News Archives
RECENT & RELEVENT A.C.O.R.N. NEWS
May 15, 2010
Historic Fulton Seminar Brings Civic and Nonprofit Leaders, Fulton Residents & Concerned Citizens to the Table
The Alliance to Conserve OId Richmond Neighborhoods hosted the 6th Annual Susan Carter Williams Memorial Seminar on May 15th at the Main Branch of the Richmond Public Library. The seminar addressed one of Richmond's oldest and most complex neighborhoods: Fulton, located in east Richmond north of Rocketts Landing, is a community that has occupied the valley which slopes into the James River since the early 18th Century. Once a working class neighborhood occupied by immigrants, African-Americans, and white laborers, historic Fulton was demolished in the 1970s as a part of Richmond's urban renewal program. Now, the community is poised to recapture the cohesion their community experienced in previous years, with support by the Virginia LISC UP Neighborhoods initiative. The historic Fulton seminar was a successful event that brought all these and other issues to bear. CLICK HERE for more details on the Fulton Seminar event.
October 6, 2009
PERFECT NEST ANTIQUES TO BENEFIT
THE A LLIANCE TO CONSERVE OLD RICHMOND NEIGHBORHOODS
A preview party for this twice-a-year event featuring charming antiques for the home and the collector was held on Tuesday October 6th from 5-8pm. About 100 peopls showed up to preview French Country, antique garden, Bierdermeier and neoclassical pieces of many varieties. Additionally, 18th-20th Century Fine Art,
antique silver and linens, and other collectibles were featured this year. The Alliance wishes to thank Patti Loughridge and Susan Sprinkle for a great event with all proceeds benefitting our programs. Although this was only a four day event, the Perfect Nest Dealers can be contacted at any time.
CLICK HERE to visit The Perfect Nest Antiques website for contact information.
MAY 1, 2009
ALLIANCE TO CONSERVE OLD RICHMOND NEIGHBORHOODS HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE SEMINAR A SUCCESS
Richmond Lost & Found: The Past, Present and Future of Preservation in Richmond took place Friday May 1, 2009, at the Virginia Historical Society. Over the course of the preservation seminar architectural historians and preservationists celebrated the successes and bemoaned the failures of the city of Richmond to conserve buildings of the 18th, 19th, and 20th Centuries. Senior Architectural Historian Calder Loth of the
Department of Historic Resources delivered a stirring slide show that revealed Richmond's rich architectural history, and described the destructive effects of redevelopment efforts on the city's built environment. Dr. Carl Lounsbury of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation lectured on the hidden vernacular architecture of Virginia,describing an indigenous style of log cabin construction typical of the rural areas of the Commonwealth. Architect Bryan Green and computer graphics guru Trey Tyler wrapped up the morning with a fascinating talk on the potential of computer imaging to visualize -- and thus further the goals of --historic preservation and rehabilitation projects. Seminar attendees and speakers then joined Jonathan Poston for a lunch presentation on the preservation successes and failures in Charleston, South Carolina, and the challenges the city faces in the future in protecting its own architectural heritage.
MAY 1, 2009
"DEVIL'S HALF ACRE" FEATURED IN SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE
Click here to read "Devil's Half Acre" by Abigail Tucker of Smithsonian Magazine.
A few short months ago Dr. Matt Laird led a team of archaeologists with the James River Institute of Archaeology in an exploration of the site of Lumpkin's Jail in Shockoe Bottom in the heart of Richmond. Following careful probing of the soil beneath the parking lot -- located just south of E. Broad Street and west of 17th Street -- to establish the substance of layers of earth to be uncovered, the archaeologists' work yielded an "amazingly intact urban complex", according to Dr. Laird, which dated to the early 19th Century. The City of Richmond, the Richmond Slave Trail Commission, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, James River Institute, and the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods worked for nearly five years to bring this important historic site to the surface so that all Richmonders would continue to learn about the complex history of the slave trade business in our city. (CLICK HERE to read our news story published the day the site was officially unveiled to the public in December 2008). Now, the widely known Smithsonian Magazine has published a feature story highlighting this important moment in the cultural history of Richmond, Virginia, and the South. Smithsonian Magazine's recognition of the unveiling of Lumpkin's Jail in Richmond is further indication of the national importance of this site, and speaks to the wealth of heritage and history which is constantly evolving in our capital city.
