The latest of the three houses illustrated is that of John D. Smith, an upholsterer and paper-hanger, at 2617 East Franklin. Built in 1856, this house remained in the family of Mr. Smith until 1900.
[HOR]
This whole block between Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh is an interesting example of the houses built in the late ’fifties under neo-Greek influence. The location is particularly impressive, the back porches sharing a magnificent view over the James River.
(Library of Congress) — Beers Illustrated Atlas of the Cities of Richmond & Manchester, 1877 — Plate M — showing ownership by Maria Smith
The Smith house was the most satisfactory of those still remaining, until its step-gables were injured in a storm a few years ago and replaced by simple slanting gables. A comparison of its present appearance with our photograph demonstrates forcibly the charm that this type of gable-end added to a dwelling. [HOR]
June 2019
There are two John D. Smiths, both buried in Hollywood Cemetery, dying in 1861 and 1867 respectively. Neither left much in the way of a public record, so it’s not possible to tell who was the actual owner of the house or to say much more about it.
(ProQuest® Sanborn Maps Geo Edition™) — Sanborn Insurance Maps of Richmond (1925) — Plate 208 — showing concrete steps between Franklin & Main Streets
However, the house’s position at the southwest intersection of Franklin and Twenty-Seventh Streets is interesting to note. As you can see in the Beers map above, Twenth-Seventh used to extend all the way to Main Street, which would have made for a steep road similar to nearby Twenty-Third Street. The Sanborn maps of 1905 show this road still in place, but by 1925 it had been replaced by the concrete steps which remain today.
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That design was, in turn, related to McKim, Mead & White’s Gorham Building in New York, a modernized version of an Italianate palazzo with an arcade at the base of the building and a heavy projecting cornice at the roof.
April 2020
This design was felt to be a particularly successful blending of traditional and modern features, most appropriate for a modern shop.
April 2020
The Cokesbury Building is designed carefully and well detailed. The first floor arcade was glazed fully, but is now closed partially.
April 2020
The interior vaulted ceilings have been removed, but the building is otherwise well preserved. The reason for the popularity of this building type is seen easily. It is simple, dignified and impressive. [ADR]
The Cokesbury Building, with the Cokesbury Bookstore on the first floor, was an outgrowth of the Methodist Episcopal Book Concern. Created in 1789, this organization was established to religious materials for the Methodist church. It would eventually expand to include books and religious supplies and rebranded as the Cokesbury Press in 1925. By 2012, there would be 57 Cokesbury Book Stores nationwide, one of which used to be on Grace Street.
April 2020
But in that same year, Cokesbury announced the closure of their brick-and-mortar stores, and today they’re online only. The Grace Street location had long been abandoned by that point, having relocated to Tuckernuck Square shopping center in 1992. A loss, really. They were more than just religious books and often had unusual or hard to find titles, back in the days before Amazon.
Richmond Police detectives need the public’s help to identify the individuals in the attached photo, who are suspected of using a stolen credit to make fraudulent purchases last week.
On Monday, March 30, the victim was notified that their card had been used at the Farm Fresh located in the 2300 block of East Main Street. Surveillance footage shows two females buying food and cigarettes worth over $400 with the victim’s card. They were last seen leaving the store in a silver convertible with a black top. A photo of the vehicle is attached.
Detectives determined the card was also used at the McDonald’s located in the 1800 block of East Broad Street.
Anyone with information about the identity of these suspects is asked to call First Precinct Detective J. Mitchell at (804) 646-0569 or contact Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000 or at www.7801000.com. The P3 Tips Crime Stoppers app for smartphones may also be used. All Crime Stoppers methods are anonymous.
It is with heavy hearts that we make the unfortunate announcement that Billy Jack’s RVA will be closing down permanently. While our time here was brief, the relationships and memories we’ve made are eternal. We appreciate everything that y’all have done for us, especially those of you in the Bone Club. These are difficult times for everyone involved and if you would like to support some of our staff who are now facing employment uncertainty, please feel free to donate at the link below. We can not properly express how much this decision pains us and how bad we are going to miss everyone. Please message with any further questions and stay tuned to our Instagram page for some trips down memory lane
![[HOR]](https://rvahub.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/John-D-Smith-House-2.jpg)
![[ADR] — Cokesbury Building in 1981](https://rvahub.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Cokesbury-2-624x683.jpg)
