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LOCAL
NEWS
IN NEED OF REPAIR Since acquiring two historic African American cemeteries, Enrichmond has been at odds with the volunteer group that has worked for years to restore and document the neglected sites
J
im Shadoian is covered in dirt, twigs and leaves as he surveys the hilltop loop at Evergreen Cemetery. He has cut the 11-acre area back at least six times in his 10 months as caretaker of Evergreen and the neighboring East End Cemetery. Home to the graves of Maggie L. Walker, John Mitchell and other luminaries, the loop is also just a fraction of nearly 77 acres of overgrown burial sites within the two historic African American cemeteries. Working mostly alone and with occasional help from volunteers, Shadoian admits he hasn’t spent much time outside of the upper loop. “It gets me,” he says, “makes me wonder whether I’ve done anything, because there’s just so much to do.”
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The feeling is shared by many who have labored to clean up the cemeteries. Much of the work that had been ongoing to reclaim the sites from decades of neglect, vandalism and environmental degradation has slowed due to conflicts between the Enrichmond Foundation, which now owns the cemeteries, and Friends of East End, a volunteer group whose work at the cemeteries predates Enrichmond’s ownership. Enrichmond began as the Richmond Recreation and Parks Foundation in 1990, an umbrella organization formed to manage conservation easements and assist volunteer organizations working in Erin and Brian Palmer have been instrumental in the Friends of East End’s efforts to identify, restore and map graves at East End and Evergreen cemeteries.
green spaces throughout the city, including the James River Park System. In 2010, it was renamed Enrichmond, and its mission grew. The organization expanded its work into Henrico County in 2017. While the Friends of East End have been active at the cemeteries since 2013, Enrichmond’s involvement began after it acquired Evergreen in 2017 and East End in 2019. Following its ill-fated stewardship of the 17th Street Market (Enrichmond originally managed the redeveloped market, but the city took over the space in 2019), the organization sought to “become more proactive in the preservation, protection and increase of public space in the city of Richmond” as part of its larger mission to “build equity in and protect public green spaces in the Richmond region,” says John Sydnor, executive director since 2011. Friends of East End grew out of work started by John Shuck and Veronica Davis in 2008. A transplant from Iowa with a passion for genealogy, Shuck found a new sense of purpose when he saw the condition of the cemeteries and met Davis, who had published “Here I Lay My Burdens Down: A History of the Black Cemeteries of Richmond, Virginia” in 2000. The group didn’t formalize, however, until 2013, when Brian Palmer moved to Richmond with his wife, Erin, to join the University of Richmond faculty. An established photojournalist with extensive national and international experience, Palmer learned he had ancestors in the cemetery and brought a wealth of resources with him. Key among them was the inclusion of the University of Richmond’s Collaboratory, one of the top digital labs in the country, to do the extensive work of mapping nearly 17,000 graves at East End.
ERIC FOSTER
By Paul Karns
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COURTESY THE MARINERS’ MUSEUM AND PARK
admitted their crimes. shore. He reached the military contingent overseeing the construction of Fortress They were transported from the HenMonroe and told his story to veteran Capt. rico County jail at Main and 22nd streets. Nathaniel G. Dana, who dispatched nine Dressed in purple robes with hoods kept men commanded by Lt. Robert Anderson. in place by nooses, they sat on coffins carThe Spaniards escaped using a boat ried by wagons. The “Carnival of Death,” as the Richmond Enquirer described it, somehow liberated from a nearby schoowended its way 3 miles to the prison ner. Tardy declared that he'd not be taken alive. According to accounts he was later (where today stands the Virginia Housing found in his cabin with a slit throat. Development Authority). Some 5,000 Customs officials seized the vessel and people lined the route, and more crowded took the jittery survivors ashore. A posse around the triple gallows. A minister sercaptured the fleeing Spaniards in Isle of monized on the wages of sin, and a CathWight County. olic priest, through an interpreter, whispered last rites. Not providing testimony in Richmond was Gibbs, the cook, his absence scarcely When the trap doors sprung, the ropes noted. suspending Cesares and Morando An illustration of the Crawford Separate juries convicted the broke. While Barbeito breathed his pirates tossing Spaniards to hang on Aug. 17. last, the execution officers scramtheir victims overboard During incarceration, the pirates bled to the struggling and stran-
