Nance Major's General Store

Nance Major General Store (late 1900s) Exterior

Cul's Courthouse Grille (2017) Exterior

Nance Major's General Store (1864) Interior

Cul's Courthouse Grille (2017) Interior St. Patricks Day Theme

Site Name: Nance Major’s General Store Date of construction: 1864 Reason for construction: The Nance-Major Store played a vital role in maintaining the ordinary life of the local population in Charles City. The store provided dry goods, sundries, agricultural supplies, and tools that were necessary to support the local agricultural economy. Moreover, as time passed the Major family, major entrepreneurs, adapted their shop to supply the community with whatever was needed. For example, yet not limiting: a blacksmith shop, a livery, a gas station, an automotive and tire repair shop, and an ice delivery service. Brief history of the site: Back in the late 1800’s into early 1900’s the general stores were the only commercial entities in the county. Traveling to higher end stores and businesses in in the developed urban areas was time consuming and expensive, therefore, the farmers and their families depended on the convenience of the general stores to satisfy most all of their everyday needs. Even today, driving across the wide and undeveloped expanses of rural land, there is a noticeable absence of development in Charles City. There weren’t any department stores or large scale grocery stores, and there is only one bank. A drive of thirty to forty minutes is typically required to reach commercial amenities, making Nance’s a go to destination during the time period. Brief history of the surrounding area: Along with the construction of Nance Major’s store, there was also the construction of Nance’s house. The house represents mid to late nineteenth century framing techniques and along with the house was the inclusion of four additional contributing resources: a smokehouse, a grain barn, a tool shed and a garage. These utilitarian buildings complement the rural nature of the property. Across the street from the house and store was Charles City’s old courthouse, built in the early 1730’s. Here is where general Grant's army passed on its way to the river in June of 1864. Along with the passing, it was also the scene of considerable fighting during the Civil War and many of its colonial records were lost. Just recently these documents that were scattered and stolen were recovered and brought back to Charles City’s Historical Society. What About The Site Has Changed?: A tavern stood where the Grill now stands until 1864, when it was burned down by Union troops. The property was purchased by Julia Nance-Major and Ed Major in 1872. It was turned into a general store and even served as a bank and post office at times, due to its proximity to the Courthouse. The store was discontinued around 1987, and was used as storage for almost twenty years while the last descendants of the Nance-Major family lived in the house in the complex. The store has operated as Cul’s Courthouse Grill since 2009. What About The Surrounding Area Has Changed?: Today, the surrounding area, Nance House and The Courthouse, both have changed pretty greatly more or less. Firstly, there is a new courthouse has been built recently, past one hundred years or so. Although the new courthouse is aesthetically new, the ongoing functions and services remain the same. One key highlight includes that the judicial system still takes place in the courthouse, unlike most others in Virginia. On the other hand, Nance’s house has had a little work done to the exterior, mainly for maintenance purposes. The house now functions as a bed and breakfast, mostly rented out by couples recently married for their honeymoon or for out of town guests to stay during the wedding. The estate’s beauty during the spring and summer months has also drawn attention from bikers that stop to eat at the Grille (the house is directly off the bike trail) invoking the urge for them to come back and ask for a tour of the vicinity, resulting in most of them booking their rooms. Reflection: I have been taught about historical places in the city of Richmond since my early childhood, but I have not been taught about many places outside of Richmond city that have historical value as well. Charles City County played an important role during the Revolutionary and Civil War, and the Nance-Major Store housed many American soldiers when it served as a tavern during the Revolutionary War. I was really excited to be visiting such a historical venue that wasn’t in the city of Richmond. Charles City, is largely preserved, as the rural landscape is not severely encroached by urbanization, and the territory is very similar to how it was when these battles took place.

Authors: Jordan Nyles Bowman and Katherine Page

Sources:

"Charles City County Courthouse." Charles City County Courthouse - Virginia Is For Lovers.

Accessed March 15, 2017.  

https://www.virginia.org/listings/HistoricSites/CharlesCityCountyCourthouse/.

