Historic Richmond

Historic Trades Day at the Adult Career Education Center at Highland Springs High School Tuesday November 19 11-2: The Home Depot Donation to Students Thank you to Dr. Emily Loving and the trades teachers at ACE Highland Springs in Henrico County Public Schools Schools for helping organize a senior student Historic Trades Day with live demonstrations (oyster shell plaster and more!). Thank you also to the generous volunteers giving their time to share information on career opportunities in the historic trades: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation carpenter Matt Sanbury and blacksmith Kenneth Schwartz Preservation Virginia Eric Litchford and staff (oyster plaster demonstration!) Colonial Plaster Restoration Gepetto Millworks Matt Wiley Historic Richmond Jennifer Joyce George’s Clock Shop George Cosier American College of the Building Arts Elizabeth Clyde Belmont College Derrick Smith Thank you too to Cornell Smith at The Home Depot for the donation of a $50 tool giveaway for students! We would also like to acknowledge partners Preservation Maryland The Campaign for Historic Trades, the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond (Scott Andrews-Weckerly and Leanne Petroziello) and the National Park Service for their efforts to support students interested in careers in the historic trades.

Come join our amazing team! https://lnkd.in/eXRgBXry

Today, October 15, is Historic Richmond's annual Day of Giving! Historic Richmond is the only non-profit solely dedicated to protecting and enhancing Richmond’s irreplaceable historic built environment. We helped save the National Theatre, Old City Hall, Monumental Church, and Main Street Station and work every day to protect the at-risk places that matter to us as Richmonders. Today, donations are matched up to $10,000, doubling the impact of your gift. Support the historic places that make Richmond unique, beautiful, and authentic by making a donation at https://lnkd.in/giHxNNjj. Photo Credit: Mathew Oswald Photography

It’s that time again! No, we’re not talking about spooky season, it’s time to talk about the Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plan (CHSP)! As you may remember, the CHSP is Richmond’s attempt at providing a comprehensive process for identifying, evaluating, and protecting our many unique historic and culturally relevant sites and structures. We asked for your help reviewing the last draft back in June, and over the last few months the City and their consultants, Commonwealth Preservation Group (CPG) have been hard at work turning your comments and feedback into a new and improved document! This new draft is now live on the City website and available for public comment through October 27. There will be a public, hybrid presentation on Monday, October 7, from 6-7:30 where you can learn more from the City and CPG. Remember, concrete, actionable results depend upon continued community attention and support-- read the draft, decide what you think, and make some comments. Show our politicians and civil servants that this is not a niche issue, but a fundamental part of what makes Richmond a unique and wonderful place to live. #RVA #RVAHistory #Preservation #PreservationMatters #CulturalHeritage

Do you like what we do? Do you want to get involved? This is your chance!   The Junior Board is a group of young leaders who support the programs of Historic Richmond through its projects and prepares its members to be ambassadors for the organization through programs, educational events, and tours. The Junior Board is limited to 40 members, under the age of 40, residing in the Richmond area. Terms last two years and are renewable.   Learn more and apply at https://lnkd.in/evDmCeuv! Know someone who would be a great fit? Please pass this opportunity along!

⏰ Don't miss out! DEADLINE is Sept. 8!⏰ Do YOU have a restoration, adaptive reuse, new construction or placemaking project completed this year? The DEADLINE to be in the running for a Golden Hammer Award is before 11:59 p.m. on September 8, 2024, submit now! Details: https://lnkd.in/e8bprQ7P #RVA #RVAevents #Richmond #RVAarchitecture #preservation #revitalization #PreservationMatters #rvarealtor #rvarealestate #rvanews #rvadesign #GoldenHammerAwards @StorefrontforCommunityDesign #GoldenHammerAwards2024

Buildings We Love: Bolling Haxall House 211 E Franklin St Style: Italianate Circa 1860    The Bolling Haxall House is an 1858 Italianate mansion built for Bolling Walker Haxall , son of a prosperous mill owner and partner of the Haxall Mills. The house was modeled after a home in Brooklyn Heights, New York. It features Richmond-made cast-iron fencing and cast-iron window arches and balconies, double bracketed cornice, and a cupola.    In 1869, Haxall sold the house to Dr. Francis T. Willis, a retired physician. Willis added the elliptical staircase and frescoed walls. In 1900, the Woman’s Club purchased the home from Dr. Willis’ grandson. The ballroom addition was designed by Carneal and Johnson and completed in 1916 and reflects the classical motifs of the later Beaux Arts style.   Historic Richmond has long worked in cooperation with the Woman’s Club. In the 1980s, our past executive director Jack Zhemer helped write the National Register nomination, and we helped fundraise and provide technical support for the restoration. Most recently, as the Woman’s Club prepares to undertake many upgrades to the building and ballroom, we have been part of a Taskforce relating to a Historic Structures Report for the interior of the house.     This structure is on the National Register of Historic Places and is also a Virginia Historic Landmark. #RVAhistory #RVAarchitecture #preservation #PreservationMatters 

Celebrate the City: Pocahontas Building Style: Beaux Arts Circa 1920 Without skyscrapers are you even a city? Richmond has some beautiful ones, including the Pocahontas Building! The 14-story West Tower was constructed in 1923 as the State Planters Bank, and the East Tower was added in 1962. The original tower was designed by Clinton & Russell, a New York firm with a national reputation for constructing early steel skyscrapers. This sky-high stunner is listed as a contributing structure to the Main Street Banking Historic District, reflecting Richmond’s transformation in the early 20th century into a modern metropolis and banking center. As a state-owned building, this gem falls under the purview of the Art and Architectural Review Board, a body that “reviews and advises the Governor on the acquisition and design of works of art, buildings and structures on property owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia.” Unfortunately, in July they approved its demolition to make way for a new State Courts Building. Details: https://lnkd.in/exmkT6_3 Photo credits: Mathew Oswald Photography #RVA #preservation #PreservationMatters #HistoricRVA #HistoricArchitecture #Demolition #Demo @MathewOswaldPhotography

Where do buildings go when they die? The properties in orange on this map of downtown Richmond are all either vacant/distressed or have announced plans for replacement/demolition. That’s a lot to lose! Not all of these buildings have historical/architectural value, but collectively they represent a potentially catastrophic loss to our once vibrant downtown—beautiful, usable structures replaced by costly new construction, or worse, NOT replaced—leaving a gravel pit or surface parking in its wake. We are currently advocating for a Demolition Review Ordinance as part of the Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plan— a “Stop, Look, and Listen” process, to make sure the community has a chance to weigh in before something irreplaceable is lost. A Demo Review might also mandate that nothing be demolished without a replacement project already designed, funded, and approved, preventing the loss of life, people, jobs, and prosperity in the heart of our City. Visit our website to learn more about the CHSP and other advocacy. #RVA #Preservation #PreservationMatters #RVAnews