The Roads to Richmond

[gntrphoo]

A friend of mine told me that there used to be a traffic circle at the intersection of Boulevard, Hermitage, Westwood, and Brookland Pkwy (Ginter Park area near the Holiday Inn and Kitchen 64 on Blvd). He also said that there used to be a statue in the middle of it. Can anyone confirm or deny this? Does anyone know where I might be able to find an old street map of the area?

[Cadeho]

I'll need to check my old maps... but I wish there was one there today.

[burt]

I HATE that intersection! But yes, I think in my youth I remember a traffic circle, but I do not recall a statue there. Virginia BarBque in a rather unique building was on North Boulevard about where Kitchen 64 is today. And the State Fair was held across the street on property that subsequently was Parker Field then The Diamond.

A. P. Hill's statue is in the intersection of Hermitage Road and Laburnum Avenue and has been there throughout my 81 years. The north/west corner of that intersection used to be part of Charles Airport which was used by small bi-winged privately owned planes. It had a single dirt air strip and a small building on the property.

[gntrphoo]

I'll need to check my old maps... but I wish there was one there today.

The light there works surprisingly well considering all the streets that meet at that intersection, but I agree, a traffic circle would be even better, not only for traffic flow but also for aesthetics. Given the huge size of the intersection, I can definitely see how there used to be a traffic circle there -- I wonder why it was ever changed?

After doing a little research, I found a Wikipedia article about the history of VA Rt. 161 (quite an interesting read actually) which claims there was a traffic circle called "Westwood Circle" at the intersection of The Boulevard, Westwood, and Hermitage -- no mention of Brookland Pkwy. As Burt mentioned, there was also no reference to a statue there. Apparently, the switch to signals was made in the 1970s both there and at another traffic circle at Belt Boulevard and 360 (known as "McGuire Circle").

Cadeho, if you have any way of sharing a map or picture you might have of the intersection during its days as Westwood Circle, it would be cool to see!

[heykey4]

I HATE that intersection! But yes, I think in my youth I remember a traffic circle, but I do not recall a statue there. Virginia BarBque in a rather unique building was on North Boulevard about where Kitchen 64 is today. And the State Fair was held across the street on property that subsequently was Parker Field then The Diamond.

A. P. Hill's statue is in the intersection of Hermitage Road and Laburnum Avenue and has been there throughout my 81 years. The north/west corner of that intersection used to be part of Charles Airport which was used by small bi-winged privately owned planes. It had a single dirt air strip and a small building on the property.

Since my grandmother's moved to Imperial Plaza, I am greeted by General Hill's statue quite often. Not to wander too far off topic, but I've been told the General is buried there standing up....and it is in fact his third burial site.

Meanwhile, while moving my grandmother up from Roanoke Rapids, NC to Richmond, I've taken about a dozen or so trips back and forth and have followed Halifax Road quite a bit, which seems to be the old route from Petersburg to Weldon/Roanoke Rapids....both towns in Halifax County, NC. Halifax Road often times parallels the main line CSX tacks which are former Atlantic Coast Line RR tracks which in turn are former Weldon RR tacks dating to mid-19th century.

The town of Jarratt is very interesting to me, it really has a ghost town appearance (my apologies to the residents there if offense is taken). Two busy railroads used to intersect there, there are several large buildings boarded up that I'd like to know what they are (one looks like an old High School).

[heykey4]

Noticed that the false front to the Richmond Glass Shop was taken down revealing the building as it was originally built when it was the terminal for the Ashland car line.

Don't know if they intend to leave it like that or not, but as a fan of Richmond's rail past, it was great to see.

[wrldcoupe4]

Haven't been by lately, have they done any repairs to the facade?

[heykey4]

Haven't been by lately, have they done any repairs to the facade?

When I drove by it looked as if the false front had just been taken off. The facade of the old building is showing its age.

