Broad Street Station

Sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm having trouble uploading the photographs; in the meantime, please enjoy my long, boring word salad about Broad Street Station.

(Broad Street Station, 1970)

(Science Museum of Virginia, 2015)

Site Name: Formerly Union Station of Richmond, commonly known as “Broad Street Station”, now the Science Museum of Virginia

Construction Beginning: January 6, 1917

Construction Reason: When passenger traffic crowded the station’s predecessors, the Byrd and Elba Stations, the larger passenger trains needed to be rerouted. The Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad (RF&P) and the Richmond and Petersburg Railway (R&P) decided to build a new station on the west end to serve that purpose.

Site History: Broad Street Station was a union station, meaning that it served multiple railroad companies: namely the RF&P and the R&P. The station first opened in 1919. In 1920, there were about 76 registered motor passenger vehicles for every 1,000 Americans, compared with about 485 vehicles in 1997. The average mileage on a motor vehicle in 1920 was 5,152 miles; by 1997, this had more than doubled to 12,324 miles. The observable differences between these two photographs reflect a change that coordinated with the increasing popularity, acceptance, and efficiency of consumer automobiles: the decline of the railroads as the quickest, most commonplace means of long-distance travel.

More relevantly, the Broad Street Station served as the southern terminus (end) of the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad (RF&P), historically, from 1836, through the Civil War, and into the 20^th century, one of the most important channels through which people and products moved between the North and the South. At a time when there was not even one in ten Americans to an automobile, any Richmonder who had needed to go to Baltimore would likely have gone through this building. At its height during WWII, this station saw on average fifty-seven trains every day.

Prior to the station’s construction, the lot was essentially an empty field once used as the official grounds for the State Fair. In 1904, the RF&P bought it and soon thereafter established it as the site of the Hermitage Country Club, intending to eventually develop the area as a residential neighborhood, which for some reason or another never came into existence.

John Russell Pope, a renowned American architect, won an international contest in 1913 to design a new union station for the RF&P and the R&P in Richmond, Virginia. This of course was the one at Broad Street. Construction took exactly two years and about three million dollars, six months behind anticipations and nearly two million dollars over budget. Onlookers and newspapers noted the station’s unconventional layout. It had no large train shed, and the rail platforms were not level with the passenger waiting area. Instead, the design employed a lowered area for the trains to rest while passengers came down on inclined walkways from a “long, narrow concourse” onto shaded ground platforms beside the train cars. One can still see the black, column-supported platform coverings protruding out from the sides of the museum today. Another unusual feature of the layout was the “unique high speed (30mph) ‘oblong loop track,’” which allowed trains to receive passengers on the west side of the circuit and cargo on the east as well as enter from the north end, be serviced, and then exit northward onto the same line from whence they came.

After the Second World War, passenger railroad business began to decline, with the growth of highway system and the rise of the family car providing Americans with a more convenient means of long distance travel and taking up more and more space around the area. In 1958, Broad Street Station took on the last of Main Street Station’s Seaboard passenger trains. In 1972, Amtrak, which had taken over Richmond’s remaining passenger trains the year before, rerouted its central Virginia passenger rail traffic to a station by Staples Mill Road in Henrico County. The last passenger train from Broad Street Station left in November of 1975.

The following year, the site was sold to the State of Virginia, which planned to tear it down in favor of using the site for an office park. In 1976, however, the Science Museum was allowed to use the main building, and it has since become the permanent home for the exhibits.

Area History: Broad Street has long been one of Richmond’s busiest thoroughfares. Even back in 1896 it was lined with buildings, and one could see trolley cars rolling down the way. It was therefore a logical choice to build one of Richmond’s major stations there as it would be easily available to the public.

How the Site Has Changed: The tracks of the loop were taken up to make room for streets and buildings such as the DMV headquarters. Behind the museum is the very new training facility of the Washington Redskins.

Reflection: It is easier for me to relate now to understand what provoked progressives to seek an end to railroad trusts and monopolies: the railroads were a part of most Americans’ everyday lives in one way or another. I also learned much about land allocation. As it turns out, Richmond proved to be a city it was very difficult to set up railroad lines in because of all the preexisting structures and the peculiar geographic layout.

