From under the Lee Bridge last night….
Strawberry Moon
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Oregon Hill On The Tourist Map
Tourist maps are always fun for their distortions as well as their inclusions and exclusions.
The photo below is an excerpt from “The Character of Richmond”, circa 1990, made by Atlantic Graphics. It seems more oriented towards Fan businesses and notably left out all of the Southside. I got it from former Oregon Hill neighbor Greg Wells, who has a booth or two at Mixie’s in Mechanicsville. He has more copies of this map for sale, along with a lot of other cool memorabilia, Richmond and otherwise.
I have seen more recent ones around town that leave Oregon Hill out, showing just the Virginia War Memorial right next to Hollywood Cemetery.
Anyway, this post also gives a little foreshadowing to an announcement coming this Thursday.
Fire On S. Cherry Street Last Night
Shortly after 9 pm last night a fire broke out on the second floor of 223 S. Cherry Street.
According to a neighbor’s report, the young resident had not been aware of the incident until she arrived home and said that her neighbor’s door had been busted in to get to the fire but that the fire seemed to be confined to a stairway area and it smelled like an electrical fire.
(Speculation is that the fire started when the power came back on for most of the neighborhood after Thursday’s storm.)
Thankfully, no one was injured and, from the rear of outside the building, it does not look like there was much damage.
Oregon Hill residents are very, very appreciative of the fast response and good work of the Richmond Fire Department.
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By the way, this is not just another apartment building. It was built as part of Grace Arent’s legacy and originally housed the Instructive Visiting Nurse Association (IVNA), one of the earliest forms of public health care in Virginia.
From a 2009 Richmond Magazine article from Harry Kollatz, Jr:
The IVNA provided health care for young mothers, babies and the chronically ill who could not afford proper care. A building she constructed in 1903 for St. Andrew’s teachers at 223 S. Cherry St. became in 1911 headquarters for the IVNA. The IVNA, founded in 1900, is today the largest noninstitutional, nonprofit home health-care agency in the Richmond region.
Old Penitentiary Site to Get It’s Own Historic Marker
“I can’t believe it,” said RVA author Dale Brumfield. “Why hasn’t someone done this before?”
On Thursday, his plan for a marker commemorating the Virginia State Penitentiary was approved unanimously by the state Department of Historic Resources
…
Brumfield, who is writing a book about the old state pen, became fascinated while researching one of the countless legends about the place.
“Four prisoners went into the penitentiary but never came out,” he said. Legend had it they ran up gambling debts or otherwise ran afoul of other inmates and were ground up or incinerated.
“It just blossomed,” he said of the wealth of history that opened up as he peered back at the huge masonry monster that loomed over the shoulder of Oregon Hill from 1800 — when the first 21 prisoners were marched in — until it was razed in 1992.
“What else in Richmond lasts that long?” Brumfield said.
Here are some earlier OregonHill.net posts about the old penitentiary:
https://www.oregonhill.net/2015/10/22/virginia-state-penitentiary-richmond-filmed-in-1991/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2015/08/06/railroad-in-the-penitentiary-basin/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2011/10/02/virginia-penitentiary-records-now-available/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2015/06/25/1867-mitchiemicheler-corps-of-engineers-map/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2014/11/28/man-bird/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2013/07/22/view-of-oregon-hill-from-across-belvidere/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2009/10/17/this-jurys-a-terror-to-citys-evil-doers/
https://www.oregonhill.net/2009/08/31/times-dispatch-1905-capture-fleeing-convicts/
It’s worth noting that Oregon Hill as a neighborhood will also be getting a historic marker, probably near the Idlewood roundabout whenever that project is finished. And the James River and Kanawha Canal west of the Lee Bridge should also receive a historic marker at some point in the future.
Monroe Park Concerns Continue
From neighbor Todd Woodson:
Ive just been informed there is a “site redesign” from the Monroe Park master plan. It is a substructure in front of the Altria theatre to accomodate the tent that goes up on occasion for corporate events. Ive seen nothing in the planning commission schedule about a hearing and believe it may be an end run. My understanding also is that VCU will be more involved in the day to day management of the park than the conservancy. VCU advocated about ten years ago for cutting down most of the old growth trees in the park. I dont like where all of this is heading and I say the park belongs to the people.
Space Horse Missing
From ad:
MISSING: All City – Space Horse, aka my baby! Blue with white accents. Small frame. Brown tires, white seat. Tan handle bar tape! Last seen on the 100 block of Laurel st in Oregon Hill. on 6/16. Please keep your eyes peeled! Reward offered but additional $$ will be considered for a good story and it’s safe return Should of had a front silver basket on it but it might not be attached all the way. Share with your friends!
After The Storm…
A severe thunderstorm last night brought down some tree branches and many area residents lost power, but with a tornado warning and VCU sirens blaring, neighbors know it could have been much worse.
Accident At S. Laurel and Spring
Amidst the brick sidewalk repair, there was this accident this morning. Notes: the City of Richmond’s traffic and hazards site is not updating. While there have been neighbor requests for four way stop signs and suggested roundabouts in the past, this intersection is still where one way Laurel goes through two way Spring with stop signs on Spring.
New Barbershop Helps Sponsor Voter Registration Drive
Localore’s “UnMonumental” Radio Show Interviews Neighbor
Pine Street neighbor Cristina Ramirez was recently interviewed for a segment about the area’s growing diversity.
From Times Dispatch article about the Radio IQ radio show “UnMonumental”:
Libby records voice-overs for “UnMonumental” inside her bedroom closet. She recently moved an angular, yellow story booth into the main branch of the Richmond Public Library, where interviews are recorded.
Cristina Ramirez was a library manager at the public library when she met Libby. For her segment, Ramirez talked about an encounter she had at the library with a mother and young girl, who, after realizing Ramirez spoke Spanish, said, “Wow, you’re like me.”
Ramirez said Libby is an engaging interviewer and stressed the importance of having a radio segment that showcases the city’s diversity.