November 2007
The Greater Raleigh Court Civic League C e l e b r at i n g
1 0 0
Y e a rs
of
R a l e ig h
www.grccl.org Co u rt
H i s tory
Nelson Harris Wrote the Book on Raleigh Court History Raleigh Court resident, Mayor of Roanoke, and Pastor of the Virginia Heights Baptist Church Nelson Harris has completed his seventh book, a comprehensive history of the greater Raleigh Court neighborhood. Harris’ first book, in 1994, is a history of the 17th Virginia Cavalry in the Civil War. The next five books, all for Arcadia Press, are mostly pictorial collections of antique post cards and other photographs of life in early Roanoke. Harris is a lifelong resident of Raleigh Court. He grew up on Laburnum Avenue, graduated from Patrick Henry High School in 1983 and from Radford University in 1987. He received a Master of Divinity degree from the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC, and has done post-graduate work at Princeton Theological Seminary. Writing the Book When Harris decided to branch out into a written history, he needed to find a new publisher, as Arcadia specializes in books with largely pictorial content. He approached History Press with his proposal to do a history on the occasion of Raleigh Court’s centennial. When the — article continued on p. 5
Membership Meeting November 8th
Inside This Issue Calendar................................................................... 3 Raleigh Court renos................................................... 4 Raleigh Court pastimes............................................... 7 History Night............................................................ 8 Things you need to know.......................................... 10
In the final Civic League event of Raleigh Court’s Centennial year, Mayor Nelson Harris will talk about his newly published history of our neighborhood. He’ll sign books, which will be available for $20. We’ll also hear from Dwayne D’Ardenne, Roanoke City Landscape Coordinator. He’ll talk about environmentally-friendly ways to mulch those autumn leaves. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm in the community room of Christ Lutheran Church at Brandon Avenue and Grandin Road. We look forward to seeing you there!
Greater Raleigh Court Civic League Officers OFFICERS President Chad Van Hyning 798-5983 cvanhyning@hsmm.com Vice-President Susan Koch 345-9977 s.koch@verizon.net Recording Secretary Keith Dabbs 224-3082 kdabbs@carilion.com Corresponding Secretary Cassandra Van Hyning 798-1996 cvanhyning@spectrumpc.com Treasurer Bruce Knappe 343-1987 bruce@theknappes.us Directors at Large Chad Braby 343-3975 cbraby@sbconcepts.net Karyn McAden 342-8930 blackcat29@cox.net Melissa Morgan 312-3587 melissamorganhomes@msn.com
Lori Livingston 981-1145 lomaliv@juno.com Carl Cress 982-2004 cdcress3@cs.com Immediate Past President Kurt Navratil 343-7373 kdavidn@cox.net COMMITTEE CHAIRS Membership Committee Karyn McAden 342-8930 blackcat29@cox.net Adopt-a-Highway Committee Christopher McWhite 345-5194 christopherjmcwhite@yahoo.com
Neighborhood Affairs Committee Frank Eastburn 342-8063 haikune@msn.com Program Committee Melissa Morgan 312-3587 melissamorganhomes@msn.com Lori Livingston 981-1145 lomaliv@juno.com
page 2
Advertising Susan Koch 345-9977 s.koch@verizon.net Newsletter Jim Huizenga 345-9977 j.huizenga@verizon.net Special Projects Committee Tony Stavola 345-0010 astavola@carilion.com Building Management Chris Chittum 345-2377 Chris.Chittum@roanokeva.gov Grandin Road Merchants Liaison Kurt Navratil 343-7373 kdavidn@cox.net Webmaster Michael Meise 343-0805 mmeise@roanokecountyva.gov Greenways Mike Urbanski 344-1388 mike_urbanski@cox.net
From the President
The Greatest Generation By Chad Van Hyning
I have recently been watching “The War” on Blue Ridge Public Television. This seven-episode, 14-hour documentary tells the story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four American towns. “The War” is an intense, gripping, emotional roller coaster Chad Van Hyning that I found absolutely fascinating. The personal stories made me think back on an experience that I had several years ago. I have been intrigued by the history of my house on Carter Road ever since I moved in almost ten years ago. Like most houses in Raleigh Court, it could tell a lot of stories from its 83 year life. About five years ago I began researching the previous owners. After going to the tax office and finding the tax card and doing a search of the Roanoke Times database, I came across an obituary of an owner from the 1930s through the 1980s, Italena Person. This obituary gave me the name and city of Mrs. Person’s surviving sister and brother-in-law. That brother-in-law is named Albert Snyder. I called Albert in Front Royal, Virginia and explained to him that I was looking for photographs of the house. He told me that I was in luck, and agreed to allow me to come and visit him in his home.
