LoCoHistory

Charlottesville has many ties to the Lewis and Clark expedition: Meriwether Lewis was born in Albemarle County, William Clark’s family lived here for a time, Thomas Jefferson is the President who sent them on their mission to “… explore the Missouri river, & such principal stream of it, as, by it’s course and communication with the waters of the Pacific ocean, . . . may offer the most direct & practicable water communication across this continent for the purposes of commerce” (1803 instructions), Albemarle is now home to the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center, and, of course, we have the Lewis and Clark Statue at the intersection of McIntire, Ridge, and Main Streets.

This Friday (19th June) you have an opportunity to recognize another member of the Lewis and Clark expedition: a Lemhi Shoshone woman named Sacajawea (born 1788). She was the only woman on the mission and an invaluable guide, translator, and diplomat (smoothing relations between the anglos and Native Americans). The City of Charlottesville’s Historic Resource Committee will be hosting a dedication of an historic plaque in honor of Sacajawea at 1pm at the “Lewis and Clark” statue. This will be followed by a discussion of “The Role of Art in Interpreting History” at 2pm at the Charlottesville Design Center (at 100 5th St NE).

Elks Club Building (c. 1907). Postcard courtesy of Steven G. Meeks.

The building may be vaguely familiar to modern-day Charlottesvillians…perhaps the exposed brick side looks familiar ? It’s hard to place this building today because the portico and the moose have been removed (the four Corinthian columns in the front). The site is on East High Street, adjacent to the Old County Jail.

Built in 1902, this was the home of the Charlottesville Lodge No. 389, B.P.O. Elks (organized in 1897). This building served as their headquarters for decades. In its heydey the lodge included a library, card room, bowling alley, pool and billiard parlor, buffet, baths, and a banquet hall.

Juvenile Court Building (2002). Source Blair Hawkins.

After the Elks Club moved out, the building was converted to the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courthouse. After a 1940s fire, the facade was simplified, leaving only the pilasters (flattened columns). Since 2002 the building has been undergoing renovations. The renovations were significantly delayed after a wall collapsed in 2006. When completed the newest facade will differ even more from the original (Photo coming soon).

Walking down West Main Street takes you back in time, when Starr Hill referred to a neighborhood, not a brewery and when the Railroad was the main means of travel in and out of the city. If you keep your eyes peeled while walking you can spot century-old buildings, the structural remainders of those by-gone days. One beautiful example is a former church located on Commerce Street in the middle of the Starr Hill Neighborhood (bordering on the Vinegar Hill Neighborhood). This historic black church is surrounded by other structures associated with the African American community (e.g., the J.F. Bell Funeral Home, founded in 1917 and the Ebenezer Baptist Church, founded in 1892).

Church (2008)

Up until recently, the building was home to the Charlottesville Church of Christ. In 1990 the congregation moved to a new building on 5th Street. Earlier in the century a different, African American congregation used the building. According to Professor Emeritus K. Edward Lay, the church was founded in 1919 and called the Bethlehem Apostolic Church or the Bethel Baptist Church. The building was built several years later, in 1922, and featured a stuccoed building with a Corinthian Tetrastyle Portico and stained glass windows. Today the stucco has been replaced with wood and tiles.

The building’s classical facade was inspired by Greek and Roman architectural styles.

Maison Carreé in France (a Roman Temple)

Today, the capitals at the tops of the corinthian columns are colored gold (although this seems to be a newly added decorative feature). The green tile is also a newer addition (compare the 2008 photo to the historic one). A wide staircase leads to the narrow portico (or porch). This architectural style dates back to Roman times. One of the best preserved examples of a Roman Temple (and the impetus for the church facade) is the Maison Carrée in France. It was built over 2000 years ago (in 16 B.C.E.) and survived, in large part, because it was converted to a Christian church in 4th century. Today it is a museum.

In recognition and honor of Barack Obama’s recent victory, I wanted to turn to local achievements and highlight a few examples of African-American leadership in Charlottesville’s past. Obama’s historic victory rests on the struggle and hard work of centuries of African-Americans. At the national level we can point to the success of such diverse individuals as Booker T. Washington, Bille Holiday, W.E.B. DuBois, Zora Neale Hurston, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Here in Charlottesville we salute the contributions of lesser known, but locally significant citizens.