[heykey4]

burt, the more I study it, the more right you are....I don't see how SEHSR is going to be able to adequately use Main Street Station. Since it's been decided to not use the C&O tracks from Doswell south, they've basically taken the High Speed out of High Speed rail.

In other news, it has been real interesting reading up on the old Connection Railroad that used the Byrd Street Tunnel. I came across and purchased a photo of the tunnel entrance being sealed up in 1941, but I have yet to find something that says they filled in the tunnel completely. I know remains of the tunnel were found in 1974 (when they placed the cornerstone at 5th & Byrd), but I haven't located a newspaper article about it yet.

I'm curious if it's still there under Byrd Street.

[Cadeho]

I've gotten a couple pictures of the Richmond Glass Shop without the siding. I'm glad to see it come off.

I'm still wondering what was the main road south of Richmond before the Petersburg Tnpk. Since I've been drawing the subdivisions in southside and read the Old Manchester book, those old roads have been interesting to me.

[heykey4]

I've gotten a couple pictures of the Richmond Glass Shop without the siding. I'm glad to see it come off.

I'm still wondering what was the main road south of Richmond before the Petersburg Tnpk. Since I've been drawing the subdivisions in southside and read the Old Manchester book, those old roads have been interesting to me.

I'm not sure, I have a map from 1867 showing eastern Chesterfield County and the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike is there along the same path as present day Route 1. My father still refers to J.D. Hwy as "The Pike".

With no basis for this assumption, I would guess this was the general location of any road predating the Petersburg Turnpike simply because to the west the terrain is less level and to the east it's prone to flooding.

There's an effort to make US 1 a historic route similar to US 66 out west. An organization is attempting to get historic recognition, or designation or something of US 1.

In 18th Century days, the towns between Richmond and Petersburg were Osbornes, and Bermuda Hundred (which I think almost became the capital of Virginia). All of which are on the river. Today, there's an Osborne Road, and an Old Bermuda Hundred Road (and W. Hundred Road). And these routes run to the Petersburg Turnpike. Also, Chesterfield Court House is where it's always been (the community, not the actual courts building) and the general alignment of Route 10 east of that is very old and runs to "The Pike". I think that road ran from the Turnpike up to the Chesterfield C.H. then down where Courthouse Road is today. The general alignment of Courthouse Road west of Route 10 is also old, though today's Courthouse Road runs along the path of the old Clover Hill Railroad; the actual road was parallel to the train route, but more curvy.

Has anyone heard of or know what's become of the plan to turn the old Atlantic Coast Line (CSX) railroad path in South Richmond into a walking/biking trail? I'm not sure which rail path they're talking about, I believe there's two in that area, one is the old mainline that ran to Byrd Street Station and the other was the old connection between the aforementioned mainline to the belt line (which is now the mainline today).

[heykey4]

Cadeho, I was going through the old Richmond newspapers on the Library of Congress' website (Chronicling America) and I searched the term "turnpike" and it came up with some interesting articles.

One of the papers, and forgive me I don't remember the date, had a fairly lengthy article about the origins of the names of the streets in Richmond. Then there was another article about a bill in General Assembly to revoke the charter for the Mechanicsville Turnpike Corporation. All good stuff.

You may be familiar with that site, but if you have yet to check it out, it may help in your work. I found it very useful in researching family history as well.

[burt]

Ich, I believe the ACL proposed bike path runs south from approximately The Lee Bridge, crosses Hull Street west of US 1 and continues to the rail junction of the ACL/SAL near Centralia. There is a bridge on Semmes Avenue just beyond Cowardin that crosses this old line.

Buckingham Road is old US60. There are stretches of it all the way west at least into Powahatan Court House and probably far beyond. I think the nearest portion of it in Metro Richmond is from about Alverser Drive (near Chesterfield Town Center)to just east of Midlothian.

Next time you are near the junction of US60 and Huguenot Road turn north onto Old Bon Air Road at the traffic light. It's a beautiful curvy drive which eventually crosses the Norfolk/Southern and dead ends near the old Bon Air Hotel. Then turn right to Janke, make a left and it will carry you across the ACL to Forest Hill Avenue.

