COURT SQUARE
REVOLUTIONARY AND CIVIL WARS / ARCHITECTURAL TRENDS / FORMING A NEW CITY / CITY BEAUTIFUL
MOVEMENT / URBAN SLAVERY
ABBREVIATED VERSION (FOR THE MARKER)
Origins of Albemarle County & Charlottesville
The original courthouse was built after the Albemarle County seat moved from Scott‟s Ferry to
Charlottesville.1 Originally the crucial fall-line port at Milton was considered for the courthouse location. Dr. Thomas
Walker acted as a trustee to manage the purchase of 50 acres of land just west of Milton. This land was carved into
a court square and city blocks. Colonel William Cabell won the bid to clear the timber and build the courthouse as
the first civic building in 1762. It was here that local elections were held with the help of attorneys and magistrates
like Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe, who practiced law in Charlottesville.2
The Albemarle County Courthouse was the only voting location until the mid-1800s. It was customary for
candidates to supply food and drink to their supporters on election day. Rum punch was a favorite beverage during
that time. Voting was conducted by voice, with each voter publicly selecting his candidate. 3 Thomas Jefferson later
called the northern portion of the courthouse the “common temple” because four different religious denominations
worshipped in the building before constructing their own churches nearby.4
In May of 1781, the Virginia General Assembly designated the Courthouse as the temporary state capital
building as British troops attacked Richmond.5 Patrick Henry, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Richard Henry
Lee, John Tyler, and Daniel Boone met at the Courthouse and surrounding taverns during the Revolution.
Colonial Revival Fever
The appearance of Court Square has changed over the past 250 years. The Albemarle County Courthouse
building has been expanded and renovated, undergoing significant stylistic changes as late as 1938, when it was
remodeled in the Colonial Revival Style you see today.6 A lively street called McKee Block predated the statue of
Stonewall Jackson on the west side of the square until 1921. The open space in the square was formerly occupied
by a number of lawyer offices, a jailhouse, and whipping post.7
The original Courthouse was a wood frame building built on the northern boundary of the town of
Charlottesville, surrounded by houses rather than streets, in the style of an “English green.”8 In 1803, a new two story
brick building replaced the original wooden Courthouse.
A significant stylistic change occurred in 1860, when Gothic Revival design elements were added to the
building in order to modernize the nearly 100 year old courthouse. Shortly thereafter, in the Reconstruction era
(1865-1867), civil courts throughout the south were closed after the Civil War, and public assembly was temporarily
Eryn S. Brennan and Margaret Maliszewski, Images of America: Charlottesville. Arcadia Publishing: 2011. p. 14
Department of Community Development, Historic Landmark Study: Charlottesville, Virginia. The Michie Company: 1976. p. 53
3 Bernard Chamberlain. Unpublished. ACHS files.
4 Brennan and Maliszewski, p. 14; Mary Rawlings, ed. Early Charlottesville: Recollections of James Alexander, 1828-1874. (Charlottesville:
Albemarle County Historical Society, 1942): 9; Historic Landmark Study: Charlottesville, Virginia, p. 53
5 Historic Landmark Study: Charlottesville, Virginia, p. 53
6 Brennan and Maliszewski, p. 9
7 Rawlings, Mary, p. 8
8 Rawlings, Mary, p. 2; Ed Lay, p. 73
1
2
forbidden.9 Court Square eventually reopened, sustaining few changes until 1921, when additional structures like
private law offices were demolished.10 The Gothic Revival components of the courthouse were disguised in 1938
when a New Deal project included a Colonial Revival design project for the courthouse.11 The appearance and layout
of Court Square has remained largely unchanged since the 1930s, though the City of Charlottesville made aesthetic
improvements to the surrounding roads and landscape in 2002.
The Landscape of Criminal Justice
Up until the 1870s, corporal punishment in public had been the primary method of managing criminals and
crime.12 The whipping post, pillory, stocks, and gallows were the major places of significance under this system.
Court Square included all of these public punishment structures. The jail played a background role as a space for
housing those on trial, and those convicted before their punishment was administered.13
The first jail was built on Court Square in 1766.14 In 1876, rather than reconstruct the dilapidated jail next to
the Court House in full view of the public, the jail was relocated on a low plot of land behind High Street. This decision
followed national trends in criminal justice and crime prevention. The new justice system favored confining inmates
away from the general population instead of displaying their punishments publicly.
By the 1850s, there were many laws regulating the lives of slaves and the relationships among slaves,
slaveowners, and freed blacks. During the decades leading up to the Civil War, rebellious slave activity was
increasingly common. Throughout the 1850s, multiple cases were heard at the Court House related to slaves
burning barns and other farm structures or for attempts to poison their masters. When found guilty of crimes in the
1800s, both slaves and free men were often either lashed at the public whipping post on Court Square or hanged.
In 1861, Virginia declared that all freed blacks between 18 and 50 years old must register to fight for the
Confederate States of America in the Civil War. On December 12, 1862, 540 slaves from Albemarle County rural
and urban homes were brought to Court Square after a state mandate to volunteer their slaves to support the
establishment of military building defenses around Richmond.15
FULL TEXT VERSION (FOR THE WEBSITE)
Origins of Albemarle County & Charlottesville
The original courthouse was built after the Albemarle County seat moved from Scottsville to
Charlottesville.16 Originally the crucial fall-line port at Milton was considered for the courthouse location. However,
Dr. Thomas Walker owned a large tract of land just west of Milton. Walker donated 50 acres to be carved into a court
square and city blocks. Colonel William Cabell won the bid to clear the timber and build the courthouse as the first
Bernard Chamberlain.
Daniel Bluestone, “A Virginia Courthouse Square,” Buildings, Landscapes, and Memory: Case Studies in Historic Preservation. (New York:
W.W. Norton & Company, 2011): 226.
11 Historic Landmark Study: Charlottesville, Virginia p. 52
12 Charlottesville Chronicle, January 19, 1877.
13 Henry Burns, Origin and Development of Jails in America (Carbondale: Center for the Study of Crime, Delinquency, and Corrections,
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, 1971), 6. Handbook of Correctional Institution Design and Construction (Washington DC: United
States Bureau of Prisons, 1949), 2.
14 K. Edward Lay, The Architecture of Jefferson County: Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia. University of Virginia Press: 2000. p.
73.
15 Sam Towler.
16 Eryn S. Brennan and Margaret Maliszewski, Images of America: Charlottesville. Arcadia Publishing: 2011. p. 14
9
10
civic building in 1762. It was here that local elections were held with the help of attorneys and magistrates like
Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe, who practiced law in Charlottesville.17
The Albemarle County Courthouse was the only voting location until the mid-1800s. It was customary for
candidates to supply food and drink to their supporters on election day. Rum punch was a favorite beverage during
that time. Voting was conducted by voice, with each voter publicly selecting his candidate.18 Thomas Jefferson later
called the northern portion of the courthouse the “common temple” because four different religious denominations
worshipped in the building before constructing their own churches nearby.19
In May of 1781, the Virginia General Assembly designated the Courthouse as the temporary state capital
building as British troops attacked Richmond.20 Patrick Henry, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Richard Henry
Lee, John Tyler, and Daniel Boone met at the Courthouse and surrounding taverns to deliberate about the
Revolution.
