Birdwood Mansion Rehabilitation

Located just west of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Birdwood is a three-story Jeffersonian brick estate built circa 1819, with a Colonial Revival addition added in 1909. Acquired by UVA in 1967, the University engaged Glavé & Holmes Architecture for the comprehensive renovation of the mansion and five adjacent historic outbuildings.

The completed project transformed the 15,500-square-foot estate into a hospitality venue that improves accessibility, interprets its complex history, and incorporates thoughtful landscape enhancements. Historic outbuildings on the site include quarters for enslaved people (c. 1819–1830), ice house (c. 1830), three storage buildings (c. 1819–1830), and a water tower (c. 1909). As an individually listed property on the National Register of Historic Places, the rehabilitation prioritized preservation and restoration while sensitively adapting the buildings for contemporary use. The work was completed in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and pursued historic rehabilitation tax credits.