- CLICK HERE to see pictures of the Lumpkin's Jail Complex excavation.
- CLICK HERE for extensive coverage of the groundbreaking by news media.
- CLICK HERE for national coverage of the full excavation
CLICK HERE for the Online Slave Trade Database for information on thousands of slave-trading ships that crisscrossed the Atlantic from 1500-1900. This database makes it possible to explore information about the points of departure and arrival of slave-trading ships, as well as the names, genders, ages, and origins of those Africans held captive on board, shedding new light on the obscure history of the trans-atlantic slave trade.
JUNE 28, 2008
A.C.O.R.N. SPONSORS RENOVATION CONTRACTOR CLASS
Bill Pangburn with Savoy Properties (shown left) addressed two dozen people attended the A.C.O.R.N.'s workshop on Working With a Renovation Contractor © s spent a beautiful Saturday morning focusing on the topic of renovating an old house. Unlike a house built new, renovation contracting involves many more variables and nuances that can cost homeowners time & money – not to mention frustration – if they are not aware of the entire scope of work specific to renovation. Old houses are rarely predicable, but a general contractor experienced in renovation will be able coordinate the renovation project that will save the homeowner from making costly mistakes and also make certain that the renovation process runs smoothly.
APRIL 26, 2008
A.C.O.R.N. PARTNERS WITH REBUILDING TOGETHER
On Saturday, April 26th, more than a dozen A.C.O.R.N. volunteers spent a beautiful day rehabilitating a home in Richmond's Southside Swansboro community. A large part of the work dealt with making the brick home wheelchair friendly for the newly disabled owner. A.C.O.R.N. was pleased to be the Home Captain for this project; and, with help from a Lowes Home Improvement grant, we accomplished the necessary modifications to make the home handicapped accessible. A gigantic "THANK YOU!" goes to the hard-working volunteers, and we owe an even larger debt of gratitude to A.C.O.R.N. members David Cooley of Restoration Builders of Virginia and Cynthia and Gray Oliver and Tory Smith of Three Strands Management for contributing construction expertise and "muscle" for the necessary renovations and modifications. As always, we could never get by without a LOT of help from our friends! CLICK HERE to learn more about the Rebuilding Together program.
OCTOBER 4, 2007
GOLDEN HAMMER WINNERS HONORED AT A.C.O.R.N.'S
8TH ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY AT ORCHARD HOUSE
A.C.O.R.N. was pleased to honor the recipients of the Golden Hammer at its 8th annual award ceremony at Orchard House School on Thursday October 4th. Click here to read the article from the October 8th edition of the Richmond Times~Dispatch. The large, third-floor auditorium of Orchard House drew a diverse crowd-- from architects and developers, to contractors and neighborhoods residents-- all to honor those individuals who put forth their effort to renovate and revitalize Richmond's historic neighborhoods. Rachel Flynn, Director of Community Development for the City of Richmond, was the keynote speaker and enlivened the audience with her planning vision now underway for the future of Richmond. Click here for complete information on this vision. Mary Jane Hogue, Executive Director of Historic Richmond Foundation, emphasized the importance of groups' working together to ensure the preservation of Richmond's greatest asset-- it's Historic Resources. Click here to view the winners:
A.C.O.R.N. will accept nominations for the Golden Hammer Awards for the 2008 calendar year. If you know of a great renovation project currently underway that will be completed by August 31, 2008 and would like to nominate that property, send us a nomination form! Click here for the form and instructions.