Another beautiful drive is Cherokee Road to Old Gun Road via Belona Arsenal then on to Huguenot Road (Rt. 711.)

Like your Dad, I, too, remember the Petersburg Pike being called "The Pike." There were a couple of nice swimming pools on Rt. 1 between the DuPont Plant and Rt. 10 -- Lake Ely and Moore's Lake. We used to travel via connecting streetcars from Ginter Park to Dupont where the line ended and I guess we walked the rest of the way or had some other kind of transport??? The streetcars originally ran all the way to Petersburg, but I don't recall the line going beyond DuPont in my lifetime.

I was in Thomas Jefferson High School cadet corps and I recall several train trips between Richmond and Petersburg to see football games with our rival, Petersburg High School. Sometimes we'd round-trip from Broad Street Station (ACL) and other times from Main Street Station (SAL) and once or twice down one route and back the other.

Broad, Grace, Franklin and other principal east-west streets had lettered names in the 19th century -- Broad, I believe, was H Street.

[heykey4]

Ich, I believe the ACL proposed bike path runs south from approximately The Lee Bridge, crosses Hull Street west of US 1 and continues to the rail junction of the ACL/SAL near Centralia. There is a bridge on Semmes Avenue just beyond Cowardin that crosses this old line.

Buckingham Road is old US60. There are stretches of it all the way west at least into Powahatan Court House and probably far beyond. I think the nearest portion of it in Metro Richmond is from about Alverser Drive (near Chesterfield Town Center)to just east of Midlothian.

Next time you are near the junction of US60 and Huguenot Road turn north onto Old Bon Air Road at the traffic light. It's a beautiful curvy drive which eventually crosses the Norfolk/Southern and dead ends near the old Bon Air Hotel. Then turn right to Janke, make a left and it will carry you across the ACL to Forest Hill Avenue.

Another beautiful drive is Cherokee Road to Old Gun Road via Belona Arsenal then on to Huguenot Road (Rt. 711.)

Like your Dad, I, too, remember the Petersburg Pike being called "The Pike." There were a couple of nice swimming pools on Rt. 1 between the DuPont Plant and Rt. 10 -- Lake Ely and Moore's Lake. We used to travel via connecting streetcars from Ginter Park to Dupont where the line ended and I guess we walked the rest of the way or had some other kind of transport??? The streetcars originally ran all the way to Petersburg, but I don't recall the line going beyond DuPont in my lifetime.

I was in Thomas Jefferson High School cadet corps and I recall several train trips between Richmond and Petersburg to see football games with our rival, Petersburg High School. Sometimes we'd round-trip from Broad Street Station (ACL) and other times from Main Street Station (SAL) and once or twice down one route and back the other.

Broad, Grace, Franklin and other principal east-west streets had lettered names in the 19th century -- Broad, I believe, was H Street.

Burt, you were in the TJ Cadet Corps? My grandfather was in the John Marshal Cadet Corps (graduated in 1936 maybe '37). But my dad (graduated in 1969) was in the Thomas Jefferson Cadet Corps. My dad is currently in the TJ Cadet Corps Alumni Band, they practice every Tuesday night, usually at TJ in the band room.

I recall the name Moore's Lake, I'm curious if it was just north of the 10 & 1 intersection? I remember the remains of a wayside park area across US 1 from an old motor lodge.

When the Petersburg line ended, VEPCO still ran a car to Dupont. Which is why GRTC has always had a bus going there, the streetcar building still stands at the entrance.

[Cadeho]

Has anyone actually traced the miles to Richmond? I noticed on I-64 westbound just after Airport Drive it's 7 miles to Richmond. So I counted the miles from that point to Mechanicsville Turnpike. It's 4 miles from there to the city limit sign. Actually by that point, you've already passed through Richmond and back into Henrico, but it's not marked. I looked at Google and that 7 mile marker on 64 is 5 miles from Capital Square, however that 7 mile marker works only if you're going to Capital Square following 64 to 5th St, to Franklin, and up 9th to Capital Square, specifically to the stone.