was a doctor who was often paid in produce, and once accepted payment in the form of a bag of live frogs, which he opened in the kitchen sink, with frogs hopping around all over the place. Albert told all of this with a smile. I stayed for most of the day, sharing stories, photographs, and laughs. Dottie and Jim even fed me lunch. All of this for a complete stranger who wanted nothing more Albert and Edrie on Carter Road than to hear the stories. “The War” repeated that Americans who endured the Second World War were the Greatest Generation. It was clear from my short time visiting with Albert that he certainly lived up to that billing.
GRRCL Calendar
Membership meeting.............................. Thursday, Nov. 8 Dan Wright Trailhead workdays................Nov 3, 10, &17 Grandin Village parade............................ Saturday, Nov 11 OSW Parlor Tour............................. Sat. & Sun., Dec. 1-2
On March 6, 2004 I was greeted at Albert’s front door by his daughter Dottie. Dottie and her husband Jim had made the trip from Midlothian to assist in accomodating my request. Upon my arrival, Dottie called her Dad from the other room. Slowly emerging from around the corner came Mr. Snyder. A slight, short man, Albert appeared to have been worn down from the rigors of life. He greated me with a warm smile and a firm handshake. The three of us sat down and Jim recounted stories of the house. This was a multi-generational dwelling, as Albert’s inlaws and brother and sister-in-law (Italena) all lived there. I learned that Albert served his country in the services during World War II. During that time, his wife Edrie moved back into the house on Carter Road with her parents, sister, and brother-in-law. Mr. Snyder went on to share several interesting stories. Next door were the Whittingtons - instead of replacing a lost alarm clock, they called various local hotels and placed wake-up calls. Albert’s mother-in-law Lillian was out selling war bonds when she fell and broke her hip, from which she never recovered. Albert’s brother-in-law Frederick page 3
Raleigh Court renos
Grand Old House on Memorial Avenue By Jim Huizenga Long time Raleigh Court residents Joyce and Chris Peters had been eyeing the house at Memorial and Chesterfield for years, but thought it was too much work and out of their reach. But in January of 2006 they took the plunge and agreed to undertake a major renovation. “We knew it was in bad shape when we bought it,” said Joyce. “But it turned out to be even worse than that.” The hidden gutter system had failed and caused a lot of water damage to the roof and windows. Ivy growing up the brick walls destroyed the mortar joints. Pigeon droppings were a foot deep in the attic. The piers holding up the wraparound porch were disintegrated. There was no water or electricity in the house. And so on. A year and a half later a lot has been done, almost exclusively by the owners. The interior has been cleaned out and gutted to the studs. Water-damaged wood has been replaced. The rough-in plumbing, HVAC, and electrical is essentially done. Much of the exterior brick veneer has been repointed. New interior walls have been framed. Tile floors in the future bathrooms and mudroom have been installed. Insulation and drywall are stacked up in the house ready to be installed once the city building inspector completes the rough-in inspections. The Peters look for bargains when buying materials for the renovation. The Jacuzzi tub upstairs, for example, was purchased from the Habitat store in downtown Roanoke.