Residents in the homes surrounding Court Square were often urban slave-owners through the 1860s,
typically owning one or two slaves who lived in their homes or nearby buildings.21 It was also not uncommon for
Charlottesville and Albemarle County residents to take in indentured servants during their childhood or adolescence.
After the Civil War, the practice changed into apprenticeships. Whether servants or apprentices, African American or
white, these children could become charges of another family as early as 3 years old, sometimes staying with these
families until they were in their early 20s. Simple education was often included, along with room and board and,
sometimes, a small fee.22
Colonial Revival Fever
The appearance of Court Square has changed over the past 250 years. The Albemarle County Courthouse
building has been expanded and renovated, undergoing significant stylistic changes as late as 1938, when the
Courthouse was remodeled with the Colonial Revival Style you see today.23 A lively street called McKee Block
predated the statue of Stonewall Jackson on the west side of the square until 1921. The open space in the square
was formerly occupied by a number of lawyer offices, a jailhouse, and whipping post.24
The original Courthouse was a wood frame building built on the northern boundary of the town of
Charlottesville, surrounded by houses rather than streets, in the style of an “English green.25 In 1803, a new two story
brick building replaced the original wooden Courthouse.
In 1860, the southern side of the Courthouse was expanded with Gothic Revival design elements like
octagonal stair towers. The prominent portico and large columns were added 10 years later. In the Reconstruction
era (1865-1867), civil courts in the south were closed after the Civil War, and public assembly was forbidden.26
Department of Community Development, Historic Landmark Study: Charlottesville, Virginia. The Michie Company: 1976. p. 53
Bernard Chamberlain. Unpublished. ACHS files.
19 Brennan and Maliszewski, p. 14; Mary Rawlings, ed. Early Charlottesville: Recollections of James Alexander, 1828-1874. (Charlottesville:
Albemarle County Historical Society, 1942): 9; Historic Landmark Study: Charlottesville, Virginia, p. 53
20 Historic Landmark Study: Charlottesville, Virginia, p. 53
21 US Census, 1860
22 Sam Towler, The Court Doth Order: Extracted from Albemarle County & Charlottesville, Virginia Order, Law Order and Minute Books, 18001900. New Papyrus Publishers. 2009.
23 Brennan and Maliszewski, p. 9
24 Rawlings, Mary, p. 8
25 Rawlings, Mary, p. 2; Ed Lay, p. 73
17
18
In 1921, during the City Beautiful movement, the Chamber of Commerce demolished the private law offices
that had populated Court Square since the 1850s as part of a trend to beautify public spaces.27 In 1938, a major
renovation to the Courthouse was a Public Work Administration project from the New Deal, disguising signs of the
Gothic architectural style and introducing a Colonial Revival style.28 29 During this effort, the PWA removed the yellow
stucco façade and added a brick veneer to the building.30 The appearance and layout of Court Square has remained
largely unchanged since the 1930s.
The Landscape of Criminal Justice
Up until the 1870s, corporal punishment in public had been the primary method of managing criminals and
The whipping post, pillory, stocks, and gallows were the major places of significance under this system, while
the jail played a small background role as a space for housing those on trial, and those convicted before their
punishment was administered. Court Square included these public punishment structures.32
crime.31
The first jail was built on Court Square in 1766. It was replaced by a two-story 16‟ by 16‟ building in 1785 in
the same location, before a larger jail was constructed in 1798.33 However, by 1876, the 1798 jail was in poor shape
and needed once again to be rebuilt.34 Rather than reconstruct the jail next to the Court House in full view of the
public, the jail was relocated on a low plot of land behind High Street. This followed national trends in criminal justice
and crime prevention. The new justice system favored confining inmates away from the general population instead
of public punishment.
By the 1850s, there were many laws regulating the lives of slaves and the relationships among slaves,
slaveowners, and freed blacks. During the decades leading up to the Civil War, rebellious slave activity was
increasingly common. For example, Ben an enslaved male, was hanged at Court Square in 1851 for beating and
drowning his master, Edward Farneyhough. Throughout the 1850s, multiple cases were heard at the Court House
related to slaves burning barns and other farm structures or for attempts to poison their masters. When found guilty,
slaves were either lashed at the public whipping post on Court Square or hanged.
In 1861, Virginia declared that all freed blacks between 18 and 50 years old must register to fight for the
Confederate States of America in the Civil War. On December 12, 1862, 540 slaves from Albemarle County rural
and urban homes were brought to Court Square after a state mandate to volunteer slaves for help building defenses
in Richmond.35
WHO WAS THE LAST CRIMINAL HANGED IN CHARLOTTESVILLE?
Bernard Chamberlain.
Daniel Bluestone, “A Virginia Courthouse Square,” Buildings, Landscapes, and Memory: Case Studies in Historic Preservation. (New York:
W.W. Norton & Company, 2011): 226.
28 Brennan and Maliszewski, p. 14
29 Historic Landmark Study: Charlottesville, Virginia p. 52
30 W. S. Burnley. Albemarle County Court House. Broadside. 1939.
31 Charlottesville Chronicle, January 19, 1877.
32 Henry Burns, Origin and Development of Jails in America (Carbondale: Center for the Study of Crime, Delinquency, and Corrections,
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, 1971), 6. Handbook of Correctional Institution Design and Construction (Washington DC: United
States Bureau of Prisons, 1949), 2.
33 K. Edward Lay, The Architecture of Jefferson County: Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia. University of Virginia Press: 2000. p.
73.
34 Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Minutes (Albemarle County Clerk‟s Office, Charlottesville, VA, April 14, 1874), p. 101.
35 Sam Towler.
26
27
The last public hanging in Charlottesville was at 7:34 am on February 10, 1905. J. Samuel McCue, a former
Charlottesville mayor, was hanged in the county jail for murdering his wife. Walking to the scaffolding alone, McCue
slipped once on the icy path and made no final statement. McCue‟s death of strangulation was pronounced 19
minutes after the trap door was released.36
36
New York Times, February 11, 1905.
CHARLOTTESVILLE‟S EARLY HOTELS
CHANGES IN TRAVEL FROM THE 18TH CENTURY THROUGH THE MID-20TH CENTURY / SEGREGATION / CULTURAL AND
SOCIAL CENTERS / MODERNIZING HOTELS FOR CAR TRAVEL
ABBREVIATED VERSION (FOR THE MARKER)
In the 1830s, a 72 mile trip to Richmond by carriage took 28 hours.37 Because of the challenges of travel in the
18th and 19th centuries, multiple taverns and hotels were located in Court Square to accommodate those passing
through town. Early hotels were more than rooms with temporary beds; they were social and commercial centers for
transients and locals.
