Nestled amidst magnolia in the Monroe Ward district of downtown Richmond stands the Kent-Valentine House, the antebellum residence that is the bustling statewide headquarters of the Garden Club of Virginia. Recognized as a splendid example of Greek Revival architecture, the imposing eighteen room residence with its soaring Roman Ionic columns, 14-foot ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling windows was nearly razed in 1971 before GCV launched the area’s first adaptive-use restoration.
Built in 1845, the Kent-Valentine House was designed by Isaiah Rogers, a prominent Boston architect, who once served as Supervising Architect of the United States. The original owner, Mr. Horace L. Kent, worked as wholesale dry goods merchant and served Richmond City Council in 1868. In the early 1900s the house was sold to the Granville Valentine family who added the beautiful east wing with a Colonial Revival style and a third floor. The third floor was a functional space used by the Valentine family as a classroom for their children.
In 1971, the Garden Club of Virginia purchased the house and transformed the residence into a functional space while maintaining its architectural integrity.
In 1995, a complete restoration was done by the Garden Club of Virginia to preserve each parlor to its original design, reflecting the Colonial and Gothic revival styles. During this restoration, a tower was added to the east side of the house that included an elevator, allowing the house to be handicap accessible.
The Kent-Valentine House has been restored to its 19th-century grandeur and renovated to meet the needs of the 21st century. Eighteenth-century furnishings grace the interiors. 