“I’m looking forward to the day when I’m relaxing in that tub,” Joyce said, somewhat wistfully. Chris travels a good deal in his job as an electrician, so it’s Joyce who has done most of the work. They get help from their sons Chris and John, a senior and a sophomore, respectively, at Patrick Henry High School. Another son, Aubrey, and his wife Christy, live nearby and are frequent visitors to the Memorial Avenue house. Joyce enjoys meeting the neighbors and passersby who stop in to check on her work. She said, “When we’re done, we’re going to have a big open house.” We can already tell that the house is once again going to be a Caption grand residence. Ed. note: We would like to describe other Raleigh Court renos in future editions of the Court Reporter. You can nominate a renovation you think should be featured by sending an email to j.huizenga@verizon.net.
Entry hallway and staircase.
Joyce Peters and sons Chris (L) and John.
page 4
Nelson Harris’ book, continued from p. 1
publishing house told him “Sure, we’ll indulge you,” the project was underway. The research started last fall, and much of the writing was done over the winter months. Harris said that the internet is an invaluable tool for doing the research. For example, minutes of the Roanoke City Council meetings are online and searchable. Another important source of information was the Roanoke Library’s Virginia Room and its staff, especially Laura Wickstead and archivist Alicia Sell. One of Harris’ proudest achievements during the research and writing of the book was discovering some Lewis Hines photographs that were taken in the 1930s of child labor being employed in a cotton mill in the Norwich area. The photos, which are housed in the National Archives, have been copied and are now part of the Virginia Room collection. Another 1930s story has to do with the construction of the Wasena Bridge. Building this bridge was a major infrastructure project for the city, and got a lot of publicity. A Roanoke company, The Virginia Iron and Bridge Company, was expected to do the construction. However, when the bids were opened, it turned out that a Milwaukee, Wisconsin firm had submitted the low bid. The ensuing brouhaha fueled media coverage for some time. Harris’ book also delves into the fascinating history of
the parcel of land where Patrick Henry High School now sits. It was originally to have been the site for a Virginia Tech extension campus – the school that Virginia Western Community College has become. Readers of the book will find out why that didn’t happen. They’ll also learn why the area is known as Shrine Hill. The book covers the history of greater Raleigh Court from 1900 through the dedication of the new Patrick Henry High School earlier The author in his office at the Virginia this year. There are separate sections Heights Baptist on the history of churches in Church. Raleigh Court and on commercial development in Grandin Village and the Main Street area in Wasena. How to Get Your Own Copy The book will be for sale at area booksellers, including Too Many Books and other retailers. It is priced at $19.99. Those who wish to have a copy inscribed by the author may send a check for $20 payable to Nelson Harris, 1902 Greenwood Road, Roanoke 24015. Include directions for the inscription. Local Raleigh Court residents need not include any extra for shipping.
page 5
Meet the New Raleigh Court Librarian By Susan Koch David DeShong, an Austin, Texas native, has been named as our new neighborhood librarian. The Raleigh Court Library has the highest circulation of all the Roanoke branches.
offers free internet usage. In recent years, the Roanoke Public Libraries have greatly expanded their free programs. For example, this fall the Raleigh Court Library offered programs from women’s safety, to a dozen programs on money management, to children’s storytime.
DeShong joined the Roanoke Public Libraries this past spring in the Youth Services Department. He started his career working with special needs students and then as a case manager in a facility for the disabled. He began working in libraries six years ago, and has since received his Masters of Library Science from the University of Oklahoma.
“My family and I are thoroughly taken with Roanoke and with South West Virginia,” says DeShong. “While we have moved around a good deal, this is the first area we consider ‘home,’ and we plan to settle here. We currently live in Old Southwest. We could not be happier with this community, the state of Virginia or this great library system.”
