Built in 1768 on the banks of the Appomattox River for Colonel John Banister, Petersburg’s first mayor, Revolutionary War Patriot and framer of the Articles of Confederation, Battersea is an important colonial urban villa. It is built in the neo-Palladian style that was popularized in England in the eighteenth century and embraced in Colonial Virginia, and features a spectacular Chinese Chippendale staircase.

Each year in November, Battersea is the setting of the annual BBQ, Oysters, Battersea Festival featuring vintage British cars, music and fine drink. Other special events and tours are held throughout the year.