I love the Fan and Richmond's historic neighborhoods so much that I started a blog, and attended two graduate level Architectural History courses at VCU to learn more about them. At one time I proclaimed that I'd never move out of the Fan. It was home for life. Then life happened. Perhaps the results of [...]
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A Wedding in Middleburg
It's been a while since I posted here, and certainly the theme of this post will be 99% unrelated from topics in the past. My husband Gregg and I got married on Sunday, May 15, 2016. We locked down the first and only venue we checked out, the Goodstone Inn in Middleburg, Virginia, and have no [...]
Sound familiar?
An excerpt from Samuel Mordecai's Richmond In By-Gone Days eloquently reminisces on the "flush times" Richmond experienced after the War of 1812, during the mid-late 18-teens, and it sounds quite familiar to what many markets across the country are recovering from today. He is quoting Washington Irving's description of speculative real estate mania from the [...]
Matching carriages in Latrobe perspectives
Latrobe made his presentation perspective on the "Clifton" house on this particular piece of ground just come to life. Just as he had done with previous, important presentation drawings for residential commissions such as the Pennock House or Sedgeley Villa, he depicted the owners of the home engaged in some activity, and even illustrated the [...]
The Original Clifton Drawings at Library of Congress
Spring break is past now and it seems I have been all too lax in reporting my research findings. Prior to the break I took a trip up to Washington, D.C. to visit the Library of Congress' Prints & Photographs Division, where the original Clifton drawings are preserved and housed in cold storage. My appointment [...]
Tracing Richmonder Benjamin James Harris
First owner of Clifton, Benjamin James Harris, has an interesting, yet spotty history. I am working to uncover as much about him as possible, in the hopes of establishing a feasible connection to the commission from Latrobe. So far my chronology is: 1808, March Harris owned a house at 11th & Main, called “Harris’s High [...]
And new research begins: Latrobe’s Clifton House
As I launch into the spring semester, along with new knowledge comes the research on a specially-selected topic by Dr. Brownell: The Clifton House. As I launch into the spring semester, along with new knowledge comes the research on a specially-selected topic by Dr. Brownell: The Clifton House. This house, attributed to Latrobe, once stood [...]
What is Quoit Club?
If you are like me and have an interest in Richmond's rich history and architectural, urban and rural landscapes, you may enjoy learning more about Quoit Club. The Historic Richmond Foundation has an organized group of young (and young-at-heart) Richmonders who share this interest and who get together to attend private tours, events, lectures, and [...]
Shafer’s Row History and Architectural Catalogue
Here I'll share Appendix A from the research paper on 811-819 South Cathedral Place, in Richmond, Virginia. It covers the 5 unit row and a history of events, residents and ownership from construction to VCU acquisition. Also included is a narrative description of each unit's architectural details.
Wintery Richmond City
A few shots of The Fan from this weekend's snow...
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