DeShong points out that the library is the only institution that offers so much free information and materials. Not only does it house books, periodicals and movies, but it also
The Most Effective Method of Leaf Removal By Dwayne R. D'Ardenne There is a way to free your weekends this autumn and eliminate the chore of raking leaves forever. Mulchmowing, the quickest and easiest method of removing fallen leaves, is a simple process. Your mower essentially becomes a “food processor” for your lawn by chopping both leaves and grass clippings many times before depositing the bits right back into the turfgrass. Mulching mowers may work best, but virtually any rotary mower will do the trick with the installation of a mulching blade or kit. Just set your mower to 3” or greater cutting height and mow every week. Often the chopped leaves will disappear into the turfgrass with a single pass. Upon decomposition, the new organic matter incorporates into the topsoil, reducing water and fertilizer needs over time. Mulch-mowing not only helps to keep your lawn lush, green and healthy, but also saves you time and labor. And it’s environmentally beneficial by reducing the load on our storm drain system. Want more information? Come to the GRCCL meeting on November 8th to get all the details. Or you can visit the city’s Web site at www. roanokeva.gov and click on the Leaf Collection link, or call at 853-2000. Dwayne R. D'Ardenne, CGM, is Landscape Coordinator for the City of Roanoke's Transportation Division
page 6
Enhancing EMS Coverage in Greater Raleigh Court By Tiffany Bradbury At our May GRCCL meeting, David Hoback, Chief of the Fire-EMS Department for the City of Roanoke, spoke about changes and upgrades to Station 7 on Memorial Avenue. The station driveway’s front apron was crumbling, so this summer the Ladder Truck was temporarily moved from Raleigh Court to Station 4 on Peters Creek Road. Once the driveway had been repaired, the Ladder truck returned, and the Engine was replaced with a Paramedic Ambulance Unit. The addition of the ambulance greatly enhances the quality of service to the Raleigh Court area. This is because most of the calls handled by the department are medical rather than fire emergencies. Last year the department responded to over 2,700 calls to this area for EMS related matters. In the past, medical coverage for Raleigh Court came from downtown. Now the Paramedic Unit based in Raleigh Court can respond to medical emergencies in our neighborhood much more quickly, shaving minutes from the response, time that can be critically important in a significant medical emergency. The station houses six personnel on each shift. All are fully cross-trained and can respond to either fire or medical emergencies as needed. Roanoke Fire-EMS is committed to meeting fire and EMS response performance standards and will continue to provide the best service to the citizens of Roanoke. Free smoke detectors and chimney inspections The department will supply smoke detectors to those who request them, and offers chimney inspections on request. To request a smoke detector, call 853-5785. To arrange for a chimney inspection, call 853-2795. The GRCCL thanks Chief David Hoback, Assistant Chief Ralph Tartaglia, and Tiffany Bradbury for speaking at our May meeting. For more information contact Roanoke Fire-EMS at 853-2327 or by email at fire-ems@roanokeva.gov.
Raleigh Court Pastimes
football coach calling plays and trying to outfox the opponent in a closely matched game.
Playing Croquet at a Championship Level
A history of championship wins
By Kelly Zappia When John Hunter and his wife Claire moved to Raleigh Court from Connecticut a few years ago, he brought his passion for the unique sport of croquet with him. I recently sat down to talk with John about his sport. First off, I had to clear up a few misconceptions. My ideas about croquet included the 9 wicket backyard barbeque favorite, played with clunky wooden mallets. However, competitive croquet is quite a different game, played on a manicured field with six wickets. It is a game of strategy and brains rather than physical strength and coordination. There is a wide diversity among the people who play the sport – many of the best players are women, and in 1994 one of the finalists was a 13 year old. John describes croquet as a cross between pool and chess and as a universal game that can be played competitively between all ages and genders. He continues by describing croquet as a game completely dependent on strategy and compares the strategy to a
John was the Virginia champion last year and placed 3rd this year at a tournament in Charlottesville. Winning a tournament is no easy process. Games typically last from one to one-and-a-half hours and to win a tournament, you can’t lose more than one of 8 to10 games played. Croquet can be played as a singles or doubles match and is played in all white attire. John learned to play from his stepfather and quickly progressed from the nine-wicket backyard game to the six-wicket professional game. The professional-quality playing fields are fairly scarce. The fields require expensive maintenance to keep them in playing condition, and, let’s face it; the sport is not yet as popular as football. Some of John’s favorite places to practice his sport include Pinehurst, The Greenbrier, a few private courses in Charlottesville, and the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. John’s volunteer activity One of the many interesting things I found out about John Hunter involves his volunteer work here in the Roanoke Valley. John works with SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), a 501(c)(3) organization of retired business executives who volunteer as counselors to small businesses. They offer free private counseling to those who want to start or grow a small business. SCORE has an upcoming workshop on November 14th for anyone interested. For information call the local office at 857-2834.
