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An 1820s Baltimore mahogany marble-top pier table is set with family silver. The wallpaper is a reproduction of an 1815 wallpaper and based on a fragment found in the basement well.
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Bunky Bowles moved the staircase back to its original location in the front hall. The faux marble baseboards were hand-painted by Elaine Tucker-Haviland.
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Katherine and Southall Bowles. The Hancock-Wirt-Caskie house has the only surviving example of a recessed entrance under a two-level porch arcade in Richmond.
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Artisans removed 17 layers of paint to reveal the original plaster frieze. Research and analysis helped determine the color palette selected by Bunky Bowles.
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Detail of the ceiling medallion in the octagonal parlor
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Family portraits line the walls painted in Farrow & Ball Bancha, Katherine and Southall Bowles’ favorite color.
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Southall Bowles crafted the heart pine shiplap wall using boat nails to hold it together and as decorative accents. The exposed beams overhead are joists that support the main floor.
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A Dutch door separates the basement dining area from the couple’s shop that fronts East Main Street.
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In the new kitchen, designed by David Raber, the original 1808 well — where important clues to the restoration were discovered — is still visible under the cabinet and stove. The faux marble floor was hand-painted by Elaine Tucker-Haviland.
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Bunky Bowles’ design for the doors in the basement was inspired by doors in the wine cellar at Monticello. The hinges are custom-made, hand-forged reproductions.
There are few in Richmond who have not passed the Hancock-Wirt-Caskie House, which dominates the corner of Fifth and Main streets downtown. It stands as a monument to the city’s unique history and design aesthetic, and to the many people who have been stewards of this special place over centuries.
When entering the house, one is struck by the early 19th-century classicism that Federal architecture commands, as well as the freshly polished period furniture and light reflecting in the gilt mirrors to illuminate marble trim and brightly painted ornamental friezes.
The house was built in 1808 for Michael Hancock. It is the lone survivor of a group of elegant Richmond houses with demi-octagonal bay facades exhibiting design inspiration from the work of architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, one of the first formally trained architects in the country.
Within these walls is not just the story of early American architecture at its finest, but also one of a family whose passion for preservation and education has spanned generations. It’s not all glamour. In fact, most of it is hard work, a labor of love.
Aubrey Russell “Bunky” Bowles III purchased the house in 1981. For those who knew him, Bunky was a Richmond character who was larger than life. His passion for preservation and restoration at the most meticulous level was infectious. He once noted his desire to complete the restoration “hopefully before I go to Hollywood Cemetery.” He did indeed complete the major restoration during his lifetime, but he knew he was building a legacy that would long outlive him.
Bunky undertook a museum-quality restoration of the house that included re-creating the main staircase — it had been moved to the back of the house to make the entryway more spacious when it was updated to the Greek Revival style in 1846. He used clues found in the well of the house where bits and pieces had been tossed over time, such as wallpaper fragments and a Greek key, to replicate long-lost ornamentation. He employed paint analysis to restore the original colors and looked at “sticking points” to reproduce missing ceiling medallions, including one with bellflowers. He used an original spandrel to replicate others that ornamented the stairs. Where there were gaps to be filled, Bunky used a combination of knowledge, his own period aesthetic and a superb sense of style. His wife, Jane, was there by his side, sometimes the more practical of the two, but a force in her own right.
For years, the Bowles hosted the VCU Symposium on Architectural History and the Decorative Arts reception for young scholars, and they frequently welcomed special tours with various interested groups and cultural institutions.
When Bunky died in 2017, Jane continued his important projects, including shoring up the house’s roof and windows. She awoke every morning to make a list of house-related items for the day. Her son Southall would meet with her each morning to go over the list. Southall, who learned much from his late father, became increasingly involved in the house’s upkeep and preservation efforts.
Upon Jane’s death in early 2023, the torch of stewardship was passed to Southall and his wife, Katherine, who currently reside in the house’s English basement. The two are carrying on Bunky and Jane’s legacy of preservation and restoration.
“When I work on the house, I always ask myself how my father would do it,” Southall says. “I like to think that we are making him proud as we continue the legacy he set the foundation for.”
Recent projects have included continued restoration of original materials, including reglazing windows, painting and brick repointing. Bunky’s law office, which was located in the English basement, has been turned into a comfortable living room where period antiques meet more personal objects, and the downstairs kitchen was renovated.
The couple recently opened a boutique called 5th & Main in part of the English basement in an effort to financially support the continued restoration of the house. The shop reflects Katherine’s unique style and taste: classic with a modern twist and a splash of fun. This is not dissimilar from the house itself, with its mix of austere classical details and a bit of whimsy.
“We love to see the reaction of people who come into the shop,” Katherine says. “People are always curious to come inside and experience a piece of the house. We feel like Bunky and Jane would be so proud that we have continued to keep up with this special place and share it with others.”
The warm, comfortable English basement now stands in contrast to the more formal rooms upstairs, including the octagonal parlor and dining room with elaborate French hand-painted wallpaper by Joseph Dufour et Cie depicting Psyche and Cupid, providing a window into yet another place and time.