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service. "National Registration of

Historical Sites Online Document." August 16, 2006. Accessed February 17, 2017.

http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/CharlesCity/018-0078_.

“Welcome to Cul’s Courthouse Grill.” Cul’s Courthouse Grill, Charles City, Virginia, 2017.

Whttaker, Bonnie. "A History of Cul's Courthouse Grille." A History of Cul's Courthouse  

Grille. October 11, 2009. Accessed February 17, 2017.

http://www.culscourthousegrille.com.

Moton Museum

Robert Russa Moton High School (1963)

Moton Museum (2017)

Site Name: Moton Museum (formerly Moton High School)

Date of Construction: 1939

Reason for Construction: Built in the era of segregation, Robert Russa Moton High School was built as a school for black students in Prince Edward County. As the school's attendance grew, shacks made of plywood and tar paper were built to accommodate more students.

Site History: This facility is a fantastic example of the "separate but equal" policies sweeping the US during the mid-20th century. The building was missing many things a white school would have, like a gym, cafeteria, or lab space. Student Barbara Rose Johns noticed these differences and helped organize a student strike in 195. She and the other participants wanted the school board to build them a new school, since the current facilities were clearly inadequate. However, the area superintendent told them nothing could be done until they ended their strike. Soon, NAACP lawyers Oliver W. Hill and Spottswood Robinson III came to Prince Edward to fight the school board and even try to desegregate Prince Edward County Schools. Eventually, the students at Moton moved to a newer, more equal school in 1953, but the fight for equality in Prince Edward was far from over.

Area History: After the case of Brown v. Board of Education, Virginia enacted a Massive Resistance policy to avoid desegregating its public schools. In response to the new integration orders, Prince Edward County Schools closed for a period of five years, limiting access to education for hundreds of children. Eventually, after the Supreme Court case Griffin v. County School Board of Prince Edward, Prince Edward's schools became integrated.

What about the site has changed? Now, the school serves as a civil rights museum. The site uses first-person accounts of the period of segregation and the following school closure. The street the school is on is now called Griffin Boulevard

Reflection: My dad grew up in Farmville, so it was really fascinating to learn so much about the local history in a place I spent a lot of my childhood. I knew very little about the area, especially during the Civil Rights era, since those events occurred before my father was born. Getting to explore a site I had never taken the time to visit really added to my perspective of both US history as a whole and the history of the town where my dad grew up. I'm looking forward to seeing more sites in the area, now that I'm more aware of how much local history there is.

Sources:

Cannato, Vincent J., Barbara Will, Daniel Feller, Danny Heitman, and Steven Nadler. "Massive Resistance in a Small Town." National Endowment for the Humanities. https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2013/septemberoctober/feature/massive-resistance-in-small-town.

"Farmville, Virginia - Separate Is Not Equal." Smithsonian National Museum of American History Behring Center. http://americanhistory.si.edu/brown/history/4-five/farmville-virginia-1.html.

Heinemann, Contributed By Ronald L. "Moton School Strike and Prince Edward County School Closings." Moton School Strike and Prince Edward County School Closings. http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Moton_School_Strike_and_Prince_Edward_County_School_Closings.

"Moton Museum: About" Moton Museum RSS. http://www.motonmuseum.org/about/.

"We Shall Overcome -- Robert Russa Moton High School." National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/v1.htm.

Byrd Theater

Byrd Theater (c. 1929)

Byrd Theater (c. 2017)

Site Name: Byrd Theatre

Date of Construction: 1928

Reason for Construction: The Byrd Theatre was built as a motion-picture theater capitalizing off the ever-rising popularity of said motion pictures, providing a source of entertainment to Richmonders through the showing of cinema in an extremely extravagant environment.

Site History: The Byrd Theatre was first opened on Christmas Eve, December 24th, 1928. Designed by Fred Bishop and Brounet Studios in New York, the theatre cost $900,000 in 1928 to construct due to its opulence.

