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A New Look at the Old West End
A $20 per person advance ticket allows one visit to each site. Tickets are available at Karen’s Hallmark in the Danville Mall; the Ginger Bread House on Memorial Drive; Rippe’s and Vintages by the Dan in downtown Danville and at eventbrite.com. Tickets are non-refundable. Before starting the tour, the advance ticket must be redeemed at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History or the Langhorne House Museum for a souvenir booklet. Sites may be visited in any order. Tickets are $25 on the day of the tour and are available at both Museums. Profits will support projects of the Friends of the Old West End. www.danvillehistory.org | 434.709.8398 www.oldwestendva.com | 610.787.1314
Chair Ann Sylves, Jennifer Atkins, Gus Dyer, Andrew Hessler, Paul Leipe, Lois MacFadden, Kathy Nester, Judy Strauser, Joyce Wilburn, Anne Williams
SITE PHOTOS Lois MacFadden; Mansion on Main NARRATIVES Val-Rae Christensen, Paul Kapp, Joyce Wilburn
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DHS BOARD OF DIRECTORS danvillehistory.org | danvillehistorical@gmail.com
PRESIDENT Sarah Latham VICE PRESIDENT Sonja Ingram SECRETARY Lee Smallwood TREASURER Ruby Douglas
Mary Barnes, Patrina Carter, Andrew Hessler, Paisley Holloway-Magness, Bianca Klein-Breteler, Val-Rae Lindenau, Ressie Luck-Brenner, Michael McNeely
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FOWE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Info@oldwestendva.com | oldwestendva.com
PRESIDENT Fran Baughman
VICE PRESIDENT Jonathan Holbrook SECRETARY Bryan Hale TREASURER Beverley Richardson
Ryan Dodson , Cody Foster , SueEllen Lawton, Paisley Magness , Anne Williams
This Queen Anne cottage has a gable end engaging a hip roof. The picketed ornamentation appears to be Eastlake in style. The lot on which it stands was acquired by F.X. Burton when William T. Sutherlin auctioned off the land surrounding his home on Main Street in 1899 (now the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History). In 1905 after Burton’s death, his wife sold the unimproved lot to Mrs. B.A.P. Strother, who commissioned the home to be built. Subsequently, the house was owned by several families including Latinus and Polly Wells. Polly remained in the house after her husband’s death and was a career woman who worked as an executive secretary at American National Bank. When she died in 1987, the house became a rental property until it was acquired by the present owner, Michael McNeely, in 2004. McNeely has contributed to the restoration and rescue of nine homes in the Old West End, including this one. Notice the marker with a QR code near the sidewalk. Using the QR code will provide more information about this property.
This sixplex is built in the Arts and Crafts style probably around 1920. It has a hipped roof, exterior stairs, simple pickets and elaborate timber brackets. The two-story porch is its most distinguishing feature. The Clarke Apartments are now known as the Monticello Terrace Apartments and are located where the Robert and Eloise White house once stood.
The Whites had one child, Mary Ellen, born in 1850. She married Fred Clarke, Jr., of Buffalo, New York, in 1877. When the Whites purchased the home on Jefferson Avenue where the apartments now stand, their daughter, Mary Ellen, and son-inlaw, Fred, moved in with them.
Fred, a druggist, died in 1916 at the age of 64. Mary Ellen Clarke died in 1930 at the age of 80, leaving her Jefferson Avenue properties, including the apartment building to her sons. By the 1960s, the property had changed hands several times and the buildings were deteriorating. The apartments have been totally renovated and restored to include an Airbnb.
747 Loyal Street has had many owners since 1923 when a deed cited that the lot contained “improvements and appurtenances”. In 1936, Charles Hordish, one of the founders of Aetz Chayim Synagogue on Wilson Street, sold this property to Danville Dairy Products. They are likely the ones who built the cinderblock building that stands today. Rex Clarence and Frances Smith owned the property from 1945 until 1986 when it was home to R.C. Smith Plumbing. After Smith’s death in 1987, the property went into foreclosure and was purchased by V.C. Distributing who held it until 1996, when it was purchased by South Central Development Inc. In 2016, International Security Investments became the owner. Today it is the home of The Cosmetic Art Store, a distributor for environmentallyfriendly beauty products. Owner Sebastian Stelle also offers advanced education in cosmetology and plans to open River District Pack & Ship in the near future.
The congregation of the Episcopal Church in Danville was founded in 1840. They erected a wood church in 1844 on this lot, but it was razed for the construction of the present building between 1879-1881. It was the older church in which the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, worshipped on the final Sunday of the Civil War. At that time, the bell in the tower had been donated to the Confederacy to make cannons. The current church follows the Gothic design of the original wood church. This Gothic Revival stucco building presents a gable-end front with a threestory corner tower as defined by the insets of the buttressing and the openings to a slender octagonal spire. All windows and doors use the lancet arch and the nave windows alternate between the buttressing. Take note of the shields over the doors. Each is named for one of the wisemen who visited Jesus, an event that is remembered on the Feast of the Epiphany. The iron fence is original. It is thought that the British composer, Frederick Delius was the organist here from 1885-86.
After 1850, builders in Southern Virginia were slow to adopt the latest in American architecture. This house with tall, narrow windows and twin gables is predominantly Italianate, but the porch has a picketed apron and turned posts, which are Queen Anne elements. Perhaps, it was a hybrid design when it was constructed or altered when the wraparound porch was added.
Isaac Bendall started building this house in 1895. Upon his death in 1920, the house was sold to the Trustees of the District Parsonage of the Danville District of the Virginia Conference of the Methodist Church. For the next 25 years, it was home for the clergy at Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church. The house changed hands several times over the next 25 years. From 1979 until 1998, the Robert Posey family lived here and from 1998 until 2017 it was the home of Daniel Lee Swain. The current owners acquired the property in 2017 and have restored and maintained the beautiful home. In 2022, the music studio in the former garage was the location for episode 10 of PBS’s The Life of a Musician when Dave and Jeanie performed.
It’s not entirely certain when a home first appeared on this lot. In 1875, when the property was transferred to Charlotte Lomax, the deed stated that it included appurtenances thereunto. The Beers map of 1877 shows a smaller version of the current house.
In 1889, the property was auctioned. The high bidders were F.X. Burton and W.J. Dance who sold it a year later to J.H. and A.W. Griggs, principal figures in the organization of the Danville & Western (Dick & Willie) Railroad. Four families owned the house throughout the decades until 2001, when it was acquired by Domestic Violence Emergency Services (DOVES). In 2016, the City of Danville took ownership. In 2021, Bryan Hale became the owner, carefully restoring the home. This “L” shaped, wood-frame, late Queen Anne style house has a modulated cornice and a small porch with an engaged gazebo.
The DHS holiday store and the box for the Historical Holiday Hunt random drawing are here. Please enter using use the porch stairs near the driveway. Notice the marker with a QR code near the sidewalk. Using the QR code will provide more information about this property.
Nancy Langhorne Astor (1879-1964) was born in this house. She made international history in 1919, when she became the first woman to be seated in the House of Commons in British Parliament. This was at a time when American women did not have the right to vote. She represented Plymouth from 1919-1945. Her sister, Irene, married the artist Charles Dana Gibson who immortalized his wife as the Gibson Girl, the international fashion ideal at the turn of the 20th century. Their father, Chiswell Langhorne, worked in the tobacco industry and is credited with developing the tobacco auctioneer’s chant at Danville’s famous loose-leaf tobacco auctions.
The house/museum you see today was constructed on Main Street and saved from demolition by being pushed to the present location. The side of the former house is now the front of the Museum with porches added. Apartments are located on the top level.