[burt]

Has anyone actually traced the miles to Richmond? I noticed on I-64 westbound just after Airport Drive it's 7 miles to Richmond. So I counted the miles from that point to Mechanicsville Turnpike. It's 4 miles from there to the city limit sign. Actually by that point, you've already passed through Richmond and back into Henrico, but it's not marked. I looked at Google and that 7 mile marker on 64 is 5 miles from Capital Square, however that 7 mile marker works only if you're going to Capital Square following 64 to 5th St, to Franklin, and up 9th to Capital Square, specifically to the stone.

Weren't distances from the Capital Square Mile Marker computed before Interstate highways came into existance?

[Cadeho]

I believe so. I just didn't know exactly how it worked, if it was by radius or not. Apparently it even follows the traffic direction of the streets.

[Cadeho]

I've spent the last 10 hours tracing Three Chopt from Richmond to the mountains. What a nice drive! So many places were impassible and private property. It's very interesting how this major road to the west has been neglected and disrespect. All surviving sections should have a trail built along it. The sun set on us while climbing the Blue Ridge on part of the original route which is wide enough for one car. People live up there too and I hoped not run into someone coming down or up the mountain. Unedited/undeleted picture count, 1,057.

[Cadeho]

Second trip along Three Chopt ended up on the mountain near Jarman's Gap. Pre deletion pic count 1055.

[Cadeho]

Here are maps I've made tracing Telegraph Road and Three Chopt. I find it amazing how we've treated these historic roads. They were used for hundreds of years and then when the newer routes 1 and 250 were straightened counterparts, many portions were left abandoned or developments were plopped on them. Three Chopt fared better than Telegraph, but I fear Short Pump will erase what's left in the westernmost section in Henrico. there is a segmant of Telegraph north of Virginia Center Parkway to the new Telegraph Road that is walkable but could be lost if some development comes along. It should be left as a trail. I know there are plans to create a trail along Three Chopt, but I think one should also be considered for Telegraph.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=207185548068201764998.00048da44f53a1153c03b&msa=0&ll=37.566351,-76.613159&spn=3.134824,4.916382

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=207185548068201764998.00048d7d9c873168194f6&msa=0&ll=37.485756,-77.739258&spn=1.569166,2.458191

[540_804]

This is a question from a non-native Richmonder (myself) to you natives who may no the (hi)story behind it:

Behind the Home Depot and Altria HQ area there are a series of streets with really interesting names:

• Carnegie Dr.
  
• Colgate Ave.
  
• Duquesne Ave.
  
• Cornelle Ave.
  
• Dartmouth Ave.
  
• Vanderbuilt Ave.
  
• Miamie Ave.
  
• Tulane Ave.
  
• Harvard Rd.
  
• Baylor Rd.
  
• Wake Forest Dr.
  

They're obviously named after universities.

The streets are all self-contained within this development (at the intersection of Glenside and Horsepen). The development doesn't appear to be that old so their likely isn't much of an historical reason for the names. Just wondering if there is any particular story behind it other than a developer who came up with a 'clever' naming scheme?

(Here's a link to the google map with the area shown: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=37.597827,-77.521977&spn=0.011595,0.026157&t=h&z=16 )

[Downtowner]

Its funny you mention that 540_804 because a lady friend of mine just got herself an apartment back in there and I was riding around there today to try and find it so I would know where it was exactly to help her move in. I noticed that too when I was riding on all the streets in there and to be honest I have no idea if there is a story behind it or not. But its funny you mention it on the day I was driving around back in there.

[varunner]

Welcome sign coming to Richmond...

 

http://wtvr.com/2015/07/10/richmond-finally-gets-vdot-welcome-sign/