Church Hill Association of RVA Newsletter - June 2017 Issue by Church Hill Association of RVA

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IN THIS ISSUE pg.06 Street Level pg.08 pg.14 pg.18 pg.25

View of RVA Poem under Libbie Hill Park Tree Church Hill Then & Now History Museum in the Making CHA Holiday Weekend Event Updates

NEWSLETTER Â· J UNE 2017

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About the Church Hill Association

CHA Board of Directors President: John Sieg president@churchhill.org

M E E T I N G S & N OT I C E S

Secretary: Ali Schneider: secretary@churchhill.org

Historic Preservation and Land Use Committee Meeting

Assistant Secretary: Pam Masters asstsecretary@churchhill.org

First Tuesday of each month: 6:00 pm Location: Patrick Henry Pub

Treasurer: Trish Bernal: treasurer@churchhill.org

Generally held on the Tuesday before the Board meeting at the Patrick Henry Pub, 2300 E. Broad Street at 6:00 pm

Vice President: Genni Sasnett: vp@churchhill.org

Assistant Treasurer: Pam Lipscombe: assistanttreasurer@churchhill.org

Directors at Large Alli Alligood

Karen Jones

Christina Mastroianni

Colin Schlueter

UPCOMING MEETING: MAY 30 UPCOMING MEETING: JUNE 27

CHA of RVA Board Meeting

Past President: Bill Dinkin

First Thursday of each month: 6:00 pm Location: Patrick Henry Pub

Historic Preservation and Land Use Chair: Robert Gordon: rrgpc@mac.com

Generally held on the first Thursday of every month at the Patrick Henry Pub, 2300 E. Broad Street at 6:00 pm

Volunteers

UPCOMING MEETING: JUNE 1 UPCOMING MEETING: JULY 6

Church Hill Newsletter: Layout Graphics: CAO Agency Ari, Arthur and Isabelle Contact: (804) 405-0969 Content Editor/Ad Sales Coordinator: Celeste Deal: newsletter@churchhill.org P: 644-2862 Lead Newsletter Distribution: South: Tom & Eileen Sanders: 343-7157 North: Sandra Horton: 780-1641 Membership Coordinator: Amy Beem: 344-0001: membership@churchhill.org Church Hill Planters: Marion Macdonald: 644-1347 Printing: James River Press

For more information on joining the CHA, please see our website at: www.churchhill. org, or fill out the application included in this publication.

CHA Mission The purpose of this organization shall be to promote a sense of unity and common endeavor among all the residents of the St. John’s Church, Church Hill North, and Chimborazo Old and Historic Districts, other residents of the East District, and other interested persons, in order to develop a stable, desirable urban neighborhood. 2 April 2017

SUMMER PICNICS ARE BACK! VISIT BACK COVER FOR MORE INFO.

Membership Meeting Location: St. John’s Parish Hall Generally held on the third Tuesday of every month in St. John’s Parish Hall, 2401 E. Broad Street, at 7:00 pm. UPCOMING PICNIC: JUNE 13 UPCOMING MEETING: JULY 18 If any member wishes to attend any Zoning or Board meeting they are most welcome, but please check with John Sieg at president@churchhill.org for updated meeting times and dates.

Call for Photos What does Church Hill look like to you? Send us your iconic shots of the neighborhood and see your image in the Newsletter! Let’s find some new angles that show the changing Church Hill – or a new view of the old classics like Libby Hill Park. Send images to: newsletter@churchhill.org

