Lexington, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Willson-Walker House, ca. 1820
Historic Lexington
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 8, 2021
1. Willson-Walker House, ca. 1820 Marker
Inscription.
Willson-Walker House, ca. 1820. Historic Lexington. A fine example of the Classical Revival style, this temple-fronted structure was built by the local firm of John Jordan and Samuel Darst for Captain William Willson, merchant, postmaster and treasurer of Washington College. Responsible for introducing Classical architecture to the area, Jordan and Darst did a similar temple front for the main building on the college campus. In 1914 Harry Lee Walkr, one of Lexington's most prominent African Americans who ran his butcher shop here and sold his famous hickory smoke-cured Virginia hams, purchased this house. In 1984, Grant and Josephine Griswold restored the house using the Philadelphia firm of Milner and Associates. They found the original impressive, Federal-style interiors still largely intact beneath a layer of barn siding. (Photo ca. 1930s)
A fine example of the Classical Revival style, this temple-fronted structure was built by the local firm of John Jordan and Samuel Darst for Captain William Willson, merchant, postmaster and treasurer of Washington College. Responsible for introducing Classical architecture to the area, Jordan and Darst did a similar temple front for the main building on the college campus. In 1914 Harry Lee Walkr, one of Lexington's most prominent African Americans who ran his butcher shop here and sold his famous hickory smoke-cured Virginia hams, purchased this house. In 1984, Grant and Josephine Griswold restored the house using the Philadelphia firm of Milner and Associates. They found the original impressive, Federal-style interiors still largely intact beneath a layer of barn siding. (Photo ca. 1930s)
Location. 37° 47.134′ N, 79° 26.491′ W. Marker is in Lexington, Virginia. Marker is on North Main Street (Business U.S. 11) just north of West Washington Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map.
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Marker is at or near this postal address: 24 N Main St, Lexington VA 24450, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 8, 2021
2. Willson-Walker House, ca. 1820 Marker
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 8, 2021
3. The Willson-Walker House
Credits. This page was last revised on May 9, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 9, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 265 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on May 9, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
