White family homes, Lexington, Virginia snapshot photos, 1930/1986

Containers:

Box 12, Folder 22

Biographical / historical:

The commercial building at 209 South Main St, Lexington, Virginia was constructed in 1897 and serves as a classic example of late 19th century commercial architecture within the Lexington Historic District. During this era, South Main Street was transitioning from residential estates into a dense commercial and business corridor. Matthew White's building was one of the town's most prominent 19th century commercial and residential properties. Matthew White was an Irish immigrant who arrived in Lexington as a young man.

The Reid-White-Philbin House, historically known as the Reid-White House or Evergreen House, is a historic Federal style home built in 1821 at 208 West Nelson Street in Lexington, Virginia. The home was designed and constructed for Samuel McDowell Reid, a highly influential local businessman, politician, land developer, and clerk of the Rockbridge County Court. Reid was also a senior trustee of Washington College, now Washington and Lee University, and acted as an amateur "gentleman architect". He drew his own watercolor elevation and section plans for the main two story, three bay Federal style brick structure. Following Samuel McDowell Reid's death, the home passed to his daughter, Mary Louise White, and her husband, James Jones White, who was a prominent classics professor at Washington and Lee University. In 1909, their son, Dr. Reid White, grandson of the builder, sold the front section of the expansive estate's lawn to the United States government. Between 1911 and 1913, the federal government constructed the Classical Revival Lexington Post Office directly on that land, which still sits in front of the house today, obscuring its direct view from West Nelson Street and Lee Avenue. The two color snapshot photos were taken by David Metzger, 1986.

Captain Robert White (1775–1851), an immigrant from Ireland, arrived in Lexington, Virginia around 1800 and established a highly prominent mercantile business. His home was at 156 South Main Street, in Lexington, Virginia. This snapshot photo was made by the Roanoke Photo Finishing Co., Roanoke, Virginia, 1942.

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