The Jefferson Hotel, which also functioned as a post office, James Barclay‟s drug store, and a Masonic lodge,
was located on Jefferson Street in the 1830s and run by George Garnett.38 The hotel was brick, with a tin façade to
prevent fires. In addition to the hotel‟s 25 bedrooms, guests enjoyed a spacious dining room, a ballroom, and a bar.
Down the street was the Eagle Tavern, which was later replaced by a series of other hotels.39 The current
building, the Monticello Hotel, was built in 1926. The Monticello Hotel was designed to be modern, convenient, and
comfortable to appeal to the new class of tourists visiting historic sites by automobile. The architects added
Jeffersonian design details to soften the look of the new building type: skyscraper.40 Modern amenities, like a
pressing shop, a manicure parlor, and a barber shop were included in the basement.41
In 1927, a searchlight known as the Thomas Jefferson Beacon was installed on the roof of the Monticello Hotel
and was visible for hundreds of miles at night.42 The light, originally intended for army use, was given as a gift to
Charlottesville by Virginia Public Service Company (predecessor to Dominion Power). The direct light could blister
human skin as far as 1,000 feet away – operators claimed the beacon was the hottest spot on earth.
The searchlight, installed to illuminate Monticello mountain at night, had the unintended consequence of
disrupting the practice of roadside smooching among young lovers, which the Daily Progress noted in a 1927 article
after a test run of the beacon. The official lighting ceremony was broadcast at City Hall in New York City as well as in
Charlottesville, where a marching band celebrated on Main Street.43 The Monticello Hotel building was converted to
condominiums in the 1970s.44
WHO IS “88 KEYS” AND WHAT DID HE DO ON THE ROOF OF THE MONTICELLO HOTEL?
EXTENDED VERSION (FOR THE WEBSITE)
Mary Rawlings, ed. Early Charlottesville: Recollections of James Alexander, 1828-1874. (Charlottesville, VA: Albemarle County Historical
Society, 1942): 30.
38 Mary Rawlings: 32.
39 Eryn S. Brennan and Margaret Maliszewski, Images of America: Charlottesville. (Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2011): 18.
40 Daniel Bluestone, “A Virginia Courthouse Square,” Buildings, Landscapes, and Memory: Case Studies in Historic Preservation. (New York:
W.W. Norton & Company, 2011): 228.
41 Community History Workshop, University of Virginia School of Architecture, More than a Mall: A Guide to Historic Downtown Charlottesville
(Charlottesville, VA: Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, 2010): 9.
42 Brennan and Maliszewski: 67.
43 Bill Edwards, “Mystery Photo Solved,” Lighthouse Digest. (September 2005). Web.
<http://www.lighthousedigest.com/Digest/StoryPage.cfm?StoryKey=2298>
44 More than a Mall: A Guide to Historic Downtown Charlottesville: 9.
37
In the 1830s, a 72 mile trip to Richmond by carriage took 28 hours.45 Because of the challenges of travel in the
18th and 19th centuries, multiple taverns and hotels were located in Court Square to accommodate those passing
through town. Early hotels were more than rooms with temporary beds; they were social and commercial centers for
transients and locals.
The Jefferson Hotel, which also functioned as a post office, James Barclay‟s drug store, and the Widow‟s Son
Lodge of Freemasons, was located on Jefferson Street in the 1830s and run by George Garnett.46 The hotel was
brick, with a tin façade to prevent fires. In addition to the hotel‟s 25 bedrooms, guests enjoyed a spacious dining
room, a ballroom, and a bar.
(Holsinger, undated view of Monticello Hotel from Court Square)
45
46
Mary Rawlings: 30.
Mary Rawlings: 32.
(Holsinger, undated views of the interior banquet space at the Monticello Hotel)
Down the street was the Eagle Tavern, which was replaced by the Farish Hotel in the 1860s. The Eagle Tavern
had been on the site since the late 1700s. In 1903, during the height of Colonial Revival, the Farish Hotel was
renamed The Colonial Hotel and operated until the 1920s.47 A new, much larger hotel was built in 1926, replacing
several smaller buildings that had been on the block. The Monticello Hotel was designed to be modern, convenient,
and comfortable to appeal to the new class of tourists visiting historic sites by automobile. The architects added
Jeffersonian design details to soften the look of the new building type: skyscraper.48
At 10 stories tall and taking up a city block, the Monticello Hotel loomed over the city and ushered in a new
precedent for development. Modern amenities, like a pressing shop, a manicure parlor, and a barber shop were
included in the basement.49 The Monticello Hotel also included a restaurant that was open to overnight guests and
other diners, with multiple courses available for as low as $1.99. Those familiar with the chef would often ask directly
for the spoonbread, the hotel‟s specialty, even before glancing at the menu. The spoonbread recipe remained a
secret throughout the late 20th century.50
Brennan and Maliszewski: 18.
Bluestone: 228.
49 More than a Mall: A Guide to Historic Downtown Charlottesville: p 9.
50 Michie Hamlett law firm Interview with 88 Keys Wilson. (January 12, 2010). Web. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfNoPOr0EPo>
47
48
(Holsinger, 1927 photo of Agnes Boxley on top of the Monticello Hotel)
“Photograph taken at night by aid of „Jefferson Beacon Light‟,
three miles away”
View of Monticello Hotel from Jackson Park – note the
Thomas Jefferson Beacon on the roof
In 1927, a searchlight known as the Thomas Jefferson Beacon was installed on the roof of the Monticello Hotel
and was visible for hundreds of miles at night.51 The light, originally intended for army use, was given as to gift to
Charlottesville by Virginia Public Service Company (predecessor to Dominion Power). The direct light could blister
human skin in its path as far as 1,000 feet away – operators claimed the inside of the beacon was the hottest spot on
earth. Charlottesville Lumber Company won a bid to install the light, which, at 4,500 pounds, took several weeks to
install.
The searchlight, installed to illuminate Monticello mountain at night, had the unintended consequence of
disrupting the practice of roadside smooching among young lovers, which the Daily Progress noted in a 1927 article
after a test run of the beacon. The official lighting ceremony was broadcast on the radio from City Hall in New York
City as well as in Charlottesville, where a marching band celebrated on Main Street.52 At the time that the light was
installed, the intention was to revolutionize history tourism, encouraging Americans to travel by car to important public
history sites, by day and by night. The Monticello Hotel building was converted to condominiums in the 1970s.53
Due to racial segregation, African American visitors to Charlottesville had few hotel options during the 19th and
centuries. When Duke Ellington played at Memorial Gym in 1961, he stayed at the Carver Inn on Preston
Avenue, as did Hattie McDaniel and Louis Armstrong.54 During Jim Crow laws between 1936 and 1967, African
American travelers consulted The Negro Traveler's Green Book, a national publication that navigated hospitable
restaurants and hotels like the local Carver Inn and Bren-Wana Restaurant and Motel.55
20th
WHO IS “88 KEYS” AND WHAT DID HE DO ON THE ROOF OF THE MONTICELLO HOTEL?