One such individual is Benjamin Tonsler (1854-1917), a teacher and principal at the Jefferson Graded School for almost three decades. Born enslaved, Tonsler attended the Hampton Institute before returning to Charlottesville. As reported on the African American Heritage program website, “He took personal risks in order to help many African-American students gain an education beyond the legal eighth grade during segregation, teaching advanced texts after school. Tonsler was also a friend of Booker T. Washington and played an important role in Charlottesville’s civil rights movement.” He is buried in the Daughter of Zion’s Cemetery (across from Oakwood) and the nearby Park is named after him. His ca. 1879 house, located at 327 6th Street SW, is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register. Click on the link to read more about this house.

Another remarkable local resident was Mrs Rebecca McGinnis (1892-2000). Living to age 107, she was descended from an enslaved family that lived at the Chestnut Grove Plantation. She graduated from Hampton University, taught school in Charlottesville (1915-1960), and fought for civil rights. During her long life she witnessed many historic changes, one of which she describes here, “… when I was a youngster, black and white lived together. We didn’t have all the segregation like we had in the later years. After they passed what they called the Massenberg bill, that’s called the Jim Crow bill, then they moved all the blacks out from the whites and the whites from the blacks, because where I used to live, whites used to live right across the street from where we lived. Children used to play all together…But when they passed that Massenberg bill, that’s what it was called, forever it was called the Jim Crow law. ”

John Mays (1862-1923) founded the first African-American newspaper in Charlottesville: the Charlottesville Messenger. Born in slavery he triumphed despite limited educational opportunities in Jim Crow Virginia and dedicated his professional career to providing information to the black community through his paper (published in the 1910s and 1920s).

Other successful black business people include Mr. and Mrs Inge. George Inge arrived in Charlottesville in 1891, planning to teach school. After he discovered that the opportunities for black teachers were limited he opened a store at 333 West Main St. The Inge’s grocery closed in 1978 after 87 years in operation. The building still stands but was more recently known as “Awful Arthur’s Seafood” and, today, the “West Main” Restaurant. Mr. Inge was a successful grocer who supplied the city and university with fresh produce and seafood. His wife was famous for crafting hand-churned butter into elegant shapes. Their children carried this success to the next generation becoming teachers (5 sons and daughters), medical doctors (2 sons), scientists (1 son), and a realtor.

This brief list provides a small window into the contributions of the African American community. To read more about the accomplishments of the historic African American community in Charlottesville, take a look at Agnes Cross-White’s book titled, “Charlottesville: An African-American Community” (Arcadia Publishing 1998). Or stroll through one of Charlottesville’s historic black cemeteries to read about individuals lives as memorialized on gravestones.For example, view the on-line walking tour of the Daughter’s of Zion Cemetery.

For a local discussion of the election results please see the announcement below:

The Carter G. Woodson Institute invites you to attend the next installment of the Currents in Conversation series: “2008: An Election Post-Mortem”.
DATE AND TIME:  Thursday November 6, 2008 at 7:30pm
LOCATION:  108 Clark Hall

For more information, visit the Carter G. Woodson Institute website.

In the 1910s, Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) donated money to help Booker T. Washington fund six African-American schools in Alabama. The project was a success and soon thereafter Rosenwald (born to a Jewish family that had immigrated from Germany and later, co-owner of the Sears & Roebuck company) created the “Julius Rosenwald Fund” for African-American schools in the south. The goal of the project was to build new and innovative school houses (using, in part, Sears & Roebuck building kits). Rosenwald included a caveat, the entire community had to contribute money and labor to build the school and furnish it. During the 15 years of the fund’s existence (1917-1932), the Rosenwald fund helped finance 4,977 new schools, 217 teachers’ homes, and 163 shop buildings. In some communities these schools were the first formal school house, in others they replaced dilapidated and unsafe structures. In each case, this program encouraged communities to contribute to the construction of their school.

Here in Albemarle County almost a dozen Rosenwald schools were built. They were built between 1921 and 1926. Today, only a handful remain standing. Most of the schools sat on several acres and cost between $2000 and $3000. Here in Albemarle, the Rosenwald fund contributed about 30% of the total cost, the African-American community about 20%, and the remainder was given by “whites” and “the public” (categories used by the fund in identifying donors). The schools were classified based on the number of teachers who taught in the building. In Greenwood they built a “two teacher” school (seen in the photo; Courtesy of the Fisk Collections). These schools continued to be used until desegregation.

