The Samuel Pleasants Parsons House is a historic dwelling located at 601 Spring Street in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. It is best known for being the home of quaker, abolitionist, and prison superintendent Samuel Pleasants Parsons. It is likely that this house was once a stop on the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. T ...

. It is the oldest remaining building within the

Oregon Hill Oregon Hill is a historic working class, working-class neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. Oregon Hill overlooks the James River (Virginia), James River and Belle Isle (Virginia), Belle Isle, and provides access to Hollywood Cemetery (Richmond, ...

neighborhood.

History

Samuel Parsons had his residence built in 1818 around his time as the superintendent at the Virginia State Penitentiary which too stood on spring street across Belvedere Street. The dwelling is the only surviving building of "Harvie's Plan" of 1817. Beginning in the 1870s, the dwelling was used to house unwed mothers and later served the

Virginia Department of Corrections The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) is the government agency responsible for community corrections and operating prisons and correctional facilities in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The agency is fully accredited b ...

as a refuge for young female offenders in their work release program. By the turn of the 21st century, the house had fallen into despair, graffiti covered the walls, and a decade had passed since the dwelling had been inhabited. In 2000, local developer Robin Miller renovated the dwelling and now it serves as apartments.

Architecture

The Federalist-Style house was originally built in 1818 with additions being added in later years. It has a gabled roof and a

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...

portico on each of its front entrances. Important interior details survive, such as fireplace mantels and some woodwork.

References

{{Reflist National Register of Historic Places in Richmond, Virginia Buildings and structures in Richmond, Virginia Buildings and structures completed in 1818 Underground Railroad locations Greek Revival architecture in Virginia Federal architecture in Virginia