Wilford “88 Keys” Wilson is a local musician who has played piano in Charlottesville and abroad for over 80 years. In
1947, Clarence “Dinky” Monroe, a jazz guitarist, gave Wilson the nickname because he saw Wilson playing every
one of the 88 keys on the keyboard at a concert in the old barn at Washington Park. 88 Keys has been playing piano
daily since he was seven, when his mother began giving him lessons. During World War II, Wilson created the
“Regimental Revue” with other musicians in his regiment in Europe. The Regimental Revue became popular and
continued touring after the war.
After the war, 88 Keys began working for the University of Virginia Medical Center, where he entertained patients and
staff by playing piano. He also worked at the Monticello Hotel, Farmington Country Club, and Boar‟s Head Inn,
where 88 Keys would delight coworkers with his piano talents after their shifts. Wilson created the local Battle of the
Bands in the 1960s, which was a charity effort that raised thousands of dollars for the March of Dimes.
88 Keys remembers rooftop parties hosted by employees of the Monticello Hotel, with as many as 50-75 people in
attendance. Using the elevator, they would carry a piano onto the roof, where 88 Keys would play music until the
early hours of the morning. Meanwhile, the chef would send food and drinks up in the elevator as well. 88 Keys also
remembers waiting on the Supremes when they ate lunch at the Monticello Hotel. When Ray Charles came to
Charlottesville, 88 Keys saw the musician check in at the Monticello Hotel.56
Brennan and Maliszewski: 67.
Bill Edwards.
53 More than a Mall: A Guide to Historic Downtown Charlottesville: 9.
54 Brennan and Maliszewski: 119.
55 Agnes Cross-White, Images of America: Charlottesville, the African-American Community. (Arcadia Publishing, 1998): 59.
56 Bryan McKenzie. “McKenzie: At 86, Wilson still burning up all 88 keys”. The Daily Progress (July 29, 2012).
51
52
Add photos and clarification for the other references.
JEFFERSON STREET COMMERCE
SHOPPING AT COURT SQUARE / DEMOLISHED BUILDINGS / MIXED-USE CHARLOTTESVILLE / DECLINE OF COURT
SQUARE COMMERCE / URBAN FABRIC AND CIRCULATION/DENSITY OF BUILDINGS
ABBREVIATED VERSION (FOR THE MARKER)
Before Main Street began to grow commercially in the 1840s, Court Square was Charlottesville‟s primary
mixed-use commercial, residential, and social district.57 Stores in the Court Square area served city residents and
local farmers.58 Before the Civil War, grocers also opened early on Sunday mornings to conduct business with
slaves from nearby plantations. 59
By the mid-1800s, however, this trading practice ended. Slaveowners could be fined for allowing their
slaves to trade independently or to hire themselves out to others for pay. Leading up to the Civil War, white business
owners also could be fined for doing business with slaves.60
In 1850, the bustling development of West Main Street posed a serious threat to businesses at Court
Square. In a letter to her father, Court Square resident Harriet Mathews wrote, “It is strange how business leaves
particular parts of the town, moves to others. I know when the square used to be the best place for business –
but…it is far from it now.”61
The Butler-Norris house, circa 1785, at 410 E. Jefferson Street, is the only surviving 18th century building in
Court Square. Built for Edward Butler, this early house features a typical townhouse plan with a narrow passage and
parlor in front, larger room and stair in rear, and a kitchen and shop in the basement. Opie Norris, a lawyer,
merchant, and town trustee, lived here with his family until 1868. 62
John Kelly developed a mercantile duplex at 418 E. Jefferson in 1826. Before a 1921 renovation to
accommodate a single establishment, the stores of the duplex sold dry goods, confections, groceries, and liquor.63
Sophia Leschot, who became successful by offering tasteful items for women, operated a dry goods store beneath
her residence in the duplex. 64
W. H. and J. P. Edmonds, African American brothers, operated a “Choice Staple and Fancy Groceries”
store at 508 Jefferson Street, beginning in the late 1800s. They specialized in selling and shipping such local foods
as Virginia ham, bacon, and cornmeal from nearby counties.65
FULL TEXT VERSION (FOR THE WEBSITE )
Rawlings, Mary, p. 37
Rawlings, Mary, p.3
59 Sam Towler.
60 Sam Towler.
61 Harriet Mathews, letter to J. Dundore, Port Republic, Va. Postmarked Charlottesville, VA. 8 January 1850. Albert and Shirley Small Special
Collections Library, University of Virginia.
62 Rawlings, Mary, p. 36
63 Historic Landmarks Study: Charlottesville, Virginia, p. 51
64 Rawlings, Mary, p. 34
65 The Washington Herald, April 30, 1912. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045433/1912-04-30/ed-1/seq-7/>
57
58
Before Main Street began to grow commercially in the 1840s, Court Square was Charlottesville‟s primary mixeduse commercial, residential, and social district.66 Stores in the Court Square area served both city residents and
local farmers. Before the Civil War, grocers typically opened early Sunday mornings to trade with slaves who
traveled with written permission from their owners to sell their own produce and other products in town.67
By the mid-1800s, however, that trading practice had ended. Slaveowners could be fined for allowing their
slaves to go “at large” to trade independently or to hire themselves out to others for pay. Free white individuals could
also be charged for trading with slaves. If the owners refused to pay the fine (typically $10-$20 per incident), their
slaves were sold at public auction at the courthouse.68
In 1850, the bustling development of West Main Street posed a serious threat to businesses at Court Square. In
a letter to her father, Court Square resident Harriet Mathews wrote, “It is strange how business leaves particular parts
of the town, moves to others. I know when the square used to be the best place for business – but…it is far from it
now.”69
The Butler-Norris house, circa 1785, at 410 E. Jefferson Street, is the only surviving 18th century building in
Court Square. Built for Edward Butler, a signer of the 1779 Albemarle Declaration of Independence, this early house
features a typical townhouse or "London" plan with a narrow passage and parlor in front, larger room and stair in
rear, and a kitchen and shop in the basement.70 Opie Norris, a lawyer, merchant, and town trustee, lived here with
his family until 1868.71
At 414 E. Jefferson was the Cochran house (1826, now demolished). John Kelly owned the house and rented it
to John Cochran.72 In addition to farming, Cochran sold of imports from England, including the gray cloth used for
early UVA uniforms.73
John Kelly also developed a mercantile duplex at 418 E. Jefferson in 1826. Before a 1921 renovation to
accommodate a single establishment, the stores sold dry goods, confections, groceries, and liquor.74 Sophia Leschot,
who became successful by offering tasteful items for women, operated a dry goods store beneath her residence in
the duplex.75 This building is now being used as a private school.