If you attended a Rosenwald School or have more information about Albemarle County Rosenwald Schools (or others in central Virginia) please contribute a comment below or contact me directly (lynn[at]locohistory.org). Here in Albemarle several members of the community have begun a project to research the history of these schools.

The term “history” in locohistory can be defined in a number of ways. At its most basic, it is something that occurred in the past. For inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places it should be at least fifty years old. The study of “history” includes past peoples, events, structures, and landscapes. This week’s post considers a slightly more recent event that occurred in 1976: the creation of the pedestrian mall on East Main Street. The decision to prohibit cars from traveling (and parking) on a major thoroughfare was controversial. To demonstrate the utility of such a move, a smaller section (from the Belmont Bridge to West Second Street) was temporarily closed on April 13, 1971 and set up as a pedestrian shopping center. Still, the proposed mall project was variously derided as “Cole’s Hole” (the city manager at that time was Cole Hendrix), “Council’s Folly” and “Little Watergate.” Other sites have comprehensive coverage of the long road that was traveled before the completion of the mall and its even more gradual success as a social and shopping mecca. One excellent article is by John Yellig, available here.

In this post my mission is different: to encourage you to look down at the architecturally designed roadway and its bricks. The architect is Lawrence Halprin who specifically designed a brick walkway that would not detract from the surrounding historic, brick structures. Rather, he selected an unusual shape, 4” by 12” pavers, so that they would look artistic, not “institutional.” Halprin is a well known architect and is known for creating “landscapes available to all segments of society and generated on the basis of final user needs.” His 1976 artistic design has recently come under discussion as the City pursues options for renovating the downtown mall.

To listen to a podcast of public comment on the plan for the new bricks, visit the Charlottesville Tomorrow Website. There has been a lot of public input into the use of 7.5 million dollars to refurbish the bricks and if the money is to be spent, how to produce an aesthetically pleasing result on time and on budget.

But here at locohistory we wanted to take a different approach and see just how well you know your downtown mall. For the following exercise it helps to enlist kids as they are closer to the ground and more likely to be successful in completing the following challenge. Or you can add this treasure hunt to your weekend pub crawl and see who finishes first. Directions for the First (and quite possibly final seeing as they may be removing these bricks in 2009) Annual Downtown Mall Brick Challenge: Begin at the Omni, face east (towards the Pavilion). See how many of the brick “hot spots” you can find (numbered throughout this post). Don’t forget to look up and watch out for pedestrians and the cars at the two drive through crossings. For bonus points, complete this challenge from memory and see if you recognize any of these spots. Good Luck!

Freemasonry emerged from the craft guilds of stone masons during the Middle Ages. This “secret society” became very popular in Colonial America and many of the founding fathers belonged to Masonic Societies, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and John Paul Jones (no, not the same eponymous individual who named the JPJ Arena here in C-ville; that John P. was a 1948 graduate of UVA Law). The Masonic Service Association website defines the organization as “a worldwide fraternity emphasizing personal study, self-improvement, and social betterment via individual involvement and philanthropy.” Originally, these organizations were limited to men. But in the 19th Century several orders were created for women: The Order of the Eastern Star (1855), the Order of the Amaranth (1873), and the White Shrine of Jerusalem (1894). Often an individual’s membership in these groups was symbolized on their gravestone. The three symbols commonly used in these motifs include a carpenter’s t-square (for measuring accurate right angles), a compass (for drawing circles, not for navigating), and the letter “G” which is variously interpreted as “God,” “Geometry,” or “Grand Architect of the Universe” (also a reference to a higher power). The second photo illustrates Colonial Era tools used by builders and carpenters.

Here in Charlottesville we have several Lodges and Chapters of the Masonic Temple. If we turn back to a C-ville City Directory from 1910-11 we see four groups: Widow’s Son Lodge, No 60 which meets “Friday on or before the full moon at 7:30 pm,” the Charlottesville Lodge, No. 55 (also meeting before the full moon), the Keystone Royal Arch Chapter, No. 58 (which livened things up a bit and met the Friday after the full moon), and the Charlottesville Commandry, No. 3 (which gave up on the celestial planning and settled for the “second Tuesday in each month.” The photo depicts one of the lodges today, located along the downtown mall. Stop by and study the symbolism in the various signs. Above the door is the classic triad. To the left of the door is a 3-D drawing that references the pyramids of Egypt (another important symbol for the group and the source of the “all-seeing” eye above the pyramid on the dollar bill). The detailed symbol on the glass door will make it easier to identify the symbolism of the T-square and compass.

