Showcase Magazine June 2023

A Little About Chatham A Little About Chatham

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JUNE 2023

Chatham Why You Should Visit

BY ALISA B. DAVIS, MAYOR, TOWN OF CHATHAM

Somewhere along the way, the charming Town of Chatham earned the distinction “Prettiest Little Town in Southside Virginia.” At no time of year is that more evident than in the spring, when the trees are freshly green, and the maples, dogwoods, and azaleas add all their colors to the scene. Along with the natural beauty of the landscape, Chatham also offers a look back at our history and heritage, and a cast of friendly and welcoming citizens to provide a lovely visit to friends, soon-to-be friends, and family.

Chatham has served as the County Seat for the largest county in the Commonwealth, Pittsylvania County, since 1777. This is immediately proclaimed by the beautiful and historic courthouse, situated right in the middle of Main Street. The courthouse was completed in 1853, is listed as a Virginia’s National Historical Landmark, and remains the centerpiece of the Town. Another feature is the 1813 Clerk’s Office, also on the Historic Register, and which houses a museum with over 1,000 local historical artifacts. Those interested in history might visit the Pittsylvania History Center, housed in the 1919 Train Depot and operated by the Pittsylvania County Library, and boasts extensive materials for genealogical research. Along the beautiful, tree-shaded Main Street, stunning homes welcome all visitors.

Visitors will also enjoy dining at one of the restaurants in town, including newly opened Gena’s Place, Hunt & Co, El Cazador, or J&T’s on the Main. Studio 29 has also recently expanded salon services

and offers a fun shopping experience at Pruden & Main Boutique, and Twisted Herd Mercantile offers unique clothing and accessories. Shadetree Rare Books offers a wide selection of books on American and Virginia history and more.

On the fourth Saturday of each month, April through October, from 4pm to 8pm, the Town welcomes the Virginia-Carolina Classic Chevy Club, and friends, which fills the Town with amazing customized and restored vehicles of all kinds. The event also features a food truck and collects canned goods for the Northern Pittsylvania County Food Bank.

Chatham enjoys two renowned private schools, Chatham Hall and Hargrave Military Academy. Both campuses are lovely and students can frequently be seen strolling through town and engaging in community events.

The most wonderful thing about the Town of Chatham is the sense of community felt by all of its citizens. Whether a fourthgeneration family resident or a relative newcomer, all are encouraged to feel a part of the community. There are many civic groups that contribute to the quality of life in the area and offer opportunities to serve, including church, volunteer fire and rescue, Chatham First, Rotary, Ruritan, Lions Club, Kiwanis, and others.

The Town of Chatham is a very special gem in the crown of Southside and we invite everyone to come and experience it for yourself.

CEO Andrew Scott Brooks scott@showcasemagazine.com

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Paul Seiple | paul@showcasemagazine.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Kim Demont | demontdesign@verizon.net

FINANCE MANAGER

Cindy Astin | cindy@showcasemagazine.com

ADVERTISING

Lee Vogler | Director of Sales and Marketing lee@showcasemagazine.com | 434.548.5335

Emily Wilkerson | Executive Assistant emily@showcasemagazine.com

753 Main Street #3, Danville, VA 24541 Phone 434.709.7349 info@showcasemagazine.com www.showcasemagazine.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Alisa B. Davis | Paulette Dean

Paul Seiple | Lee Vogler

CONTRIBUTING

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ralph Adams | Annette Williams Singh | Lee Vogler

COVER Summeritme in Chatam

Photo by Ralph Adams

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PHOTO BY RALPH ADAMS

Welcoming Chatham is…

PHOTO BY RALPH ADAMS

The Town’s fascinating attractions are easily accessible by foot. Chatham is a community of friendly, courteous, and relaxed residents who enjoy chatting with visitors. It’s a great place for leisurely walks and shopping. Stop by any business and employees and customers will be happy to provide information if needed on must-see spots.

A stroll down Main Street is painted by beautiful Victorian houses nestled among trees and the public courtyard that has been transformed into a stunning garden. Take a moment and soak up some nature on one

of the benches and experience the true meaning of relaxation.

Springtime in Chatham is an explosion of vibrant colors from blooming tulips and dogwood trees with help from the Chatham Beautification Committee It’s no

surprise that the Committee has received numerous awards from Keep Virginia Beautiful, including the title of Virginia’s most beautiful town. During the summer, the town is adorned with hundreds of red geraniums, creating a unique and beautiful view.

