Virginia Palladian
Submitted by C. Loth on Wed, 2007-04-04 10:59.
The City of Petersburg, VA and Battersea, Inc. (a newly formed non-profit foundation) have formally joined forces to preserve Battersea as a public amenity. The house is an important example of Virginia Anglo/Palladianism, erected in 1768 for John Banister, a colonial patriot and kinsman of Thomas Jefferson.
The house was altered in the early 19th century when the stucco and end porticoes were added. The windows were also modified. The front portico was probably added then as well. It formerly was a two-level portico but the upper tier has long since been removed. The alterations may have been required to repair damage when the British pillaged the property during the Revolution.
A notable original interior feature is the Chinese lattice stair, one of the best of its type, derived from a design in William Halfpenny’s Rural Architecture in the Chinese Taste.
The thirty-acre property is owned by the city of Petersburg. As a result of state grants, the city is required to place the property under a permanent preservation easement with the Commonwealth of Virginia.