Sources:

National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. "Broad Street Station." Discover our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary. Accessed April 15, 2015. http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/richmond/BroadStreetStation.html.

Richmond Railroad Museum. Last modified February 2, 2015. Accessed April 10, 2015. http://richmondrailroadmuseum.org/.

Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, Va.). "Union Station Proves Big Saving for Public."          February 8, 1919. Accessed March 30, 2015.      http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045389/1919-02-08/ed-1/seq-6/.

United States Dept. of the Interior National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form, Doc. No. 127.226 (1971). Accessed April 15, 2015. http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Richmond/127-0226_Broad_Street_Station_1972_Final_Nomination.pdf.

Town of Ashland

Ashland in the Early 1900s

Ashland today

Site Name: Town of Ashland

Date of Construction: 1840

Reason for Construction: Resort town centered around new railroad

Site History: The history of Ashland begins in 1836 with the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad Company laying down railroad tracks to Lankford’s Mill, situated near Henry Clay’s birthplace, which was named “The Slashes of Hanover”. Taking its name from this historic site, the Slash Cottage Hotel Company established a small resort town in the 1840’s. From the 1840’s to the 1860’s, Slash Cottage grew from a small resort to a sizable village, and changed its name from Slash Cottage to Ashland after Henry Clay’s Kentucky home.

Area History: Residential spaces had begun to be sold, and the town around the tracks continued to grow. To suit this change, a train aptly named “The Ashland Accommodation” began as a successful passenger train for the residents, running from Richmond to Ashland and back. In 1859, a one-room Baptist church was built by the community, and was frequented by the community for a hundred and four years, even serving as a hospital during the Civil War. The original railroad company established the Ashland Racecourse in the 1850’s. With the beginning of the Civil War, the Confederate government rented the hotel and the racecourse to use as training and housing spaces for the army, and the railroad tracks were frequently used for the transport of troops. One major Civil War battle was fought in Ashland. On June 1, 1864, the town was attacked in Grant’s campaign towards Richmond. The Union forces destroyed several bridges and parts of the railroad. However, the Confederate forces drove the Union forces out of the town, and then quickly rebuilt the tracks and bridges. Following the war, the college of Randolph-Macon relocated itself to Ashland in 1868. This relocation helped to invigorate the Reconstruction efforts, allowing the town to recover from the war rather quickly. Stebbins Corner became the center of business after the establishment of the Stebbins general store by Charles Stebbins Jr. in 1883. During the two world wars, troops were trained at Randolph-Macon. The business district expanded to US Highway 1, and the schools were desegregated during the mid-20^th century.

What About the Site Has Changed?: Today, the railroad still runs and the college brings on commercial development to the town. Although the photo taken shows many of the locally owned businesses, such as the Ashland Coffee & Tea House, the Iron Horse Café, and the Cross Brothers Grocery, about a hundred yards to the east is a large center of corporately owned businesses and restaurants. However, the local businesses do quite well for themselves, thanks to the college and the railroad, and the town hosts many small festivals, such as National Train Day.

Reflection: Having spent a good deal of time in Ashland before this project, all I knew about it was that the railroad tracks were crucial to the development of the town. Having learned that a Civil War battle was fought there and that Randolph-Macon had been important to the furthering of reconstruction in the area, I have a much greater appreciation for the area. In terms of how the town had changed, I believe that it signifies the perseverance of smaller, locally owned areas amidst the ever-growing mob of corporate and commercial development in Virginia, if not in all of America.

Author: Evan Heiter

Sources:

"History." Randolph-Macon College. http://www.rmc.edu/about/history.

"Explore Online." Ashland Museum. http://ashlandmuseum.org/explore-online/.

Talley, Dale Page. Railroad Street at Station Ashland, VA. Photograph. 1900.

 Town of Ashland. Last modified 2006. http://www.town.ashland.va.us/.