gling Cesares and Morando, amid screams from the spectators. The undead Spaniards were returned to the gallows. Many of the crowd departed out of fear. The two were dropped again. The three bodies swayed in the air for an hour. The pirates were buried on the hill by the penitentiary. Later that day, however, it was thought they might provide scientific use by using galvanic or electric power to revive them — as in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” published in 1818. Likely in the armory at the Virginia Manufactory of Arms, the bodies received their post-mortem shocks. The dead men told no tales — except for the head of Alexander Tardy. Three copies of his skull were cast in plaster. One went to attorney George Combe, founder of the Edinburgh Phrenological Society. That cast found its way into the collections of the Anatomical Museum of the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. In 2015 the museum contacted Dundee University about creating a facial reconstruction and body cast from the Tardy pieces. Forensic art student Amy Thornton took on Tardy for her senior project. She laser scanned the jawbone-less skull, then 3D-printed the model. During the year, she fleshed out the details and dressed the finished figure as a physician. Before the exhibition, the imitation Tardy spent three months in her living room. “A bit of a dark-eyed scoundrel, to say the least,” she described her subject to The Scotsman newspaper. “I’ve started thinking I’m seeing him in the street, so I’m more than happy to have finished with him.” A version of this article originally appeared in Richmond magazine in August 2009. Flashback thanks Rick Hatcher, native Richmonder and historian at Fort Sumter National Monument; Haunts of Richmond's Sandi Bergman; and Michael McCallum, curator of the Anatomical Museum, University of Edinburgh. R
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LIVING
HEALTH
A Change of Plans Richmond Academy of Medicine adapts to serve its members during the pandemic, postponing its bicentennial celebration By Katharine DeRosa
T
he Richmond Academy of Medicine turns 200 years old this fall, marking its bicentennial in the city. The celebration has been postponed until September 2021 due to concerns about COVID-19, but the society continues its work as a resource and advocate for metro area physicians. The pandemic has impacted the academy’s operations in numerous ways. The organization has assisted the Richmond medical community during COVID-19 by creating an online resource center for physicians and medical practices that includes links for the latest information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Virginia Department of Health. Links for information for
physicians, practice managers and volunteers are also available. The academy also launched a program called “Loving Lunches RVA,” which delivers meals to health care workers. RAM’s executive director, Jim Beckner, says the program had two goals. “One, to express gratitude to front-line health care providers and clinical staff who cover the front line, and two, to support local restaurant and food services.” RAM pivoted to online meetings for its members via Zoom, which included sessions on children’s mental health during a pandemic, and a return to school and day-care plan for parents and guardians. “Even though we're all fragmented and work for different people, we can come together in a place where we can learn from one another and come Left: The Richmond Academy of Medicine provides bagged lunches from local restaurants to health care workers during the pandemic. Below: Academy members, circa 1890. This fall marks the group's bicentennial.
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together, and I’m really proud to be a part of that,” says Carolyn Burns, president of the academy. Burns says that the bicentennial celebration has been postponed so the organization can properly celebrate the milestone. There are two events on the books for 2020 to provide outings for physicians and their families. Burns emphasized the importance of creating avenues for people to be involved with RAM without taking away from time with their loved ones. The academy traces its roots to monthly candlelight sessions held by doctors in the city and Manchester to discuss medical topics of the day, according to its website. That history will be featured in a video, “200 Years Strong,” that will premiere at the gala, which is set for next year at the Jefferson Hotel. A preview shows some of the social advancements that the group has made over the years in terms of female involvement. The video acknowledges Emily Runyon, the first female member of RAM. She was initially denied entry in 1895 and was accepted in 1910 unanimously. “I think it’s an amazing accomplishment for a medical society, to have lasted 200 years, but [also] to have remained relevant and flexible and to remain meaningful in the current day,” says Beckner. R
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LIVING
TRAVEL
SOAK UP FALL COLORS Immerse yourself in Hot Springs and Bath County
Camping and paddling are part of the fun at Douthat State Park.
By Nicole Cohen
LEAF PEEPS Fall foliage peaks early in the Alleghany Highlands; see dof.virginia.gov/fall for updates on leaf color. Looking for a fine fall driving experience? The Virginia Department of Forestry suggests the following route: From Hightown in Highland County, take Highway 640 to Highway 84, then Highway 600 into Bath County to Lake Moomaw, then take a gravel road, Highway 603, through Bacova and onto Route 39. Follow Route 39 to Warm Springs, and east to Lexington for your return trip to Richmond, or take U.S. Highway 220 north to Monterey.