This house was built in 1881 at a cost of $12,732.36. It is a five-bay, two-story brick building of Italianate design with projecting center pavilion, featuring masonry trim at the corners and in the arches over elongated first and second floor windows. The Lawson mansion was remodeled by the Overbeys in 1911 into a Georgian Revival style building by the addition of a two-story semi-circular Ionic portico with esplanade. The roofline was restyled and a full Ionic entablature surrounds its base. The original iron fence was contributed to the World War I effort and later replaced.
In 1972 the house seemed doomed when Dudley Overbey obtained a permit for demolition. Rumors of a service station replacement were widespread. The house was sold to the DeAlbas family and saved. Today it is an Airbnb. The Tour includes the main level, ground level, and gardens with boxwood path, swimming pool, gazebo, and pond.
This Queen Anne cottage has a carpenter’s cut flat board balustrade on the porch and turned posts supporting the porch roof. It was probably built around 1882. In September of 1881, Morris J. Fox transferred a Chestnut Street lot to the trustees of the Cottage Building Association of Danville presumably to secure the funds to erect this home. A dozen or more owners have occupied the house throughout its history and it has survived numerous rentals and vacancies. In 1992, after many years of not being occupied, the home was sold by Jacqueline Sheridan to Fred and Laura Meder. They preserved and renovated it for the current occupant, Ann Garbett. Architectural authorities have commended them for their very impressive renovation project.
The Methodists came to Danville in 1832. In the latter 19th century, a Methodist assembly located on Wilson Street decided that downtown was becoming almost exclusively commercial and moved to a site closer to its parishioners. The church chose a prominent location at the fork formed by West Main and South Main Streets. In January 1886, Mount Vernon United Methodist Church opened the doors to this high Victorian Gothic structure. A four-story square tower is articulated by stone belt courses and capped by an octagonal spire and cross. Protruding from its base are low twin half circles with conical caps with the larger, gabled nave and transepts behind. Gabled entrances at the base of the tower and at both sides of the nave add intricacy to the broad planes of light and shade. Parking is available on the street, the lot behind the church and in the hospital parking lot across South Main Street.
975 MAIN
DANVILLE
This high style Italianate villa built between 1855 and 1860 has low-pitched roofs with deep eaves, brackets, and stuccoed/faux ashlar stone finish with a belvedere on the roof. In 1859, when the William Sutherlin family lived here, it was the most prominent house in town. Sutherlin was a banker, tobacconist, entrepreneur, mayor (1855-1861), and officer during the Civil War. The house became the executive mansion for Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy, from April 3-10,1865, earning it the title of the Last Confederate Capitol. The house was saved from demolition by the Daughters of the Confederacy in 1912. In 1928, it opened as the Danville Pubic Library for white residents. In the 1960s, it was the site of a sitin for civil rights. In 1971, it became the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History (DMFAH). The DMFAH strives to present a unified history of all area people. Visitors will see the historic rooms of the mansion, art galleries, a Civil War exhibit, a Civil Rights exhibit, gift shop, and more.
Because a tour of the DMFAH takes several hours, Holiday Tour participants may redeem their tickets for free admission at any time the DMFAH is open before January 2023. DMFAH will be closed December 19-26.
Find the answers to the following questions in the souvenir booklet. After successfully completing this form, deposit it in the box at 808 Green Street. A random drawing will be held and you will be notified. Good luck! 1. A famous Danvillian who had dual citizenship of the United States and England and whose first home is now the Langhorne House Museum is ____________________ ____________________ ____________________. 2. The home of William T. Sutherlin is now the ____________________ ____________________ of ____________________ ____________________ & . 3. B. A. P. Strother House is a ____________________ ____________________Cottage built in . 4. The Domestic Violence Emergency Services (DOVES) owned the J. Henry Griggs house until the city took ownership. It is presently owned and being restored by ____________________ ____________________. 5. The Clarke Apartments are now known as the ____________________ Apartments. 6. The Lawson Overbey House was almost ____________________ in 1972, but it was sold to the DeAlbas family and saved. Today it is an . 7. The 927 Green Street lot was purchased in ____________________ and a home was built on it by ____________________ . 8. Mount Vernon Methodist Church opened its doors in 9. The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany is where the President of the Confederacy, ____________________ , worshipped. 10. This is now the home of environmentally-friendly beauty products. 11. Architectural authorities have noted this house as being a very impressive renovation project.
It was a night of applause, speeches and barbecue as the Pittsylvania Sports Hall of Fame welcomed nine inductees who ranged from coaches to professional baseball athletes.
In 2013, the Hall of Fame was formed to promote civic excellence by recognizing the achievement of former or current individuals or groups involved in or contributing to sports programs’ success — from amateur to professional — in Pittsylvania County.
Guests were treated to Hunt and Co. barbeque pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, coleslaw and cake. Every nominee received a plaque, and commendations from the Pittsylvania Board of Supervisors, Senators Frank Ruff and Bill Stanley and Delegates Daniel Marshall and Les Adams.
The nine inductees were Linda Beamon Bailey, Jesse Bennett, Jacob Gruse, a posthumous award to Shirley Kinsley,
Eddy Lloyd, Joe Mantiply, W. Neal Oakes, C.L Scarce and Calvin Takata.
Bailey is a former star athlete in baseball, cheerleading, softball and volleyball at Blairs Middle School and Tunstall High School, earning many awards, including all-district and all-state teams. She represented the United States on the USA team in Holland and Belgium and was named Averett’s Female Student Athlete of the Year 2002.
Bennett is a former Dan River athlete, captain and cocaptain in baseball, basketball and all-district for four years. Bennett served as a teacher, coach and principal at Coates Elementary in Danville Public Schools and as principal at Spring Garden and Southside elementary schools, before retiring after 32 years.
Gruse is a teacher and coach for Dan River High School basketball leading the teams to four straight state tournament
appearances; one state runner-up finish, one state final four, two state final eight appearances, a Region B championship in 2012 and three regular season Dogwood District championships.
Lloyd was a Tunstall High School football athlete and the school newspaper’s sports editor. After graduating from Radford College, he returned to Pittsylvania County and coached the Whitmell Indians in the inaugural year of the Pittsylvania County youth football program. Lloyd served more than 30 years as a teacher/coach in Pittsylvania County, to include the PC Youth League; wrote the sports column for the Martinsville Bulletin and the Chatham Star-Tribune; and authored “No Place Like Home.
The most famous of the group was Mantiply, who was selected by the New York Mets in the 2009 MLB amateur draft but chose to attend college first and committed to pitch at Virginia Tech. While at Virginia Tech, he was redrafted but stayed to receive his degree.
Mantiply was selected for the third time in the MLB amateur draft and made his Major League debut with the Detroit Tigers in 2016. After stints with the Tigers, Yankees, and Reds and a Tommy John surgery from injury, he signed a minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2020.
“I’m honored to get this induction. I’m very proud of where I came from; it’s very humbling,” said Mantiply. “When I was growing up...it was very competitive and a lot of good athletes, but there was always a league to play in; that alone gave me a lot of good reps as a kid and got me into the love of the game.”
Scarce is a 1965 graduate of Tunstall High School, he played at Milligan College in Tennessee. Scarce returned to Pittsylvania County, coached basketball and football at Blairs Middle School and Tunstall High School, and served as head basketball coach in 1973 and athletic director. He then went on to be the assistant principal and principal at Tunstall from 1990-1997, as well as principal for Pittsylvania County Career & Tech Center in 2003. Scarce retired in 2004.
Takata is a retired Pittsylvania County schoolteacher of 48 years and coached football and baseball at Gretna Jr. High and High School for 40-plus years, where he earned three state championships. Takata served on the board of
directors of Pittsylvania County youth baseball, managed the Gretna baseball field; participated in Oldtimer’s Baseball and umpires for the Pittsylvania County Department of Parks & Recreation.