Old Bon Air Library - formerly the Hazen Memorial Library

The Hazen Memorial Library (built 1902)

The Library today!

Site Name: Old Bon Air Library (formerly Hazen Memorial Library)

Date of Construction: 1902

Reason for Construction: Community meeting place and library

Site History: The Hazen Memorial Library was built in 1902 for 500 dollars and became a convenient meeting place for members of the developing Bon Air Community. The Bon Air neighborhood, originally a vacation resort for city-dwellers in the late nineteenth century, slowly gathered a nice collection of year-round residents. These residents then financed the construction of the small library through localized fundraisers, and it became somewhat of a community center, where local residents met for tea and read books. Named after a deceased, much-loved pastor, Reverend James K. Hazen, who died in 1902, the tiny library at one point possessed so many books that for each person in the community that if the collection had been divided up, each person would have taken home fifteen new books.

Area History: The Bon Air district was originally a resort community for Richmonders bored by the city, but after the 1889 fire which destroyed portions of the old Bon Air Hotel, and later the end of World War 1, it became more of a residential area. Some of the more prominent residents were Confederate veterans. A well-known “druggist” of the time period also lived here, as did Stonewall Jackson’s personal physician. And due to the increase in permanent population, it gained its own post office and library.

What about the site has changed?: In 1967, the Hazen Memorial Library, which had been a membership-type library up until this point, became part of the Chesterfield County Public Library system. However, it was closed in 1975 due to the construction of a newer, bigger library. From then on, it sat as a storage building and fell gradually into disrepair. However, in 2013, it underwent a renovation which fixed it up a great deal.

What about the area has changed?: Bon Air is still a sought-after residential suburb, and has been declared a Historical District. Many of the houses still retain a Victorian charm, and the Old Bon Air Inn has been converted into apartments. However, it has urbanized a great deal, and there are many surrounding shopping centers.

Reflection/What Have I Learned: I’ve actually seen the Hazen Memorial Library before, but until I began this project I hadn’t the faintest idea that it wasn’t just a miniscule house. And little did I have any clue that Bon Air was a historical district – I mean, it has the cutest houses, but I didn’t know that they were actually styled to match with the time period. I suppose I always thought that the architecture was simply what the owners wanted, sort of like an artisan house. But lo and behold, it has historical meaning. What I also found interesting was the concept of a community coming together and raising the money to build themselves a library. That idea has never occurred to me as a possibility. But I’m glad that the original residents of Bon Air thought of it!

Sources:

Chewning, Virginia M. "Hazen Library 3,000 - Books for 200 Readers Is Bon Air's Pride." Richmond Times Dispatch (Richmond, VA), 1935. Accessed March 18, 2015. http://richmondthenandnow.com/Newspaper-Articles/Hazen-Memorial-Library.html. 

 

Clark, Frances Watson. "Photograph of the Hazen Memorial Library." In Chesterfield County. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2006. Image of Hazen Memorial Library 

Department of the Interior, National Register of Historic Places - Registration Form, , at 1-37 (Va. 1988). Accessed March 18, 2015. http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Chesterfield/0205084_Bon_ Air_Historic_District_1988_Final_Nomination.pdf.

Lohmann, Bill. "Old Bon Air Library Being Restored as Community Asset." Richmond Times Dispatch(Richmond, VA), December 26, 2013, Life. Accessed March 19, 2015.http://www.richmond.com/news /local/article_1c111687-1be3-595c-b2f4-7f94fcfc26b6.html. 

Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site

The Maggie Walker House (c. 1883-1903)

The Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site (2015)

Site Name: Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site

Date of Construction: 1883

Reason for Construction: Built as a residence in Jackson Ward.

Site History: Originally a modest five rooms, the house was constructed in 1883 by a local African American builder named George Boyd. The first two owners were James Ferguson and Robert Jones, both African American doctors. Robert Jones expanded the house, adding an indoor kitchen and several bedrooms. The house doubled as Jones’ doctor’s office. Maggie L. Walker purchased the house in 1904 for $4800. Though she was married, it was paid for with her own money. A year later, Mrs. Walker, her husband, her mother, her two sons, and her adopted daughter moved in. Mrs. Walker commissioned significant renovations, designed by Virginia’s first African American architect, Charles T. Russell. Mrs. Walker’s daughter in law inherited the house in 1934, and in 1978 Mrs. Walker’s granddaughter deeded the house to the National Park Service.

