The National - 1929

Here's a great photo from Dementi Studio of The National taken in 1929. At the time, The National was part of Richmond's Theater Row on Broad Street, some of which can be seen here: The Broadway, The Colonial, and in the distance The Orpheum and the Bijou.

Photo courtesy of Dementi Studio

3008 East Broad St - Before and After

Today we take a look at another success story: 3008 East Broad Street in Church Hill. It looked pretty rough in 1979, thankfully, it was saved.

Here's a quick before and after, scroll down for more detailed pics:

Here's a larger version of the 1979 image:

Here's a larger version of the 2012 image from a slightly different angle (the tree out front blocked too much if I used the '79 angle):

1979 photo courtesy of VCU Libraries

Miller & Rhoads Santa - 1960s

Reader Beth sent in a bunch of great pics, we've featured some in the past. Today we have some pictures and stories of her Great Uncle, who was the Miller & Rhoads Santa from the 1960s to the 1980s.

"My Great Uncle, Arthur Hood (we called him "Uncle Woo Hoo" due to his trick of slipping out his dentures and whistling very loud so as to startle the kids at family gatherings), on Santa's lap/ in training to take over as the next Miller & Rhoad's Santa"

"Woo Hoo in his Santa costume, with his wife, Frances Hood, on his lap. She hand-sewed all of his velvet costumes. We called her 'Aunt Ditty'"

Broad Street - Winter 1969

Broad Street in downtown Richmond, looking West, in January of 1969.

Photo courtesy of VCU Libraries

C.F. Sauer - 1920s

Congratulations to C.F. Sauer on their 125th anniversary this month! Today's pic comes from a reader named Beth whose Great Uncle saved the picture below of C.F. Sauer employees and their families from what looks to be sometime in the 1920s. I'll be posting more pictures in the future from Beth's Great Uncle...

Click the photo below for the high resolution image.

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

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.

Photo courtesy of The Library of Congress

2120 East Broad St - Before and After

Today we have a Before and After of 2120 East Broad Street in Church Hill. The building houses condos today, but it has a long history. From the National Register of Historic Places registration form for the St. John's Church Historic District, filed in 1990:

"Bellevue School, constructed in 1874, is an unusual surviving example of an early public school building. Located at the northwest corner of East Broad and North Twenty-Second streets, the one-story brick building with projecting front ell and recessed entrance arcade was originally a two-story structure before a hurricane removed the second story in 1950. The school has a brick water table, recessed brick panels featuring tall segmental-arched sash windows with brick label molds, and a simple brick cornice and parapet--the result of the removal of the second story. A one-story brick service building to the rear dates from 1905. The building served as Bellevue School until a new school was built at the corner of East Grace and Twenty-Sixth streets in 1914. The old school was converted into condominiums in 1978."

First up we have a shot of this building from 1977, looking abandoned. Click the photos below for the high resolution images.

Next up, 1978. The only real difference is that the For Sale sign is gone. I'm guessing this was right before renovations began? Anyone know more about the history of this building since 1978?

Here's the building in 2012, looking better than ever:

Top two photos courtesy of VCU Libraries

2200 East Broad Street, Church Hill - Before and after

This has to be one of my favorite pictures that I've come across while doing this blog. This is the side of what I guess was a market at 2200 East Broad St in Church hill, circa 1966. Was this a market back then? Because it's a residence now. The full before and after shot is below. First up is a cropped version, centering on the signs and the two men sitting on the brick wall. LOVE this shot.

Next up is the full before and after version. While I like that this building has survived and looks fantastic today, I have to admit I miss the cool signs on the side of the building.

1966 photo courtesy of VCU Libraries

Before and After: 2100 East Broad Street

Today we have another great before and after from Sydney Jordan-Cooley, Lead Carpenter at Restoration Builders of Virginia. I'll let her tell the story:

"We just finished rebuilding a porch on Broad and 21st. The porch was long since gone, so for the reconstruction, we found a picture from 1916 at the Virginia Historical Society that proved there was a Victorian-ornate porch. The house is 2100 E Broad, so the picture, taken from the top of the Hill, couldn't tell us much more than the fact that there was a porch, it had corbels and a curved roof. Based on that, we built the porch (using materials salvaged from a porch ripped off and thrown in a dumpster, of course).

The second picture is obviously more recent- it's got motorized vehicles and electrical lines. No date on the back, though.

I've attached a photo taken from roughly the same angle (though not that far up the block) of what the block looked like while we were building that porch a month back. The streetscape is changing dramatically on this block. Two brand new buildings at 2102-2104 E Broad. It was an empty lot for decades.

The church spire has been gone since a long-ago hurricane (in the 30s, or so I've heard)."

First up we have Broad Street at 21st from 1916. This is looking down Broad St from Church Hill, towards downtown Richmond. It's amazing to see this stretch with so many houses and trees:

Next up is roughly the same angle, probably from sometime in the 1920s:

And lastly, the house at 2100 East Broad Street being worked on by Restoration Builders of VA a few months ago:

Thanks once again to Syd for the great pictures and story!

