As I was driving home from VCU I stopped to snap a picture of a chimney that caught my eye. Last fall I worked on a project – a row of townhomes at the 800 block of South Cathedral Place. By examining a number of clues, I ended up suggesting that it was likely that Gilbert J. Hunt was the builder of these homes for a number of reasons. I’m beginning to wonder if the particular way he designed his chimneys was perhaps a calling card! I came across several more of these rare chimneys at 1301 and 1300 Grove Avenue, at the intersection of Morris Street. Another example of the chimneys was across Morris Street on the 1100 block. I wondered if any of these addresses would be attributed to Hunt in the Department of Historic Resources’ Fan District historic district nomination form, and…
He is also credited with the neighboring house, 1302 Grove Avenue (shown below, second photo). Right across the street, on the corner at 1301 Grove Avenue I was most interested because not only did I see the same chimney, but once again in combination with the slate mansard roof! I think it is very likely that with Hunt building right across the block, he probably had a few other lots right around that area.
I checked the Baist Atlas from 1889 (which would’ve been earlier) and there’s no name associated with the lots yet, except for W.E. Fox on 1301 Grove, with a yellow building on the site which I believe means wood construction. On the 1877 Beers Atlas, the site is noted as owned by Mrs. F.M. Holloway, with a structure on the site. The VDHR forms notes this address as ca. 1893. Perhaps a dwelling existed on the site, was demolished and rebuilt in or around 1893. But, I believe my theory of Hunt and the chimneys seems to be little more solid today. Below are pictures of the addresses from today.
More to come on my current research (Latrobe, Tolman, Dimmock, Winston and Clifton), soon…
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