Maggie L. Walker is known for being the first African American woman in the United States to found a bank. In addition, she was a civil rights activist, particularly for African American women. Today, Mrs. Walker serves as a prime example of the success of African American entrepreneurs despite economic oppression.

Area History: The house is located within Jackson Ward, a neighborhood with prominent historical importance as the “Harlem of the South.” Jackson Ward was the center of African American culture, business, and social life in Richmond in the 1900s, and the house is in the middle of what was the wealthiest block of the neighborhood.

What about the site has changed? Maggie L. Walker purchased the house in 1904, and expanded it significantly, adding rooms, a balcony, and even an elevator in 1928 to accommodate her paralysis. It was owned by the Walker family until 1978, when it and its contents were deeded to the National Park Service and it became a historical site. Around 90% of the artifacts in the house today are original. Some of the neighboring houses are now used by the NPS as well, including a supplementary exhibit hall and a visitor’s center.

What about the surrounding area has changed? The entire community of Jackson Ward carries historical significance, and its role has significantly changed since being the “Harlem of the South,” as it has now been declared a National Historic Landmark District. The Maggie Walker House is among the many historical sites in the area, which serve to educate people of the great strides made by African Americans in the region.

Reflection: Maggie Walker's "urban mansion" home serves as physical proof of her astounding financial success. Mrs. Walker is truly an inspiration based on her achievements alone, let alone the fact that she accomplished them in Jim Crow era Richmond before women even had the right to vote. She deserves to be remembered, and the purpose of the site today is to do just that.

Authors: Serina Guy and Aiden Gowland

Sources:

“Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site.” National Park Service. Last modified February 21, 2015. Accessed March 19, 2015. http://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/Maggie_Walker/index.html.

"Maggie L Walker." National Park Service. Accessed March 19, 2015. http://www.nps.gov/mawa/historyculture/index.htm.

St Luke's Emporium (c. 1907)

St. Luke's Emporium (2015)

Site Name: St. Luke’s Emporium

Date of Construction: Spring 1905

Reason for Construction: To uplift the African American community in a positive way by having a place where they could buy and sell their own. This was especially beneficial to the African American women that desperately needed jobs to support their family such as the women in Maggie Walker's community.

Site History:

Many white storeowners did not let African-Americans buy from their store or would make them buy worn, used products. Appalled, Maggie Walker wanted people in her community feel as though they too could own nice things and could do so at a reasonable price. She also wanted them to feel like their contributions mattered and they could make a great a big impact on African-American life. Because of these circumstances Maggie Walker founded the St. Luke’s Emporium. The Emporium was one of the many entities of the independent order of St. Luke. Even though her bank is the most critically acclaimed accomplishments of Maggie Walker, many people lose sight of the importance of her Emporium. This Emporium became one of the areas of boycott in the white community. Because of Jim Crow laws, many white manufacturers were afraid to sell products to St. Luke’s emporium due to the fear of losing their jobs. The Emporium broke many stereotypes of African-Americans not being able to go into business for themselves. Instead, the business grew and African-Americans were able to buy products of the same quality of the white merchandisers.

 

Area History:

Jackson Ward and Broad Street were interchangeable in nature during the time of Maggie Walker. It was a time when businesses White and Black were thriving.  It also grew the community into a place of industry as well as entertainment. This had dwindled a little today. Broad Street is still a place of shops and a pretty reliable source of entertainment, but Jackson Ward has suffered. Because the mentality of Maggie Walker faded way for the next 50 years, Black people started moving during the great migration and money was not kept within its community. Today there are many places in Jackson Ward that need to be built up again. With that being said, the Richmond African American Museum is being built on 00 W Clay St, in the heart of Jackson Ward. Hopefully this would create a chain of improvement that Maggie Walker would be proud of.