W. H. and J. P. Edmonds, African American brothers, operated a “Choice Staple and Fancy Groceries” store at
508 Jefferson Street, beginning in the late 1800s. They specialized in selling and shipping such local foods as
Virginia ham, bacon, and cornmeal from nearby counties.76 Their business was later demolished, with other
buildings, to construct the Monticello Hotel.
Rawlings, Mary, p. 37
Rawlings, Mary, p.3
68 Sam Towler.
69 Harriet Mathews.
70 Historic Landmarks Study: Charlottesville, Virginia, p. 48
71 Rawlings, Mary, p. 36
72 US Census, 1860.
73 Rawlings, Mary, p. 35
74 Historic Landmarks Study: Charlottesville, Virginia, p. 51
75 Rawlings, Mary, p. 34
76 The Washington Herald, April 30, 1912. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045433/1912-04-30/ed-1/seq-7/>
66
67
SEE AN EARLY MAP OF JEFFERSON STREET AND FIND OUT ABOUT THE DISAPPEARING PASSAGEWAYS!
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Charlottesville, 1902
At 412 E. Jefferson, is the Norris-McCue house (circa 1825-1850). Between 410 and 412 was the last
surviving passageway between rowhouses at Court Square until the late 20th century. Passageways were once a
common feature in towns, allowing for ventilation and light between buildings in the densely built city. If you look at
changes in brick color around the door between the two buildings, you can see clues as to where the enclosed
passageway was located. The Norris-McCue house was a mixed-use building containing a brick shop and, later, a
saddlery on the first floor.77
77
Historic Landmarks Study: Charlottesville, Virginia, p. 49
This 1902 Sanborn Fire Insurance map indicates the location of the Edmonds grocery store, at 508 E. Jefferson
Street. The location of their store was lucrative, being right across Jefferson Street from the courthouse and near
other businesses, including several hotels and saloons. This map also gives you a sense of the change in scale that
began occuring when the Monticello Hotel was built. Most buildings up until the 1920s were two stories tall and many
different buildings faced each street. However, when the Monticello Hotel was built in 1926, the northern façade
covered an entire city block and was 10 stories tall.
MCINTIRE‟S PARK CAMPAIGN
PHILANTHROPY / CIVIL WAR AND COMMEMORATION / CITY BEAUTIFUL MOVEMENT
Paul Goodloe McIntire, a Charlottesville native and philanthropist who made a fortune investing in New York
and Chicago, donated the land to create Jackson Park in 1918. McIntire had purchased and demolished the McKee
block buildings to expand the “square”, converting Court Square into the rectangle it is today.
McIntire hired New York sculptor Charles Keck to design a statue of Confederate General Thomas
“Stonewall” Jackson. Park creation and public art were common elements of the City Beautiful movement, a national
trend in beautifying urban areas in the late 1800s and early 1900s.78
Jackson, with his horse "Little Sorrel", is featured along with the allegories on the base of the statue
representing Bravery and Sorrow.79 In October 1921, thousands gathered for the parade and dedication of the
Jackson monument, which occurred during a Confederate Veterans reunion.80
During the City Beautiful movement in Charlottesville, McIntire also created Jackson, Belmont, Washington,
and McIntire parks. McIntire built the Public Library as well (now the Albemarle County Historical Society). In
addition, McIntire donated the two Lewis and Clark sculptures on West Main Street.
Daniel Bluestone, “A Virginia Courthouse Square,” Buildings, Landscapes, and Memory: Case Studies in Historic Preservation (New York:
W.W. Norton & Company, 2011) p. 219.
79 Daniel Bluestone, “A Virginia Courthouse Square,” Buildings, Landscapes, and Memory: Case Studies in Historic Preservation (New York:
W.W. Norton & Company, 2011) p. 219. and “More Than a Mall”, p. 11
80 Daniel Bluestone, “A Virginia Courthouse Square,” Buildings, Landscapes, and Memory: Case Studies in Historic Preservation (New York:
W.W. Norton & Company, 2011) p. 224.
78
MCKEE BLOCK
EARLY JOURNALISM / SMALL TOWN NETWORKS / MIXED USE CHARLOTTESVILLE
ABBREVIATED VERSION (FOR THE MARKER)
Throughout the 1800s and early 1900s, McKee Block was a vibrant, mixed-use community at the social and
commercial heart of Charlottesville. Initially, McKee Block (circa 1813) was comprised of apartment buildings, single
family homes, and businesses. These brick and wood frame buildings faced the courthouse to the east, along a
street that lies beneath Jackson Park.81
McKee Block was named for the McKee family, which lived on the block and owned property there for nearly
100 years. Andrew McKee was a milliner who operated a hat shop from his home near the corner of Jefferson Street
and M‟Kee.82 Next to the McKee House was Colonel Nimrod Bramham‟s dry goods store. His partner, William Bibb,
operated the store and was the first cashier of Farmers Bank. Colonel Bramham‟s two daughters married
businessmen who also worked in stores on McKee Block.83
Twyman Wayt, a postmaster, operated a store on McKee Block that later became Captain C.C.
Wertenbaker‟s Tobacco Factory, and then Colonel John Bowie Strange‟s school.84 Ebenezer Watts had a print and
book-binding shop on McKee Block, where he printed Thomas Jefferson‟s memoirs in 1829.85 In the cellar, Watts
printed The Virginia Advocate, a local weekly newspaper.86
Central Hotel, also locally known as the Yellow House, was owned by Thomas Wells. The yellow frame
building had been moved to the center of McKee Block from the nearby town of Milton in the 1840s, as the small river
town declined in importance. One of the rooms at Yellow House was rented to George Toole, who conducted his
tailoring business there.87 A small wooden house near the corner of High Street belonged to Samuel Leitch, Sr., who
was sometimes called Uncle Sam. Uncle Sam had a short daily commute across Court Square to his store at
Number Nothing.88
McKee Block was architecturally similar to other 19th century buildings at Court Square. By the early 1900s,
these buildings were occupied by several African American families.89 John West, a prominent African American
barber, owned one of the wooden duplexes on McKee Block. Born to a slave mother and later adopted by a free
African American woman, West went on to amass one of the largest real estate holdings in Charlottesville in the early
1900s. The Westhaven housing development near West Main Street is named in his memory.90
FULL TEXT VERSION (FOR THE WEBSITE)
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, 1896.
Daniel Bluestone, “A Virginia Courthouse Square,” Buildings, Landscapes, and Memory: Case Studies in Historic Preservation (New York:
W.W. Norton & Company, 2011): 218.