Letter from the President Dear Church Hillians, Last month I provided a summary of our CHAofRVA survey results and the great work of our committees. This month’s article highlights other activities by our members, an exciting opportunity to showcase Church Hill and closes with a thought about how you can help keep Church Hill a great place to live and enjoy. The second annual RVA East End Festival was held on May 5th and 6th at Chimborazo Park. The intent of this festival is to highlight the diverse neighborhoods and unique quality of Richmond’s East End as well as raising funds to provide musical instruments and arts support to our community schools. The weather was a bit cool and overcast yet the performances, and mood of the attendees, were brilliant! Councilwoman Cynthia Newbille and Richmond Symphony’s David Fisk led the effort. Pam Masters represented CHA of RVA on the committee and John Whitworth helped to organize the entire event. Tom Wilds and Genni Sasnett hosted a fund raiser/reception for the event. Many thanks to all who helped bring this fine event to our community! We all know that Church Hill has a rich and interesting history. Unfortunately, very little of the detail is easily available to residents or to visitors. Other communities in Richmond, and across our nation, are using easily accessible technology to showcase their communities. They create smartphone applications that provide free walking tours of their neighborhoods. Some include narratives that explain the history of their community, notable homes and historical sites. Others also include local information regarding local places to eat and stay. During our May 16th membership meeting we will determine if our membership will support the creation of a similar smartphone walking tour app. For Church Hill. If agreed, this will provide a wonderful way for us to learn more about our community and to share our history with the many visitors who come to Church Hill every day! Another topic on our agenda for the May membership meeting is to formally create two new committees; one titled ‘Youth and Education’ and the other titled ‘Community Outreach’. Last month I mentioned that these were two topics of great interest among those who took our survey yet neither is covered by our existing committee structure. If agreed, we will need a chair and members for each committee. Please contact me at president@churchhill.org if you have interest in serving or leading either of these committees! I’ll end this note by highlighting a small issue that is causing a lot of concern among residents. The statistics show that we’ve become a safe community. That said, I read postings on Nextdoor Church Hill and CHPN concerning periodic larceny events (stolen bikes, plants and planted trees, postal deliveries, contents of cars, and a few break-ins). Each event causes heightened concerns among many of our neighbors. It is sad and unacceptable that a few people feel free and entitled to come into our community and take whatever they want. This isn't normal or tolerated behavior in many parts of Virginia yet it is showing up in our wonderful Church Hill and East End. It is clear that these bad actors don’t want to be caught so our best defense is to maintain an observant community with the reputation for quickly and appropriately responding to inappropriate behavior. Your question may be what constitutes ‘quick and appropriate response’? To help answer this question we include Lieutenant Johnny McRoy (johnny.mcroy@richmondgov.com 804646-0574) on every membership meeting agenda to provide local crime statistics and advice based on larceny trends. He stresses the need to 1) lock cars, homes and outbuildings; 2) light the area around your home; 3) be observant; 4) notify the police if you notice unusual or suspicious behavior. Residents have helped stop thieves by quickly providing accurate descriptions of thieves to the police, copying license plate numbers/car descriptions and safely doing things that let would-be thieves know they have been recognized. There are many great things happening in our community. There are a few ‘not-so-great’ actions as well. No community is perfect. However, I’m counting on our CHA of RVA and members of our community to keep doing the things necessary to keep Church Hill a wonderful place to visit and to live! Best regards, John Sieg, President CHA 2017

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We Hope Everyone Had a Great Memorial Weekend. CHA of RVA

Photo by Isabelle Cabral 4 April 2017

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A Street Level View of Richmond By: Matt Crane with Richmond Cycling Corps

Team-shot before the Va State Championships photo by Jerry Osborne

As an organization, we are often challenged, internally, by our messaging. How do we propose our solution to problems that, we feel, are not being openly and thoroughly examined in our dialogue as a city? Which is to say, in our case, how do we distance ourselves from the conclusion that bicycles, and racing them, is somehow a fix for youth living in public housing? We feel that the narrative that pervades the well intentioned non-profit sphere is often incomplete. It would seem that riding and racing mountain bike across the state of Virginia is a hugely positive thing for a young person seeking opportunities and new experiences. And, it is. But with the depth, severity, and array of issues that we, Richmond Cycling Corps, have seen across the course of our life cycle within our work in public housing, we can say that the feel good narrative of “a (at-risk youth) + b (bicycles) = c (future success and happiness)”, is too simplistic, is poorly informed, and would do an injustice by ignoring the true challenges and needs of young people living in the projects of Richmond. And so, we have published an array of treatises on our Facebook page recently (you can find us on Facebook by searching for us by name), written by RCC founder and executive director Craig Dodson, which illuminate and expound upon what we are seeing at street level. We highly encourage you to seek these full pieces out on social media, if the following excerpts from his latest post resonate with you:

Guns: Not dissimilar here to the media frenzy around the situation in Baltimore and Chicago, an overwhelming amount of guns are in the hands of juveniles across low-income communities in Richmond. Beyond Glock 9mm’s, Glock 40mm’s, and inexpensive .38 and .25 caliber handguns, youth are now “strapped” with AK 47 submachine guns (known as “choppers”), large caliber shotguns, Uzi’s, and the now very popular “mini-chopper,” the Draco AK 47. Night after night, semi-auto and full auto-magazine dumps can be heard within the one-mile spread that encompasses Gilpin, Mosby, Whitcomb, Creighton, and Fairfield Courts. Juvenile possession and access to guns has become (seemingly) as mutual as it is ubiquitous. Social media is flooded (drowning) with images of juveniles “flashing" large caliber guns – 13, 14, 18 years old. It’s part image, part status, and a

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total quest for empowerment. Social Media: Perhaps the single greatest force driver within the past three years has been social media, flung en masse from smart phone to smart phone. Just 4 years ago, our youth were getting hand-me-down flip phones: basic, no real internet, no ability to download social media apps. The new abundance of smart phones has changed everything…everything. Stolen smart phones, switched out SIM cards, trades, cheap buys, throwaways. At nearly a constant rate, youth are consuming (and being consumed) by what we refer to as “the five social media pillars:” Guns, weed, fights, stolen cars, and sex. Profile names are a broadcast of crew affiliation, sometimes coded, or other times not stating the crew directly, but rather overtly with homage to a slain friend or family member who was aligned to the same neighborhood gang/crew. We estimate that nearly 80% of all beef is started on social media, and 100% of all beef is propagated, accelerated, and intensified through channels such as Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and the messenger applications within each. Through social media, youth have a greater voice. But, and possibly of more value, youth now have a greater audience (much greater), with reactionary opinions and trauma-based reactionary rebuttals. Flare ups by the hour, even between kids who attend different schools, can create brawls of up to 30 students at a time within Armstrong High. Mostly, especially during this current school year, ongoing turf wars and weekend shootouts have enticed many of the fights and daily disruptions. As adverse childhood experiences beget trauma, trauma begets the adoption of behavioral risk. Behavioral risk begets more exposure to trauma. More exposure to trauma begets constant neurobiological development of anxiety, depression, and aggression. These neuro-responses beget more and greater reactionary/impulsive behaviors. Social media has become akin to fire accelerator toward both neuro-responses and subsequent behaviors. From a neurobiological standpoint, individuals who have experienced prolonged trauma demonstrate what’s referred to as inverse-reactions: Having major reactions to small issues (ex: someone looking at you the wrong way), and small reactions to major issues (ex: risk of not graduating high school). All of these strands coalesce to form human wiring, and then again to form community wiring, and then again to form cultural wiring. Schools: For every child, there are three primary environments: Home, community, and school.

Again, our perspectives, and what follows, are focused in and around Fairfield Court and Armstrong High School (and by default, Armstrong’s feeder school, Martin Luther King Middle School). Unfortunately, youth who grow up in Richmond’s east-end public housing often go through 18 years of their life without any real distinguished environmental fluctuations; which is to say, home mirrors community, and community mirrors school. Beyond different walls, the same trauma-influenced-behaviors are packed tightly within homes, within neighborhoods, classrooms, cafeterias, and school hallways. When not physically interacting, kids are now mentally engulfed within the same trauma-rooted negative influences via smart phones. It’s easy to imagine then, that ~950 students, the majority from public housing, all experiencing daily trauma, many aligned to crew-influenced turf wars, smart phones in hand, assembling into the same school building for seven hours a day, five days a week, for 180 days a year, is simply not a platform of education. If we know that concentrations of poverty propagates deep layers of trauma, then it can be determined that such concentrations of trauma within one school building cannot be fixed with educational practices, nor resources intended to improve educational practices (i.e. new laptops, new school buildings). The issues are far deeper than the relevance of these solutions. The only overarching solution is to push for socioeconomic integration of Richmond Public Schools – a big ask for predominantly middle and upper-middle-class parents who are not willing to send their children to marginally accredited, accreditation-threatened, or non-accredited public schools. Scholarly articles far and wide tout the benefit of economic diversity in schools – not only for academic achievement, but upward mobility gains for low-income students, as well as closing the racial divide on both sides of the aisle. Second to such a bold undertaking is decreasing school and classroom sizes. Even within RCC (capped at 12 youth on the race team), we’ve seen huge gains in running three, even four practices a day ranging from one to five youth at a time. Misery loves company, and our ability to isolate negativity has been paramount in keeping reactionary behavior decreased among the group. Race days often become the most problematic – as flare-ups in the van or when getting race prepped are most prone with a full roster. Regardless of the solution, unfortunately, and again this is only from our perspective through daily work within Armstrong High, the school is merely an extension of consistent trauma. Counter intuitive to a desire to have youth in school, we have seen astounding progress from youth who serve their school suspensions with RCC throughout the day. We go classroom to classroom collecting their academic assignments, have youth come to our headquarters ten blocks from school, and during their suspension, youth hunker down, spending hours hammering our school work – undistracted, focused, and

