Gari Melchers Home and Studio: Difference between revisions

	Belmont
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. National Historic Landmark District
	U.S. Historic district; Contributing property
	Virginia Landmarks Register
Location	224 Washington Street, Falmouth, Virginia
Coordinates	38°19′30.1″N 77°28′22.5″W / 38.325028°N 77.472917°W
Area	27 acres (11 ha)
Built	18th century
Architect	John Dixon
Part of	Falmouth Historic District (ID70000825)
NRHP reference No.	66000848
VLR No.	089-0022
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHLD	December 21, 1965
Designated CP	February 26, 1970
Designated VLR	September 9, 1969

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Gari Melchers Home and Studio, also known as Belmont, is a National Historic Landmark and historic house museum at 224 Washington Street in Falmouth, Virginia. This much-altered 18th-century house was the home and studio of the popular American artist Gari Melchers (1860–1932) from 1916 until his death. It was given to the state of Virginia by his widow, and is now administered by the University of Mary Washington. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965, commemorating Melchers' influential role in bringing American art to European attention.^[3]^[4]

Description and history

Gari Melchers Home and Studio is located just west of the center of Falmouth, on the south side of Business United States Route 17. The property is 27 acres (11 ha), roughly bisected by County Road 1001, which provides access to the main house. The house is a two-story wood-frame structure, its main block five bays wide, with a two-story ell extending it to the left, and a polygon-sided sunroom to the right. The oldest part of the house was built sometime in the mid-to-late 18th century, and achieved much of its present form during the ownership of the Ficklen family, which owned it from 1825 to 1916. In that year it was purchased by Gari Melchers and his wife Corinne, both artists, for $12,000^[5] ($232,000 in 2023^[6]). The stone studio building on the grounds, and a stone garage, both date to the period of the Melchers' ownership, and the summer house was added by Mrs. Melchers sometime after her husband's death in 1932.^[4] After she died in 1955, Mrs. Melchers bequeathed the property to the state; it includes most of the couple's possessions in the house.^[7]

Gari Melchers was a popular, if not particularly innovative, painter, who was trained in Europe. In 1882 one of his paintings was accepted by the Salon of Paris, the most prestigious art exhibition of the period. Gari and Corinne Melchers settled at Belmont in 1916. His best known works include the murals depicting War and Peace in the rotunda of the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Melchers' work contributed to a general increase of interest in the fine arts in the United States.^[4]

Unlike most historic homes in the commonwealth of Virginia, it is not furnished with antiques that correspond to the house's origins. Rather, it is a snapshot of the international tastes and lifestyle of a famous artist, and is fully furnished with the unusual European antiques and objects Melchers and his wife collected.^[5] It is also an art museum with about 1,600 works of art, about 500 of which are Melchers’ paintings. Other works of art include his sketches and studies, works by other artists he collected, and paintings by his wife.^[5]

References

^ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
^ ^a ^b "Gari Melchers Home". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c Stephen Lissandrello (February 10, 1975), National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Belmont / Gari Melchers Home (Belmont) (pdf), National Park Service and Accompanying one photo, exterior, c. 1960 (32 KB)
^ ^a ^b ^c Theobald, Mary Miley (November 5, 2015). "A Man in Two Worlds". Virginia Living. Cape Fear Publishing. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
^ Sun, Barbara and Ken Beem, For The Baltimore. "Baltimore native, artist husband sowed seeds for historic Virginia estate". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved December 10, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

External links

Gari Melchers Home and Studio, at University of Mary Washington

[register-1] "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved June 5, 2013.

[nris-2] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.

[nhlsum-3] "Gari Melchers Home". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2008.

[nrhpinv2-4] Stephen Lissandrello (February 10, 1975), National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Belmont / Gari Melchers Home (Belmont) (pdf), National Park Service and Accompanying one photo, exterior, c. 1960 (32 KB)

[VALiving-5] Theobald, Mary Miley (November 5, 2015). "A Man in Two Worlds". Virginia Living. Cape Fear Publishing. Retrieved June 27, 2016.

