LoCoHistory

Prior to the 20th Century, there were three public cemeteries in Charlottesville: Maplewood (founded c. 1827), Oakwood (founded c. 1860), and Riverview (founded in 1887). An earlier graveyard pre-dates these, but its location is lost to the shadows of history. A rare reference to it is found in Moore’s Albemarle: Jefferson’s County (1976) who mentioned a burial ground “in a garden” off Park Street, near the First Presbyterian Church. Today it is an empty lot along an otherwise densely packed street.

Due to the wonderful comments in the earlier post, I decided to add a little more information about the Marchant Building off the corner of Dale Avenue & Harris (visible from Preston Avenue). The Sanborn excerpt below is thanks to the contribution of Bill Emory (read his original comment in the earlier post).

I edited the description within the building because it would not be visible at the scale necessary to fit in this post. Because Sanborn’s were made by a fire insurance company, they list details on construction and assets within structures. The main room in the Marchant building was described as a “pressing and stock room” on the 1st floor and a “cutting and sewing” room on the 2nd. And in this map the company is described as the H.C. Marchant Manufacturing Co., Inc., manufacturers of overalls and clothing. For a detailed description of the attendant Woolen Mills neighborhood, visit the Historic Woolen Mills site compiled by Bill Emory and his neighbors.

How many times have you driven by the county office buildings/Bodo’s on Preston and wondered what the Gothic-looking mansion was originally ? I’m referring to the H.C. Marchant Manufacturing Company. In a 1906 “illustrated edition” of the Daily Progress, the plant is described as “devoted exclusively to the manufacture of overalls and coats of every grade.” Amazingly, the building contained 6,325 square feet of office space and originally employeed 75 workers. Alas, the article concluded that “the future of this company is undoubtedly assured.” While that does not appear to be the case, it’s admirable that their motto was “No Skimping,” with an emphasis on the “best material,” “full cut,” and “honest make.”

I’m pretty certain that the owner of the building is the same Henry C. Marchant who owned the mill in Woolen Mills. To the right is an example of their letterhead (from a letter dated 1878). H.C. Marchant’s name and title “President” is highlighted in the upper left-hand corner and the advertisement promises “cassimeres (sic), cadet grays, suitings, Kerseys, etc. etc.” Does anyone know what a Kersey is ?

What is a colonial ordinary ? (a) a daily meal, consumed before dinner, (b) a second-rate menu item, (c) a tavern providing a meal at a set price. If you guessed “c” treat yourself to an extra dessert at your favorite modern-day inn. In the 18th Century, an Ordinary was an establishment that served meals and, sometimes, provided shelter. Ordinaries, later called taverns or inns, were spaced at regular intervals across the county so that travellers could rest and feed themselves and their horses. Historic Charlottesville had dozens of ordinaries. Alas, from all accounts they were nothing like today’s idyllic bed & breakfasts. Instead, the beds were often infested with bugs and vermin. And Moore (Albemarle, 1976: 39) reports that a typical meal consisted of eggs, bacon, hoecake, and local moonshine, either peach brandy or whiskey. One famous local tavern was the Michie Tavern. Transcribed from the 1745 County Court Order Book, Mary Rawlings (194, MACH 5: 9) reported that the rates at Albemarle ordinaries included “good Virginia cyder by the quart” for 7 pence half penny; “a servant’s diet” for six pence; “peach brandy by the gallon” for 18 pence; and “Indian corn by the gall” for 4 pence (note to tourists: 12 pence=1 shilling; 20 shillings = 1 British pound) in today’s currency the “Virginia cyder” would cost about $7.60). If numismatics is your thing, I recommend the Measuring Worth site for all of your Colonial currency conversion needs.

The Barracks Road Shopping Center is one of the oldest in the country, dating to 1959. To view the rest of this great old photograph of Barracks Road, see Cville Dave’s Posting on the Barracks Road Shopping Center in the 1960s. In the photo you can see the newly built shopping center, mostly surrounded by woods, with large expanses of asphalt for the “acres of free parking” that was touted in the original advertisement. Built by an area developer, Rinehart, it displaced a famous tavern called Carroll’s Tea Room. Moore’s history of Charlottesville reports that although it often possessed neither tea nor room, it was “an oasis for thousands of thirsty university students.” If you look closely at the Barracks Road logo, found on signs along the edges of the retail center, you will notice a rider on a horse. This logo references the cavalry soldiers who manned the “Barracks.” The military barracks were constructed west of town near Ivy Farms during the Revolutionary War to house British and German prisoners-of-war.

Following on the fruit theme from the last post, what is 1,307 acres, 179+ years old, and 14 miles south of C-ville ? Answer: The Covesville Historic District. Created in 2005, the district includes 90 “primary resources” (buildings or features that have historic significance) that date between 1750 and 1954. Many of these buildings illustrate Greek Revival and Federal styles.

The Peyton Map illustrates the significant structures as of 1875. Note the Cove Chapel (today the Cove Presbyterian Church).

As the name suggests, Covesville was one of the most successful commerical apple orchards in the state of Virginia. Today, one of the most visible historic structures is the Covesville Antique Store. The store was built prior to 1910 by the Boaz Family to sell the annual crops of apples and apple-products. The store was known for its smoked ham and for being racially integrated as early as the 1930s. In 2002, the store was bought by Sarah and Rick Ovenshire and has been renovated and re-opened as an antique store and country store.

How can you use maps to reconstruct C-ville history ? While not all contemporary street/geographic names are authentically historic, many reveal past events, livelihoods, and historic personages. Obvious examples include Rio Mills, Barracks Road, and J.P.A. Some neighborhoods contain dense concentrations of historically oriented street names. One example is Fifeville (itself named after the Fife family). As you drive down Cherry Avenue, look for other fruit-related street names. In the 19th Century, this area contained fruit orchards, as evidenced by street names: Apple, Cherry, Grove, and Orangedale. Some of these streets have disappeared since the early 20th Century. For example, Apple Street once ran east/west from 5th Street to Ridge. This short street was demolished and Cherry Avenue was built in the same general location, but running northwest to the southeast (where it turns into Elliott Avenue and passes south of the Oakwood Cemetery). The map is provided courtesy of the Geospatial & Statistical Data Center at UVA and illustrates a snippet from a 1920 Sanborn Map. The street names in red are modern, and the green line shows the rough path of today’s Cherry/Elliott streets. As you can see, Apple Street lies under today’s Tonsler Park.

Today the Ivy Creek Natural Area contains hiking trails, copious amounts of birds, and a learning center. In 1880, on this same site, Hugh Carr’s 80-acre farm, River View, contained crops, a milk cow, 4 swine, 10 poultry, and many other agricultural features. Although born into slavery around 1840, Hugh Carr worked hard after emancipation to save his earnings and invest in land in the Hydraulic Mills neighborhood (along the Rivanna). The Ivy Creek Foundation has conducted extensive research into the Life & Legacy of the Carr family. Many 19th and 20th Century features are visible today: the original farmhouse, a clapboard barn, historic road beds, and springhouses. Make sure you visit the ICNF site before you go so that you can enjoy the rich history of this farm.
During your visit, take a few moments to visit the Carr Family Cemetery. It contains an interesting array of granite and carved fieldstone gravemarkers.

Hugh Carr’s son-in-law, Conly Greer, contracted with several area businesses to haul away their trash. Many of these items, referred to by archaeologists as “artifacts” (it’s true, archaeologists study trash), are visible above-ground in trash middens. Below is a sherd with the profile of a famous Charlottesvillian which was the logo for the Old Monticello Hotel (located across from the courthouse).