hopkins sold the house to Daniel Call, one of Richmond's most well-known and respected attorneys and law reporters of the time. He was good friends with Chief Justice John Marshall, ultimately taking over his legal practice and marrying his sister-in-law, Lucy Ambler. In 1820, Call moved to another house nearby and this house was rented to various people. In 1844, the lot was divided and the parcel with the house was sold to Mann S. Valentine I, continued to be used as a rental, and soon again sold to Alexandar Brooks. The Brooks' moved the house to its current location at Madison and Grace Streets and resided there until 1870. It was then home to several Richmond schools and owned by Peter Mayo. By 1936, the house was sold to Frank A. Bliley and practically rebuilt with cement block in order to fireproof it and use as a funeral home. Five years after his purchase, Mary Wingfield Scott described his efforts as "surely the most ambitious effort to preserve an old house that Richmond has ever seen."

When the Daniel Call House sold in 2022, we tried to reach out to the owner, city, and several other preservation- and history-based nonprofits. Despite our concerns, there is little we can do as there are no legal protections in place. The house is not located within a City Old & Historic District, and even if it were, COHDs don’t prohibit demolition, they only outline a process for consideration by the Commission of Architectural Review (CAR). CAR can choose to approve the demolition or not, but their ruling can be appealed and overruled by City Council. The Daniel Call House is not listed on either the Virginia Landmarks Registry or the National Register of Historic Places, both of which can provide financial incentives for rehabilitation projects, but not protection against demolition. No organization holds a preservation easement on the property.

The Call House situation is an illustration of a problem that we are seeing across Richmond and especially Downtown, where demolition permits are being issued without consideration for what is being demolished, why it is being demolished, or what is going to replace it (if anything). This is exactly why we need a Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plan for the City and a demolition review ordinance to provide a "Stop. Look. Listen" approach to make sure the community has a chance to weigh in before something irreplaceable is lost. A Demo Review might also mandate that nothing be demolished without a replacement project already designed, funded, and approved, potentially saving valuable historic structures for adaptive reuse rather than a vacant gravel lot.

The Daniel Call house is currently being disassembled, and demolition appears to be imminent. We are working with the Department of Historic Resources in an attempt to document the house before it is completely gone. If you, like us, are heartbroken to see it go, and are looking for ways to save similar structures, consider reaching out to the Director of Planning, Kevin Vonk ([email protected]) and Senior Manager of authentiCITY, Kimberly Chen ([email protected]) to express your support for a Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plan.