page 7
History Night at the September GRCCL Meeting This year’s annual pot luck supper was enlivened by Raleigh Court Centennial memories. Local historian Anne Beckett recounted the history of the neighborhood, while brothers Bob and Ray Garland reminisced about growing up and running a business in Raleigh Court. Beckett invited listeners to “travel back in time” to 1807. Indians were already living in the area when the first European settlers, Scots Irish from Pennsylvania, arrived and began farming and building mills along the Roanoke River. They were followed by the Persingers from Anne Beckett Germany. The second generation of Persingers built the Greek Revival House, White Corners, which still stands on Persinger Road. Roanoke became a city in 1884. With the building of a wooden bridge where the current Memorial Bridge now stands, “everything changes,” said Beckett. The current Raleigh Court neighborhood began to attract merchants and developers. The first lot was sold in May, 1907, and the one room Virginia Heights School was built. The 1915 arrival of the streetcar down Memorial to Grandin accelerated the boom. Four years later, the city annexed Raleigh Court as its first suburb. More
Bob Garland
development followed, with the building of the fire station in 1922, and the construction of Memorial Bridge in 1925 to commemorate WWI veterans. The Library, in the building currently housing Pop’s Ice Cream, opened in 1931. The Grandin Theatre opened the following year. Bob Garland was born just as Raleigh Court was taking off. In 1925, when he was two, his parents moved to Belleville. His younger brother Ray was born in the house nine years later. After eight decades, the house remains in the Garland family. Ray Garland told the audience that he and Bob “were born into a golden age—an age of trust and optimism.” Indeed, the Garlands enjoyed business success while making important contributions to the city. The family started in the drugstore business when their parents moved from Buchanan, looking for “a place where someone could get ahead,” said Ray. Their father got a job as a “soda jerk” for a dollar a day at Clore’s Drugstore on the corner of East Campbell and Williamson Road. Eventually, the senior Garland became a partner, and then did so well that he bought the business. Both brothers worked at Garland’s Drugstore when it moved to the downtown side of Grandin. However, as the business grew, they needed more room for the store and soda fountain. In 1952, they bought the house across the street and demolished it. They built an expanded store and also made room for First National Exchange Bank, now Wachovia. The store was marked by a large, custom made neon sign. Bob recalled the many businesses formerly on Grandin Road. He remembered five different service stations, another drugstore and three independent grocers, as well as Krogers and Mick-or-Mack. Although they sold Garland’s Drugstore to CVS in 1969, there’s still a drugstore in the building—West’s Pharmacy. In addition to their business success, the brothers had a significant impact on Roanoke through their years of public service. Bob spent 24 years on City Council, while Ray was elected to the House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate. He has also shared his observations of the Valley as a columnist for the Roanoke Times. To preserve some of their fascinating stories, both brothers have participated in the Roanoke Memories oral history project.
Ray Garland with a photo of the neon sign above the drugstore
page 8
page 9
Things you need to know… Grandin Village Children’s Parade
surge of refugees this fall and early winter. The new arrivals, sometimes in families of seven or more, are originally from Burundi, Myanmar, Eritrea and other countries. Some of the refugees lived in refugee camps for decades and are arriving with very few possessions. They need all the things that anyone needs to set up housekeeping — bed frames, mattresses, box springs (including single beds for single men), tables, chairs, towels, blankets, pillows, dishes, pots, pans, child car seats, cribs and strollers. If you have items to donate, call Refugee & Immigration Services at 342-7561. They will pick up furniture, or you can drop off smaller items at the refugee office, 1106 9th St., SE.
