Courtesy of Virginia Department of Historic Resources
Wilton was constructed between 1750 and 1753 for William Randolph III on a 2,000 acre plantation overlooking the James River. It was later moved to its currently location in Richmond city. Wilton is one of several Randolph estates on the James River, which includes Tuckahoe. The Randolph family was one of colonial Virginia's most prominent. William Randolph III entertained George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and the Marquis de Lafayette at Wilton. William's son Peyton, is Wilton's most noted owner. He married Lucy Harrison, the daughter of Benjamin Harrison of Berkeley. Peyton served as Speaker of Colonial Virginia's House of Burgesses, chairman and instigator of the First Virginia Convention in 1775, president of the First Continental Congress and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while serving as delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
Wilton was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register on October 21, 1975 and the National Register of Historic Places on April 30, 1976. The Wilton House Museum is located at 215 S. Wilton Rd. Richmond, VA 23226. For more information about the house museum please visit: Wilton House Museum or call 804-282-5936.
Last updated: September 19, 2016