Within the theatre, there was a 5,000 crystal chandelier, gold accenting, their famous Wurlitzer organ, and an ornamental harp. Furthermore, the theatre was supplied with Vitaphone, a state-of-the-art sound equipment at the time. Although lavish, the cost of admittance was relatively affordable, with adults being charged 50 cents and children 10 cents. The first film to be shown at the theatre was Waterfront (1928), the first of many major films that would be showcased there. Robert Coulter managed the theatre for its first forty-three years in existence. Deeply invested in the interests of the theatre, Coulter refused to retire even as he was nearing death. In efforts to relieve Coulter in his final days, he was fired from his role as the manager of the Byrd Theatre, although those actions did not keep him from returning to the theatre frequently. There have been many supposed sightings of Coulter’s ghost, with both employees and guests claiming to see him regularly sitting in the balcony. Today, the Byrd Theatre still retains much of its original architecture, save for some repairs, and still operates as a movie theatre, its extravagance contrasted by the still-cheap cost of admission, $2.00.

Area History:

In 1927, Westham Plank Road was renamed Cary Street, after Archibald Cary, a wealthy plantation owner and huge supporter of the Revolutionary War. In 1928, the Byrd Theater opened to the public. One of the oldest outdoor shopping centers on the east coast, Cary Court opened in 1938, 10 years after the Byrd opened. Throughout the following decades, Cary Street transitioned from apartments and corner stores to hosting shops of any type. When the street was made one-way in 1955, many shoppers began to recognize it as a one-stop destination for all of their needs. In 1974, the name “Carytown” was first used to refer to the shops along W. Cary Street. In the 1980’s, competition from the Willow Lawn mall was harsh, but Carytown remained strong. Now home to over 230 stores, both commercial chains and locally owned businesses, Carytown remains as a testament to the history of the city of Richmond.

What about the site has changed? Remarkably, save for necessary repairs, the installation of a new state-of-the-art sound system, the Dolby Digital, and the removal of the marquee and fountain in the lobby, the Byrd Theatre has survived relatively unaltered in architecture, and still serves as a movie theater, as well. Following the death of its first manager, Robert Coulter, George Stitzer took on the role of manager. Although still running, the theatre has faced financial issues. To ease this, a non-profit called the Byrd Theatre Foundation was created, although issues with funding for renovations, the building’s mortgage, and general services still exist. However, following a 2010 robbery of the theater’s donation box, support from the community emerged, resulting in an influx of much needed attention and donations.

What about the surrounding area has changed?

Now dubbed“The Mile of Style,” the Carytown district has not changed significantly since the early half of the 20th century, as it seems to adapt to the times rather than go through drastic changes. Store open and close based on the economy or the supply and demand of the community, but the buildings themselves remain generally the same since they were built, although many of them are in constant need of repairs and restorations. The area has expanded greatly, stretching over 9 blocks between Interstate 195 and the Boulevard. There is a stark contrast in the architectural style of original buildings and the newer additions, specifically on the western end of the street. Nowadays, Carytown is home to many festivals during the warmer months as well as a large celebration for New Year’s Eve.

Reflection: We were both very pleasantly surprised as we continued to do this project. We did not run into many issues during our research, as we found that the Byrd Theatre is actually very well-documented historically. Going into this project, we regarded the Byrd Theatre as an anomaly in Carytown, its grand appearance contrasting with the smaller shops. However, it was interesting to see parallels between the theatre and its surrounding community, in that they both choose to retain their original style. Most notably, we expected the situation regarding the theatre’s haunting to be a lot more sinister, but were instead pleasantly surprised by the somewhat sweet story of an old man so passionate about his life’s work, he could not bear to leave it even after life left him.

Authors: Jenna Phan and Kate Grant

Sources:

Bredimus, Kate. "The Mysteries of the Byrd Revealed." Richmond Times-Dispatch.
    Last modified April 8, 2002. Accessed March 18, 2017.
       http://www.richmond.com/entertainment/article_73524e0e-ff98-5647-8fdb

    -45565777da26.html.

