Agecroft Hall

4305 Sulgrave Road, Richmond, Henrico Co., Virginia

Completed in 1928, for Thomas C. Williams (1864-1929) and his wife, Elizabeth Booker (1892-1984), afterwards Mrs David Morton. In England in 1925, the Williams' purchased Agecroft Hall that was otherwise subject to demolition. It was built in the late 15th Century in the village of Pendlebury, Lancashire, and following the example of the Weddells and Virginia House, under the mindful eye of their architect, Henry G. Morse, the Williams' carefully dismantled the old manor and used the materials to reconstruct an otherwise modern manor here on 23-acres overlooking the James River. The project took two years to complete at a cost of $250,000 and in accordance with Williams' will, the house became a museum after his widow's death in 1984....

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This house is best associated with...

Thomas C. Williams

Thomas C. Williams, of Agecroft Hall, Richmond, Virginia

1864-1929

Elizabeth (Booker) Morton

Mrs Elizabeth (Booker) Williams, Morton, of Agecroft Hall, Richmond, Virginia

1892-1984

Thomas C. Williams was Vice-President of the T.C. Williams Tobacco Company, of Richmond (started by his father) and in 1926 he developed the Windsor Farms neighborhood, conceiving the idea to reimagine it as a traditional English village.

He and his wife did not intend to have Agecroft faithfully reconstructed to its former self, but wished to use its materials to create what on the inside would be a comfortable house in the Tudor style but with all modern conveniences. It was positioned overlooking the James River in a similar setting to how it had sat on the River Irwell, and according to Cyril Bracegridle's book on the Irwell, an old tale said to have taken place at Agecroft inspired the classic English children's story, Babes in the Wood, first published in 1595. The gardens here also match the era and origin of the original house, landscape architect Charles Gillette laid out the fragrant English gardens inspired by Elizabethan designs.