A new category of recognition was added in 2020, the “Hampton Wilkins Spirit Award,” to recognize individuals who demonstrate the qualities of a cheerleader and supporter of a locality and the people who make up the community, especially young people. Kinsley and Oakes were selected for the 2022 “Hampton Wilkins Spirit Award.”
Kinsley had more than 20 years of supporting Gretna youth sports; she was one of the founders of the Gretna youth basketball program and worked tirelessly to provide for the students.
Her son, Steve Kinsley, spoke on her behalf to the crowd Sunday night.
“Mom really cared about the kids that were in Gretna, not only with the kids that were just in Gretna; she cared about kids all together. She spent a lot of time and effort doing things behind the scenes that people didn’t know about like when I became president of Gretna sports, she and myself made it made a point that no child would ever be turned away from being able to play youth league sports,” Kinsley said.
Oakes coached and umpired across Pittsylvania County for 15 years. He was elected to serve on the Pittsylvania County School Board representing the Dan River District for 14 years and as chair and vice-chair, among many other positions on the school board.
A panel of members of the Board of Directors and former inductees of the Pittsylvania County Sports Hall of Fame meet and discuss the nominees and rate the nominees anonymously on separate/individual rating sheets. The anonymous rating sheets are collected by the organization’s secretary, tallied and averaged for the selection.
“It is a way to thank those who have just put in, for some, decades of volunteer hours,” said Brenda Bowman, secretary of the Hall of Fame organization “and just helping our youth grow and it’s all about the young people and that’s what this was for, just to recognize those that have put so much into mentoring and helping our kids move forward.”•
Opposite Page: The nine inductees for the Pittsylvania County Hall of Fame receive their awards. Pictured, front row, left to rigth: Joe Kinsley, son of Shirley Kinsley, posthumous award, Linda Beamon Bailey, Eddy Lloyd and Calvin L. Takata. Back row, left to right: Joseph Mantiply, W. Neal Oakes, Jacob Gruse, Jesse Bennett and Calvin L. Scarce.
The ultimate goal — make it to the national finals rodeo in the wildest of the West — Gillette, Wyoming.
More than 220 kids, from kindergarten to high school seniors, pulled on the their boots, straightened their cowboy hats and attached their numbers to the backs of the their long-sleeve shirts to compete in the “Battle of the Borders,” rodeo, held recently at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex in Chatham. The event was part of the National High School Rodeo Association circuit of competitions.
The three-day meet featured 12 events — bareback riding, barrel racing, breakaway roping, tie-down roping, team roping, saddle bronc riding, goat tying, pole bending, steer wrestling, bull riding, cutting and reined cow horse, with each event having its own set of criteria for scoring.
The competition included kids from Virginia and North Carolina, with four divisions: Pee Wee for kindergarten through second grade; Maverick for third, fourth and up to fifth grade; Junior High for fifth through eighth graders; and High School for those in grades nine through 12.
It was the last competition in Virginia for the season and the points earned counted in both the Commonwealth and North Carolina for their respective participants.
With so many kids competing, the event is divided into “slack” and “performance,” sessions, with the latter geared for an audience, said Director Kevin Brill with the Virginia High School Rodeo Association.
The decision about which portion a participant competed in was determined by the luck of a random draw a few days before the event, said Brill. The “performance” portion moves
faster, with fewer competitors in each event so that audiences get a taste of each skill, said Brill. The “slack” portion is still a competition, but moves slower as each competitor gets a chance to participate in the event and earn points.
The kids enjoy being in the performance rounds because there is generally a big crowd, while slack is mostly just parents, said Brill.
“That’s really the only difference,” he said.
Those in the riding events — bareback, saddle bronc and bull riding — have to stay on the animal for eight seconds to receive a score. The rider also cannot touch the animal with his free hand.
Speed tops the list for barrel racing, breakaway roping, tiedown roping, goat tying, pole bending and steer wrestling. All events have rules specific to the skill. In tie-down roping, the calf must be thrown by hand — also known as flanking. If the calf is down when the competitor arrives, the cowboy must pick it up before flanking.
The National High School Rodeo Association covers 43 states, four Canadian provinces, as well as Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. Every state and each country determines its own divisions and how many rodeos to have a year, along with a state finals. Once all of those competitions are completed, the top four in each event qualify for nationals. The Virginia state finals for the 2022-2023 season will be held at ODAC in Chatham. The high school nationals will be held in Gillette, Wyo. and the junior high finals are in Perry, Georgia.
While in the arena, whether competing or not, the participants were required to be dressed in a specific way — long sleeve shirt, jeans, belt, hat, boots and his or her number pinned to their back.
Some competitors also sported large belt buckles, which indicated that the wearer had won something or qualified for a larger competition. Every state gives out buckles, said Brill.
“Buckles are given out as a trophy,” he said. •
On opposite page: The rodeo queens opened the event with the flag display. Shown above (from the top): In goat tying, the contestant must catch the goat, which was tied to a stake with a 10-foot rope. Once caught, the contestant flanks the goat and ties any three legs. Timing stops when the contestant throws her hands up and walks away from the goat. Center: High school cowboys burst out of the gate for the steer wrestling event. The steer is given a head start. One contestant in the team dismounts to wrestle the steer to the ground. The goal is to turn the steer flat on its back. Time and skill is key in this event. Bottom: The younger contestants get ready to watch their high school counterparts perform in “Battle of the Border” National High School Rodeo Association competition recently at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex in Chatham.
Averett University announced a major gift from Caesars Virginia, a joint venture between Caesars Entertainment and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians signaling a significant investment in the hospitality and tourism future of the region.
“At Averett University, we strive to be a strong partner to our city, region and beyond, and we know there is a significant and growing need for a prepared workforce with advanced education in this industry,” said Averett President Dr. Tiffany M. Franks.
Caesars Virginia is providing Averett with $504,000 to develop a hospitality and tourism academic program — one of only a handful of four-year programs of its kind in Virginia.
“This donation is supporting the creation of Averett University’s hospitality program stems from the EBCI value
system that prioritizes education and lifelong learning,” said Richard Sneed, Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. “We look forward to continuing to build opportunities for the people of Danville with this program and through our partnership with Caesars Entertainment.”
The program will complement Caesars Virginia $650 million investment in the city with its casino and resort hotel, to be located on the former site of Dan River Mills in the Schoolfield area of Danville.
Caesars Virginia will include a 500-room hotel and a worldclass casino gaming floor with more than 1,300 slots, 85 live table games, 24 electronic table games, a WSOP poker room and a Caesars Sportsbook. In addition, the resort will feature a full-service spa, pool, high-quality bars and restaurants, a 2,500-seat state-of-the-art live entertainment theater and
40,000 square feet of meeting and convention space.
Additionally, Averett also announced that Thomas Perugini as the program’s inaugural director. Perugini joins Averett with 25 years of hospitality industry experience as a leader in food and beverage as well as hotel and resort operations throughout Florida, complemented by nearly a decade of teaching hospitality management. He started with the university last month.
“Like most other industries, hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality and tourism organizations are hungry for quality employees who possess both the hands-on training as well as the soft skills needed in customer service and in management. This program will help feed that regional workforce pipeline through interns still in the program and ultimately with Averett graduates,” said Perugini.
The University recently hosted a celebratory announcement honoring Caesars and introducing Perugini at Cottontail Weddings & Events in Danville’s River District. Guests included leadership from Caesars Virginia, city leaders and regional hospitality and tourism industry professionals, as well as University Trustees, employees, students, alumni and friends.
Kelly McGrath, owner of Franks Pizza, attended the evening and is excited for the future of the hospitality industry.