Chatham is… Pittsylvania County Courthouse

Historical

• The interior of the courthouse has been restored with funding from the U.S. Department of the Interior through the Virginia Historic Commission.

• This courthouse was the site of a landmark decision in the case of Ex Parte Virginia which ruled that no one can be excluded from jury duty based on race. It is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1813 Clerk’s Office

• The 1813 clerk’s office has been beautifully restored by the Pittsylvania Historical Society with local funding and guidance from the Virginia Historical Landmarks Commission.

• One of the highlights of the clerk’s office is its small but intriguing museum, which houses many artifacts from the Civil War and the American Revolution.

Town Hall

• This splendid brick home, now Town Hall, was built by Judge James L. Tredway.

• Residents have created a beautiful, wooded park behind it at no cost to the town. The Chatham Lions Club has built a picnic shelter which is much used for family and civic gatherings.

• Each spring the Picnic-in-the-Park is held by the Chatham Garden Club. The azaleas and rhododendrons, as well as the flowerbeds, are gifts from the Chatham Beautification Committee, which also maintains them.

PHOTO BY RALPH ADAMS

When Chatham Went

Crazy

BY LEE VOGLER

Originally Publication: Showcase Magazine July 2017

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ANNETTE WILLIAMS SINGH

Dr. Seuss once said, “Being crazy isn’t enough.” But for the sleepy little town of Chatham, Virginia in the spring of 1989, perhaps it was. This wasn’t any ordinary spring. For seven weeks, Chatham became “Little Hollywood” when the Paramount Pictures film Crazy People was filmed there. The all-girls school Chatham Hall was transformed into the fictitious Bennington Sanitarium, which, in the film, is in Massachusetts.

Starring Daryl Hannah, Dudley Moore, and a pre- Mad About You Paul Reiser, Crazy People is about an ad executive who suffers a nervous breakdown and finds himself in a mental institution where his career begins to thrive with the help of the hospital’s patients. Scenes in the film that take place in New York, were filmed in nearby Roanoke, Virginia.

Beyond the cast and crew, dozens of local citizens were

employed to serve as extras in the film. Valerie Setliff was one of the extras. “I saw an ad in the Danville Register and Bee for extras for a movie being filmed in Chatham, Virginia,” Setliff says. “I thought it would be fun to work with the actors and see how movies are made.” Setliff worked on the film for six weeks. “I thought the actors who I either had scenes with, or talked to during our lunches (Dudley Moore, Daryl Hannah, Paul Reiser, David Paymer, David Packer), were all very nice, and we were able to mingle with them during breaks,” she remarks.

It was the memories in between filming that sticks with Setliff the most. “I took my daughter Lindsay, who was 12 at the time, on set some days, and Daryl Hannah would drive her all around in the golf cart when she wasn’t filming,” recalls Setliff. “Dudley Moore liked to play the piano and sing for us in the music room of Chatham Hall. That was a thrill to have him entertain us during some editing of the film.”

Setliff wasn’t the only local to get a chance to meet with the cast. Janet Phillips had an opportunity to go on set and spend time with Moore, who was her favorite actor at the time.

“He wanted to know all about what I was studying in college, music therapy at that time, and he played the piano for me,” Phillips says. “I read his book after he died, and if only I’d known how much he enjoyed playing Bach flute and keyboard pieces, I would have taken my flute on my visit with him.”

Don Conner was the owner of a sports card stand at the Eden, North Carolina Flea Market when the movie

was being filmed and said, at one point, Hannah came through the market. “I recognized her before the other patrons and got an autograph. She was very nice and very striking in a mini-skirt and cowboy boots,” Conner says. “Daryl was looking for antiques. She didn’t buy any ball cards.”

Some non-cast members who visited the set also drew attention from the locals. At the time, Hannah was linked to John F. Kennedy Jr, as well as singer Jackson Browne. Both visited her while she was filming, at different times, of course. Charles Womack recalls, “My sister-and- law was the manager of Food Lion in Tightsqueeze, and JFK Jr. came in to buy beer. The cashier had no idea who he was and carded him.” Frankie Marsh also had a humorous grocery store encounter with Kennedy. “I ran Eddie’s Supermarket in Chatham at the time. JFK Jr. came in one Sunday morning. The rumor around town was that Jackson Brown was in town to see Daryl Hannah. Kennedy asked me where the cinnamon sugar was, so I walked him to it. I said, ‘Can I ask you a question?’ He said, ‘Sure.’ I asked, ‘Are you Jackson Browne?’ He laughed, patted me on the shoulder and said, ‘Afraid not.’ I’m sure he didn’t forget that.”

