Designed by John Russell Pope in 1916 and constructed 1917-1919, the Branch House is an excellent example of an urban residence planned in the Tudor/Jacobean Revival style. Perhaps its greatest distinction architecturally is that it is the only residence of this type by Pope in which the original interiors have survived intact, and it is one of the earliest examples of this style of architecture in Virginia. The Branch House is individually listed on the Virginia Register and on the National Register of Historic Places for its National significance for its outstanding architecture.
The 27,000-square-foot residence features eleven levels; a chapel-like studio; and fireproofing by means of concrete floors and masonry walls. With its long gallery, great hall, commodious library and dining room on the main floor, the house, completed in 1919, provided ample space for displaying the Branches’ extensive collection of European tapestries, textiles, and furnishings.
The Branch hosts approximately 12 exhibitions per year, in addition to the permanent collection.
Museum tours are available on the first and third Sunday of every month. Tours feature the first and second floors of The Branch Museum and include historical information about the family as well as architectural elements specific to the Branch House. The exhibitions currently on view are also discussed.