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FALL FOR FALLING SPRING One of the largest waterfalls in the commonwealth, Falling Spring Falls is off U.S. Highway 220, just north of Covington. Thomas Jefferson once visited these falls, writing in his “Notes on the State of Virginia” in 1781 that “the only remarkable cascade in this country is that of the Falling Spring in Augusta.” Travel down neighboring Falls Road from the waterfall and discover Natural Well Road, where a spring tucked in along the winding street serves as a stop for travelers and locals to fill a bottle or two with fresh mountain water.
Falling Spring Falls
The Omni Homestead Resort
A GRAND PRESENCE The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs is known for its natural mineral waters, which have long attracted patrons, including 23 U.S. presidents. While a fire in 1901 decimated the resort, by 1902 it was back in operation, and the iconic tower that greets guests today was completed in 1929. The natural warm springs known as the historic Homestead offer a luxurious experience nestled in incredible scenery. A spa, a salon, a fitness center, a lazy river, two water slides, an outdoor pool, an indoor pool, the 18-hole Old Course (with the nation’s oldest first tee in continuous use), the 18-hole
FROM TOP: COURTESY ALLEGHANY HIGHLANDS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; COURTESY THE OMNI; COURTESY ALLEGHANY HIGHLANDS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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or mountain views and natural surprises, a drive through Bath County and neighboring localities is a must. Douthat State Park and the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests present numerous fall outdoor recreation opportunities. For a luxury experience, The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs maintains a grand presence in a rural setting.
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A LONG, DARK ROAD by Tharon Giddens photos by Jay Paul
for many covid -19 survivors, symptoms and issues may linger long after their hospital discharge
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DIRECTIONAL: PHOTO CREDIT
Corrine Townsend, once a healthy 30 year old, tested positive for COVID-19 in June. She spent weeks in the ICU then a rehabilitation hospital and is still experiencing after-effects of the virus.
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LIFE ON HOLD
Months after contracting COVID-19, a mother battles fatigue and weakness AS A HEALTHY 30-year-old with a business, Hawkeye Signs and Racing Graphics in Richmond, a husband who is a partner in both business and life, and two young children, Corrine Townsend was enjoying her life. But in June, the New Kent resident contracted COVID-19. She was young and
otherwise healthy, without any chronic conditions, and statistically she was at little risk for complications. But her bout with the coronavirus didn’t follow the script, and she ended up on a ventilator at VCU Medical Center for a week. “COVID is impacting everyone so differently,” she says.
Corrine Townsend is happy to be home with her husband, Hayden, and sons Brody, 3, and Reid, 1.
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Townsend was released from in-patient rehabilitation care on Aug. 21, recuperating sufficiently to resume her her day-to-day life, but she’s still far from her pre-COVID-19 capabilities. She’s lost strength, and the virus attacked her lungs. It’s still harder for her to breathe, and her oxygen levels dip when she stands or tries to walk. She’s still rehabbing and working to walk farther on her own, but “stamina is not there anymore,” she says. “It just tires me out so bad.” Townsend says the virus first kicked in on June 8, while she was playing with her 1-year-old and 3-year old. “I felt exhausted,” she says, and Townsend remembers thinking, “Why do I feel like they weigh 1,000 pounds?” She developed a cough, then a gag, and she couldn’t catch her breath. That night, she tried to make her way to the bathroom and passed out. Her husband heard her as she hit the floor. Her eyes were rolled back into her head. She was taken to Henrico Doctors’ Hospital and later to VCU Medical Center. Her blood oxygen saturation reading when she was first hospitalized was 84%, which is low. Over the course of her treatment, it dipped into the upper 70s, which is life-threatening. The virus raged inside her. Her breathing was so compromised, she needed a ventilator. Her heart stopped, a lung collapsed. Tests revealed so much acid in her blood from the coronavirus that doctors didn’t know how she could stay alive. A trach tube was inserted, and she was on a ventilator for a week. Eventually, Townsend was weaned off it, and “my lungs were able to hold their own,” she says. After two weeks in the ICU, she was moved to a general ward. Pandemic protocols preclude visitors. Virtual visits were traumatic; her 3-year-old knew Mommy was sick and was “freaked out” by the CONT’D ON P.103
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MARTIALING RESOURCES A Glen Allen resident draws on his jiujitsu training and a team of health professionals in his recovery from COVID-19 THE FIRST WAVE of the coronavirus pandemic was beginning to creep upward in March when Cherud Wilkerson fell ill. For a week, the Glen Allen resident’s temperature spiked at 103 degrees. He went to an ER, but he was otherwise asymptomatic and was told to go back 92
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home. By the seventh day, he took a turn for the worse. He developed a cough and told his wife that he couldn’t breathe. She told him that he was either going to the hospital or the undertaker. He went to Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital. As he was getting out of the car,
his wife, Natacha Kinsey-Wilkerson, told him, “You better not,” leaving it unsaid but understood as to what he better not do. The last thing Wilkerson remembers of his early days in the hospital was nurses telling him they would have to intubate him. He was placed on a venti-
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Cherud Wilkerson, with his wife, Natacha Kinsey-Wilkerson and daughter, Natalie, 5. Wilkerson was one of the first COVID19 patients at St. Mary’s Hospital to come off a ventilator alive.