much more apt to put in hard workouts on the bike when the rest of RCC gets out of school. For up to eight hours a day, over the course of two weeks, we can literally see youth shift from cortisol-heavy basal brain functioning (fight/flight), to their emotionally controlled, logically functioning pre-frontal cortex. Essentially, trauma-induced behaviors begin to melt away. Currently, there is no Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at Armstrong High. Good teachers and caring administrators have been tasked beyond their call of duty. Tendencies to point fingers at isolated issues or individuals are moot, and serve only as attempts to address peripheral distractions instead of root issues. Richmonders, now more than ever, care about creating ‘one Richmond.’ Richmond Cycling Corps' intentions are to educate—through the closest vein of transparency we can offer—to help narrow the scope of relevant support towards youth in low income communities. There often is an assumption that if youth (all youth) just work hard, there will be success in life. This misnomer is perpetuated by a conventional success stories about “the kid from Creighton that went to University of Virginia,” or “the kid from Mosby that became a firefighter.” These success stories are incredibly important, and very real, but can also warp realities of what’s truly happening in Richmond’s low income communities – specifically, public housing. For the majority of youth in public housing, it’s becoming more difficult to simply work hard for a trajectory of success, when the strength and momentum of negative forces incline to swell every day. Non-profit organizations must simply dig in deeper. Those in policy and government must work smarter. Sisyphean approaches towards solutions will only net Sisyphean outcomes. Youth, all youth in this city deserve better, and only through truth, humility, dedication, and collectiveness, are we to get the stone to cease rolling back down the hill. Where does the “Cycling” in Richmond Cycling Corps come into this? Well, it's the beginning. The bicycle does not, and cannot, fix the problems we have outlined above, and the many others we see manifest alongside of them. As outlined above, we feel that this is evident once the full scope of the issues within this corner of our city are grasped. It can, however, open the door to a larger array of solutions. And that being said, the bike is a beautiful machine capable of unlocking incredible levels of personal freedom, which is not to be discounted in all of this. And it would be unfair not to mention, if only briefly, that our youth recently wrapped up their 7th successful racing season, with a lot of incredibly gutsy performances over the course of this Spring. More on that another day. We feel, and it has become inherent to our every action, that the work of empowering youth must go deep, far deeper than just bicycle-borne programming. Stay tuned to this space, and seek us out outside of here, to learn more about how we go about doing that.

Matt Crane is a former professional cyclist who spent a number of years on the U.S. National Cycling team before retiring from the sport. He now happily lives in Richmond, where he is the Director of Development for Richmond Cycling Corps. Email:matt@richmondcyclingcorps.org Phone:(706) 540-2340

By: Jerry Osborne ChurchHill.org |

Poem Under a Libby Hill Park Tree Keep cool in the steamy summer months by reading Poet Joanna Lee’s poems under a tree in Libby Hill Park.

What we mean by inquiet A name from memory, sudden as whiskey, can stir an almost particulate warmth, slow dust spun to gold in late afternoon light. funny how things so disparate sidle up: in late October the red leaves from the playground drift through gaps in the chain link to gather among the graves. we call this neighborhood, the shawl-draped woman walking her dog by the track’s length, disappearing behind a halffelled oak as the sun shrinks behind a cloud. the gray rows huddle close, scripted with their sad stories; the wind pushes the swings in longing, remembering the girl she maybe was. on a good night, you can only hear the gunshots. there are missing teeth the size of a map where the fence meets the dying trampled grass, the dog shit someone has left in the weed-pebbled gravel. by the front gates, the sign reads no thru traffic.