[inflation-USGDP-6] Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.

[7] Sun, Barbara and Ken Beem, For The Baltimore. "Baltimore native, artist husband sowed seeds for historic Virginia estate". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved December 10, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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[3]

[1]

[4]

[5]

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[7]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|Historic house in Virginia, United States}}
+{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
 {{Infobox NRHP
-  | name =Belmont
+| name                           = Belmont
-  | nrhp_type = nhld | nocat = yes
+| nrhp_type                      = nhld
+| nocat                          = yes
-  | designated_other1 = Virginia Landmarks Register
+| designated_other1              = Virginia Landmarks Register
-  | designated_other1_date = September 9, 1969<ref name=register>{{cite web|title=Virginia Landmarks Register|url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/register_counties_cities.htm|publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources|accessdate=5 June 2013}}</ref>
+| designated_other1_date         = September 9, 1969<ref name=register>{{cite web|title=Virginia Landmarks Register|url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/register_counties_cities.htm|publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources|accessdate=5 June 2013}}</ref>
-  | designated_other1_number = 089-0022
+| designated_other1_number       = 089-0022
-  | designated_other1_num_position = bottom
+| designated_other1_num_position = bottom
-  | image = Gari Melchers Home.JPG
+| image                          = Gari Melchers Home.JPG
-  | caption =
+| caption                        =
-  | location= 226 Washington Street, [[Falmouth, Virginia]]
+| location                       = 224 Washington Street, [[Falmouth, Virginia]]
-  | coordinates = {{coord|38|19|30.1|N|77|28|22.5|W|display=inline,title}}
+| coordinates                    = {{coord|38|19|30.1|N|77|28|22.5|W|display=inline,title}}
-| locmapin = USA Virginia Northern#USA Virginia#USA
+| locmapin                       = USA Virginia Northern#USA Virginia#USA
-  | area = {{convert|27|acre|ha}}
+| area                           = {{convert|27|acre|ha}}
-  | built =18th century
+| built                          = 18th century
-  | architect= John Dixon
+| architect                      = John Dixon
-  | architecture=
+| architecture                   =
-  | designated_nrhp_type= December 21, 1965<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=645&ResourceType=District |title=Gari Melchers Home |accessdate=2008-04-16 |work=National Historic Landmark summary listing |publisher=National Park Service |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606154556/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=645&ResourceType=District |archivedate=2011-06-06 |df= }}</ref>
+| designated_nrhp_type           = December 21, 1965<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=645&ResourceType=District |title=Gari Melchers Home |access-date=2008-04-16 |work=National Historic Landmark summary listing |publisher=National Park Service |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606154556/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=645&ResourceType=District |archive-date=2011-06-06 }}</ref>
-  | added = October 15, 1966<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
+| added                          = October 15, 1966<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
-  | governing_body = State
-  | refnum=66000848
+| refnum                         = 66000848
-  | nrhp_type2 = cp
+| nrhp_type2                     = cp
-  | designated_nrhp_type2 = February 26, 1970
+| designated_nrhp_type2          = February 26, 1970
-  | partof = [[Falmouth Historic District]]
+| partof                         = [[Falmouth Historic District]]
-  | partof_refnum = 70000825
+| partof_refnum                  = 70000825
 }}
