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

Pohlig Box Factory - Before and After

Pohlig Box Factory, August 1973:

Pohlig Box Factory, June 2012:

Top photo courtesy of VCU Libraries

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

Richmond Skyline from Church Hill - Before and After

Here's a Before and After of a pretty famous view: The skyline of Richmond from the end of East Grace St in Church Hill. First up, 1974. Click the photo below for the high resolution image.

Here's what this view looked like in February of 2011. Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or has the Bank of America building sunk a bit since 1974 (compared to City Hall)? Click the photo below for the high resolution image.

1974 photo courtesy of VCU Libraries

Richmond from Libby Hill Park - April 1865

147 years ago. April 1865. Hard to believe that's when this picture was taken.

This should be a familiar shot to Richmonders: Looking West from Libby Hill Park in Church Hill, down Main Street towards downtown. This was taken just at the end of the Civil War, and the burnt district can be seen on the left in the high-rez picture. The state Capitol is on the right in the distance. There's a lot of action going on in the street, although much of it is blurred. A fantastic shot.

Photo courtesy of The Library of Congress

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!

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

Before and After - 9 North 29th Street

Another before and after success story. This time it's 9 North 29th Street in Church Hill. First up, 1974.

And here's this house in 2011:

Top photo courtesy of VCU Libraries

2623 East Broad Street - Before and After

Today's before and after is 2623 East Broad Street, the current home of Captain Buzzy's Beanery, a great coffee shop/cafe in Church Hill. First up is a shot from May of 1983.

And here is the building in 2011:

Top photo courtesy of VCU Libraries

2704 East Franklin Street - Before and After

Another success story with today's pictures. 2704 East Franklin in Church Hill was looking pretty rough when this first picture was taken in April of 1974. It does look like the beginnings of a renovation are taking place if you look in the upper windows, but even the surrounding houses are pretty run down.

Today this house has been revived, along with the it's neighbors:

Top photo courtesy of VCU Libraries

Nolde Brothers Bakery - 1975

The Nolde Bros. Bakery in Church Hill was founded by John Henry Nolde in 1892. The building pictured below was completed in 1926. By 1950, the company's three plants in Richmond, Petersburg and Norfolk produced 800,000 pounds of bread a week. This location closed in 1977, and Goodwill later occupied part of the space. I remember shopping at their thrift store in the 90s. The building was renovated and reopened as the Nolde Condos in 2006. Love the cars, and especially the sign!

Photo courtesy of VCU Libraries

View of Rocketts Landing from Libby Hill - 1860s

With the 150th anniversary of the Civil War approaching, I thought it was a good time to post the first Civil War era photo on the blog. This view of Rocketts Landing and the James River was taken between 1861 and 1865 from Libby Hill.

Photo courtesy of The Library of Congress

East Franklin St - Church Hill - 1974

Another installment of our Before And After series, this time it's a few houses on the 2500 block of East Franklin Street in Church Hill from August of 1974.

Doing this blog has led me to discover many beautiful old buildings in Richmond that have been torn down, so here's another case where the buildings have not only survived, but actually been improved. The two middle houses appear to be occupied in this picture, although the front doors are boarded up and their porches are missing. They also look a little rough, as does the block in general. Gotta love those cars though.

Fast forward almost 27 years, and here are the same houses today, fixed up and thriving:

Top photo courtesy of VCU Libraries

Nolde Brothers Bakery Ad - December 1909

Although the writing is a bit over the top in this Nolde Bros Bakery ad from the December 19th, 1909 Times-Dispatch, I have to admit it's making me a little hungry. This ad is from about 15 years before the construction of of the now Nolde Condos building on Broad St in Church Hill, occupied by the bakery until the 1970s.