“We need more quality hospitality people, people that want to work, people that like the industry, people who want to give good service and be hospitable to the community and not just make a paycheck but actually enjoy what they do and care about what they’re doing,” McGrath said.
Averett’s new concentration and minor in Hospitality Management and Tourism will be housed under the University’s existing undergraduate Business Management program and will launch for on-campus and Averett Online students beginning in the fall 2023 semester.
The program will include courses like Introduction to the Hospitality and Tourism Industry; Lodging Operations; and Food and Beverage Management, with electives such as Casino, Resort and Club Management; and Facility Design. Students will end the program with a capstone internship opportunity with local hospitality partners.
Pasquale Costagliola, co-owner of Franks Italian Restaurant, explained that these programs would give Franks an opportunity to hire and work with knowledgeable people who are passionate about the industry.
“This will give us an opportunity to hire knowledgeable people, not just somebody that comes in and needs a job. We love for people to have knowledge in this industry,” Costagliola said.•
On opposite page: Averett University President, Dr. Tiffany M. Franks, raises a glass to toast the new program expansion.
firstcitizens.com
For the last three decades, local martial arts expert Jeff McGregor has been working with students at his school, Jeff McGregor’s American Karate. Located in the Old Dutch Supermarket at 2308 W. Main Street, Jeff McGregor’s American Karate has prided itself for years on welcoming students of all abilities and skill levels to learn about selfdefense, self-confidence, and self-discipline.
“I’ve been in business for over 35 years at the Old Dutch,” McGregor said in a recent interview with the Star-Tribune. “We direct our attention to mostly kids. My school has been around for a long time. We have a lot of students. We have handicapped kids. We have kids with disabilities. We have all types of kids at our school.”
“We have a great kid’s class,” McGregor continued. “We work with all types of kids. We don’t turn anyone away. We’ll train them three days a week. We are a competitive school. We do tournaments. We do a lot of things in our school for kids, and it’s open-door, if anybody wants to come in. That’s the way I look at it.”
Martial arts have been a way of life for McGregor since the 1980s. After receiving his first-degree black belt ranking in September 1986 from the Lee School of Shotokan Karate and the Danville Karate Club, McGregor went on to win the 1988-1989 Silver Bullet National Championship in kata (forms), weapons, and kumite (fighting).
McGregor, currently a seventh-degree black belt, has appeared as a stunt person in multiple Hollywood films, and has earned numerous distinctions, including being named “Instructor of the Year” by Joey Corley’s Professional Karate Association, and being inducted into the
Shown at left: Jeff McGregor (right), the owner of Jeff McGregor’s American Karate, poses with his family, including son Brenner McGregor (left), wife Eva (second from left), and youngest son Brayden (second from right). Jeff McGregor’s American Karate is one of four featured karate schools in a new Discovery Plus reality series called Kiddie Kai, which debuted in early September.
Karate Union and Action Martial Arts Magazine’s Hall of Fames.
Jeff McGregor’s American Karate recently focused its attention on a new project, as one of the featured karate schools in a reality show that premiered in early September on Discovery Plus.
A six-episode series, called “Kiddie Kai,” introduces McGregor’s local students in Danville, as well as other schools in northern Virginia and North Carolina. The series focuses on the training that students participate in, and the tournaments in which they compete.
“It’s called Kiddie Kai. The show really came out pretty darn good,” McGregor said. “We’re the first television show for karate in this area anywhere, so that says something about our school.”
McGregor explained how his school got involved in Kiddie Kai, which primarily features four schools in the Carolinas and Virginia competing against each other for trophies, pride, and bragging rights. In addition to Jeff McGregor’s American Karate, other featured schools included the Shaolin Kung Fu School in Denver, North Carolina, John Chung’s Tae Kwon Do in Leesburg, Virginia, and Kinchen Martial Arts in Cornelius, North Carolina.
“The (production) company was scouting out through the Carolinas and Virginia,” McGregor explained. “There were probably a hundred karate schools (they were considering). They came across my name, and they came down and we did an audition at the school. They seemed to like everything, and they contacted me back about a week or two later, and said you’ve got the job. That’s how it all got started.”
For several months, the production crew followed Jeff McGregor’s American Karate students to tournaments all over the Southeast,
introducing the world to McGregor, and several of McGregor’s more colorful and talented students.
“We were filming for probably about four months for the whole season. We were filming here (in Danville). We were filming down in North Carolina. We were in Georgia. We were all over the place filming stuff at tournaments,” McGregor explained. “What the show is about is four schools in martial arts, and we compete against each other. There’s a rivalry back and forth. We were fighting with each other, our kids competing against their kids. It’s pretty interesting.”
“The producers wanted to do four schools, and take your best guys out of your four schools. Let’s put them against each other, and see how they’re going to do,” McGregor continued. “What they started out trying to do is do these pre-arranged tournaments. We didn’t like that. So let’s just do a regular tournament, put our guys out there to compete against each other. And if they end up in the finals together, that’s fine.”
American Karate’s top student is Brenner McGregor, the son of McGregor’s wife Eva. McGregor is a gifted and well-trained competitor who quickly emerges early in the series as one of the top adversaries to the other schools on the show. With his even-keeled personality and his all-around talent, Brenner McGregor emerges in the show as one of the top overall competitors.
“Brenner is a smart kid. He doesn’t do anything wrong. He’s a good kid,” McGregor said. “He doesn’t fuss if he loses. He takes it and keeps going. As time went on, I just told Brenner to do what he does, and let the best come out of him.”
Another of the American Karate students who really stands out when watching the series is McGregor’s youngest son, Brayden, who goes by “Brady.” Along with being a competitor in various events, Brady also assists his father with selling supplies at tournaments, where he has become something of a celebrity.
“Brady is 11 years old. He’s been in class since he was four years old,” McGregor explained. “He’s a Down Syndrome child. He has speech problems, but he does anything you ask him to do. He’s such a good kid all-around. He’s an amazing child. He comes to class each night. He’s ready to go. He does have some disabilities that keep him from doing certain things in class, but he works out every night.”
“He’s one of the biggest stars on the road with me,” McGregor continued. “We do supplies at martial arts tournaments all over the country. He’s with me everywhere, and now that everybody has gotten to know him, he’s just a little superstar. He’s such a character.”
One of the more compelling storylines in Kiddie Kai involving Jeff McGregor’s American Karate is the story of 11-year-old Randy Tucker, who gets a chance at redemption against some local bullies who jumped him at a bus stop during the show’s filming.
“Randy is one of my kids who has been there a long time,” McGregor explained. “He has ADD. He got off the school bus one afternoon, and he got jumped by a couple of guys. Three or four guys got him, and I got upset about it. I said we’ve got to fix this problem. It happens every day in school. Kids get bullied all the time.”
Randy got a chance to take on the bullies one-on-one at the school, where he proved that the training he has received at McGregor’s school is paying off.
“I just made the point to show them (the bullies) what it’s really like to be in a karate school,” McGregor said. “What it’s like to be 1-on-1, instead of jumping three or four to one person. We got down to it, and then they realized they weren’t as tough as they really thought they were. He hasn’t had any more problems with these guys, and he’s been doing great in school.”
Like any reality show, Kiddie Kai has its fair share of manufactured drama. But throughout the six episodes, Jeff McGregor’s American
Karate and its students are portrayed as karate-loving kids eager to prove themselves. While some of the other schools get into theatrics, Jeff McGregor’s American Karate keeps its focus throughout the series on competition and improvement.
“Our school is a hard-style school,” McGregor explained. “When I train them to go to tournaments, I tell them we’re there to win. We’re not there to make friends. You have to do what you’ve got to do. You take the good with the bad. I tell them when we train, we’re going to win. That’s the focus in our mind. And I try to get that in the kids’ head, where they feel confidence when they get out there, and know they can do it.”