St. Mary’s to come off the ventilator alive. Staff, he says, called him a miracle. Strange, vivid visions and thoughts had engulfed him during the coma — and afterward. At one time, he thought there was a half-man/half-beast as big as a mountain that he was chasing, with an angel over Wilkerson, who felt as if he had one foot in heaven, another on earth. The beast was running away with Wilkerson’s destiny in its grasp, but with help from the heavenly power, it failed. Wilkerson wanted out of the hospital and to go back to his wife and 5-year-old daughter, Natalie. “I wasn’t going to a nursing home,” he says. “I thought that would be the end of me.” Still on dialysis, he got up and moved, requiring a walker initially. Wilkerson pushed himself to get better. “Every night after [rehab staff] left me, I would work out,” he says. One day, the physical therapist challenged him to pick up a glove from the floor. He easily bent down on one knee and retrieved the glove. The therapist deemed him ready for discharge. At home, Wilkerson continued to strengthen his body and speed his recovery. A physical therapist visited him once at home, and Wilkerson showed that he could navigate the 16 steps of his residence, and that was the end of the rehab therapy. The disease dropped Wilkerson’s weight from 218 to 175 pounds. It also apparently lingered: He was still testing positive for COVID19 for two months following his diagnosis, though he was symptom-free. It eventually cleared. His wife also developed COVID but had a mild encounter, and their daughter has remained virus-free. He’s thankful for the care he received from the St. Mary’s staff, and especially for his wife. A New Jersey native, he has no family locally, and without his wife, there would have been no one –CHERUD WILKERSON around to care for their daughter during his hospital stay. Physically, he’s still working to regain full health. The ICU time, the coma and the toll taken by the disease are traumatic, and Wilkerson says that lingers: “I have some good days and some bad days,” he says. The whole experience has been moving, emotional: You can’t see family, there’s no opportunity to say goodbye. “I did break down,” he says, adding that it feels as if he “lived my funeral and basically woke up from the dead.” As he talks about his experience on a rainy day in early August, he notes that he’s got his weight back up to 198 pounds. He’s still exercising and working on running, though he gets winded. “I’m feeling really good,” he says. “I’m thankful, and I’m blessed.” But he also wants people to take precautions in dealing with COVID-19. “It’s no joke,” he says. “We have to pay attention.” R
It feels as if I ‘lived my funeral and basically woke up from the dead.’
lator. The treatment team induced a coma. Wilkerson, compliance risk management director for Citizens Bank, says he had always enjoyed good health. A Navy veteran and a black belt in jiujitsu, he says his only chronic conditions include mild kidney disease and “a little” hypertension. COVID-19 escalated its assault on his body. Respiratory struggles were compounded by COVID-caused kidney failure that led to Wilkerson being placed on dialysis. His pancreas malfunctioned, and he aspirated fluid, resulting in pneumonia. He was on a ventilator for two weeks and later learned that his wife was afraid to answer the phone during his ICU stay. “It was touch-and-go,” he says. But he improved. It took several days to wean him from the coma medications. He was one of the first COVID-19 patients at
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