"Carytown, Then and Now." The Valentine. Last modified March 31, 2014. Accessed
         March 16, 2017. http://thevalentine.org/blog/carytown_then_and_now.

Byrd Theatre. "Photo Gallery." The Byrd Theatre. Accessed February 16, 2017.
    http://byrdtheatre.com/history/photo-gallery/.

Byrd Theatre. "History." The Byrd Theatre. Accessed March 16, 2017.
    http://byrdtheatre.com/history/.

"How Cary St. Got Its Name." River City Food Tours. Accessed March 17, 2017.
         http://www.rivercityfoodtours.com/how-cary-st-got-its-name/.

Nielsen, Stephen. "Carytown: Richmond’s Ever-changing Shopping District."
                RVANews. Last modified August 3, 2012. Accessed March 17, 2017.
     https://rvanews.com/entertainment/carytown-richmonds-ever-changing
    -shopping-district/63336.

Tisdale, Sara Dabney. "Giving the Byrd." Style Weekly. Last modified August 4,
   2010. Accessed March 18, 2017. http://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/
    giving-the-byrd/Content?oid=1361021.

Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff. "Byrd Theatre." National Register of

Historic Places Inventory/Nomination Form. Virginia Historic Landmarks

Commission, Richmond, June 21 1977.

Hartshorn Memorial College

(c. 1883)

Maggie L. Walker Governor's School (c. 2017)

Name of the Site: Hartshorn Memorial College (modernly known as Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School)

Date of Construction: 7 November 1883

Reason for Construction:  It was one of the first institutions created exclusively for the education of African American women that began in the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Site History: Hartshorn Memorial College was the first college to educate African-American woman. It first opened on November 7. 1833 in Richmond. Virginia. On March 13. It was first charted by the Virginia legislature as “an institution of learning of collegiate grades for the education of young woman” Three young women, Mary Moore Booze, Harriet Amanda Miller, and Dixie Erma Williams, were the first to graduate and receive a degree in 1892. Unfortunately, the college was never fully funded in which struggled to keep the college running. In 1918, Hartshorn students began to enroll in classes in Virginia Union University. This then resulted by 1922. Hartshorn Memorial College entered an agreement to educate their students at Virginia Union University. Rather than merging with Virginia Union University, In June 1928, Hartshorn officials decided to close down the college program and focus on the high school. In 1932, the college trustees moved the school’s property to Virginia Union, merged with the school, and became Hartshorn Memorial College in Virginia Union University.

History of the Surrounding Area:  The ABHMS (American Baptist Home Mission Societies) established Hartshorn Memorial College and it only had about fifty eight female students where they were taught in the basement of the church.By the 1890s the ABHMS pushed plans to merge Wayland Seminary and Richmond Theological Seminary.  In 1899 they became Virginia Union University.

Changes of the Site/Surrounding Area:

Hartshorn Memorial College was demolished after merging with Virginia Union University and there is now a school called Maggie L. Walker in the place of Hartshorn Memorial College. The only physical reminder of the Memorial College is a memorial plaque in front of the Maggie L Walker Campus. Maggie L. Walker, compared to Hartshorn is very different in physical appearances and in academics. Hartshorn Memorial College goal was to educate young, African-American woman and ensure that they will graduate from college but for Maggie Walker, it is a high school for Government and International studies. Also, Maggie Walker’s physical appearances is more modern than Hartshorn because of the time differences and the advancements of technologies. Maggie Walker is shown as with flags representing the country of each language that is offered at the school and has a mini parking lot for administrators or teachers. With Hartshorn, the college is shown with only a fence to go around it and pure grass and trees to go by. Since Hartshorn barely made it through because of issues with funding, cars weren't as popular as present day with Maggie Walker. Often, people would walk or ride their bike to Hartshorn College for their transportation.

Reflection: This project has taught us more than we thought it would’ve because the name behind our school has such a meaningful significance to many inhabitants of the area and the area, that it was built on, has importance as well. Maggie Lena Walker was known for bringing many great changes to Richmond, especially the first black bank, but the history of this memorial college is also pivotal to the history of African Americans and the need to thrive under trying circumstances during times of inequality.