Since Kiddie Kai first debuted in early September, reviews for the series have been solid. Although nothing has been officially announced yet, cast members are optimistic that they will be greenlit soon to do a second season of the show.
“The show came out the first of September, and it seems to be going pretty well. Everybody seems to be liking it,” McGregor said. They (the production crew) didn’t tell us anything about the show until they got it all ready to be put out for people to see. We were worried like the devil that we were going to look bad, but the show really came together pretty good. Hopefully the second season - if we get one - we’ll come back with more stuff in the schools, and people can see exactly what we do in our schools.”
To learn more about Jeff McGregor’s American Karate, visit jeffmcgregorskarate.com. For more information about Discovery Plus’s new reality show Kiddie Kai, visit https://www.discoveryplus. com/show/kiddie-kai-us. •
Stavros “Stabby” Calos died in 2014 and after that, his widow, Margaret, decided to make the basement off-limits.
The basement of the cozy log cabin, now within the city limits of Danville, contained Stabby’s darkroom and thousands of photographs dating back to the early 1960s.
The black and white and color pictures, stored in plastic totes, captured myriad moments in the lives of Danville and Pittsylvania County residents— as well as the city itself.
“She wanted to preserve everything,” said Laurie Calos Dishman of her mother’s decision to close off the basement.
The images range from high school yearbook photos to sports teams to the Miss Danville pageant to the construction of the Goodyear plant, shots of downtown in the 1940s and more.
That’s where the photos stayed - untouched — until Margaret passed away in March.
When it came time to begin sorting through her parents’ belongings for an estate sale, Laurie realized the wealth of what the basement contained.
“It’s been new found treasure,” she said.
Stabby was the son of Greek immigrants. His father — Laurie’s grandfather, Steve Calos — stowed away on a ship to gain his passage to the United States at the tender age of 13. He met his wife, Anna, in Cincinnati, where he worked in restaurants. During a visit to Danville, Steve got the idea of opening a restaurant here, and did so in 1919. It was called Coney Island Lunch and Stabby started working there at age 14, said Laurie.
Laurie said her grandfather got the name from Coney Island, N.Y., but it didn’t feature Greek food.
Coney Island Lunch served up hot dogs and hamburgers, that type of menu, said Laurie, adding that, at the time, there were already a few Greek restaurants in town.
Stabby married Margaret in 1947 and fell in love with the little log cabin, which was built in 1931 and at the time, was in Pittsylvania County.
When they came to look at it, a fire was burning in the fireplace and they fell in love with the place, said Laurie. The couple purchased the house in 1949 and lived there the rest of their lives.
Stabby started freelancing for the Danville Register-Bee in the mid-to-late 1960s as a photographer. He was still working at the restaurant, and after work would go to county youth sports games and take photographs. Stabby would then come home, develop the photos in his basement darkroom and take them to the Register-Bee.
That’s how county sports got into the newspaper at the time, said Laurie.
He wanted to make sure the county kids got the publicity too, she said.
When the restaurant closed in 1971, Stabby continued to work part-time as a photographer for the Register-Bee.
On opposite page: Sports teams and games were a favorite subject for Stavros “Stabby” Calos. Shown at top: Laurie Calos Dishman wants to organize the photos in a way that makes it easy for people to find lost memories. Shown above, right: Stavros “Stabby” Calos made it his mission to photograph the lives and activities of Danville and Pittsylvania County residents. The sheer number of his photographs were recently revealed when his family began to put together an estate sale at the Calos’ home.
Stabby also worked for School Pictures Inc., taking photos for yearbooks and other school-related functions.
Laurie remembers going with her father to take photos of the Atlantic Coast Conference games when she was in the eighth grade, but at the time — this was 1969-70 — she wasn’t allowed on the court because she was a girl.
It shows how things have changed, said Laurie.
Laurie said her father took photographs of nearly everything — weddings, baseball teams, pageants, proms, sports action shots and team portraits.
“Anything kids were involved in, Daddy would take photos,” she said
For Laurie, the photographs preserve a time in thousands of people’s lives — and for some, times that might have been lost.
During the recent estate sale, a former classmate stopped by and asked Laurie if she had a yearbook from 1974. The woman’s yearbook had been lost. Laurie wasn’t sure, and looking around at the heaping bins of photos, said she would keep an eye out for one.
Jeanne Tuck Burnette came to the estate sale and found a photo of when she was Miss Tunstall High School.
The collection includes photos from the Miss Danville Pageant in 1971 and 1972, as well as photos of one pageant queen, Wendy Dascomb, as she progressed from Miss Danville to being crowned Miss USA in 1969. Other shots include the Broswell Bulldogs from 1982 and photos of George Henderson as a coach, and who is the founder and president of the Pittsylvania County Sports Hall of Fame. There are aerial photos of city, photos of when the Danville Mall was being built, photos from Hargrave Military Academy, high school reunion photos, business photos and much more.
“You name it, he would do it,” said Laurie of her father’s passion for recording the history of Danville through photographs.
“Being around people was daddy’s life,” she said.
Looking at the bins of loose and unorganized photographs, Laurie sighs.
“It’s so overwhelming,” she said.
Laurie wants to go through the bins and organize the photos in a way that people can come by and look through them, seeking lost memories.
“I want to try to bring some happiness to people,” she said. Stabby loved Danville and Pittsylvania County and his mission was recording its history in photographs.
“The pictures to me are the greatest treasure. It’s Danville,” said Laurie.
