Old City Hall (c. 1981)

Old City Hall (c. 2017)

Site Name: Old City Hall (formerly known as City Hall)

Date of Construction: 1894

Reason for Construction:

Built to replace the original Richmond City Hall constructed in 1818, after it was demolished.

Site History:

Old City Hall is not the original city hall of Richmond, VA. In 1818, the original was constructed on the very same spot but had to be demolished because of architectural deficiencies made by designers Robert Mills and Maximilian Godefroy. The current one was built in its place. The designer of the current city hall, Elijah Myers, decided that his building would be much larger than the previous and two other buildings had to be demolished to make room for the monstrosity of a building that is Old City Hall: The Edmund Randolph House, and the 1853 First Presbyterian Church. The building was projected to cost around 300,000 dollars but hit an astounding 1.3 million dollars- a colossal amount for a public building at the time. Old City Hall’s beautiful granite exterior represents a high point in the granite industry in Richmond. The building has survived two proposals to be demolished; One in 1915, only 20 years after its completion, to build a mall, and another in 1971.

Area History:

The city of Richmond was a completely different world in the late 19th century, however, Broad Street was a prominent place to be. However, back then it was not much more than a graveled road with street cars running down the middle. Nowadays it’s one of the worst places to drive during rush hour. This can be correlated with the huge population increase we’ve had since 1894. The people of old Richmond often roamed the streets interacting with friends or associates. Both blacks and whites lived in Richmond at this time, but unfortunately, being the former capital of the Confederacy led to a lot of tension between the races. The Confederate Museum opened at this time and the first National Confederate Reunion was held in Richmond. One year after the Reunion, the Richmond sector of the United Daughters of the Confederacy was borned. Blacks would have to stay on one side of Broad Street, and often were too scared to be on it. This is an aspect of society which we luckily do not have to worry about, for the most part.

What about the site has changed?

Overall, the facade of the site has not changed since its completion in 1894. The building still exhibits the High Victorian Gothic design that its creator, Elijah E. Myers, desired when he first conceived it. While the granite and ironwork of the building are the same as they were more than 100 years ago, renovations have been made since then to preserve one of Virginia’s most historic landmarks. After its 77 year span as city hall, the building was decommissioned in 1971 and was rehabilitated as office space in the early 1980s. It is still used as office space to this day. The building was also included in a $300 million Capitol complex renovation project in 2016 due to the severe water damage from leaky pipes and a faulty skylight. The landmark also survived multiple proposals for demolition, the first being in 1915 and the second being in 1971 shortly after it was decommissioned. The site was designated as a U.S. National Historic landmark in 1971.

What about the surrounding area has changed?

Obviously, the entire city of Richmond has gone through major changes since 1894. It has seen the passage of new legislature, such as the 19th amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the merging of Richmond Professional Institute to form what we now know as VCU, the overall urbanization of the city, the influx of large corporations and other businesses, the construction of Monument Avenue, the creation of Carytown, the additions of numerous shops, hotels, and houses, and most importantly the development of a rich and diverse art community. There are currently more than 200,000 more people residing in Richmond than there were in 1894, a roughly 2700% population increase. Buildings in the city are now splattered with colorful murals, and MCV continues to thrive as one of the nation’s best medical schools. Across the street, the current Richmond City Hall faces the majestic Gothic exterior of its predecessor. The city has changed dramatically.

Reflection:

This project has taught me a number of things, the first being that many people do not realize how much of a difference technology has made in our lives. After spending hours of searching for obscure photos and scraps of information one comes to appreciate the advantages of technology, not to mention the improvements it has made in preservation efforts. Without advanced materials and resources, many of our nation's greatest landmarks would be in great disrepair, but thanks to these resources we and future generations can still enjoy and learn from these great landmarks. Another thing I have come to learn over the course of this project is how much a city can change even in 50 years. Many people do not realize it, but the human race has made astonishing developments in the last 50 years, even more so in the last 100 years. The establishment of new universities, stores, and communities over time leads to a more diverse city that provides for a refreshingly new experience. The population growth in Richmond since 1894 alone has resulted in a more diversified, distinct community. The urbanization of the downtown area and the development of Carytown and other pockets of culture have created an atmosphere that gives outsiders a chance to experience the mixture of history and modern culture that Richmond offers. Many of my peers are dying to leave their parents and experience life outside of Virginia, but this project has given me a new point of view on Richmond and all its amenities, quirks, and curiosities, a point of view that I would never have seen had it not been for this project. This project has given me a greater love for my city, and for that I am grateful.

Sources:

Historic American Buildings Survey, Creator, Elijah E Myers, and Wait & Cutter. Richmond City Hall, 1001 East Broad Street, Richmond, Independent City, VA. Independent City Richmond Virginia, 1933. Documentation Compiled After. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/va1296/. (Accessed March 19, 2017.)

U.S. Department of the Interior. "Old City Hall." National Park Service.

    Accessed February 16, 2017. https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/richmond/

    OldCityHall.html.

Martz, Michael. "$300 Million Makeover Planned for Capitol Complex." Richmond

    Times-Dispatch (Richmond, VA), February 13, 2014, News. Accessed March

    19, 2017. http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/

    general-assembly/million-makeover-planned-for-capitol-complex/

    article_12369d12-4dfd-5fc7-a840-8e282a660a90.html.

Detroit Publishing Co., Copyright Claimant, and Publisher Detroit Publishing Co. Broad Street, Richmond, Va. Richmond Virginia, ca. 1905. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/det1994010668/PP/. (Accessed March 19, 2017.)

United States Government U.S. Department of Commerce. Population of States and

    Counties of the United States 1790-1990. Compiled and edited by Richard

    Forstall. Springfield, VA: U.S. Department of Commerce, n.d. Accessed March

    19, 2017. https://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/

    PopulationofStatesandCountiesoftheUnitedStates1790-1990.pdf.

United States Government U.S. Department of Commerce. Richmond City Virginia (County) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau. July 1, 2015. Accessed March 19, 2017. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/51760.

Authors: Ben Hamilton and Alan Vallejo