-The '''Gari Melchers Home''', also known as '''Belmont''', is a [[National Historic Landmark]] and [[historic house museum]] at 226 Washington Street in [[Falmouth, Virginia]].  This much-altered 18th-century house was the home and studio of the popular American artist [[Gari Melchers]] (1860&ndash;1932) from 1916 until his death.  It was given to the state of Virginia by his widow, and is now administered by the [[University of Mary Washington]].  It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965, commemorating Melcher's influential role in bringing American art to European attention.<ref name="nhlsum"/><ref name="nrhpinv2">{{Cite journal|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Belmont / Gari Melchers Home (Belmont)|url={{NHLS url|id=66000848}} |format=pdf|date=February 10, 1975 |author=Stephen Lissandrello |publisher=National Park Service}} and {{NHLS url|id=66000848|title=''Accompanying one photo, exterior, c. 1960''|photos=y}}&nbsp;{{small|(32&nbsp;KB)}}</ref>
+'''Gari Melchers Home and Studio''', also known as '''Belmont''', is a [[National Historic Landmark]] and [[historic house museum]] at 224 Washington Street in [[Falmouth, Virginia]].  This much-altered 18th-century house was the home and studio of the popular American artist [[Gari Melchers]] (1860&ndash;1932) from 1916 until his death.  It was given to the state of Virginia by his widow, and is now administered by the [[University of Mary Washington]].  It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965, commemorating Melchers' influential role in bringing American art to European attention.<ref name="nhlsum"/><ref name="nrhpinv2">{{Citation |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Belmont / Gari Melchers Home (Belmont)|url={{NHLS url|id=66000848}} |format=pdf|date=February 10, 1975 |author=Stephen Lissandrello |publisher=National Park Service}} and {{NHLS url|id=66000848|title=''Accompanying one photo, exterior, c. 1960''|photos=y}}&nbsp;{{small|(32&nbsp;KB)}}</ref>
 ==Description and history==
-[[File:Belmont, west front, Falmouth.jpg|thumb|left|Belmont, west front, by Frances Benjamin Johnston, between 1925 and 1929]]
+[[File:Belmont, west front, Falmouth.jpg|thumb|left|Belmont, west front, by Frances Benjamin Johnston, circa 1927]]
-The Gari Melchers Home is located just west of the center of Falmouth, on the south side of Business [[United States Route 17]].  The property is {{convert|27|acre|ha}}, roughly bisected by County Road 1001, which provides access to the main house.  The house is a two story wood frame structure, its main block five bays wide, with a two story ell extending it to the left, and a polygon-sided sunroom to the right.  The oldest part of the house was built sometime in the mid-to-late 18th century, and achieved much of its present form during the ownership of the Ficklin family, which owned it from 1825 to 1916.  In that year it was purchased by [[Gari Melchers]] and his wife Corinne, both artists, for $12,000.<ref name="VALiving">{{cite web|url=http://www.virginialiving.com/virginiana/a-man-in-two-worlds_1/|title=A Man in Two Worlds
+Gari Melchers Home and Studio is located just west of the center of Falmouth, on the south side of Business [[United States Route 17]].  The property is {{convert|27|acre|ha}}, roughly bisected by County Road 1001, which provides access to the main house.  The house is a two-story wood-frame structure, its main block five bays wide, with a two-story ell extending it to the left, and a polygon-sided sunroom to the right.  The oldest part of the house was built sometime in the mid-to-late 18th century, and achieved much of its present form during the ownership of the Ficklen family, which owned it from 1825 to 1916.  In that year it was purchased by [[Gari Melchers]] and his wife [[Corinne Melchers|Corinne]], both artists, for $12,000<ref name="VALiving">{{cite web|url=http://www.virginialiving.com/virginiana/a-man-in-two-worlds_1/|title=A Man in Two Worlds
-|last1=Theobald|first1=Mary Miley|date=November 5, 2015|website=[[Virginia Living]] |publisher=Cape Fear Publishing|access-date=June 27, 2016 |quote=}}</ref> The stone studio building on the grounds, and a stone garage, both date to the period of the Melchers' ownership, and the sunroom was added by Mrs. Melchers sometime after her husband's death in 1932.<ref name="nrhpinv2"/>  Mrs. Melchers bequeathed the property to the state; it includes most of the family possessions in the house.