83 Rawlings, Mary, p. 5
84 Rawlings, Mary, p. 3
85 Bernard Chamberlain.
86 Rawlings, Mary, p. 6
87 Rawlings, Mary, p. 4
88 Rawlings, Mary, p. 5
89 Daniel Bluestone, p. 217
90 Daniel Bluestone, p. 217
81
82
Throughout the 1800s and early 1900s, McKee Block was a vibrant, mixed-use community in the social and
commercial heart of Charlottesville. An early McKee Block (circa 1813) was comprised of apartment buildings, single
family homes, and businesses. These brick and wood frame buildings faced the courthouse to the east, on a street
where Jackson Park is now located.91
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Charlottesville, 1902
McKee Block was named for the McKee family, which lived on the block and owned property there for nearly
100 years. Andrew McKee was a reputable businessman in the early 1800s. However, in July of 1821, Andrew
McKee was summoned to the aid of three white men in trouble with the law in Charlottesville: Edmund Wade, Joshua
Grady, and Bennett Wheeler. These men, in addition to Fanny Barnett, a free African American female, were
charged with “a breach of peace” and “riotous and unlawful assembly”. The group was considered “not of good
fame, nor of honest conversation, but evil doers, rioters, disturbers of the peace.”
Fanny, and her associates, Nancy Riley and Betsey Wingfield, were later charged with “keeping a home for
the entertainment of lewd and idle and dissolute persons of both colors.” These women were prostitutes who ran a
well-known brothel on the fringes of the small city of Charlottesville.92 Fanny Barnett, like her mother, was listed as a
clothes washer or laundress on the census. Like her mother, Fanny also never married but had several children,
91
92
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, 1896.
Kirt von Daacke, Freedom Has a Face: Race, Identity, and Community in Jefferson‟s Virginia. 2012. University of Virginia Press. p. 140-141
whose fathers were likely white males, as they are indicated as having a “light” skin color. Also in keeping with
tradition, Fanny and, later, her daughter Septimia Barnett, were accused of keeping “bawdy houses” in
Charlottesville. 93 However, Andrew McKee clearly knew Fanny and her associates, and was willing to vouch for
them when they were in legal trouble at the courthouse.
Andrew McKee was a milliner and operated a hat shop from his home near the corner of Jefferson Street.94
Dr. Andrew McKee, Jr. inherited the house from his father and continued to live in the home until his death in 1893.95
Next to the McKee house was Colonel Nimrod Bramham‟s dry goods store. His partner, William Bibb, operated the
store and was the first cashier of Farmers Bank. Colonel Bramham lived outside of Charlottesville at Oak Lawn (also
called Oak Grove), which is now located within the city at 501 9th Street SW. This plantation was bounded by Fry‟s
Spring on the west and Ridge Street on the east. Colonel Bramham had the home built in 1822 and was buried on
the property after his death in 1847. James Fife, for whom Fifeville is named, bought the property from the Bramham
estate.96 Colonel Bramham‟s two daughters married salesmen who also worked in stores on McKee Block.97
Twyman Wayt, a postmaster, operated a store on McKee Block that later became Captain C.C.
Wertenbaker‟s Tobacco Factory, then Colonel John Bowie Strange‟s school.98 Ebenezer Watts had a print and bookbinding shop on McKee Block, where he printed Thomas Jefferson‟s memoirs in 1829.99 In the cellar, Watts printed
The Virginia Advocate, a local weekly newspaper.100
Central Hotel, also locally known as the Yellow House, was owned by Thomas Wells. The yellow frame
building had been moved to the center of McKee Block from the nearby town of Milton in the 1840s, as the small river
town declined in importance. One of the rooms at Yellow House was rented to George Toole, who conducted his
tailoring business there.101 A small wooden house near the corner of High Street belonged to Samuel Leitch, Sr., who
was sometimes called Uncle Sam. Uncle Sam had a short daily commute across Court Square to his store at
Number Nothing.102
The McKee Block was architecturally similar to other 19th century buildings at Court Square. However, unlike
other streets adjacent to Court Square, by the early 1900s, these buildings were occupied by African American
families and white families alike.103 John West, a prominent African American barber, owned one of the wooden
duplexes on McKee Block. Born to a slave mother and later adopted by a free African American woman, West went
on to amass one of the largest real estate holdings in Charlottesville in the early 1900s. The Westhaven housing
development near West Main Street is named in his memory.104
McKee Block was bought and demolished by philanthropist Paul Goodloe McIntire by 1921 in order to make
room for Jackson Park.
Kirt von Daacke, p. 140-141
Daniel Bluestone, p. 218
95 Daniel Bluestone, p. 218
96 Fifeville and Tonsler Neighborhoods Historic District. DHR File # 104-0213. Virginia Department of Historic Resources: 2006.
97 Rawlings, Mary, p. 5
98 Rawlings, Mary, p. 3
99 Bernard Chamberlain.
100 Rawlings, Mary, p. 6
101 Rawlings, Mary, p. 4
102 Rawlings, Mary, p. 5
103 Daniel Bluestone, p. 217
104 Daniel Bluestone, p. 217
93
94
WHICH REVOLUTIONARY WAR SOLDIER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR LANDSCAPING COURT SQUARE AND
MCKEE BLOCK AFTER HE RETURNED?
Shadrach Battles, a man described as half mulatto and half Indian, frequently performed odd jobs for local
residents in Charlottesville in the late 1800s. One of the jobs he completed, according to James Alexander, was to
landscape the property surrounding the courthouse at Court Square. Alexander remembered seeing Shadrach
tending a row of locust trees on McKee Block, for which he was paid a quart of whisky per surviving tree. Alexander
notes that “when any of them gave evidence of life by putting forth leaves he would clap his hands and shout,
„Another quart saved‟”.105
Shadrach Battles was born c. 1750s in Louisa County, Virginia. Shadrach and his father were itinerant
tobacco farmers in the 18th century, travelling to new farms throughout Virginia until the Revolutionary War.
Shadrach enlisted himself and served for a year and a half, leaving behind a carpentry job in Amherst County. At the
storming of Stony Point on the Hudson River in 1779, Shadrach Battles was the “right hand man” to Captain Clough
Shelton.
After the war, Shadrach married Dolly Moss in Louisa County, where he had spent his youth. As
newlyweds, Dolly and Shadrach eventually moved to Albemarle County. In and out of legal trouble in Charlottesville,
at one point Shadrach was ordered by the court to complete a road surveying and repair job. Road maintenance was
a menial task reserved for slaves and free African Americans, an indication of Shadrach‟s social status in Virginia,
even as a “mulatto” man.106
Shadrach and Dolly rented property on low land fronting Moore‟s Creek, performing odd jobs for local
residents. Shadrach‟s life reveals a bit of the “wild side of town” in Charlottesville. The neighborhoods adjacent to
Court Square, near where he lived, were known for liquor production and sales and gambling houses. Shadrach‟s
close friends were known for their associations with illegal gambling in Charlottesville.107
Rawlings, Mary, p. 2
Kirt von Daacke, p. 19
107 Kirt von Daacke, p. 19
105
106
NUMBER NOTHING
TAVERNS / AUCTIONS / SLAVERY / COURT DAYS / REGIONAL TRADE
ABBREVIATED VERSION (FOR THE MARKER)
The name of this building is Number Nothing because the address numbering system was already in
place when it was constructed, leaving it numberless. “Number Nothing” was originally left open on plat maps as a
lot for hitching horses rather than a lot for a new building, so it did not receive an address. The building originally
was divided into two separate stores.
