The John Marshall House

The John Marshall House was the Richmond home of John Marshall from 1790 to 1835. Marshall, known as the Great Chief Justice, was the longest serving Chief Justice to date, a definer of the Constitution, and a shaper of the modern United States Supreme Court. He served in local and state government as well as the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the United States Government. Built by John Marshall and his wife, Mary Willis (Polly) Ambler Marshall, between 1788 and 1790 in Richmond’s Court End neighborhood, the Federal style house included public entertaining rooms on the first floor, bedchambers on the second floor, and work space and storage in the cellar. There Marshall lived comfortably, raised a growing family, and entertained fellow lawyers and prominent members of Richmond society. During his lifetime, the house stood on four lots covering a full city block and was part of a complex that included a garden, law office, laundry, kitchen, stable, and smoke house, where Marshall, his family, and the enslaved and white servants of the household lived and worked. Appointed the fourth Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court in 1801, Marshall served until his death in 1835 and through influential decisions reshaped the court into a powerful and effective body. His decision in Marbury v. Madison in 1803 established judicial review over the executive and legislative branches, and his other opinions upheld the sanctity of contracts, personal property rights, and free and open commerce. John Marshall married Mary Willis Ambler on January 3, 1783, and their letters reflect a devoted partnership and her valued counsel on the shaping of the nation. The property remained in the Marshall family until 1911, when it was sold to the City of Richmond, and after being saved from demolition by local preservationists, Preservation Virginia has operated it as a museum since 1913. The house, listed on the National and Virginia historic registers, has undergone remarkably few changes since Marshall’s lifetime and contains the largest collection of furnishings and memorabilia associated with his family and career.

Richmond, Virginia · United States