+|last1=Theobald|first1=Mary Miley|date=November 5, 2015|website=[[Virginia Living]] |publisher=Cape Fear Publishing|access-date=June 27, 2016 |quote=}}</ref> (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|12000|1916|r=-3}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP}}). The stone studio building on the grounds, and a stone garage, both date to the period of the Melchers' ownership, and the summer house was added by Mrs. Melchers sometime after her husband's death in 1932.<ref name="nrhpinv2"/>  After she died in 1955, Mrs. Melchers bequeathed the property to the state; it includes most of the couple's possessions in the house.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/travel/bs-xpm-2013-04-18-bs-tr-belmont-va-garden-week-20130410-story.html|title=Baltimore native, artist husband sowed seeds for historic Virginia estate|last=Sun|first=Barbara and Ken Beem, For The Baltimore|website=baltimoresun.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-10}}</ref>
-Gari Melchers was a popular, if not particularly innovative, painter, who was trained in Europe.  In 1882 one of his paintings was accepted by the [[Salon (Paris)|Salon]] of [[Paris]], the most prestigious art exhibition of the period.  The Melchers settled at Belmont in 1916.  His best known works include the murals depicting ''War'' and ''Peace'' in the rotunda of the [[Library of Congress]] in [[Washington, DC]].  Melchers' work contributed to a general increase of interest in the fine arts in the United States.<ref name="nrhpinv2"/>
+Gari Melchers was a popular, if not particularly innovative, painter, who was trained in Europe.  In 1882 one of his paintings was accepted by the [[Salon (Paris)|Salon]] of [[Paris]], the most prestigious art exhibition of the period.  Gari and Corinne Melchers settled at Belmont in 1916.  His best known works include the murals depicting ''War'' and ''Peace'' in the rotunda of the [[Library of Congress]] in [[Washington, DC]].  Melchers' work contributed to a general increase of interest in the fine arts in the United States.<ref name="nrhpinv2"/>
-Unlike most historic homes in the commonwealth of Virginia, it is not furnished with antiques that correspond to the house’s origins. Rather, it is a snapshot of the international tastes and lifestyle of a famous artist, and is fully furnished with the unusual European antiques and objects Melchers and his wife collected.<ref name="VALiving" /> It is also an art museum with about 2,000 works of art, about 500 of which are Melchers’ paintings. Other works of art include his sketches and studies, works by other artists he collected, and paintings by his wife.<ref name="VALiving" />
+Unlike most historic homes in the commonwealth of Virginia, it is not furnished with antiques that correspond to the house's origins. Rather, it is a snapshot of the international tastes and lifestyle of a famous artist, and is fully furnished with the unusual European antiques and objects Melchers and his wife collected.<ref name="VALiving" /> It is also an art museum with about 1,600 works of art, about 500 of which are Melchers’ paintings. Other works of art include his sketches and studies, works by other artists he collected, and paintings by his wife.<ref name="VALiving" />
 ==See also==
 *[[List of National Historic Landmarks in Virginia]]
 *[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Stafford County, Virginia]]
+*[[List of single-artist museums]]
 ==References==
-{{reflist}}
+{{Reflist}}
 ==External links==
-{{commons category|Belmont (Gari Melchers Home)}}
+{{Commons category|Belmont (Gari Melchers Home)}}
 *[http://garimelchers.umw.edu/ Gari Melchers Home and Studio, at University of Mary Washington]
-*[http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Stafford/Belmont_photo.htm Belmont, Stafford County, one photo at Virginia DHR]
 {{National Register of Historic Places in Virginia}}
+{{authority control}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Melchers, Gari, Home}}
@@ Line 54: / Line 59: @@
 [[Category:Museums in Stafford County, Virginia]]
 [[Category:Historic house museums in Virginia]]
-[[Category:Art museums in Virginia]]
+[[Category:Art museums and galleries in Virginia]]
 [[Category:University museums in Virginia]]
-[[Category:Biographical museums in Virginia|Melchers, Gari]]
+[[Category:Biographical museums in Virginia]]
-[[Category:Artist studios]]
+[[Category:Artists' studios in the United States]]
 [[Category:Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia]]
 [[Category:Houses in Stafford County, Virginia]]
@@ Line 63: / Line 68: @@
 [[Category:University of Mary Washington]]
 [[Category:Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Virginia]]
-[[Category:Historic district contributing properties in Virginia]]
 [[Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia]]
 [[Category:Museums devoted to one artist]]

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