Broad Street

Broad Street (c. 1900)

Broad Street (2017)

Name of the Site: Broad Street (formerly “H” Street)

Date of Construction: 1744

Reason for Construction: It was originally intended to be just a street in Richmond, but as time passed, there was a desire to make it contain a market and be the center of the city.

Site History: Colonel Mayo and Thomas Jefferson first designed Broad Street, which they called “H” Street,  to be a road of similar length to other roads in Richmond, Virginia in the early to mid-1700s. However, since Richmond’s main roads connected to Broad Street, it was renamed “Broad Street” once its width expanded to meet the new demands as a principal traffic center in 1845. Although starting out as a residential street with churches and public buildings, Broad Street gained a commercial reputation in 1816 because of its intersection with 6th Street, which became one of the largest markets in Richmond by the end of the 1800s. Until 1875, there was a railroad, which was removed because of the commotion and disturbances it caused. Then, from 1877 to 1948, Broad Street became the hub of the first commercially successful electric streetcar in the world. The electric streetcar was replaced with the bus system, which follows the same routes, most of which end at or connect to Broad Street. Currently, the GRTC bus company is constructing a bus rapid transit (BRT) for 7.6 miles down Broad Street to enhance mass transportation.

Area History: Broad Street is 115 feet wide between its buildings primarily to accommodate the trolley lines that ran down the center of the divided street. The trolley system and the introduction of the electric streetcar later transformed the area into the main focus of commerce with the development of shops and department stores. In the 1900s the area was Richmond’s most important shopping district and prominent location for retail. The buildings erected along the street were generally large commercial buildings made of brick and embellished with granite and limestone trim.

Site Changes: Broad St. started off as a dirt road in the middle of cornfields and cow pastures with houses scattered around. Broad St. has come a long way since then to be the center of commerce. It was built in a long straight line to enhance the idea that it was indeed the cradle of commerce. The location of Broad St. was very advantageous and a prime location for railroads and streetcars. Around the early 1800s the street only extended to First Street, but business would continue to move westward. Initially people used the road simply because it was good to travel on but as Richmond became more populated, Broad St. became a place to spend time in the Theatre District and Shops. The street came to attract numerous people and in 1911 the city paid $20,000 to install lighting along the street and made it “the great white way” to Richmond. The light made the street very attractive especially around Christmas time when the storefronts sparked at night with the lights for the annual parade.

Area Changes: Without doubt, Broad St. is a symbol of progress that made the area around it flourish. In 1793, there was a failed effort to establish a market district along Broad St. and 12th St., but these markets were unable to compete with the preexisting one on 17th St. Therefore, Broad St. was widened to accommodate a market structure. Starting in downtown Richmond Broad St. has now expanded westward to include suburbs in Henrico. Broad St. is dedicated to retail and shopping with streets lined with malls and shopping center extending all the way into Short Pump Towne Center. Broad St. also housed entertainment in the Theatre District. For example, in the Commercial Historic District lies the prominent Empire theater which is the oldest surviving playhouse, and one of the first historic buildings to be rehabilitated in the area. Another prominent building in the Commercial Historic District is the Richmond branch “Woodies” of the Woodward and Lothrop Department Store chain, which opened in 1893. The building has a Romanesque temple style and consists of many meeting rooms and a ballroom which is still used for social events. The building hosted important figures such as Theodore Roosevelt. The temple now houses apartments, a conference center, and a business floor. Former commercial building in the district have been rehabilitated for residential, retail, or restaurant use bringing vitality and life back to this area of Broad St.

Reflection: Writing the site history, it was fascinating to see how even though Broad Street has changed quite a bit, the main changes have mainly just been to adjust to the most advanced mass transportation technologies, allowing the road to maintain a commercial center of Richmond, Virginia. This is true not only with transportation but also with businesses situated on the road, which constantly gives Broad Street a reputation for being a bustling place. Before this project, we weren’t aware of how much of today’s perception of the road has been around since its very beginnings.

Sources:

Broad and Foushee Street. 1900. Photograph. Accessed March 19, 2017. http://www.richmond.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/article_3211460e-ae5c-5f9c-a541-e24b3445b471.html.

“Broad Street Commercial Historic District.” National Park Services. Accessed March 19, 2017. https://www.nps.gov//nr/travel/richmond/broadsthd.html.

Gombach Group. “Broad Street Commercial Historic District.” Living Places. Last modified 2007. Accessed March 19, 2017. http://www.livingplaces.com/VA/Independent_Cities/Richmond_City/Broad_Street_Commercial_Historic_District.html.

“GRTC Pulse: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).” GRTC Transit System. Last modified October 4, 2016. Accessed March 19, 2017. http://www.ridegrtc.com/brt.

National Park Service United States Department of the Interior. Broad Street Commercial Historic District. Nomination Form no. 127-375. Accessed March 19, 2017. http://dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Richmond/127-0375_Broad_St_CommHD_1986_nomination_final.pdf.

Broad Street Commercial Historic District, Boundary Increase. Registration Form no. 127-0375. Richmond, VA, n.d.

“The Progress of Broad Street.” Mapping American History (blog). Entry posted April 11, 2011. Accessed March 19, 2017. https://urmappingamericanhistory.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/the-progress-of-broad-street/.

Zehmer, John Granderson. “Broad Street Old and Historic District, Richmond, Virginia : Guidelines and Standards.” 1986. Richmond Historic Foundation, Richmond, VA.

Authors: Rosario Martinez and Abigail Olson