MARCH 31, 2007
RECONCILIATION STATUE UNVEILED
Photo: Maurice Duke
Nearly five thousand people gathered at the corner of 15th and East Main streets in Shockoe Bottom for the unveiling of Richmond's Reconciliation Statue. This statue is one stop on the trail that outlines the history of slave trade in Richmond. A.C.O.R.N.'s Executive Director, Jennie Dotts, is a member of the Slave Trail Commission that is working toward eventual completion of the entire Slave Trail from the Manchester Docks, through Shockoe Bottom and to the First African Baptist Church. A.C.O.R.N. has been involved in the development of the Slave Trail since saving the Emily Winfree Cottage from demolition several years ago. Discovery of the Winfree Cottage lead to the archaeological survey of the Lumpkin's jail complex-- a slave trading compound where thousands of slaves were held and sold in desperate conditions. Both the Winfree Cottage and Lumpkin's jail are planned stops on the completed Slave Trail. Click here to view photographs of the statue's unveiling and for more information on Lumpkin's jail, the Winfree Cottage and the Slave Trail. Click here for RTD Article on the moving ceremony that revealed Richmond's Reconciliation Statue. If you would like to receive a copy of the brochure of the complete Slave Trail, send us an email at info@richmondneighborhoods.org or call 422-2148 and we'll send you a copy.
FEBRUARY 23 , 2007
A.C.O.R.N. HOSTS STUDENTS
A.C.O.R.N. hosted 4 fourth-grade classes from Mary Munford Elementary School for a tour of St. John's Church, The museum at Bellevue School, and the Hardgrove House located just across the street at 2300 East Grace Street. The intent of the tour was to show the students that Richmond's historic buildings are much more than bricks and mortar-- they tell stories. Read the article
APRIL 4, 2006
Unearthing Richmond’s Slave History: As Part of Richmond's Slave Trail, the Lumpkin’s Jail Archaeological Survey Unearths Significant Findings
A.C.O.R.N., in partnership with the City of Richmond, the Slave Trail Commission and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, has begun an archaeological survey on the site in Shockoe Bottom that once held Lumpkin's Jail, the largest and best-known slave pen and boarding house located in antebellum Richmond. Click Here to read about this history hunt in further detail.
JANUARY 25, 2006
SLAVE SCHOOL DISCOVERED ON MCV CAMPUS
Perhaps you've seen it as you curve around the exit ramp from I-95 south onto Broad Street. It is nestled behind the First African Baptist Church (now MCV's Randolph Minor Annex) and next to the new Massey Cancer Center. This small brick building appears to be some sort of storage shed, but Larry Lanberg, a VCU undergraduate student studying clinical laboratory science, recently started researching the structure. His efforts pointed toward the building's being used originally as a school to educate slaves-- perhaps as early as 1815. Mr. Lanberg, a history buff, has compiled a wealth of information about this humble building still standing on the MCV campus. Click Here to read his detailed account of the history of the little school house. Click Here for additional photographs (including interiors) of this little survivor. Click Here to read the Style Weekly Article.
Photo: Maurice Duke
HISTORIC DISTRICT BROCHURE AVAILABLE
The Council of Historic Richmond Foundation has produced a new Property Owner's Guide for buildings located in Old and Historic Districts located in the City of Richmond. If you would like a copy, please call 422-2148 or email us at info@richmondneighborhoods.org
ARMORY REMAINS IN LIMBO
The sixth Request for Proposal (RFP) was rejected at the September meeting of City Council. This historic landmark in the Jackson Ward neighborhood will continue to sit empty while the fate of the building is debated. Click here for interior photographs and information about this very historic Armory.
RECENT ARCHIVE ON THIS TOPIC:
Richmond Free Press Article: 1-4-07
Richmond Times~Dispatch article: 9-16-0
Richmond Times~Dispatch article: 11-30-05
RICHMOND LANDMARK FALLS
Built in 1927, Cabaniss Hall-- the Italian Renaissance and Art Deco Gem on the MCV campus-- is currently being demolished. The building has been on A.C.O.R.N.’s Endangered Buildings list for two years, and we have been working diligently to save this and the other Endangered Buildings listed below. Unfortunately, VCU’s unwillingness to compromise as it expands its medical campus has resulted in the loss of another Richmond Landmark. Read More