Citations:

• Education. Accessed February 15, 2017.

    https://books.google.com/books?id=6nyDBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA109#v=onepage&q&f=true.

• "Virginia Union University." Eligio Jr. Martinez. Accessed February 15, 2017.

    http://www.blackpast.org/aah/virginia-union-university-1865.

Battlefield Park Elementary School

Battlefield Park School (1955)

Battlefield Park Elementary School (2017)

Site Name: Battlefield Park Elementary School (formerly Battlefield Park School)

Date of Construction: 1936

Reason for Construction: Combined elementary and high school (all grades of school at the time).

Site History: Battlefield Park was originally built as a school intended for elementary and high school students (as "middle school" did not exist at the time, and the population was not yet large enough to necessitate dividing by age). It is also important to note that it was built in the middle of the Jim Crow era, and it was originally an all-white school. The school's population took a dip in 1959 upon the construction of Lee-Davis High School after a classroom expansion in 1956, but it continued to grow with the county's population. By 1982, the building gained a two-story west wing and an east wing, each full of classrooms and new kinds of amenities like a media center. Through this construction, though, the school's demographics changed even more drastically. Battlefield Park was integrated along with the rest of Hanover County in 1969, five years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and altered its grade capacity to third through seventh. In 1983, it absorbed kindergarten through the second grade with the closing of East End Elementary (the original K-2 school), and by 1990, the sixth and seventh grades moved to the new Stonewall Jackson Middle School. Since then, besides minimal redistricting, it has remained relatively the same.

Area History: Education during the late nineteenth century was devoid of any solid structure or requirements. There was no mandatory attendance or quality control. However, with the advent of the Progressive Movement, this began to change at the turn of the century. The degree of structure and bureaucracy involved in the public education system saw a trend of rapid increase over the course of the twentieth century. Within the realm of general cultural change, the issue of race and segregation of education was particularly important in the area. Virginia was North-situated enough to adopt Progressive, reform-minded policies when it came to education, but associated deeply enough with the South that Jim Crow loomed over every decision made from the turn of the century to the 50s, when resistance to the increasing disparity between white and black schools gained traction. Any reforms made to white schools - for example, better quality facilities, salary increases for teachers, and higher quality curricula - would "eventually" make it to black schools, but this turned out to be an unsustainable promise, as the advancement of whites far outpaced the rate of advancement of blacks, most clear in the salary disparity. However, upon integration of schools throughout the sixties and seventies, this issue was hoped to be fixed in the long run.

What about the site has changed?: The literal size of the building has increased with more attention to quality of education and increased ability to provide it with advances in technology. For example, a media center - containing multiple stations for computers - did not exist in 1956, was simply a library in 1986, and was unable to be a proper "media center" without computers in 2016. The increase in population also necessitated more construction while also dividing up the age demographics attending - a dramatic enough spike that tens more classrooms were added while six grade levels were removed. The desegregation of Virginia schools and resulting white and black "flight" reshaped the racial demographics, but they hardly stayed the same for any significant period of time until well after initial desegregation. Ultimately, the social and technological progress of society paired with increased bureaucratization of education reshaped even the visible face of the school itself.

What about the surrounding area changed?: Like Battlefield Park individually, Hanover County and the surrounding, suburban-yet-"backwater" counties experienced population growth not as dramatic as seen in cities and their metropolitan areas, but still a notable increase over the course of decades. As the culture shifted slightly away from the traditional Southern agrarian society towards something more resembling Northern suburbia (though still retaining plenty of the South through and through), so did social attitudes towards topics like race and desegregation (to an extent) and the role of government in areas like education.

