"The Great Chief Justice"
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(Courtesy of Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities) J ohn Marshall led the Supreme Court of the United States from obscurity and weakness to prominence and power during his 34 years in office, from 1801 to 1835. More than half his time as chief justice was spent at home in Richmond, Virginia. Marshall’s public duties in Washington, D.C., and on circuit in Virginia and North Carolina, consumed an average of less than six months a year. So he was often with family and friends at his two-and-a-half-story brick house, built between 1788 and 1790. Located at the corner of Ninth and Marshall Streets in downtown Richmond, this house stands as a permanent memorial to the Marshall family. No other site, not even the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., is so closely connected to "The Great Chief Justice." John Marshall’s public and private roles were intertwined at home. He developed legal opinions, wrote public papers, and greeted famous guests at this place, where he also was a father, husband, and household manager. Today visitors to the John Marshall House can see evidence of both the public and private parts of his life at home. A striking symbol of his public life--a large judicial robe once worn by Marshall as chief justice--is displayed in the visitors’ Orientation Room, as is a small locket that was worn by Marshall’s wife, Mary Willis Ambler, whom he called "my dearest Polly." These two objects represent the public and private domains of a great man’s life, his career and family.

TABLE OF CONTENTS About This Lesson Getting Started: Inquiry Question Setting the Stage: Historical Context Locating the Site: Maps 1. Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay region 2. John Marshall House and surrounding area, Richmond, Virginia Determining the Facts: Readings 1. John Marshall at Home 2. A Black Robe--Symbol of Civil Virtue and Constitutional Principles 3. A Locket and a Strand of Hair--Symbols of Love and Family 4. John Marshall on "My Dearest Polly" Visual Evidence: Images 1. Exterior front view, John Marshall House 2. Exterior side view, John Marshall House 3. Withdrawing room, John Marshall House 4. Dining room, John Marshall House 5. Master bedroom, John Marshall House Putting It All Together: Activities 1. Assessing Public and Private Qualities Associated with Greatness 2. Inquiry on the Landmark Supreme Court Opinions of John Marshall 3. Historic Sites in the Local Community Supplementary Resources

RELATED INFORMATION How to Use a TwHP Lesson Lessons on Related Topics TwHP Home National Register Home About the National Register How the National Register Helps Teachers Contact TwHP This lesson is based on the John Marshall House, one of the thousands of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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