The “Benson and Bro. Auction Rooms” operated at Number Nothing in the 1860s and this name (still
visible today) was painted on the south side of the building. In 1864, Benson and Bro. auctioned off the furniture
from the Farish Hotel. The next year, they auctioned off horses, mules, and wagons that were no longer of use to the
Confederate army.
Auction houses in Virginia typically sold a variety of goods like firewood, mules, wagons, furniture, and
saddles. However, Number Nothing has also been associated with the urban slave trade at Court Square.
Slave auctions primarily took place on plantations, but slaves would sometimes be traded in town on
court days. The Eagle Tavern was also a slave auction site. Traders passing through town stayed at local
hotels while reviewing the availability of slaves for purchase in Southern towns.
On January 1, 1829, 30 slaves from Thomas Jefferson‟s estate were sold in front of the Eagle Tavern.
This was the largest number of enslaved people auctioned at one time in Charlottesville. Thomas Jefferson
Randolph, the executor of Jefferson‟s will, conducted the sale. The slaves were sold to local residents, including
several UVA professors and the school‟s proctor.
TEASER: Don‟t forget to look for the “Benson & Bro.” sign still painted on the side of the building.
NUMBER NOTHING
TAVERNS / AUCTIONS / SLAVERY / COURT DAYS / REGIONAL TRADE
FULL TEXT VERSION (FOR THE WEBSITE)
Opie Norris and John C. Ragland bought this lot in 1820, developing Number Nothing as a pair of mercantile
stores for Colonel John R. Jones and Samuel Leitch Jr. (son of Swan Tavern owner). The name refers to the fact
that the address numbering system for Court Square was already in place when Norris and Ragland built the stores.
“Number Nothing” was originally left open on plat maps as a lot for hitching horses rather than a lot for a new
building, thus it did not receive an address.108
108
Bernard Chamberlain.
The building originally had two separate entrances.109 Jones operated a store in the southern side of the
building, while the Leitch Store was in the northern side. Jones was later the president of Farmer‟s Bank, a financial
agent for nearby farmers and planters.110
"Benson and Bro. Auction Rooms" operated at Number Nothing in the 1860s and the name (still visible
today) was painted on the south side of the building.111 In 1864, Benson and Brothers auctioned off the furniture from
the Farish Hotel. The next year, they auctioned off Confederate horses, mules, and wagons that were no longer of
use to the army. Henry Benson was remembered by Judge R.T.W. Duke as a famous and witty auctioneer. The
Benson family lived on High Street, across Court Square. The Bensons owned six slaves, who lived in a separate
house on the property.112
Auctioneers in Virginia did not advertise exclusively as slave brokers and their typical business included a
variety of goods like firewood, mules, wagons, furniture, and saddles.113 However, Number Nothing has historically
been associated with the urban slave trade through its proximity to a former outdoor auction block.
Slave auctions frequently took place on plantations, but slaves would sometimes be traded in town on court
days, when auctions for many types of goods would be sold at auction houses or in front of public buildings.114 It was
common to sell slaves at the Courthouse to settle debts owed to Albemarle County and for estate probates. In the
state of Virginia required auctioneers to have a special license allowing them to sell slaves as well as farm animals
like cattle, horses, or hogs.115
As early as the 1820s, the Eagle Tavern was a slave auction site on court days. Traders passing through
town stayed at local hotels while reviewing the availability of slaves for purchase in Southern towns.
On January 1, 1829, 30 slaves from Thomas Jefferson‟s estate, the most ever advertised in Charlottesville,
were sold in front of the Eagle Tavern. Thomas Jefferson Randolph, the executor of Jefferson‟s will, conducted the
auction. The slaves were sold to local residents, including several UVA professors and the school‟s proctor. Two
years earlier, there had been a sale of slaves at Monticello to settle Jefferson‟s debts.116
SIXTH STREET BUILDINGS
MIXED-USE CHARLOTTESVILLE / LOCAL TRADES AND BUSINESSES / BUSINESS WOMEN / COMMERCIAL
CHARACTERS
ABBREVIATED VERSION (FOR THE MARKER)
Sixth Street, formerly a major travel route leading to Scottsville, was an important extension to the early
commercial development around Court Square in the 18th and 19th centuries. However, standing on Sixth Street
Historic Landmarks Study: Charlottesville, Virginia, p. 61
Rawlings, Mary, p. 18
111 Rawlings, Mary, p. 18
112 Gayle Schulman, “Site of Slave Block.” Magazine of Albemarle County History. Volume 58. 2000.
113 Gayle Schulman, email to Lynne Ely (1998, ACHS)
114 Gayle Schulman, “Site of Slave Block.”
115 Gayle Schulman, “Site of Slave Block.”
116 Gayle Schulman, “Site of Slave Block.”
109
110
today, you cannot see any of the buildings that were present in the early 1800s. The brick buildings that you see now
replaced former wooden structures in the 1830s.117
Included in this block was the first Charlottesville Library (c. 1823).118 Next to the library were two shops.
Louis Leschot owned one of these. Leschot came to America from Switzerland at Thomas Jefferson's request and
was well-known for his jewelry and clock repair skills.
Louis‟s wife, Sophia Leschot, started her own business in the shop, selling dry goods. Sophia moved her
store to Jefferson Street for several years. As a widow, Sophia eventually partnered with the prominent B.C.
Flannagan & Company, and worked out of a warehouse on West Main Street.119
In 1800, John Yeargain‟s liquor store also stood near where the library would later be built. Yeargain was a
saddlemaker, but was also known for the quality of the whiskey he sold and his eccentric personality. A recluse, he
was rarely seen outside his shop except during his annual trip to the courthouse to renew his liquor license. He kept
a large sum of money buried in his basement, which was found after his death.120 The Yeargain house and shop
were demolished in 1860 and replaced with law offices.
TEASER: You might be surprised to learn where the Leschots are buried!
………………………………..………………………………..
FULL VERSION (FOR THE WEBSITE)
Sixth Street, formerly a major travel route leading to Scottsville, was an important extension to the early
commercial development around Court Square in the 18th and 19th centuries. However, standing on Sixth Street
today, you cannot see any of the buildings that were present in the early 1800s. The brick buildings that you see
today began replacing former wooden structures in the 1830s.121
Included in this block was the first Charlottesville Library (c. 1823), close to the intersection with Jefferson
Street. The library began with a donation of books by Congregational clergyman Andrew Eliot of Boston.122
Next to the library were two shops. Louis Leschot owned one of these. Leschot came to America from
Switzerland at Thomas Jefferson's request and was well-known for his jewelry and clock repair skills.