How has the site changed?

The site is now unable to be even seen. It is borded, cemented, and is painted with vulgar graffiti. It is really hurtful to see it be so unrecognizable.

How has the area changed?

It has changed from being a place of booming industry to a place of boutiques, shops and galleries on Broad Street. Like the Harlem Renaissance, Jackson Ward and Broad became a center of entertainment (With the Hippodrome in the heart of Jackson Ward) and a massive community support in the African-American community. However, with the emergence of white flight, many of Broad Street's resources left with the people leaving the community; leaving it destitute. But as time went on, many people have come back to Broad Street and Jackson Ward with vested interest to change and renovate the community. People today still live in Jackson Ward. Places such as the Hippodrome have been refurbished to be places were people can remember a time before.

Reflection:

I have a great respect for places that have helped the community in the past. I wish that people would research history so that it cannot be forgotten. I also think a mural should be painted were the Emporium once stood to commemorate it.

Sources:

Bullard, Ethan. "The St. Luke Emporium: Economic Empowerment as Jim Crow Resistance" Paper  

presented at the annual meeting of the 96th Annual Convention, TBA, Richmond, VA, <Not Available>.

2014-11-25 <http://citation.allacademic.com/meta/p522145_index.html>

Reynolds, Sharon T. “Maggie Walker  Remembered” National Park Service http://www.nps.gov/mawa/the-

st-luke-penny-savings-bank.htm 2014-3-5 (accessed March 17,2015)

Colter, Peter F. “Richmond City.” Richmond Times Dispatch http://www.richmond.com/news/article 2012-

10-11 (accessed March 18, 2015)

Author: Brooke Arrington

Pine Camp Tuberculosis Hospital

Pine Camp Tuberculosis Hospital (c. 1960s)

Pine Camp Recreation Center (c. 2015)

Site Name: Pine Camp Community Center (formerly Pine Camp Tuberculosis Hospital)

Date of Construction: 1910

Reason for Construction: The hospital was built to treat tuberculosis patients and to try to keep the disease from spreading.

Site History: Before the hospital was opened in 1910, the property where it sat was known as the City Farm, which was established in 1866. City Farm was composed of 167 acres of land, with a small cemetery and, in the center, a farm house. Starting in the early 20^th century, the city of Richmond used the cemetery and farm house as an isolation ward which they called the “pest house”, where people with highly contagious diseases such as small pox could reside without the risk of spreading the disease. City Farm was shut down because of its inadequate size and soil resource. All of the buildings on the property were demolished in 1909 to make way for the tuberculosis hospital which was proposed by the Tuberculosis Camp Society, a national group that set up isolated camps for TB patients. This site was chosen for the hospital because of how far away it was from the city and because the air was cleaner so it would be easier for the patients to breathe and hopefully recover.

Tuberculosis became an increasingly dangerous disease because of how contagious it was. When it was found that TB was in fact contagious in the 1880s, patients started to be isolated in sanitariums that often resembled prisons. Nicer isolation facilities were available for middle to upper class patients much like Pine Camp.

The hospital “pavilion” was the first building to be constructed on the property, followed by an administration building and later an infirmary. The first administrative building was demolished in 1922 but was rebuilt that same year along with a laundry/garage building. The Central Building was later built in 1932. Other smaller buildings with unknown opening dates were the ice house, fumigating house, storage house, stables, chicken houses/yard, and a pump house. The Tuberculosis hospital buildings only took up about 30 acres of the old farm land.

            The hospital was first funded privately and only allowed white patients, but in 1916 the property was turned over to the city and plans for expansion were under way. In 1936, a new hospital building was opened a few hundred yards away from the central building specifically for African Americans. By 1954 there was a dramatic decline in admissions because of new, faster treatments and because of new hospitals being opened. The following year, Pine Camp Tuberculosis Hospital became a general hospital and opened more beds for patients of varying illnesses. By 1956, the city considered closing either the Pine Camp Hospital or the City Home and it was decided to close down Pine Camp so by the end of 1957, the few remaining patients at Pine Camp were moved to the City Home. The property sat vacant for several years until the City Council decided to make the property into something new. There was talk of creating a juvenile detention center or a retirement home, but it ended up being converted into a community recreation center. The Central Hospital building was converted into classrooms and even a few dance studios, but in the late 1990s, the original central building was left vacant and a new recreation center was built.

