Obama caused the death of Bill's Barbecue?

A new ad from Mitt Romney rests the blame for the closing of Bill's Barbecue squarely on the shoulders of Barack Obama. Let me take a step into the political arena for the first time in the two year history of this blog and say that his claim is completely ridiculous. Feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments.

Bill's Barbecue menu - 1970

Bill's Barbecue opened their first location in 1931. They closed their last 3 restaurants yesterday. Here's a 1970 menu from Bill's.

Click the photo below for the high resolution image.

Photo courtesy of The Valentine Richmond History Center

Baseball at Parker Field - 1960s

Baseball returns to Richmond tonight with the Flying Squirrels home opener at The Diamond.

To celebrate, let's take a trip back to the early 1960s for a glimpse of baseball at Parker Field with a player from the Richmond Virginians...

Photo courtesy of The Library of Virginia's Adolph B. Rice Studio collection

NY Giants & Cleveland Indians at Mooers Field - 1946

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has a great article in today's paper about the history of baseball in Richmond.

There used to be an amazing photo below of the New York Giants and Cleveland Indians playing at Mooers Field in Scott's Addition on April 11th, 1946, but the Times-Dispatch told me I had to pay them $250, or remove it. How nice of them.

Update on the former Triangle Adult Book Store

The Richmond Times-Dispatch had a story and photo yesterday on the transformation of Triangle Book Store (first mentioned here) into En Su Boca. It gives some insight into the building's past, and the photo below (not the best, I had to scan it from the newspaper) gives a hint to what the interior looks like. Text of the article is below the photo.

The difficult task of converting the former home of a pornographic bookstore into a dining establishment has fallen to restaurateur Patrick Stamper.

Stamper, who also co-owns Bellytimber Tavern in Richmond, is renovating the former Triangle bookstore — which sold adult movies, toys and was equipped with private viewing booths — on the Boulevard.

"It was gross," he said about cleaning and tearing up the building's interior.

The new restaurant, which is expected to open this spring, will be called En Su Boca, an upscale San Francisco-style taqueria. He's bringing in San Francisco chef Eric Stangarone to help develop the menu.

The process of converting the eyesore began several weeks ago.

Stamper said he decided to tackle the space because it was a good location for a restaurant — as well as a service to the community.

"Look around. You've got a baseball stadium (and a) popular movie theater right up the road" and several established restaurants, he said, referring to The Diamond, Movieland at Boulevard Square, Buz & Ned's and Stronghill Dining Co.

"I see (En Su Boca) as the kind of place people can sit outside on a summer night, have a margarita and watch the fireworks."

Transforming the building is a difficult, labor-intensive process, but Stamper said he's encouraged by what he's finding under the detritus of the bookstore: the shell of the original gas station.

The building was a gas station in the 1950s and '60s before converting to a porn shop in the 1970s. It was sold last year.

"It's a really solid place," Stamper said.

The 1,300-square-foot building is small, but he hopes to knock out a back wall and add a few hundred square feet. He also plans to incorporate the bay door to open up to outside seating.

He think most people eventually will forget what the space used to be. But that's not happening yet.

"At least once a day somebody stops by looking for the porn shop," Stamper said.

Photo and story courtesy of The Richmond Times-Dispatch

Vintage Triangle Adult Book Store

The former Triangle Book Store at 1001 West Boulevard is getting a makeover. In case you haven't driven by since they started renovations, there's some fantastic signage on the old gas station underneath the awful vinyl siding. I don't know what I love more, the great "Movies" banner on the front, or the unnecessary apostrophe in "Book's" on the side. Anyone know how long Triangle was there for?

The building will soon become a taquería called En Su Boca, which means "in your mouth." They're months from opening, and judging by the new owners' sense of humor I like the place already. :-)

Click the photos below for the high resolution images.

Here's what it's looked like for at least the last 20 years:

Parker Field - 1960s

As we look back on a great season and playoff run from the Richmond Flying Squirrels, let's take a look back to Parker Field and the Richmond Braves in the 60s.

Image from the 1969 Richmond Progress Report by the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce

Boulevard & Parker Field - 1960

As the debate continues on whether to build a new baseball stadium in Richmond, and where, let's take a trip back to March of 1960. We were still 6 years away from the Richmond Braves, and Parker Field was home to the Richmond Virginians. The Virginians were a AAA team affiliated with the New York Yankees at the time. They finished the 1960 season with 82 wins and 70 losses, their best record of the 11 seasons they played in Richmond (1954 to 1964).

Photo courtesy of The Library of Virginia's Adolph B. Rice Studio collection