The annual Holiday Parade will be Saturday, November 17, at 11:00 am. The line-up for participants will be in the Christ Lutheran Church parking lot between 10:00 and 10:30 am. This year’s parade will be in honor of two longtime community supporters whom we lost this past year: Richard Eakin of Richard’s Salon of Beauty and Juanita Morrow of the Community Inn.
Clean Valley Days By Christopher McWhite This year’s Clean Valley Day accomplished a lot and was fun, too. The fun was in the fellowship of beautifying one very visible area of Raleigh Court. The party after at Wasena Park featured organic food and natural drinks. The Parks Department’s displays showed the condition of our waterways, what sort of life they can support despite of pollution, and what can’t survive. The Natural Foods Co-op also provided valuable information.
The PHHS Patriot Band marched in the 2004 parade.
Old Southwest Parlor Tour The 28th Annual Old Southwest Holiday Parlor Tour will take place Saturday, December 1, 5-9 pm and Sunday, December 2, 1-5 pm. This year’s tour will feature seven neighborhood homes and businesses decked out in their holiday best, a silent auction and more. Tickets, priced at $15, will be available at the entrance to Highland Park at 5th and Washington Avenue.
New Recording Secretary Our former recording secretary, Melissa Speed, and her family have moved to Colorado. We are pleased to have Keith Dabbs step in to fill that vacancy. You can find his contact information in the listing of officers on page 2.
Three Civic League members and I gathered at Ghent Park. We were joined by other groups, including a local church and the Co-op’s team. We worked our way from the bridge to Tarpley Park. At the park, we realized it was falling into disrepair because Mr. Tarpley is reportedly ill. His health and whereabouts can’t be confirmed at this writing. I want to encourage all of us to thank James for his hard work. If you can, go to the park and offer to bend over and plant a flower, weed a border or prune a vine. That would be a real way to be involved in the beautification of the neighborhood and support this gem of a park.
Greenways Mike Urbanski has agreed to lead the effort to continue to improve our greenways and the Dan Wright trailhead area. November “work days” are planned. Watch your email inbox and the GRCCL website for an announcement.
Roanoke Newcomers Need Your Help Roanoke's Refugee & Immigration Services is welcoming a page 10
Pizza • Calzones • Salad Bar Kid’s Menu • Pasta Specials Appetizers • desserts Three 14” Cheese or Pepperoni Only $13.99 plus tax
981-1340
1316 Grandin Road • Roanoke, VA 24015 • www.gracesplacepizzeria.com
DO YOU PLAN MORE FOR
FAMILY VACATIONS
THAN YOU DO FOR COLLEGE? Having fun with your family is important. But nothing is more vital than your child’s future. That’s why at Edward Jones we can help you put together a plan to pay for college. Using our college calculator, we can estimate future expenses at over 3,000 schools, and then recommend a financial strategy based on your own unique needs. True, vacations are great. But graduation ceremonies are even better. For a free personalized college cost report, call or visit today.
Carl D. Cress, III Financial Advisor 1329-A Grandin Road, S.W. “The Grandin Village” Roanoke, VA 24015 (540) 982-3741 www.edwardjones.com
page 11
q new member q renewing member Name
Greater Raleigh Court Civic League P.O. Box 3092 Roanoke, VA 24015 Address Service Requested
New members are welcome to join the Civic League at any time. Your mailing label shows Address when it’s time to renew your membership. You may pay your dues at the next membership City meeting. Multiyear or life memberships are welcome! The Civic League is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Donations may be claimed as charitable deductions for tax purposes. Home Phone Please mail your membership dues ($10 family, $15 business, or $100 life membership) or Amount Enclosed gifts to: GRCCL, P.O. Box 3092, Roanoke, VA 24015 Or go to www.grccl.org and click on “JOIN US” to fill out a membership application online. I’d like to help out with:
Membership Form
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID ROANOKE, VA PERMIT NO. 78
q in honor of
ZIP
Donation q in memory of
Business Phone
State
E-mail Address