Who designed this sophisticated Italianate building for Bolling Haxall, one of Richmond's leading businessmen just before the Civil War, remains a puzzle. Obviously it was someone very up to date, possibly an out-of-town architect, though the local builders George and John Gibson have been credited with the design. The central bay projects slightly from the main facade and is set off by a one-story entrance portico with Roman Doric columns. The central bay rises to an ebullient arch at the roofline. A cupola tops the roof. Highly ornate cast ironwork adorns the small balconies that accentuate the main floor and the window caps, and is used in the elegantly patterned fence that runs along the sidewalk. Inside, the rear ballroom, built in 1915 for the Woman's Club, is furnished in a highly decorative, Greek-inspired Beaux-Arts classical style. Much of the interior has been restored.