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Grace Manor, located on the corner of Grace and
Meadow Streets, was built in 1910 by William Zimmermann as a 50th wedding anniversary gift to his wife Louise. The workmanship, detailing and materials throughout the Virginian house reflect the fashionable lifestyle enjoyed in the West Grace Street and Monument Avenue neighborhoods at the turn of the century.
Grace Manor, reflecting the Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles, is representative of the high-style residences developed around
Monument Avenue in historic Richmond, Virginia. The workmanship, detailing, and materials on both the interior and exterior are unusually fine and include: Georgian columns across the two story entrance, a formal
center foyer with three formal receiving rooms and floor-to-ceiling pocket doors, a dining room with Tiffany chandelier, a butler's call hall and a butler's call bell system throughout the home, stained glass
windows, carved wood doors, crystal chandeliers, ornate plaster ceiling reliefs and moldings, a solarium, a first generation electric refrigerator, intricately carved fireplaces with hand-painted tiles, third floor
masonry balconies, claw-foot tubs, pedestal sinks, Georgia heart of pine flooring and many other features.
After her husband’s passing in 1926, Louise’s dream home changed hands twice through the years and was in a state of disrepair when
Tom and Patty Shortt
bought the property on December 24, 1995. At that time, the original grandeur of this once magnificent Richmond home could only be imagined. Decades of neglect, damage and misuse hid the exquisite molding, luxurious chandeliers, rare stained glass and glistening wood floors. Tom and Patty’s pride in ownership became a labor of love as they oversaw an eight month renovation project painstakingly transform the 7,500 square foot structure and two story carriage house into an elegant home with every modern convenience. Danny Bright, Ex Caliber, Inc., researched and designed the restoration project with two goals - restore the original architectural integrity and preserve all surviving historic materials.
The 7,500 square foot Virginia home was completely restored in 1996 and was awarded a Certification for Historic Preservation by the Department
of Interior. The double lot once used as a pasture for the stabled carriage horses, now serves as a lovely garden professionally designed by the noted Richmond landscape designer, Lee Euting. The “ribbon garden”
features roses, gardenias, camellias, azaleas, hydrangea, iris, tulip, daffodils, wisteria, cherry trees, a holly tree, a magnolia tree and many other plantings that provide enjoyment the year round. The two-story
carriage house has been converted into an elegant apartment over a two-car garage.
On November 24, 2003, Dawn and Albert Schick
purchased the property with the goal of sharing it with the public and continuing to preserve the amazing restoration work that was completed by the Shortt’s.
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