“This is more of a fall poem than a summer one, but autumn has always been my favorite season, especially up on the Hill, the yellow leaves overlooking the river from Libby Hill Park. The playground in mention backs to Oakwood cemetery; I sometimes did the track as a part of my morning run. I found it mesmerizing, the way the swing set overlooks 8 April 2017

the headstones, imagined small legs pumping while young faces looked up at the graves. Church Hill is a study in juxtapositions, its past and its present tangled up in beauty and tragedy. Like a lot of Richmond in that way.” - Joanna Lee, Poet

Joanna Lee Joanna Lee is currently serving as Board Chair of James River Writers, and is, as well, a founder and leading force behind the River City Poets community. Her chapbook Dissections, from which the above poem is excerpted, is forthcoming this summer from Finishing Line Press. Joanna, her fiancé John, and their cat Max recently left a small apartment on 28th and E. Clay, where they lived for several years, to buy their first home in Northside, near the Brookland Park corridor.

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On-Site Specialized Equipment Includes: · Digital · Dental equipment radiography · ECG · In-house lab · Pulse oximetry

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Thank you for letting us care for your pets! 10 April 2017

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HOMES NEEDED FOR THE 2017 HOUSE TOUR

Yes, it’s not quite summer but it’s never too early to plan for a great CHA of RVA Holiday Weekend. Please join us in making our 2017 holiday festivities a success. We need neighbors to share their homes on the December 10th, 2017 tour and volunteers to assist with various activities over the weekend. We must identify all of our homes by this coming July so we can properly promote this spectacular event. Note – some expenses incurred in readying your home for the tour may be tax deductable. You and docents you recruit for your home will receive free tickets for the tour. Last year we had over 600 guests for our Holiday House Tour. The proceeds allowed CHAofRVA to make contributions to local organizations working to improve the quality of life for the greater Church Hill community. We’re starting to plan now, so please join us in this labor of love. Contact Genni Sasnett at: Sasnettsara@outlook.com or cell (202) 812 4504

Volunteer your home and your time where Richmond began! Help us celebrate.

12 April 2017

Update on CHA of RVA Holiday Weekend Events â&#x20AC;&#x2122;17 CHA of RVA Members,

The Holiday Events Committee is charged with planning and implementing the Church Hill Holiday Events. The weekend has traditionally included the Friday night Candlelight Walk, the Saturday night Holiday Ball and the Sunday afternoon House Tour. This year the Committee decided to assess the three events to determine what, if any, changes needed to be made to the weekendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offerings.

Committee members reviewed a financial analysis of the weekend events over the past 10 years and data gleaned from the recent Church Hill survey. Members also listened to anecdotal information provided by both organizers and participants from prior years. While the Candlelight Walk was not a revenue generator, it was the most popular and well attended by greater Church Hill residents of the three events. The House Tour did very well financially this past year and consistently has in the past, except for bad weather years. The Holiday Party has lost money for most of the 10 years covered by the analysis. Organizers reported difficulty in getting people to attend, challenges in providing a quality party at a reasonable cost and general fatigue due to the number of events in a single weekend. Based on their analysis, the committee recommended continuing with both the Candlelight Walk and the Hour Tour, perhaps with some minor improvements. The members agreed that something had to change regarding the Holiday Ball. They decided to present four options for the 2017 Holiday Party to the membership for a vote. The options presented are below: 1.) The same type party as usual on the same weekend as the Candlelight Walk and House Tour, scaling back expenses to break even. No ticket price increase. 2.) The same type party as usual on another weekend other than the Candlelight Walk and House tour, scaling back expenses to break even. No ticket price increase. 3.) A family oriented party, like the Mardi Gras event at the Robinson in February, on a date other than the Saturday of the Candlelight Walk and House Tour 4.) No party for one year, then consider options for the future.

