Click the photo below for the high resolution image.
Photo courtesy of The Library of Congress
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Battle Axe Shoe Company - 1909, Whole Foods - 2013?
Richmond BizSense has a story about a representative from Whole Foods touring the old Department of Taxation building at 2220 West Broad Street in the city. Personally, I'd rather see a Target or Wegmans in this location. In a previous life this building was the Battle Axe Shoe Company, below is a picture of the building from 1909. Not a whole lot has changed on the front of the building in 100+ years, although Broad Street is now (thankfully) paved!
Click the photo below for the high resolution image.
Click the photo below for the high resolution image.
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Weird to see it like this. All alone... Love the name, though. Was it run by tough, nail-drivin' women?
ReplyDeleteLOL, that's good!
DeleteBattle Axe was a band I liked in middle school.....true story.
DeleteIt is pretty cool that you just put that up. I am looking at it in the Republic and looking across the street at the building. Looks pretty similar.
ReplyDeletewww.historyreplaystoday.com
Very cool!
DeleteHad no idea that building was that old. To the right is the future home of the best fried chicken on earth. Thanks for the photo, love this blog!
ReplyDeleteWegman's? Really, Vintage? Ah, to each his own. It will be interesting to see if Whole Foods can land this location, and if it will bring some benefit to Broad Street. Lord knows Broad could use it, especially in that particular stretch of road, which could do with some development.
ReplyDeleteYup, I'll take Wegmans over Whole Foods any day. Then people in the area who aren't wealthy will still have a great grocery store.
DeleteAnd if not a Wegman's (my first choice also), how 'bout a Harris Teeter?
DeleteWe need Wegmans in Richmond. The Ukrops family and Wegmans were friends and had a handshake agreement that they would not come to Richmond as long as Ukrops was still a operating. Wegmans owes alot of their success to ideas shared from Ukrops.
ReplyDeleteIT was the Stephen Putney Shoe Company, not the Battle Axe Shoe Company. "Battle Axe" was a brand, not the name of the company. Before the Department of Taxation moved in, the building housed the headquarters for the DMV.
ReplyDelete
DeleteThat is correct. One of the oldest firms in Richmond, dating to antebellum days.
Harris Teeter tried to get into the Richmond market by attempting to buy Ukrops, but they got outbid by Martin's. Not sure if they're still looking to get into the market or not. Being from NC, I personally love Teeter and would shop there if they came in, but I'm not sure what their plans re: Virginia are. They don't have much of a presence in the majority of the state though they're huge in NC and in the noVA/DC area.
ReplyDeleteAs to Whole Foods, obviously it only caters to those with the money to shop there. However, you say that "people in the area who aren't wealthy will still have a great grocery store". They kind of do already, with the Kroger just down the block on Broad, and both a Martin's and another Kroger in Carytown.