Category Archives: history

Cherry Street Photo

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From this 1905 Sanborn (below) it appears that the business on the corner (that comes out to the curb) was at the corner of Canal (now Cumberland) and Cherry! So this is actually a photo of the west side of the 100 block of Cherry. The frame house that still stands on the west side of the 100 block of Cherry (once occupied by the Jenkins family) is the white frame house on the right hand side of the photo. The City Auditorium (now VCU recreational center) is in the background.

Many older residents remember when VCU demolished the three fine brick buildings shown in the photo to the left (south) of the Jenkins House. (The corner store had already been demolished but VCU demolished the neat carriage house show on the map behind the corner store.)

‘Moral Quarantine’ At The Parsons House

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The Valentine Museum blog has a post about the early nineteenth century Magdalen movement that includes the Parsons House in Oregon Hill.

Here’s an excerpt:

In the early 19th century, Magdalen Societies began to appear in cities all over America, the first being founded in Philadelphia in 1800. These charities sought out “fallen women,” like sex workers, to rehabilitate into moral rectitude. Magdalen members believed that once these women were quarantined from the people and associations of their sinful lives, they could be reformed. This moral quarantine came in the form of housing, meals and a strict schedule, which often included prayer and training in handicrafts. In 1874, the Magdalen Association of Richmond opened such a home on Spring Street, in Oregon Hill, in the 1819 Parsons House. Their stated mission was to provide “shelter and reformation for fallen women.” Within ten years, the mission of the home had narrowed somewhat, as a refuge for unwed mothers.

Speaking of the Valentine, it recently joined other local cultural institutions in a joint press release that clarifies their commitment to staying safe during the pandemic…face masks and social distancing still in effect!

“As our Commonwealth enters into Phase 2 and our city prepares to, we want to assure all attendees that we are committed to providing everyone with safe, secure, and supportive access to our facilities. In the midst of a pandemic and a region-wide reassessment of our fraught racial history, we believe our cultural resources play an important role during these uncertain times. While we anticipate most sites will open in some capacity by early July, we will continue to use these shared principles and the facts on the ground to ensure the best experience for our visitors.”

A Trumpet Blast From The Past

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Photo of ad supplied by Todd Gfeller‎.

Music writer John Wirt remembers:

A big crowd showed up. Wynton’s father, Ellis, was teaching jazz at VCU then. The show included a drumming performance by Wynton’s younger brother, Jason. Ellis Marsalis died earlier this year in New Orleans from the coronavirus.

Tredegar keystone

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Laurel Street neighbor Charles Pool continues to document Tredegar.

Many Oregon Hill residents entered through the large door to work in the huge Tredegar foundry. Over the door is a keystone plaque with the date 1861 and the letters “HTWSSTKS.”

Some might wonder if these letters were initials of the Tredegar founders or workers. In fact, the plaque is a Masonic symbol, and the letters stand for “Hiram, Tyrian, Widow’s Son, Sent to King Solomon.” According to historian Tui Snider, Hiram was chief architect for the Temple of King Solomon. When bad guys tried to squeeze the secret masonic passwords out of Hiram, he valiantly refused to tell them. As a result, the bad guys killed poor Hiram. In Masonic teachings, Hiram’s story is held up as an example of Masonic loyalty.

The G at the center of the plaque may stand for God.

The Tredegar Store

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There were many residents of Oregon Hill who worked at the Tredegar Iron Works. Beside the canal, the Tredegar company store, built just after the Civil War, survives where many Oregon Hill residents doubtless shopped for many of their household needs. Some of the shelves that held the goods are still visible inside the building. According to the interpretive plaque, Tredegar did not provide script like some companies, instead workers who shopped at the store had the bill deducted from their wages.



“Several Dead Presidents are Buried in Our Backyard”

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I was going to save this post for ‘Throwback Thursday’, but I decided to put it out there for President’s Day.

“Several Dead Presidents are Buried in Our Backyard, Richmond Music Cooperative, Vol. 2” is a compilation of mostly Richmond bands released in late 1993. It was released on this new, crazy, digital format called compact disc. At the time, it was still relatively expensive to master and manufacture cds, so often bands that lacked big recording label backing would pool their moneys to put them out collectively. They would often use these joint efforts as ‘demos’ to give to the relatively few radio stations and clubs that would be open to new music.

It includes tracks from some favorite Richmond bands like Hegoat, Used Carlotta, Schwa, The Technical Jed as well as Norfolk’s Candy Snatchers.
(Editor’s note: Personally, I have a bias for an earlier Virginia cd compilation called New Dominion, but many also like the Dixie Flatline compilation, which was released by Radioactive Rat, back when its headquarters was on the 200 block of S. Cherry).

The title and elaborate cover art for this cd were probably created by Steve and Terry Douglas, who used to live on the 800 block of China Street.
Steve Douglas, who has a long and colorful music history in Richmond, now lives in Australia and plays with an internationally touring ska band called The Resignators. The title refers to Hollywood Cemetery, where several presidents are buried.

Besides the relatively new cd format, the titles and music reflect a time when Richmond was still a gritty, donut hole of a city, the music scene was loosely based around Grace St. in midtown, and downtown was all but abandoned. Oregon Hill was wilder.

The Richmond Music Cooperative ‘label’ eventually released a third compilation of mostly punk bands called “Dog and Pony Show”.