Those who want to contact Laurie about the photographs can email her at danvillerunner@gmail.com.•
Danville Art Trail
111 Main Street, Danville
Danville Concert Association
P.O. Box 11284, Danville 434-770-8400 danvilleconcert.org danvilleconcert@gmail.com
Danville Little Theatre P.O. Box 3523, Danville stagemanager@danvillelittletheatre.org
Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History 975 Main St., Danville 434-793-5644 www.danvillemuseum.org
Danville Symphony Orchestra
P.O. Box 11491, Danville 434-797-2666 macnet@wildblue.net
Downtown Danville Murals 434-791-0210 riverdistrictassociation@gmail.com
Gretna Little Theatre 101 Main St., Gretna gretnalittletheatre101@gmail.com
Main Street Art Collective 326 Main St., Unit 100, Danville 434-602-2017 www.mainstreetartcollective.com
The North Theatre 629 North Main St., Danville 434-793-SHOW (7469) wayne@waynealanmagic.com
River District Artisans 411 Main St., Danville 434-228-4125 sgusler@thearcofsouthside.org
River District Golf & Social 680 Lynn Street Suite C, Danville 434-228-4155 www.riverdistrictgolf.com
HISTORY
18th century Callands Clerk’s Office
Sago Rd., Callands American Armored Foundation Tank Museum 3401 U.S. Highway 29, Danville 434-836-5323 tankmuseum@gamewood.net aaftankmuseum.com
Birthplace of Lady Astor 117 Broad St., Danville 434-793-6472 langhornehouse.org
Cedar Forest Grist Mill 7929 Straightstone Rd., Long Island 434-432-2172 pco1767@gmail.com Chatham Hall 800 Chatham Hall Cir., Chatham 434-432-2941 admission@chathamhall.org Danville Welcome Center 434-793-4636
Crossing at the Dan 434-793-4636
Danville Historical Society
P.O. Box 6, Danville danvillehistorical@gmail.com www.danvillehistory.org
Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History 975 Main St., Danville 434-793-5644 info@danvillemuseum.org
Danville Science Center 677 Craghead St., Danville 434-791-5160 dscgs@smv.org Downtown Danville Murals 434-791-0210 riverdistrictassociation@gmail.com Green Hill Cemetery 434-793-5644 info@danvillemuseum.org
Grove Street Cemetery 940 Grove St., Danville 434-793-5644 info@danvillemuseum.org
Hargrave Military Academy Historic Marker
200 Military Dr., Chatham 434-432-2481 admissions@hargrave.edu
Langhorne House 117 Broad St., Danville 434-793-6472 langhornehouse.org Chair of the Board Wyona Witcher mountcrosslodge@gmail.com Millionaires Row 434-770-1974 joycewilburn@gmail.com
Mount Airy Roller Mill
4425 Johnson Mill Rd., Gretna 434-432-2172 pco1767@gmail.com
The National Cemetery 721 Lee St., Danville 704-636-2661 info@danvillemuseum.org
The National Tobacco-Textile Museum 19783 U.S. Hwy. 29 S, Chatham 434-432-8026
Pittsylvania Court House Historic Marker 11 Bank St., Chatham 434-432-2041 pco1767@gmail.com
Pittsylvania County Historical Society 434-770-3258 pco1767@gmail.com
Pittsylvania County History Research Center & Library 340 Whitehead St., Chatham 434-432-8931 info@pcplib.org
The Secrets Inside - Guided Walking Tour 434-770-1974 joycewilburn@gmail.com
Simpson Funeral Museum 16 South Main St., Danville Tales of Tobacco, Textiles & TrainsGuided Walking Tour 434-770-1974 joycewilburn@gmail.com
There’s A Story Here - Guided Walking Tour 434-770-1974 joycewilburn@gmail.com
Town of Chatham Walking Tour 16A Court Pl., Chatham
Veterans Memorial - Danville 302 River Park Dr., Danville
Yates Tavern US-29 BUS, Gretna
Ballou Park Senior Center 760 West Main St., Danville 434-799-5216 bynumem@danvilleva.gov
Danville Stadium Cinemas 12 3601 Riverside Dr., Danville 434-792-9885
Danville Science Center & Virtual Dome 677 Craghead St., Danville 434-791-5160 dscgs@smv.org
Main Street Art Collective 326 Main St., Unit 100, Danville 434-602-2017 mainstreetartcollective.com
The North Theatre 629 North Main St., Danville 434-793-SHOW (7469) wayne@waynealanmagic.com
Skatetown of Danville 1049 Piney Forest Rd., Danville 434-835-0011 skatetown@verizon.net
Danville Family YMCA 215 Riverside Dr., Danville 434-792-0621
Impotters
406 Lynn St., Danville 434-448-4677 impottersclayworx@gmail.com
Grizzly’s Hatchet House 680 Lynn St., Suite J, Danville 434-425-1470 hello@grizzlyshatchet.com
River City Escapes 680 Lynn St., Suite I, Danville 434-425-1467 hello@rivercityescapes.com
Funky’s Arcade Bar 315 Lynn St., Suite B, Danville 434-483-2511
Abreu-Grogan Park
2020 Memorial Dr., Danville 434-799-5215
Anglers Park
350 Northside Dr., Danville 434-799-5215
Anglers Ridge and Dan Daniel
Mountain Bike System
350 Northside Dr., Danville 302 River Park Dr., Danville 434-799-5215
Ballou Park 760 West Main St., Danville 434-799-5215
Birch Creek Motor Sports
12725 Kentuck Rd., Sutherlin 434-836-7629 carlsmail1@comcast.net
Brosville Walking Track 195 Bulldog Ln., Danville 434-432-7736 recreation@pittgov.org
Cedar’s Country Club 1029 Anderson Mill Rd., Chatham 434-656-8036
Coates Bark Park
1727 Westover Dr., Danville 434-799-5150
Camilla Williams Park 700 Memorial Dr., Danville 434-799-5215
Cavalier Park 11650 US Hwy 29 North, Chatham 434-432-7736 recreation@pittgov.org
Dan Daniel Park 302 River Park Dr., Danville 434-799-5215
Danville Boat Rental 2020 Memorial Dr., Danville 434-799-5150
Danville Parks & Recreation 125 N Floyd St., Danville 434-799-5200 sgrinwo@danvilleva.gov
Danville Pittsylvania County Fairgrounds
2400 Cavalier Rd., Ringgold 434-822-6850 info@dpcfairgrounds.com
Doyle Thomas Park
827 Green St., Danville 434-799-5215
Elba Park 434-656-6572 townhall@townofgretna.org
Elkhorn Lake & Camp Grounds 2500 Elkhorn Rd., Java 434-432-9203 kennytinaelkhorn@yahoo.com
Franklin Junction Historic Railroad Park Across from 105 Main St., Gretna 434-656-6572 townhall@townofgretna.org
Gretna Town Trail Whitehorn Trail Trailhead at the Centra Medical Building in Gretna Grove Park 100 Southland Dr., Danville 434-799-5215
H.B. Moorefield Park Riverside Dr., Danville 434-799-5215
Hawk Park 201 Coffey St., Gretna 434-432-7736 recreation@pittgov.org
JTI Fountain 215 Main St., Danville
M.C. Martin Park Memorial Dr., Danville 434-799-5215
Martinsville Speedway 340 Speedway Rd., Ridgeway 276-956-7225
Paradise Lake & Campground 434-836-2620 1-866-836-2126 vaisforcampers@gmail.com
Phillip Wyatt Skate Park 302 River Park Dr., Danville 434-799-5215
Pittsylvania County Parks & Recreation 18 Depot St., St. 508, Chatham 434-432-7736 recreation@pittgov.org
Pumpkin Creek Park 315 Taylor Dr., Danville 434-799-5215
Richmond and Danville Rail Trail/ Ringgold Rail Trail 155 Ringgold Depot Rd., Ringgold 434-432-7736
Riverwalk Trail 111 Main St., Danville 434-799-5215
Smith Mountain Dock & Lodge 188 Locust Ln., Penhook 540-565-0222
Smith Mountain Farm & Stables 7661 Grassland Dr., Sandy Level 434-927-5199 steve@smithmountainstables.com
Smith Mountain Lake & Dam Visitor’s Center
2072 Ford Rd., Sandy Level 540-985-2587
South Boston Speedway
1188 James D. Hagood Hwy, South Boston 434-572-4947 info@southbostonspeedway.com
Southern Hills Golf Course 188 Stokesland Ave., Danville 434-793-2582 golfsouthernhills@gmail.com
Tiny Town Golf 643 Arnett Blvd., Danville 434-799-0142
Titan Park
1160 Tunstall High Rd., Dry Fork 434-432-7736 recreation@pittgov.org
Virginia International Raceway 1245 Pine Tree Rd., Alton 434-822-7700 info@VIRnow.com
White Oak Mountain Wildlife Management Area Chatham, VA 24531 804-367-1000
Wildcat Park 5875 Kentuck Rd., Ringgold 434-432-7736 recreation@pittgov.org
Zipline
302 River Park Dr., Danville
