“The Case of the Purloined Bulbs”

This nice story begins with this FaceBook message on the the I could go on and on blog:

Hi Karen – I’m Todd and I live in Oregon Hill. A friend of mine found a box ripped open and discarded by a trash can in a Jackson Ward alley that was filled with hyacinth and tulip bulbs. Assuming it was discarded, he gave it to me, knowing I’m a gardener. I saw your name on the box and looked it up on Facebook. I just wanted to make sure that they weren’t stolen and discarded. If these are yours, I want to make sure to get them back to you. If not, I’ll be happy to plant them. I will wait to hear from you before I do. Please let me know and best wishes! Todd

Deed Restrictions On Grace Arents School (Open High Building)

After recruiting the help of several people, including a former City employee, Councilperson Parker Agelasto was able to find legal documents pertaining to deed restrictions on the Grace Arents school building that currently houses Open High School.

Links to large pdf:
Grace Arents School Deed Documents
Arents Grace School Deed actual

Neighbors are grateful as this will hopefully prevent the City from unwisely ceasing to use the building for the function for which the land was given to the city. Oregon Hill neighbors have largely been very supportive of keeping the successful Open High program in the neighborhood. Longtime residents also recall a somewhat similar situation some time ago where the City tried to sell off Pleasants Park, the ‘pocket park’ at Laurel and Albemarle (site of Laurel Street Methodist Church that burned down) to a developer, but re-located deed restrictions prevented it from happening.

In addition here is a photo of the deed whereby the St. Andrews Association conveyed the Grace Arents School property at Pine and China Streets to the City of Richmond in 1911 (DB 210c, Page 497; March 14, 1911). The deed specifies that the land will be used for a free school for city children.

Grace Arents School deed, DB 210c P 497 March 14, 1911 copy

Renegade Market/William Byrd Community House News

From email newsletter:
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William Byrd Open House, Tuesday, December 9, 5:30pm – 7pm, WBCH Building side
The WBCH Board of Governors & The Associate Board will be hosting an open house at WBCH on Tuesday, December 9th , from 5:30-7:00. This will be held in the Library. The open house will give current supporters and new friends of William Byrd Community House the chance to see the classrooms and library, talk to Board Members and Staff, and generally learn more about the great work that takes place here every day for the benefit of Richmond’s kids. The Open House is a great opportunity to hear how WBCH’s approach to early childhood development that includes Academic, Family and Nutritional health is making a difference. Our dramatic increase in enrollment this year underscores that the need for these services in Richmond is great. Please join us!
Thank You 2014

Renegade Market Holiday Celebration, Tuesday, December 23, 3pm ’till sunset
Come to William Byrd Community House for the Renegade Market on Tuesday, December 23rd. Our die hard market vendors will be here for your shopping pleasure. WBCH will be serving FREE hot chocolate and hot apple cider. See the lights. Sing carols. Celebrate the season.
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Renegade Market Banner
The regular Market season runs from the first Tuesday in May through the last Tuesday of October. From November through April, the Renegade Market is in session each Tuesday from 3pm to sunset. The Renegade Market is similar to Byrd House Market only with fewer vendors and activities.
Renegade Market,Tuesdays, 3pm – sunset, November – April
Always the latest information at: www.byrdhousemarket.blogspot.com

Martin’s A+ School Rewards, October 5, 2014 through March 21, 2015
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Shop at Martin’s and earn money for WBCH Early Childhood Education.
Register your Martin’s BONUSCARD and designate William Byrd Community House to receive your A+ School Rewards every time you shop between now and March 21, 2015. Rewards points will be turned into cash for Early Childhood Education at William Byrd.
Go to: www.martinsfoods.com/aplus to register. William Byrd school code—06816

BYRD HOUSE MARKET
closes out 8th successful year
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Kids at BHM
On Tuesday, October 28, 2014, Byrd House Market closed out its 8th regular season. The Market began as one of three programming efforts aimed at increasing access to fresh, healthy, local foods. William Byrd’s mission and vision statements articulate the agency’s understanding of how good nutrition and healthy eating have long-lasting positive effects on children’s cognitive endeavors.

WBCH Mission:
We provide high quality educational, developmental and nutritional programs to children in the City of Richmond so they are academically, socially and emotionally prepared to succeed in school and in life.
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Did you know? William Byrd Community House is now a Community Partner of Baker’s Crust/Carytown
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As a Community Partner of Baker’s Crust/Carytown, William Byrd Community House receives 15% of sales* from WBCH supporters year round. But you must tell your server you wish to support William Byrd!
Dine- in, Carry-out, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Catering Services, Dessert – all qualify. So let your friends, family and colleagues know about this tasty way to benefit William Byrd and its mission of:
Growing Richmond’s Kids: Smart, Strong, Self-confident.