A vote was taken at the April 18th membership meeting and the CHAofRVA members chose to forgo having a holiday party for one year. Therefore, we will not have a Holiday Ball or Party in December 2017. We should all reflect about the party over the next year, especially as the holiday season passes and it does not occur, to see how we feel about this change. The Holiday Events Committee is happy to receive any input you may have. It will help in determining the longer-term future of this event. Please submit input to Genni Sasnett at vp@churchhill.org

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Church Hill – Then and Now! Little did I know “Then” when I started visiting Daddy in Richmond after he and Mama divorced during the ‘50s that I would end up here "Now!" He moved in with his sister, Aunt Bertie, and I visited him usually during the summers and occasionally over the Christmas Holidays. So many families lead nomadic lifestyles and rarely stayed in any one place, so my memories are of the many houses and apartments they lived in on Church Hill. I have found most of them since returning to retire in December of 2006. On the corner of 25th and Clay is a large building that is currently owned by a couple who are professors at VCU. They live there and have a studio in the building. My first memory of this location is when Daddy used to take me there for new shoes (Buster Brown’s). I mentioned this to the couple and they said they have found sales receipts in boxes. As the neighborhood’s retail stores started to decline, it later became a thrift store operated by the Volunteers of America and Daddy’s girl friend worked there. The signage remains on the Clay Street side of the building. There’s a house on the southeast corner of 30th and Broad Streets where Daddy lived in the bedroom on the front. I had finished high school, moved to Richmond, completed a two-year business college and was working. There was also a row house in the 300 block of North 33rd Street where I lived for a short time in the early 60’s, was vacant when I returned in 2006 and remained vacant until recently. The family I lived with (it was common to rent rooms back then) had four daughters two of which were deaf mutes. Lived for a while in a house on 27th Street, but haven’t been able to locate because not sure of the block. The condo I now live in has the same floor plan as one of the apartments Daddy and Aunt Bertie lived in. Daddy’s room was in what are now my laundry room and a shower. I have not been able to find this location, but vaguely remember it was on Leigh Street. So much has changed since Church Hill was at its lowest point. I was living and working in Northern Virginia when I found the condo. It was déjà vu! The instant I walked up the stairs into the unit, even though there was a floor plan change to the front, I knew I had been in one these units in the past. During the summer visits with Daddy, when it was so hot and with no air conditioning, we slept on pallets on the back porch. And of course, I purchased the unit. The Oakwood/Chimborazo area had just started going through transition when I bought a house on the corner of Chimborazo Boulevard and N Street July of 2008. There was a lot of change during the time I lived there. In May of 2016, I moved back to the condo which had been rented during the time I lived in the house. The parking lot across the street had been sold and construction of the Patrick Henry Square apartment complex had started. When I first leaned of this project, didn’t think it would happen. But now that it has, most of the residents in this block embrace this change. We look forward to seeing people walking and biking the streets of this “now” very vibrant and exciting neighborhood. The weekend of the Church Hill Holiday Festival, I hosted a luncheon for some former co-workers and only two of those attending lived in Richmond. The others live in the surroundings counties and most of them had never been to Church Hill. They were absolutely blown away by the neighborhood! One of them, who now lives in Goochland, said his young adult son had recently said he wanted to move to Church Hill because all of his friends were living here. I love sitting on my balcony watching people walk by with their dogs, babies or headed to one of the many eateries nearby. When I moved here in 2006, there was approximately five. Now there are about 17 to include some of Richmond’s best, two bakeries and enough casual dining spots to satisfy the palates and test buds of most residents. I rarely leave the neighborhood to eat out. And 14 April 2017

more are coming. Hopefully, my car will hold out until the new Pulse Bus system is in place and the new routes established. With bus stops a half block away, the system as now planned will get me to most of the places I go with the exception of a doctor in the far West End. Lyft or whatever will be my ride share of choice will get me there. I’m much more content having moved back to condo. Daddy and Aunt Bertie could not afford to live in Church Hill today. And that is downside to change. But this is NOW! Barbara Branch 2406 B East Marshall Street Church Hill VA