Reflection: This project showed me tangibly the change a building that seemed so static to me as a child - my own elementary school - visibly went through in my own parents' lifetimes. Having the physical difference put plainly before me, realizing that the inside of the building may not even be recognizable to me now at this point, and taking a step back to consider the social implications was an experience I would not have gleaned so clearly through general reading alone. The process of research, rephotography, and then reflecting on what I photographed before writing up the analysis was vital to my understanding the speed at which society has changed, even in a county that might as well set "The South Will Rise Again" as its official motto to clear up any confusion a passerby may have. The fact that my focus was a place that always felt so benign really hit home with how much I took the time period in which I was born for granted.

Sources:

Virginia Historical Society. "Education in Virginia." Virginia Historical Society. Accessed March 20, 2017. 
       http://www.vahistorical.org/collections-and-resources/virginia-history-explorer/education-virginia.

"Battlefield Park Elementary." Hanover County Public Schools. Accessed March 20, 2017. http://hcps.us/bpes/history.htm.

"Hanover County School Board Meeting Minutes." Old Dominion University Libraries Digital Collections. Accessed March 20, 2017.

       http://dc.lib.odu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/dove/id/239

"2016 School Profile: Battlefield Park Elementary." Hanover County Public Schools. Accessed March 20, 2017.

       http://hanover.k12.va.us/profiles/bpes.pdf

Land and Community Associates of Charlottesville, Virginia. "Survery of Historic Resources: Hanover County, Virginia Phases I & 

       II." Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Published March, 1992. Accessed March 20, 2017. 

       http://dhr.virginia.gov/pdf_files/SpecialCollections/HN-019_Survey_Historic_Resources_Hanover_PH_I&II_1992_LCA_

       report.pdf

Author: Alex Dowdy

The Richmond Dairy

Richmond Dairy, 1971 

Richmond Dairy, 2017

Richmond Dairy, 1935

Richmond Dairy, 2017

Name of the Site: The Richmond Dairy

Date of Construction: 1914

Reason for construction: The Richmond Dairy was a company founded in 1890 by dairymen J.O. Scott, A.L. Scott, and T.L. Blanton. These men established the company to provide milk and other dairy products to the Richmond community. An architectural firm called Carneal & Johnston designed the building that they would use as a bottling plant for their products. The structure was constructed in 1914 as a location for the Richmond Dairy Company to bottle milk and transport it to homes and business in the Richmond area. The company found success in supplying dairy products to homes and restaurants because at the time it was established, refrigerators were not available to store perishable products. Fresh milk products required daily delivery, and the Richmond Dairy Company readily provided these services. The milk jug itself, replicated in the building’s structure, was introduced in the U.S. for the first time in the late 1870s. The sealed and sterilized glass bottle could guarantee the freshness of milk, as opposed to the earlier, less-hygienic method of delivering milk from a pail. The location of the bottling site was conveniently in the center of the Richmond market for milk products, among houses, restaurants, and businesses. The bottled milk products could be easily transported from the site to the surrounding customers. The 1914 Richmond Dairy was commissioned by the Richmond Dairy Company to work as a milk bottling/delivering plant.

Site History: This structure was built in 1914 after the Richmond Dairy Company was founded by three entrepreneurs in 1890. J.O. Scott, A.L. Scott, and T.L. Blanton each worked towards the establishment of this company. These men teamed up in the late 1880s in efforts to supply Richmond with dairy products. Because refrigeration was uncommon until the 1920s, people generally required daily milk delivery for their homes and businesses. The Richmond Dairy Company provided this service to much of the Richmond area, and hence it became very successful upon its establishment. The site became an extremely busy center of milk bottling and transportation, and generated great revenue from its services to the local community. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, this company saw a great decline in profits as the availability of refrigeration became far more common. In the 1930s, an early form of home-refrigeration arose when Dupont began to mass produce Freon-12. By the 1950s, the refrigerator had become a standard in the American home. People no longer required expensive daily milk delivery, and often opted to purchase dairy products from chain supermarkets. Another factor that contributed to the decline of the Richmond Dairy Company was its use of glass milk bottles. Initially, the glass bottles ensured sanitation of the milk, and were a hallmark of the company. Decades later, the bottles became a burden. Not only were they heavy and difficult to deliver, they broke easily and the safety of recycling them was questioned. Chain grocery stores and cardboard cartons forced the Richmond Dairy Company out of business in 1970, but the forty-foot tall milk bottles on either side of the building remained. The structure’s interesting architecture choices attracted hippies in the following years, who rented out spaces of this building to various artists and musicians, including local heavy metal band called “Gwar”. The building has served many uses over the years, including its current form as rental apartments. The Richmond Dairy is now an apartment complex located in Richmond’s Broad Street Arts District.