WWW.PCS.K12.VA.US
Alternative School 434-432-8185
Brosville Elementary School 434-685-7787
Chatham Elementary School 434-432-5441
Chatham Middle School 434-432-2169
Chatham High School 434-432-8305
Dan River Middle School 434-822-6027
Dan River High School 434-822-7081
Gretna Elementary School 434-630-1808
Gretna Middle School 434-656-2217
Gretna High School 434-656-2246
John L. Hurt Elementary School 434-324-7231
Kentuck Elementary School 434-822-5944
Mt. Airy Elementary School 434-630-1816
Pittsylvania Career & Technical Cntr 434-432-9416
Southside Elementary School 434-836-0006
Stony Mill Elementary School 434-685-7545
Tunstall Middle School 434-724-7086
Tunstall High School 434-724-7111
Twin Springs Elementary School 434-724-2666
Union Hall Elementary School 434-724-7010
Pittsylvania County Schools P.O. Box 232, Chatham *School Board meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the School Board office. 434-432-2761 888-440-6520 pcs.k12.va.us
Superintendent: Dr. Mark R. Jones P.O. Box 232, Chatham 434-432-2761
Banister District: Willie Fitzgerald, Interim 473 Mill Creek Rd., Chatham 434-432-9418
Callands-Gretna District: Calvin D. Doss P.O. Box 100, Gretna 434-656-3206 cdoss@pcs.k12.va.us
Chatham-Blairs District: Sam Burton 492 Tobacco Road, Dry Fork 434-724-4245 sburton@pcs.k12.va.us
SCHOOL BOARD (CONTINUED)
Dan River District: Kelly H. Merricks
2795 Loop Rd., Keeling 434-793-0072
Staunton River District: Don C. Moon 3605 Level Run Rd., Hurt 434-324-4115 dmoon@pcs.k12.va.us
Tunstall District: George Henderson 568 F. C. Beverly Rd., Dry Fork 434-770-8933 ghenderson@pcs.k12.va.us
Westover District: Kevin Mills
2514 Franklin trnpk, Danville 434-836-6742 kmills@pcs.k12.va.us
WWW.DANVILLEPUBLICSCHOOLS.ORG
Northside Preschool 434-773-8301
Forest Hills Elementary School 434-799-6430
G.L.H. Johnson Elementary School 434-799-6433
Park Avenue Elementary School 434-799-6452
Schoolfield Elementary School 434-799-6455
Woodberry Hills Elementary School 434-799-6466
Woodrow Wilson Intermediate School 434-773-8204
E.A. Gibson Elementary School 434-799-6426
O.T. Bonner Middle School 434-799-6446
Westwood Middle School 434-797-8860
Galileo High School 434-773-8186
George Washington High School 434-799-6410
Danville Alternative Program at J.M. Langston Campus 434-799-5249
Adult & Continuing Education Center 434-799-6471
W.W. Moore Jr. Education Program 434-773-8170
*School Board meetings are held on the first and third Thursday of each month at 6:00 PM in the Danville Room of the School Board Office, 341 Main Street, Danville, VA
Superintendent: Dr. Angela Hairston ahairston@mail.dps.k12.va.us
School Board: Keisha Averett kaverett@mail.dps.k12.va.us
Dr. Philip Campbell pcampbell@mail.dps.k12.va.us
Tyrell Payne
tpayne1@mail.dps.k12.va.us
Charles McWilliams cmcwilliams@mail.dps.k12.va.us
Brandon Atkins batkins@mail.dps.k12.va.us
Ty’Quan Graves tgraves@mail.dps.k12.va.us Crystal Cobbs ccobbs@@mail.dps.k12.va.us
*Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Chatham Community Center art room (may change soon).
Banister District: *Seat to be filled with an interim appointment Chatham-Blairs District: Robert “Bob” Warren 434-770-7607 robert.warren@pittgov.org
Callands-Gretna District: Darrell Dalton 921 Terry Rd., Gretna 434-334-6377 darrell.dalton@pittgov.org
Dan River District: Tim Chesher 3101 Rocksprings Rd., Ringgold 434-334-6376 tim.chesher@pittgov.org
Staunton River District: Tim W. Dudley 434-770-3692 Tim.Dudley@pittgov.org
Tunstall District: William “Vic” Ingram 1301 Deercrest Ln., Danville 434-770-3921 Vic.Ingram@pittgov.org
Westover District: Ronald Scearce 434-685-1843 ronald.scearce@pittgov.org
County Administrator: Clearance Monday
County Attorney: J. Vaden Hunt, Esq. 434-432-7720 vaden.hunt@pittgov.org
WWW.PITTGOV.ORG
Circuit Court Clerk: Hon. Mark W. Scarce
P.O. Drawer 31, Chatham 434-432-7887
Commissioner of Revenue: Robin Coles-Gourd P.O. Box 272, Chatham 434-432-7940
Sheriff: Michael W. Taylor P.O. Box 407, Chatham 434-432-7800
Treasurer: Vincent Shorter P.O. Box 230, Chatham 434-432-7960
Public Relations Manager: Caleb K. Ayers 434-432-3575 Caleb.Ayers@pittgov.org
Commonwealth’s Attorney: Robert “Bryan” Haskins P.O. Box 1068, Chatham 434-432-7900
County Administrator: Clearance Monday
CHATHAM TOWN COUNCIL
P.O. BOX 370 • CHATHAM • (434) 432-9515 • WWW.CHATHAM-VA.GOV
Mayor: William Pace
P.O. Box 212, Chatham 804-694-6143 chathamwap@gmail.com
Town Council Members: Janet B. Bishop
610 South Main St., Chatham 434-432-2714 jbishop@chatham-va.gov
William B. Black 338 North Main St., Chatham 434-432-7721 wblack@chatham-va.gov
Robert B. Thompson
P.O. Box 231, Chatham, VA 434-432-8763 - Home 434-432-6211 – Work rthompson@chatham-va.gov
Town Council Members (continued):
Andrew D. Wall
P.O. Box 1127, Chatham 434-432-6122 awall@chatham-va.gov Matt Bell mbell@chatham-va.gov Irvin W. Perry 348 S. Main St., Chatham 941-740-0268
Interim Treasurer/Clerk: Kelly Hawker
Town Manager: Richard Cocke
Town Attorney: Adams & Fisk PLC 434-432-2531
WWW.DANVILLE-VA.GOV
Circuit Court Clerk: Gerald A. Gibson 401 Patton St., Danville 434-799-5168
Commissioner of Revenue: James M. Gillie 311 Memorial Dr., Danville 434-799-5145
Sheriff: Michael Mondul 401 Patton St., Danville 434-799-5135
Treasurer: Sheila Williamson-Branch 311 Memorial Dr., Danville 434-799-5140
Commonwealth’s Attorney: Michael Newman 341 Main St., St. 200, Danville 434-797-1635
City Manager: Ken Larking 427 Patton St. 4th flr, Danville 434-799-5100 klarking@danvilleva.org
*Meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers on the fourth floor of City Hall located at 427 Patton Street.
Mayor: Alonzo Jones 218 Rockford Plc., Danville 434-250-3231 alonzo.jones@danvilleva.gov
Danville City Council Members: James Buckner 125 Eden Plc., Danville 434-688-1589 james.buckner@danvilleva.gov
L.G. Campbell, Jr. 368 Mowbray Arch, Danville 434-793-9493 larry.campbell@danvilleva.gov
Gary P. Miller, MD 209 Updike Plc., Danville 434-799-0908 gary.miller@danvilleva.gov
Sherman Saunders 115 Druid Ln., Danville 434-799-8737 sherman.saunders@danvilleva.gov
Barry Mayo 1100 N. Main St., Apt. B, Danville 434-792-1041 barry.mayo@danvilleva.gov
J. Lee Vogler 118 Grove Park Cir., Danville 434-792-0937 lee.vogler@danvilleva.gov
Madison Whittle 143 Marshall Terr., Apt 6, Danville 434-251-0926 madison.whittle@danvilleva.gov
Bryant Hood 876 Stokes St., Danville (336) 933-1480 byrant.hood@danvilleva.gov
P.O. BOX 602, GRETNA • (434) 656-6572
Mayor: R. Keith Motley
P.O. Box 472, Gretna 434-656-6406 keith.motley@townofgretna.org
Vice Mayor: Dianne Jennings
P.O. Box 762, Gretna 434-656-6582 dianne.jennings@townofgretna.org
Town Council Members:
Michael L. Bond P.O. Box 558, Gretna 434-656-3573 michael.bond@townofgretna.org
Mike Burnette P.O. Box 1227, Gretna 434-656-8061 mike.burnette@townofgretna.org
Deborah Moran P.O. Box 630, Gretna 434-656-6079 deborah.moran@townofgretna.org
Town Council Members: James Gilbert P.O. Box 781, Gretna james.gilbert@townofgretna.org Jim Hunt 506 Henry St., Gretna 434-656-3653 flowershop@fairpoint.net Attention: Jim Hunt
Interim Town Manager: Keith Motley 434-656-6406, keith.motley@townofgretna.org
Town Clerk/Treasurer: Patsy Thompson Budd Town Attorney: Michael Turner 434-656-3989
P.O. BOX 760, HURT •(434) 608-0554
*Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Hurt Town Hall.