Summer/Fall Volunteer Groups Execute Projects and Tasks for William Byrd
Summer and Fall brought a strong showing of volunteer groups to William Byrd. Projects completed include: painting of the basement ECE area plus two new ECE murals, irrigation run from the modular to the Farmlet, compost bins relocated, assistance at Byrd House Market, leaves raked and playground equipment cleaned, furniture moved, carpets steam cleaned, fall crops planted in Farmlet, holiday food drives, craft supply and program supply drives and an inventory of Market and Farmlet equipment.
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ECE mural

Our deepest thanks and appreciation to the following for their hard work, flexibility and support of WBCH:
Washington & Lee, VSU Dietetic Interns – Service Learning Class, St. Edwards Youth Ministry, Virginia Volunteerism Conference, Altria, Dominion Resources, VCU – Masters of Health Administration, Classes 2016 and 2017, MWV, Collegiate Schools – Kindergarten, Temple Beth El – Rauch Youth Group, University of Richmond Bonner Scholars – Freshmen Explorers, VCU – Masters of Social Work Student Association, Byrd House Board, Three Chopt Presbyterian Church, Seventh Street Christian Church, HandsOn Greater Richmond, University of Richmond
Cutting pipe for irrigation linePainting walls in ECE program area

Altria volunteers September 2014 painting
Thank You Fall Semester Individual Volunteers
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Volunteer facepainting at market

It seems like the school year just started but last week we said good-by to our fall semester individual volunteers. We thank them for their commitment to service at William Byrd and wish them good luck with exams and happy holidays.
University of Richmond
Francie Edwards – Preschool
Emma Gleckel – Preschool
Alexis Williams – Preschool
Maria Psarakis – Extended Day
Caroline Jones – Extended Day
Annie Blanc – Administrative
Trista Li – Farmlet
Ru Chen – Farmlet

Virginia Commonwealth University
Taylor Forr – Farmlet, Byrd House Market, Library
Johnel Cunningham – Extended Day
Louis Huynh – Library, Byrd House Market
Sarah Moniz – Byrd House Market, Library
Toni Taylor – Library
Stanley Dillon – Library
Olga Barshcheuskaya – Library

Virginia Union University
Taylor White – Extended Day
Katrease Northern – After School
David Hayes – Preschool
U of R Bonner Scholars Serve WBCH

We simply cannot imagine William Byrd without our University of Richmond Bonner Scholars who are here every week and play an integral role in our programming. Bonners commit to the agency for 3 1/2 years. They are truly a part of the William Byrd family.
Thanks to:
Allen Stambaugh (senior) – Farmlet
Casey Nolan (junior) – After School
Emily Onufer (sophomore) – Byrd House Market

Oregon Hill Christmas House

The Times Dispatch has a write-up on the “Oregon Hill Christmas House”:

Marc Leslie and Liz Kolonay have the tackiest house on their block. In fact, they have the tackiest house in Oregon Hill.
“It’s just a mismatch of lights and blow molds, and nothing is symmetrical,” Kolonay says. “Our only rule is: nothing parallel. It’s gaudy, … but it’s mesmerizing.”
Every inch of their tiny Oregon Hill yard is stuffed with items, such as a Santa, baby Jesus or the world’s ugliest little angel (at least, that’s how Kolonay describes it). It’s the kind of house that you need to stand in front of and stare at for a while.

Community Light Parade and InLight on Friday

From this week’s Style magazine:

Coinciding with 1708 Gallery’s annual InLight Richmond public exhibition of light-based art, the Community Lantern Parade will illuminate Monroe Park on Friday, Nov. 21. The community art project, curated by Denise Markonish from the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, will feature performances, sculpture, large-format projections and interactive projects by artists and collectives from across the country. It will turn the five-sided park into an incandescence hub of visual activity. Best of all, along with projects by the Daily Planet, Art on Wheels and Art 180, you can bring your own lantern to join the fun. The free, family-friendly florescent festivities run from at 7 to midnight.

For more information, visit 1708 Gallery’s webpage by clicking here.

Miss Boyd and The Salvation Army Hall

There was recently an estate sale for The Oaks, a house in Windsor Farms…

From the sale description:

The Oaks, one of Richmond’s most historic and unique homes, was built in Amelia County around 1745. It took English craftsmen and native labor three years to construct. All of the bricks were handmade on the property. The wood was cut on the estate and allowed to season for a year before construction began. This remarkable architectural gem might not have survived to the present day had it not been for the vision and determination of Richmonder Lizzie Edmunds Boyd, who had the house moved to Richmond’s Windsor Farms in 1927 by train. Its faithfulness to the original structure is testimony to the care with which it was taken down and reconstructed. Miss Boyd was far ahead of her time as a preservationist, a community activist and philanthropist, as well as a serious collector of early furniture. While she was sponsoring Richmond’s first soup kitchen on Oregon Hill and helping found the Community Foundation, she found time to fill The Oaks with a notable collection of early American and English antiques.

It sounds like this soup kitchen may have been based in the building that appears in a Times Dispatch photograph (click here for link to RTD archives blog).

Reverend Abbott Bailey at St. Andrew’s Church was able to find out more from one of the church elders, Cyrus Field… “It was located at Maiden Lane and Belvidere Sts. This was beside St Andrews Mission, which was [the church’s] original Parish House, moved from the Baldwin Hall Location.” It was directly opposite of the house his wife Ellen grew up in.”

Neighbor Charles Pool located what he believes is the building on the 1905 Sanborn map:

location of Salvation Army -1905 Sanborn map