Historic Victorian Mansion—Loved By the Same Family Since 1878—Hits Market for $695K: ‘It Just Needs To Be Loved’

A historic West Virginia home has just hit the market for the first time since it was built in 1878, giving potential homebuyers an opportunity to bring their own flair to the stunning Victorian, which has existed within the same family for generations.

The four-bedroom, 2.5 bath abode—called The Chancellor House—is priced at $695,000, and was built by former Parkersburg, WV mayor and self-made millionaire, William Nelson Chancellor.

According to the listing—which is being handled by Eric J Corder of Coldwell Baker Select Properties—five successive generations have lived in the home.

“People always ask me what it was like to grow up in this house, and I always say it was absolutely magnificent,” Catherine Brown, a descendant of the Chancellor family, said in a video Corder shared on Instagram.

“This has been my home for 86 years. I was born at the hospital you can see from the house in 1940, and have lived here ever since,” she explained. “I am the fifth generation to own the house in our family.”

Brown has big aspirations for the future owners of her longtime family home.

“It would be my hope that somebody who loves old houses will be the next owner. And that that person, and his or her family and friends will find this as wonderful a house as I did,” she said.

“They will love having it. They will love visiting here. They will have a good time decorating it,” she continued. “They’ll have lots of fun deciding what to do with the garden; to keep it as beautiful as it has been over the years.”

With 5,827 square feet and 64 windows, there are certainly plenty of opportunities to get creative with decor.

As it's been lovingly-maintained over five generations, Brown hopes that the home will continue to receive the same level of care for years to come.

“It just needs to be loved,” she said. “It’s a house that has been loved and it will flourish and thrive if its new owners come to love it.

Brown went on to explain that her great, great grandfather was known around town as “Colonel Chancellor.” He was never in the military, but it “was an honorific title.”

Chancellor was a banker, but was also “heavily involved” in real estate in town, and built a handful of nearby buildings including the Blennerhassett Hotel, Trinity Episcopal Church, and the Chancellor Hotel, which was demolished in 1977.

“When the house was built, it was everything in the latest fashion,” Brown continued. “But it was built just before indoor plumbing became commonplace in finer American houses. So there was a well in the backyard.”

The proud descendant explained that the full-scale plumbing was eventually installed sometime between 1910 and 1912, with electricity to follow at some point when the original homeowners were still alive. Before then, the house had been lit with gas chandeliers.

The 16-room home has held onto many of the original features—elaborate plaster brackets, medallions, and striking pocket doors. But it’s also been updated over the years as times continue to change.

The kitchen, for example, is a charming bright blue, but has been outfitted with updated appliances, gorgeous countertops, and recessed lighting.

While some of the bathrooms conjure memories of earlier days, at least one boasts much more modern fixtures, such as a walk-in shower with sleek glass doors.

Walnut woodwork adorns the drawing room, library, dining room, and main hallway, as well as the main staircase that elegantly twists all the way up to the third floor.

An additional staircase provides access to the grand tower that serves as a focal point for the exterior of the home, with views across the Ohio River.

The backyard is just as storied as the home itself, with a private walled garden and a coach house that still serves as a functional garage and workspace.

“It was wonderful growing up in a four-generation household,” Brown shared. “It was just an exceptional experience to be a part of these four generations. It gave me a sense of family… It was just a rare and wonderful opportunity.”