Mayor: Gary K. Hodnett gary.hodnett@townofhurtva.gov
Vice Mayor: Shirley M. Barksdale-Hill shirley.barksdale-hill@townofhurtva.gov
Town Council Members: E. Collin Adams Jr. collin.adams@townofhurtva.gov Christopher “Luke” Perdieu Kathy Haymore-Keesee kathy.keesee@townofhurtva.gov Gary Poindexter gary.poindexter@townofhurtva.gov Donney Johnson donney.johnson@townofhurtva.gov
Clerk: Kelsie Sligh
Treasurer: Ellen Brumfield
Public Works Coordinator: Joseph Smith
Senators: The Honorable Mark R. Warner
459-A Russell Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 202-224-2023
The Honorable Tim Kaine
388 Russell Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 202-224-4024
308 Craghead St., Ste. 102A, Danville 434-792-0976
House of Representatives: The Honorable Bob Good 1213 Longworth HOB, Washington, D.C. 202-225-4711
20436 Lynchburg Hwy, Suite F, Lynchburg, VA 434-791-2596
Pocahontas Bldg., Room #E505, Senate of Virginia, P.O. Box 396, Richmond 804-698-7515
P.O. Box 332, Clarksville 434-374-5129
William M. Stanley
district20@senate.virginia.gov
Pocahontas Bldg., Room #E504, Senate of Virginia, P.O. Box 396, Richmond 804-698-7520
P.O. Box 96, Glade Hill 540-721-6028
Member Since: 2014
R - Counties of Henry (part) and Pittsylvania (part), City of Martinsville 16th District
Capital Office - General Assembly Bldg P.O. Box 406, Richmond 804-698-1016 delladams@house.virginia.gov Room Number: 719
Legislative Assistant: Shani Shorter Secretary During Session: Julia Bouck District Office P.O. Box K, Chatham 434-432-1600
Preferred Name: Danny Member Since: 2002
R - Counties of Henry (part) and Pittsylvania (part); City of Danville 14th District
Capitol Office - General Assembly Bldg P.O. Box 406, Richmond 804-698-1014
deldmarshall@house.virginia.gov Room Number: 702
Legislative Assistant: Mary K. Franklin Secretary During Session: Jackie Price District Office P.O. Box 439, Danville 434-797-5861 434-797-2642 (Fax)
Budget Department 434-733-8105
City Attorney 434-799-5122
City Manager 434-799-5100
Clerk of Circuit Court 434-799-5168
Commissioner of Revenue 434-799-5145
Community Development 434-799-5260
Danville Regional Airport 434-799-5110
Danville Public Schools 434-799-6400 Danville Utilities 434-799-5155 Economic Development 434-793-1753
Emergency Preparedness 434-799-6535 Finance Department 434-799-5185
Fire Department 434-799-5226
Health Department 434-766-9828
Human Resources 434-799-5241
Jail 434-799-5130
Parks and Recreation 434-799-5200
Public Works 434-799-5245
Registrar 434-799-6560 Social Services 434-799-6537
Transit System 434-799-5144
Treasurer’s Office 434-799-5140
NON-EMEGENCY NUMBERS
Danville Police Department 434-799-5111
Danville Sheriff’s Office 434-799-5135
Pittsylvania County Sheriff 434-432-7800
Chatham Police Department Mon-Fri 9a-5p 434-432-9515
24 Hours 434-432-2222
Gretna Police Department 434-656-6123
Hurt Police Department 434-608-0554
Virginia State Police 800-553-3144
Community Center at Chatham 434-432-3115
Community Foundation of the Dan River Region 434-793-0884
Dan River Business Development Center 434-793-9100
Danville Community Market 434-797-8961
Danville Economic Development Office 434-793-1753
Danville Museum Fine Arts & History 434-793-5644
Danville Parks, Recreation & Tourism 434-799-5200
Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce 434-836-6990
Danville Science Center 434-799-5160
Danville Welcome Center 434-793-4636
Downtown Danville Association 434-791-4470
Olde Dominion Agricultural Center 434-432-8026
Pittsylvania County Recreation Dept. 434-432-7736
Social Security Administration 800-772-1213
Veterans Affairs 800-827-1000
Voter Registration Danville 434-799-6560
Voter Registration Pittsylvania County 434-432-7971
Libraries
Pittsylvania County Library 434-432-3271
Pittsylvania Library - Gretna 434-656-2579
Pittsylvania Library - Brosville-Cascade 434-685-1285
Pittsylvania Library – Mount Hermon 434-835-0326
Pittsylvania History Center & Library 434-432-8931
Danville Public Library 434-799-5195
Danville Library - Westover 434-799-5152
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY
GOVERNMENT TELEPHONE LISTINGS
Pittsylvania County All Departments 434-432-7700
Agricultural Development 434-432-7993
Animal Control 434-432-7937
Assistant County Administrator 434-432-7720
Building Inspections 434-432-7755
Central Accounting 434-432-7743
Commissioner of Revenue 434-432-7940
Community Policy/Management 434-432-8371
County Administrator
434-432-7710
Courts:
Adult Probation
434-432-7853
Circuit Court Clerk 434-432-7887
Commonwealth Attorney 434-432-7900 General District Court Clerk 434-432-7879
J & D Court Clerk 434-432-7861
J & D Court Services Unit 434-432-7864
Magistrate’s Office 434-432-7910
Crime Stoppers 800-791-0044
Dispatch 434-432-7931
Electoral Board 434-432-7798
Emergency Management & Communications:
Communications/Dispatchers
434-432-7931
Director 434-432-7920 Fire Marshall 434-432-7936
Farm Services Agency 434-432-7765
Health Department
Pitt./Danville Health District 434-799-5190
Child Development Clinic 434-797-1040 Environmental Health 434-432-7758
Water Programs 434-836-8416
Clinic-Chatham 434-432-7232
Clinic-Danville 434-799-5190
Health Department
Clinic-Gretna 434-656-1266
Jail 434-432-7831 Landfill 434-432-7980 Purchasing 434-432-7744
Recreation Dept 434-432-7736
Registrar 434-432-7971
School Board 434-432-2761
Sheriff’s Office
From Chatham/Danville 434-432-7800
From Gretna/Hurt 434-656-6211 From Whitmell 434-797-9550 Dispatch 434-432-7931
Social Services Chatham 434-432-7281 Danville 434-799-6543 Gretna 434-656-8407
Soil Conservation 434-432-7768
Treasurer’s Office 434-432-7960
Victim/Witness Program 434-432-7854
Virginia Cooperative Extension 434-432-7770
Zoning Code Compliance 434-432-7750
Kirby Wright
Kirby Wright
Craig Warren Tammy Wright-Warren
Craig Warren Tammy Wright-Warren Amy Pierce
N. Main Street
Danville, VA 24540 Phone: (434) 835-4949
Fax: (434) 262-4138