In Fall of 2019, Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity rehabilitated and preserved a historic home in Ettrick, the very southern part of Chesterfield County on the border of Petersburg. This home was constructed by hand, pre-Civil War (estimated 1840’s), using milled trees, wooden pegs, and square-head nails. It was originally built as a one-room dwelling with an upstairs sleeping quarter. At the time it was constructed, there was a lot of industrial work on the banks of the nearby Appomattox River, and this home was most likely built for one of the managers (and was possibly constructed by slaves based on the time period).
Over time, the home was added on to as the families living there grew larger. Additions included a rear edition as well as one room off the side of the home.
In 1976, a man named J.M. O’Dell took an interest in the history of the Ettrick area and submitted the home to the Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission. It was accepted as a Historic Landmark. He also went on to write a book titled, “Chesterfield County: Early Architecture and Historic Sites” and in it, named the home “The Hathaway House.”
Habitat for Humanity Virginia was able to acquire this property a few years ago and offered it to Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity. This property was in extreme disrepair, as evidenced by some of the attached photos. Interestingly, the additions on the home were in far worse disrepair than the original structure. This speaks to the quality of the craftsmanship and the skills of the carpenters who constructed the home.
Richmond Habitat mobilized hundreds of local volunteers to help rehabilitate this home.
In renovating this home, we were able to salvage two of the original fireplaces, the original stairs, and most of the original wood floors from the original structure. We made sure to rehabilitate this home keeping with the historic character of the structure and neighborhood, but also providing the future homeowner with a high-quality, energy efficient finished product. The original siding was not salvageable, so we used Hardiplank on the exterior of the home.
This home has now been restored into a beautiful, affordable home, and will remain affordable for generations.