Area History: Up until the early 1900s, the Pine Camp property was not considered to be within the Richmond City limits so there wasn’t much out in that area except for farms. Once people started moving into that area around the 1920s, houses, apartments, and stores started to pop up.

What about the site has changed? The site still has the original hospital building, welcome center/administrative building, and laundry/garage building although the hospital building is not in use anymore even as a recreation center so it has become very run down. Recently in an attempt to beautify the broken, vacant hospital, the buildings were repainted. The welcome center looks the same but is not in use. The laundry/garage building is not in use anymore either and just sits in the center of the property. There are now other buildings on the property used for various programs that the Pine Camp Recreation Center offers such as dance and art classes. There is also a small soccer field and playground where the older buildings once stood.

What about the surrounding area has changed? The surrounding area has changed quite a bit since the existence of the Pine Camp Tuberculosis Hospital. People started to move into the neighborhoods surrounding the old Hospital because the prices were relatively low and because the landscape was beautiful. Houses and schools then needed to be built to accommodate for the families now living there. In 1960, John Marshall High School opened. John Marshall High is located about 350 yards from Pine Camp. In 1974, Henderson Middle School was opened which stands only a couple hundred yards from the Pine Camp property. There are now apartments located on Old Brook Road and Azalea Avenue bordering Pine Camp as well in the surrounding neighborhoods. There is also a YMCA located in the same direction as the schools but about a mile from the Pine Camp property.

Reflection: This project has really opened my eyes to the vast history of places that I see everyday or in this case, have even taken classes at. Whenever I would go to Pine Camp to take a class, I would see what I now know is the old Tuberculosis Hospital and think, wow that building is old and sort of creepy but have always wondered what it was or was once used for. Knowing now all of the history behind that building and the rest of the property is super interesting to me because I know that I wouldn’t have looked very deeply into the background of that property if I hadn’t done this project. I’ve learned that its important to look closer and do research on buildings that you may see everyday because you might learn something really interesting about it’s history and never look at that site the same again.

Author: Chloe Houdek

Sources:

"National Register of Historic Places Registration Form." United States Department of the Interior National Park Service, Richmond, VA, last modified 2003. Digital file. http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Richmond/127-0829_Pine_Camp_Tuberculosis_Hospital_2003_Final_Nomination.pdf

"Pine Camp." In Richmond, Virginia: Report on a Survey of the City Government, compiled by Bureau of Municipal Research, 700-13. 1917. https://books.google.com/books?id=TTVNAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA663&dq=pine+camp+tuberculosis+hospital&hl=en&sa=X&ei=BQj2VMaYKIfFggSVqoH4Bg&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=pine%20camp&f=false

Mayo Bridge

The original Mayo Bridge after a flood (1865)

The repaired Mayo Bridge (1889)

The new Mayo Bridge (2013)

The new Mayo Bridge taken from Mayo Island toward the Shockoe Bottom Side (2015)

Site Name: Mayo Bridge

Date of Construction: Original 1788; Reconstructed in 1913

Reason for Construction: The original Mayo brisge was built for land transportation across the James River. The new bridge was constructed in response to fears of flood danger and to facilitate trade between the North and South sides of the James River.