Avail at The Metro - May 1st, 1992

I always get comments when I post stuff from the 90s, but sadly, yes, 1992 is vintage. Here's a video of Avail that my friend shot at The Metro on May 1st, 1992, 20 years ago today. The song is Connection, which would come out on a 7 inch the following year. This was Avail's "last show." If I remember correctly, they got back together in September of '92, when I first saw them.

For the younger Vintage Richmond readers, The Metro (later The Factory) was above what is now currently Empire on the corner of Laurel and Broad. It's been empty for years, which my be a good thing. Many times I remember feeling the floor bounce up and down at a crowded show, not something you want to feel when you're standing on the 2nd floor of a 100 year old wood and brick building. Great club though.

Before And After - Broad Street at 1st - 1985

Today's Before And After comes from August of 1985. Although all the buildings are still intact, there's been lots of changes to the businesses over the last 27 years, and the addition of trees. But Harvey's Progressive Barber Shop still remains, even with the same sign!

1985

2012

Photo courtesy of VCU Libraries

Jon Stewart at a Dead Kennedys show in Richmond?

The interwebs are all abuzz the last 24 hours with this supposed pic of Jon Stewart from The Daily Show in the pit at a Dead Kennedys show in Richmond on July 23rd, 1982 (center, behind the 3 guys with their arms interlocked):

The full lineup that night: Dead Kennedys, Void (Washington DC), White Cross (Richmond) and Front Line (Norfolk). The show was at Casablanca (later Rockitz, now Empire). Quite a show but just slightly before my time. Old timers in Richmond are skeptical this is really Jon Stewart, I'll post an update if a definitive answer emerges.

Broad Street - Thalhimers - 1969

What better way to celebrate the first official day of the holiday shopping season than a picture of Broad Street and Thalhimers from (near the end of) it's heyday?

This is Broad Street looking east from January of 1969. You can still see the large plastic candles and Christmas trees in the median. Also note the Wards TV store (later Circuit City), and The Towne (now The National) showing Funny Girl. West Hospital is in the distance, as is the crane and yellow tarps that signal the beginnings of the "new" City Hall.

Photo courtesy of VCU Libraries

Bruce Springsteen with Steel Mill - 1969

Here's a poster for an early show from Bruce Springsteen's band Steel Mill. They played at The Center on the corner of Laurel & Broad Street near VCU on November 20th, 1969...42 years ago yesterday. A great story about the show can be found here from the guitarist of Richmond's Mercy Flight, who opened the show. The Center eventually became Rockitz in the 80s, then The Metro and The Factory in the 90s. Empire is now downstairs, the upstairs has been closed for years. Only 2 bucks for this show!

Teddy Roosevelt "horsecade" on Broad Street - 1905

Today's image is from what appears to be Theodore Roosevelt's only visit to Richmond. From a stereograph published by Underwood & Underwood. The quote on this one: "Broad Street, lined with school children applauding President Roosevelt."

Photo courtesy of The Library of Congress

2210 East Broad Street - Before and After

In April of 1975, 2210 East Broad Street in Church Hill looked like many old houses still look today in Richmond. Thankfully, someone had the foresight to not only save this house, but renovate back to what it must have looked like when it was first built. See below for what this house looks like today.

Top photo courtesy of VCU Libraries

Broad Street Station tracks - 1976

Mike Robbins provides us with today's great image of Broad Street Station from June of 1976, about a year after the station closed. I'll let him describe it:

"Broad Street Station (AKA Union Station) platforms with tracks partially removed at Richmond, Virginia, June 1976. This beautiful old station was last used by Amtrak in 1975, however, Amtrak trains then moved to the Staples Mill Road Station located on the RF&P mainline. This station was originally constructed in 1917 for the RF&P, but was also used by the ACL and N&W. Eventually the SAL switched from using the Main Street Station located in the downtown area to this station. Finally the station was later used by the SCL and Amtrak. Today this station building is home to the Science Museum of Virginia. On the right side of the photo in the middle is a couple of fellows with a mechanical spike pulling machine performing their task."

Photo courtesy of Mike Robbins

VCU demolition update - Part 1

At first glance, I almost thought VCU had started to renovate this 1889 building that I first posted about a few months ago, rather than demolish it. But the side street being closed, the dumpster, and all the fencing said otherwise. A quick look on the internets led me to the story that confirmed my suspicions: The building (and the one behind it) is still coming down to make way for an extension to the dorms next door.

What bothers me most about this is how sneaky VCU has become with tearing these old buildings down. From a Greater Jackson Ward News post a few months ago:

"Because the building at Broad and Gilmer is not state property, it is owned by the VCU Real Estate Foundation rather than the university, it is not subject to review by her department.

The department (of Historic Resources) was made aware of the VCU plans as a courtesy but had no formal role because foundations by law are considered private entities."

Stay classy VCU.

Hurricane Agnes - Broad Street flooding - 1972

Hopefully everyone in Richmond survived Hurricane Irene unscathed yesterday. Good luck to everyone in the Northeast today! Here's another look at Hurricane Agnes from 1972. This is Broad Street, looking West from Shockoe Bottom, up the hill towards downtown Richmond.

Photo from the 1972 book Hurricane Agnes…The Richmond Flood