For the past two years a committee has been working on restoring and researching the remarkable collection of 150 works of art painted by Frances Brand (1901-1990), a notable Charlottesville folk artist. She was also known for her work as a civil rights activist and as a world traveler. In the 1950s after serving as a major in the US Army, she retired and began studying painting in Mexico City. The painting shown at the right is a self-portrait. Eventually she chose a theme for her works, people who were pioneers in a given field or endeavor. She defined these “firsts” in broad terms, from the first female flag person on a Virginian road crew to the first female African-American police officer in town. Other “firsts” were more obscure, such as the first Charlottesville mother to use the Lamaze method. Her work was exhibited many times, most recently at the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society (click here for an on-line version of the exhibit).

Recently her grand-daughter, Cynthia Brand, initiated a discussion with the Department of Parks & Recreation Therapeutic Arts program to donate the paintings so that they could be displayed and inspire people of all ages. Several members of the community have joined forces to research and assess the condition of the collection so that it can be preserved for future exhibits. This effort includes private individuals, Cindy Brand, the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, the City of Charlottesville, the Perry Foundation, and the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (the last four groups generously donated funds to this project). Efforts are on-going to write the biographies of the people depicted in the paintings.

The committee needs YOUR help in identifying some of the paintings. While most were labeled with the name of the subject, the selections illustrated here have not been identified. If you have any idea who might be depicted please post a comment below. You will need to study the icons in the paintings to read the storyline that Mrs Brand intended. For example, the painting below is, most likely, the first Chinese (-American ?) accepted to UVA or perhaps the first Asian faculty member. The book he’s holding may also be related to his “first” accomplishment. If anyone can read the inscription that would be a helpful start. The portrait above him might be the first inter-racial couple in Charlottesville and the one above that the first African-American postal carrier in the city. These are just guesses, but hopefully the images will jog someone’s memory.

On some downtown structures history is writ large on the sides of old, brick buildings. The images below represent a small sample of the 19th and early 20th century advertising technique of painting buildings. See how many old store names you can locate on and around the mall this summer. A hint: the photos illustrated here were taken near East Water Street and 4th Street SE. Ironically, the brand-new building in the back of the “Chas King Grocers” building is “the Holsinger,” named after a famous, historic photographer.


For more photos of local graffiti visit the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society website which contains a photo essay by Glenn Rebholz. He photographed dozens of examples from downtown Charlottesville. His on-line exhibit is titled: Ghost Signs and Vestige Billboards. The accompanying report is on file at the historical society.

What year would a young man have been able to sign up for the above, fictional job posting ? The answer: 1933, working with the Civilian Conservation Corps (originally nicknamed “Roosevelt’s Tree Army”). President Franklin Delano Roosevelt created the C.C.C. in March of 1933, during the Great Depression, as a partial solution to high unemployment. By 1935 over 2,600 C.C.C. camps had been opened across the country. Over half-a-million individuals lived in these camps while they worked on public works’ projects. While widely successful, the camps were closed in 1942 a year after the US entered World War II.

Virginia had dozens of CCC camps. The very first CCC camp was located in the George Washington National Park (in Ft Valley, VA). Several camps were located in Albemarle. You can still see the product of their labor if you know where to look. One example is an old CCC-road that once connected Covesville to North Garden. This beautiful, old road winds along the mountains that parallel route 29. The CCC laborers built culverts and shored up the edges of the road to ensure proper drainage.

If you want to learn more about the contributions of the CCC and its history, stop in at the White Hall Community Center on June 8th, between 2 and 4, for the 75th Anniversay Celebration of the Civilian Conservation Corps. At 2:30 Albemarle County historian and writer, Phil James, will give a lecture on the CCC Camp Albemarle (located in White Hall). The event is hosted by the White Hall Ruritan Club and is free of charge. For more information email philjames[insert the at symbol]firstva.com.