Site History:The original bridge, built in 1788, was swept away in a flood in 1913. The deteriorating ruins are now over one hundred years old. In 1788, the Mayo Bridge became the first bridge across the James River, opened by Colonel John Mayo as a toll bridge. Colonel Mayo spent so much of his own money repairing the bridge, largely from flood damage, he was ultimately jailed for Debt and bailed out by his good friend, Patrick Henry. Plans for creating a new bridge began in 1904, before the flood, in order for better facilitation of trade between the North and South sides of the river, but also in response to previous flood threats as the new bridge was built “five feet higher than the flood of 1877” (The times dispatch, 1904). It was seen as a necessity for merchants on 14th Street, cut off from trade by the inconvenient toll. The project was funded jointly by Manchester and Richmond at a proposed $250,000 and was laid out by the Concrete Steel Engineering Company of New York as a free bridge. The Bridge was ultimately burned on three separate occasions, in the War of 1812, by the Union Army, and in a fire on Mayo bridge in 1912, none of which were as devastating as flood damage. Today when Richmonders refer to the Mayo Bridge they are generally talking about only the Richmond side of the Mayo Bridge. The Bridge is in two portions, seven spans on the Richmond side and eleven spans on the Manchester side, separated by Mayo’s Island.

Area History: The Mayo family has a long history in Virginia starting with Major William Mayo a surveyor who helped draw the Virginia - North Carolina Line. He also helped Colonel William Byrd lay the grid lines for the city in 1728. In August of 1912, old Mayo buildings on the Mayo Island caught fire destroying landmarks and damaging the almost completed bridge. Manchester began as an important British tobacco port in 1609, but like the Mayo Bridge and much of Richmond, most buildings were engulfed by flames at the end of the Civil War. Manchester to Richmond connections were extremely valuable during Reconstructions after the war as Richmond attempted to rebuild its economy. By 1874, Manchester's population had reached 3,207 citizens and 5,729 citizens by 1880. Flour from Manchester's mills was widely exported, with business from railroads, shipping and manufacturing moving the economy. This new prosperity generated the bulk of development that forms Manchester today. In the late 20th century suburban commercial centers, rather than city commercial centers, were drawing residents and businesses out of the area and further into Chesterfield, along Hull Street.

Site Changes:The Mayo Bridge carries US 360 across the James River, known to most who live in Chesterfield as Hull Street Rd. The current bridge and the original bridge do not lie in exactly the same place and consequently there are ruins downstream in the river that were once the supports for this bridge. The Mayo Bridge rises only 30 feet above the waterline and remains, therefore, Richmond’s only current bridge subject to flooding, however it is now protected by floodgates in Richmond’s flood wall. Today there continues to be a question as to whether the, now over 100-year-old-bridge, will be replaced again. In July of 2012 there was a presentation to the Department of Public Works. In July 2014, the Richmond Riverfront Plan was published, causing delays in the time frame for the replacement of this deteriorating bridge. The bridge will play a crucial role in Richmond’s ability to support the World Cycling Championships which will be held here in September 2015.

Area Changes: Hull Street, today, is a major highway connecting Chesterfield the Southside Richmond, predominantly over the Mayo Bridge. Commercial Centers that continue to pop-up along Hull Street, including shopping centers, movie theaters, and restaurants have contributed to the social and cultural life in Manchester.

Reflection: As an individual, like many individuals who attend Maggie Walker, that finds would like to better connect with Richmond City culture after living my entire life in Chesterfield it is fascinating to find how important this curious landmark was to the connection of Richmond and Chesterfield. I have lived my entire life, effectively, on Hull Street. It is an interesting coincidence that one of my favorite landmarks from visiting Belle Isle and Browns Island also leads home.

Sources:

The times dispatch. (Richmond, Va.), 03 July 1904. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85038615/1904-07-03/ed-1/seq-11/>.

The times dispatch. (Richmond, Va.), 15 Jan. 1905. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85038615/1905-01-15/ed-1/seq-35/>.

"Manchester Historic District." The Gombach Group. Last modified 2007. Accessed March 19, 2015. http://www.livingplaces.com/VA/Independent_Cities/Richmond_City/Manchester_Historic_District.html.

Riggan, Philip. "Mayo Bridge Replacement." Richmond Times Dispatch. Last modified July 6, 2012. Accessed March 19, 2015. http://www.richmond.com/news/local/why-richmond-why/article_054cd923-0696-54a1-b87c-bc51edbe4e92.html.

By Camille V. Yoke