Surrounding Area History:  Broad street has been a commercial center of the city since it’s inception.  It was started in downtown but extended to reach into the suburbs outside the city.  Until the late 19th century, the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad ran down the center of Broad Street, allowing for easy access of downtown Richmond.  In fact, the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad relocated its center to Broad Street Station, whose building is currently occupied by the Science Museum of Virginia.  Broad street also used to have streetcars running along the sides of the road, increasing the width of the road to 115 feet.  The streetcars served to stimulate growth in the city, and resulted in Broad street being a center for restaurants and retail.  From the late 1800s through the early 1900s, the buildings built on Broad were large, commercial buildings.  One important building on Broad is the Empire Theatre, Richmond’s oldest surviving theatre.

What about the site has changed? This site has experienced numerous changes over the past century. From its initial use as a milk bottling/transportation plant, the site has served multiple uses during its lifetime. After the Richmond Dairy Company shut down in 1970, the machinery and equipment inside the building was auctioned off for the next few years. In the following decade the structure was abandoned and began disintegrating, until hippies entered and began renting out interior spaces. At this point, the building was cleaned and furnished on a small scale, so that it would attract musicians and artists to practice or live there. Now, the site has been completely renovated, and serves as a luxury apartment complex adjacent to Jackson Ward. While the famed forty-foot milk bottles on the outside of the building have remained over the decades, the interior has seen many changes because of its various uses.

What about the surrounding area has changed?  Today, Broad Street remains one of Richmond’s prominent commercial districts, and remains a hub of activity, containing a variety of restaurants, stores, art galleries, etc.  While there are no more streetcars, the city still provides public transportation in the form of the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC), which provides bus transportation around the city.  In addition, Virginia Commonwealth University, which was founded in 1838, has expanded it’s campus to include a large portion of the downtown area.  Now ranked second in the nation for graduate arts programs (first if only public universities are counted), VCU has come to be a much more respected college.  VCU and various businesses have also been buying up old buildings and abandoned storefronts on Broad and around Richmond and remodeling them. One example of this would be the Richmond Dairy Company building being turned into apartments.

Reflection: Through doing this project we mainly observed how buildings can be repurposed over time. Remodeling a building’s interior while keeping the same exterior is a common practice now, and helps to add an authentic feeling to the area that is being renovated.  However, sometimes this process can be a little too close to gentrification, which can cause issues within a community as rising rent and property taxes can force lower income residents out of their homes.  Unfortunately, this is often occurring when the middle class begins to describe an area as “up and coming.”

Sources:

Kappatos, Nicole. “Richmond Dairy Co”. Richmond Times-Dispatch. April 23, 2016. Accessed

February 13, 2017. http://www.richmond.com/from-the-archives/article_91a2b26c-f13

8-11e5-9cce-bb9462e7552.html.

Rupnik, Megan. “Historic Context for Richmond Area Dairy Barns, c. 1900-1955”.  Virginia

Department of Transportation.  June 2003.  Accessed February 13, 2017.

http://dhr.virginia.gov/pdf_files/SpecialCollections/VA-056_Richmond_Area_Dairy_Ba

n_Context_2003-revised.pdf.

"Broad Street Old and Historic District, Richmond, Virginia." VCU Libraries Digital

Collections. April 25, 2016. Accessed March 19, 2017. http://dig.library.vcu.edu/cdm/lan
dingpage/collection/bsb.

Authors: Sydney Swanson and Meha Srivastava