The current appearance of Boxley Place, in the Louisa County seat, is that of a brick Colonial Revival-style house, dominated by a monumental entrance portico with Ionic and Tuscan columns, and featuring large side and rear additions. However, this is its second incarnation. The original house, built in 1860, was a frame Italianate/Greek Revival-style dwelling with a modest one-story porch, built for a local dentist, Dr. Edwin Lee Smith. In 1918 Richmond architect D. Wiley Anderson remodeled it into the popular Colonial Revival style for Bruce and Ethel Boxley. The elaborate Boxley Place is one of Anderson’s three designs in Louisa, joining the Louisa County Courthouse, and a smaller and less ornate residence, and is in the style for which he is most well known. Boxley Place showcases elements typical of his Colonial Revival designs, such as the large portico and dominant dormers. Presumably, the Boxleys became familiar with Anderson’s work after he received recognition for his 1905 design of the courthouse, and commissioned him shortly thereafter to redesign their home.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
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