Ask

CAR

By Christina Mastroiann

Are you a new homeowner in a Designated Old and Historic District in the area? Do you have a question about a renovation or rehabilitation project on your property? Are you planning a demolition or new construction project? If so, keep reading. In an effort to provide a resource to the community, I am starting an "ASK CAR" column in the Church Hill Newsletter. If you don’t know already, CAR or the Commission on Architectural Review is the City’s official historic preservation body and helps to preserve the unique qualities of these designated districts. Since there are four of these districts in this area (St. John’s, Chimborazo, Union Hill, Church Hill North) chances are that if you are a homeowner you will have or have had some interaction with CAR. This column is aimed at providing clarity and understanding of a process that at times may seem daunting or frustrating. Marianne Pitts, Secretary of the Planning and Preservation Department in the City of Richmond Department of Planning and Development Review has kindly agreed to assist me in answering the questions that I receive from the readership. How will this work? You the reader will send your questions to secretary@churchhill.org with ASK CAR in the subject line. Each month I will select a few questions and post the answers in this column. Needless to say, if the questions are inflammatory, derogatory or threatening in nature, they will not be published. Stay tuned! ChurchHill.org | 15

This month, we will feature a vision which could be turned into a reality with community involvement and support... to reopen the Municipal by Eric Huffstutler Fire Museum. Wanting to leave a legacy to endure after his retirement, Capt. William Michael "Mike" Martin has shared what he wishes to see happen. And with the help of historiancollector Thomas Lee "Tom" Herman of The Old Dominion Historical Fire Society, I am able to piece together a picture of the fire department's past as well as previous attempts.

A History Museum in the Making

Once Upon A Time, there was a museum. It was not your typical museum that houses art or science. This one paid homage to those who risk their lives daily while serving our community to protect both life and property. Our most honored firefighters. In 1962, when Fire Engine Company No. 1 / Truck No. 1 was built (and Engine Co. 2 and Truck Co. 2 consolidated) on N 24th Street, the South wing was dedicated as a Municipal Fire Museum under the supervision of Fire Chief, Edgar Allen Sherry Sr (1912-1971) and Battalion Chief, John David Barlow Sr (1908 -1972). Unfortunately, this was short lived due to the lack of funding. The room eventually became their Watch Desk and lounge area while the equipment was loaned out or stored all over the city. Fast forward 10 years, the Richmond Retired Firefighters Association and Thomas Jefferson Robinson Jr, revived the vision of a local museum to not only showcase Richmond's antique fire apparatus and memorabilia, but also those collected by his own firefighter family over the years. He worked to justify obtaining and saving the retired Engine Company No. 5 building at 200 W Marshall, which was slated for demolition, to turn it into a dedicated museum. Steamer Company No. 5 was organized in 1849 as Number 7 and later Company D, in a former building constructed on the same spot where the newer replacement stands today, which was built in 1883, and retired in 1968. Robinson remodeled the building using both volunteer and convict help in stages, starting in 1976, upon his father's retirement from the Fire Bureau. Its "first" official launch was two years later and only open on weekends. The 16 April 2017

"second" official opening of the restored building was in 1981, but after being rejected for grants and other funding, closing for a short time, and while operating deep in the red...reduced hours then cut staff lead to it closing in 2002. The crown jewel on display then, and hopefully in the future, was a precursor to the modern pumper (now part of the quint concept) called a horse-drawn steam pumper. It worked along the principal of a locomotive, using a coal burning steam boiler to propel a pump that draws water from the fire hydrant and then through a hose, under pressure. Although they were still being manufactured up until 1920, many fire departments had started converting to motorized vehicles by this time. To replace an original unit built locally in 1859 by Ettenger & Edmond Co., the one currently housed at our own Company No.1, was ordered in 1906 and delivered in January 1908 to Engine Co. 3, by Amoskeag Manufacturing of New Hampshire. It was nicknamed "Old 798" after the serial number, as well as "Hopwell". Going into reserve status by 1922, at that time, Hopewell Fire Department was in need of additional equipment, especially since DuPont did not have their own. They purchased the apparatus for $12,500 and once DuPont no longer needed Hopewell's services, was returned as a gift to Richmond in 1946. Afterwards, the steamer lived at a warehouse in the Westhampton area during the 1950s and later, on loan and used for events and displays. It has been years since the boiler was last fired up with black billowing smoke pouring out of its chimney because, the boiler itself is in need of restoration. In addition to the Steam Pumper, a 1922 Seagrave Water Tower, were housed together at Station No. 20 (Forest Hill), which is being renovated so they are currently at Station No. 1. Also at No. 1 are various Hose Reel and Chemical Carts. And, as part of this collection is a 1939 Buffalo on a GMC chassis Hose Wagon, which is currently housed at Station No. 23 (Midlothian). Various smaller items that were originally on display at Engine No. 1, are scattered but most are still at the old museum building and efforts to obtain them are ongoing. But there is more antique fire equipment and vehicles throughout the city. The idea is to have the Pumper as a central feature in the Fire Station wing, and surround it with showcases and outfit equipment on the walls as well as artwork and

