More from former Pine Street neighbor Tom Elliott:

Photo from canal tow path, Belle Island in the distance

This image of the Under The Bank Saloon (505 Canal bank) next to the Tredegar Ironworks Bridge to Belle Island was posted on the internet within the past 5 years. I was interested in discovering more about the business hiding under the bank of the James River & Kanawha canal. The stereograph photo was taken from the canal tow path above the saloon. Bartholomew V. and John A. Connolly were the proprietors from at least 1876-1877. They were both living on Arch between 6th & 7th St in 1876 and had moved to 226 S. 5th St in 1877. B.V. was born in Ireland in 1848 and died on Dec 16, 1881, buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery. I identified the probable saloon location next to the river and the two housing areas where they lived. The saloon looks like a cool shady spot to grab a drink after a hard day at Tredegar or boatman hopping down the hill. It’s easy to imagine the crowd inside. Credit: VCU library & Ancestry.