Filming for Crazy People wrapped in the summer of 1989 before being released on April 13, 1990. While the film was not a smashing success at the box office, the impact it left on a small Virginia community was easy to see. The filming of the movie only lasted six weeks, but the memories created for those who were a part of it have lasted a lifetime.

An expanded version of this story is available at ShowcaseMagazine.com

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Confessions of a 30 Something Chatham Memories

BY LEE VOGLER

PHOTO BY LEE VOGLER

Chatham holds a special place in my life as it has been the site of many great memories for me. As a child, some of my best sports memories happened on a football or baseball field in Chatham. I can still remember diving into the end zone of Chatham High School’s football field for a two-point conversion on a very rainy and muddy Saturday afternoon.

A little over a decade later, on a hot Saturday evening in August, I’d be standing in the backyard of a beautiful historic home on Main Street in downtown Chatham, about to marry the love of my life, Blair. I still smile every time I ride past that gorgeous bed-and-breakfast, although I don’t believe they allow weddings there anymore. Whether our soiree was the culprit behind

Some of my memories in Chatham are a little more humorous, like the time my varsity baseball team (Westover Christian) was losing quite badly at Hargrave Military Academy. To add insult to injury, the sprinklers popped up, like a gopher, from under the ground and began showering us as I stood at 2nd base. I will point out that we got the last laugh, beating them in dramatic fashion at WCA the last time I ever played against them just a few weeks later, but I digress.

In more recent years, I’ve watched my son create his own sports memories on a ball field in Chatham, racking up strikeouts on the mound and some nice hits at the plate. I’ve also enjoyed watching friends of mine, Will Pace and Matt Bell, serve in elected capacities for the Town

or enjoying some Italian Ice from the Sunset Slush Cool Bus. And Blair and I have relaxed at a few Flip-Flop Fridays at Homeplace Vineyard over the years.

Though I’ve never lived in Chatham, it has played a big role in my life and, I suspect, will continue to.

Paws for a Cause

WRITTEN BY PAULETTE DEAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DANVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY

Our father was an honorable, tough Army sergeant with a marshmallow heart. All of what I learned about kindness to animals I learned from my parents, and Daddy played a major role in that.

Daddy was stationed in Fort Riley, Kansas, for three years and one night brought home, of all things, a horned toad that one of his soldiers had picked up when they were on maneuvers. Daddy checked to make sure where the animal should be released back into the wild and followed instructions.

When we lived in California in what was to be his last duty station before retiring from the Army, we went to a pet store to buy hamster supplies. One day I was left at home to watch the supper that was cooking and when my parents and sister came home, I was asked to go get the last bag of groceries from the backseat. Instead, I saw the cutest dachshund/beagle mix with huge ears and eyes. Daddy said the dog could stay inside until he was older, but then he would need to stay mostly outside. And he added that absolutely Walter (we voted as a family to name him that) would never be allowed to sleep in the bed with any of us. Walter lived 13 years and spent every single night sleeping with either my parents or with me. Walter stayed outside— for brief bathroom breaks or long walks. The rest of the time,

MEET MISS PRINCESS

he was inside.

About a year before I left home, I bought a parakeet and named him G.P. Daddy kept looking at G.P. in the cage that we moved in front of the sliding glass doors during the day so he could look out the window. One day, he said, “I can’t take seeing him in this cage all the time.” After that, he ensured that G.P. had lots of time to fly around the house, even after he destroyed my mother’s beloved collection of African violets that are, thankfully, not toxic to birds.

Daddy never knew that I caught him talking to a wild baby bird that had fallen into the basement window well. Daddy put a broom into the window well and said, “Come on, buddy, I’m trying to help you. Come on, little buddy, let me get you out of there.” It took some time, but the bird finally was rescued and baby and mama flew away.

After thirty years of working at the shelter, I can testify with no doubt at all about this—the world needs honorable men with marshmallow hearts! That has been the need since the beginning and will always remain so.

DANVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY

This little girl we think is a chihuahua/dachshund mix. She and her four litter mates came to us as strays.