printed background narratives. This may require some reconfiguration of relatively unused space by knocking down walls to allow for flow of visitor traffic. With large windows on the building facing Broad Street, the glistening pumper will catch the eye of tourists and locals. But sources for funding are scarce and they are in need of help to make this third museum attempt a reality. Richmond Fire Department is the fifth oldest in the nation with roots dating back to 1837 when the Richmond Fire Association was chartered. Engine No. 1 company, also known a "Liberty" Company, was originally organized on October 25, 1858 as Hook & Ladder Co. "F". In 1871, the Engine Company was organized using the designation of Company "F". They occupied the quarters which the H & L had at 306 N 25th and E. Broad Streets. The Letter system was abolished in 1888 and all companies were assigned a number. In 1909, a new structure was built to replace the old, which was also demolished after failed attempts to save the historic building, to create Patrick Henry Park in 1962.

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ChurchHill.org | 17

PLEASE JOIN AND BE A 2017 MEMBER OF THE CHURCH HILL ASSOCIATION! CHA of RVA Members receive one-time discounts at local businesses plus 5% all year at Alexander’s Cleaners:

Restaurants & Other Eateries 23rd & Main Taproom 15% 2302 E Main St – (804)788.7077 Alamo Barbecue 10% 2202 Jefferson Ave – (804)592.3138 Dutch & Company 15% (excluding alcohol and prix fixe menu) 400 N 27th St – (804)643.8824 Liberty Public House 15% 418A North 25th St – (804)225.8275 Millie’s Diner 15% 2603 E Main St – (804)643.5512 Nota Bene restaurant and lounge 15% 2110 E Main St – (804)477.3355 Patrick Henry’s Pub & Grille 15% 2300 E Broad St – (804)644.4242

Poe’s Pub 15% 2706 E Main St – (804)648.2120 Proper Pie 10% 2505 E Broad St – (804)343.7437 Stroops Heroic Dogs (free Stroopwafel with purchased hot dog) 2709 E Marshall St – (804)644.3647 Sub Rosa Bakery 10% 620 N 25th St – (804)788.7672 The Hill Café 15% 2800 E Broad St – (804)648.0360 Union Market 15% (prepared food/meals, excludes groceries) 2306 Jefferson Ave – (804)716.7233 WPA Bakery 10% 2707 E Marshall St – (804)716.9797

Other Businesses Blackbird Salon $5 off service/treatment 402 N 25th St – (804)344.7072 C. Alexander’s Cleaners 5% off ALL Cleaning orders 2007 Venable St – (804)592.3138 Eric Schindler Gallery 10% off one art work 2305 E Broad St – (804)644.5005 Mowhawks 15% off landscaping (garden, tree service, grass) 2312 M St – 1(855)mowhawks/1.855.669.4295

Pets at Play 5% 319 N 25th St – (804)286.4665 Richmond Balance 20% off first month 1806 E Main St – (804)225.7130 Seven Hills Studio 20% discount to new clients 501 N 25th – (804)344.0620

Get your membership card and start enjoying! Sign up through the website, email, or in person at CHA meetings: 1. For the website, go to: http://www.churchhill.org/cha/join/ 2. Mail the form below to PO Box 8031 Richmond, VA 23223 or 3. Bring the form to the next membership meeting or CHA event. NOTE: CHA of RVA is a 501(c)(3) organization. Your membership is tax deductible to the full extent of the law as no goods or services are received in exchange for your contribution.

Church Hill Association (CHA) Membership Form Membership is valid one year from date of joining.

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Membership is Individual, not by household. Email is used only for communicating information to members.

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$30 per person x For office use: Membership card 18 April 2017

Members = $ Bag