919 West Franklin Street
Richmond, VA, USA

National Register of Historic Places - Crenshaw House (Younger House; Clay House)

Statement of Significant:

Summary

The Crenshaw House, built in 1891, is a representative example of the late 19th century fashionable Richmond homes of West Franklin Street. From the time of its construction until 1941, the residence had been associated with three main families: the Youngers, Clays, and Crenshaws. For its architectural character, it was listed as a contributing resource in the West Franklin Street Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Its individual significance, however, lies in its association with seminal events in women's history in Virginia. At two meetings in November 1909, a group of women met at the home of Anne Clay and S. Dabney Crenshaw to form what would become the Equal Suffrage League of Virginia (ESL), an influential body that dedicated itself to obtaining the vote for women, but also encouraged women to expand their traditional roles into politics and progressive reform. The meetings' attendants included some of Richmond's most socially influential women, Mrs. Anne Clay Crenshaw among them. Despite some minor interior alterations, the Crenshaw House retains its historic character and integrity to this period. The Crenshaw House played a significant role in the Virginia Suffrage movement, and consequently in the ushering in of a new generation of Virginia women who sought leadership roles in public life, and therefore is individually eligible for listing with statewide significance under Criterion A in the area of Social History, with a period of significance of 1909.

Ownership History
The following is taken from "Youngers, Clays, Crenshaws and 919 West Franklin Street Richmond, Virginia" by Jean McRae, prepared in 1999 for the Department of Art History, Virginia Commonwealth University:
Lawson Carter Younger was the son of a farmer named John M. Younger (1819-1901) and his wife, Mary R. Carter (1823-1879). He was born in Pittsylvania County where the birth record reads "Larson C. Younger", on November 23, 1852.3 He moved to Richmond in the early 1800s where he shows up in the City Directory in 1881, boarding at the St. James Hotel and being a partner in the Heitman & Younger wholesale grocery business. In 1883, A.M. Heitman withdrew from the firm and turned over his portion of ownership to L.C. Younger and the Milhiser’s of which the grocery was a subsidiary. In 1888, the directories show Lawson sharing a house at 216 South 3rd Street with some of the Tanner family. He had married Helen L. Tanner (1861-1944), daughter of Richmond's William E. Tanner, in 1884.7...In November of 1885, Cora W. Younger was born to Lawson and Helen, and they continued to reside with Helen's family, now at 220 South 3rd Street, until the house at 919 West Franklin Street was built. According to deeds, L.C. Younger had purchased the land in 1888 but the address was not listed in the City Directory until 1891. In February of 1899, the Youngers sold the property, with "brick residence no.919" to Mrs. S. Dabney Crenshaw and moved back in with the Tanners at the 3rd Street address. Two years later, Mrs. Crenshaw turned the property over to her husband, with the agreement of his paying her back for the initial down payment on the house and taking over the mortgage....
...The Crenshaw family continued to reside at 919 West Franklin Street until 1941, when the property was turned into five apartments. In 1962, Richmond Professional Institute bought the building for its Engineering, Psychology, Nursing, Biology, and Chemisty Departments. RPI used the house for classrooms in 1966, then faculty offices and classrooms in 1967-1968. Then in 1969, the City Directory shows Virginia Commonwealth University as owner and the building housed classrooms and the School of Music. Finally in 1984, the house