Louis‟s wife, Sophia Leschot, started her own business in the shop, selling dry goods. Sophia moved her
store to Jefferson Street for several years. As a widow, Sophia eventually partnered with the prominent B.C.
Flannagan & Company, and worked out of a warehouse on West Main Street.123
Brennan and Maliszewski, p. 15
Rawlings, Mary, p. 24
119 Rawlings, Mary, p. 24
120 Rawlings, Mary, p. 26
121 Brennan and Maliszewski, p. 15
122 Rawlings, Mary, p. 24
123 Rawlings, Mary, p. 24
117
118
B.C. Flannagan was the president of Woolen Mills. Because Flannagan was well-known for his risky
business ventures, his father-in-law left a full paternal inheritance in his daughter‟s name rather than to Flannagan for
fear that he would lose the money on a business venture.124
In 1800, John Yeargain‟s liquor store also stood near where the library would later be built. Yeargain was a
saddlemaker, but was also known for the quality of the whiskey he sold and his eccentric personality. A recluse later
in life, John was rarely seen outside his shop except during his annual trip to the courthouse to renew his liquor
license. He kept a large sum of money buried in his basement, which was found after his death.125 The Yeargain
house and shop were demolished in 1860 and replaced with law offices.
WHERE WERE THE LESCHOTS BURIED?
Louis Leschot was not only Thomas Jefferson‟s trusted jeweler and clock expert, but a friend. The Leschots are
buried in the Jefferson family graveyard at Monticello.126
COURT SQUARE TAVERNS
EARLY HOTELS AND TAVERNS: SOCIAL AND POLITICAL VENUES / REVOLUTIONARY WAR / SWAN TAVERN
The taverns surrounding Court Square were cultural and social centers for the city. The wood-frame Eagle
Tavern on Jefferson Street was built circa 1790 and featured an eagle design on its hanging sign. The Eagle Tavern
was an early location of public dances and political celebrations, as well as dining and socializing.
Traveling peddlers sold products on the tavern‟s wide porch during monthly court days. On Saturday and
Sunday evenings, young boys would go to the Rivanna riverfront to watch the salesmen arrive by carriage across the
bridge.127 In the 1830s, the price of lodging at the Eagle Tavern was $10 per month, including meals.128. In the 1800s,
local farmers would come inside the lobby, where the large fireplace provided the setting for their socializing.129
In 1818, when Dr. Conrad Speece, a traveling minister, spoke of his experience attempting to preach at the
rowdy Eagle Tavern, he said “When Satan promised all the kingdoms of the world to Christ, he laid his thumb on
Charlottesville and whispered „except this place, which I reserve for my own special use‟”.130
In 1779, the city of Charlottesville still had only the courthouse, about a dozen houses, and the Swan
The wooden-frame Swan Tavern (circa 1770) was built by John Jouett, Sr., whose 100 acre property
began here, at the northeast edge of 18th century Charlottesville.132 From this land, Jouett created the plots on High
Tavern.131
Flannagan Family Folder, courtesy of the Albemarle County Historical Society, unpublished.
Rawlings, Mary, p. 26
126 “Louis Leschot”. Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia. <http://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/louis-leschot>
127 Rawlings, Mary, p. 28
128 Rawlings, Mary, p. 30
129 Rawlings, Mary, p. 30
130 Bernard Chamberlain.
131 K. Edward Lay, p. 29
132 Historic Landmark Study: Charlottesville, Virginia, p. 123
124
125
Street in 1790.133 Jouett Sr. operated his hotel and restaurant during the American Revolution.134 The Swan Tavern,
with its wooden swan sign, was a popular meeting spot at Court Square until the 1830s.
In May of 1781, members of the Virginia General Assembly made Charlottesville their temporary capital
because of threat of the British Army in Richmond. The Virginia Senate conducted meetings in the Courthouse, and
the House of Delegates met at the Swan Tavern.
On June 3, 1781, Jack Jouett Jr., a captain in the local militia, was passing through Louisa County, when he
determined that General Tarleton and his British troops intended to surprise and capture legislators in Charlottesville.
Jouett used horse trails and back roads through the night to warn Governor Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry,
Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Richard Henry Lee, and John Tyler to escape British capture.135
In 1808, the barkeeper at the Swan Tavern, Jack M'Coy, was murdered and thrown into the well onsite. A
tavern boarder and local lawyer witnessed the event, but the case was never solved.136 The Swan Tavern fell down in
the summer of 1832, during a ball at the neighboring Eagle Tavern on Jefferson Street. Dancers at the ball thought
the sound of the crash was an earthquake.137
After the Swan Tavern was demolished, Edward Valentine had his home constructed on the site in 1832.138
The building was a family home until The Redland Club, a private organization for male lawyers, bought the home in
1905 to use as their meeting space.139
Rawlings, Mary, p. 15
Rawlings, Mary, p. 20
135 Rawlings, Mary
136 Rawlings, Mary, p. 17
137 Rawlings, Mary, p. 18
138 Historic Landmark Study: Charlottesville, Virginia, p. 123
139 K. Edward Lay, p. 11
133
134
TOWN HALL AND LEVY OPERA HOUSE
ENTERTAINMENT / CIVIL WAR/RECONSTRUCTION / REHABILITATION & REUSE / EARLY CIVIC SOCIETY AND
COMMUNITY INTEREST
………………………………..………………………………..
ABBREVIATED VERSION (FOR THE MARKER)
This land was previously known as the Battery, a park for military drills and outdoor games.140 In 1852, the
community funded the construction of a Town Hall in this central location near Court Square to serve as an
auditorium for traveling plays and musical acts.141
Previously, entertainment events by local performers took place at the small taverns around Court
Square.142 The new connection to the Central Railroad in the mid-19th century had made it possible for larger
performing acts to travel to Charlottesville.
Town Hall contained an upstairs ballroom and a performance space on the first floor with a stage and
moveable benches.143 One of the earliest acts included the hypnotist, Professor Lawrence Hale. Professor Hale‟s
"Electro-Biology" performance involved "freezing" volunteers from the audience into statues of well-known figures.144
Norweigian violinist Ole Bournemann Bull, along with the ten-year-old Spanish opera prodigy, Adelina Patti,
performed at Town Hall in 1853.145 Bull and Patti were international superstars of the music scene during the 1850s.
Town Hall was adapted as a makeshift factory during the Civil War, producing war supplies for Confederate
soldiers.146 In 1888, Jefferson Monroe Levy had the Town Hall remodeled and added an orchestra pit. Renamed the
Levy Opera House, it remained an entertainment venue until 1912, when it was converted into the Park View
Apartment building.147
………………………………..………………………………..
FULL TEXT VERSION (FOR THE WEBSITE)
This site was originally known as the Battery, a parade ground for military drills and recreation. Residents
also used this space to play ball games and quoits (a tossing game similar to horseshoes).148
The Greek Revival style Town Hall was erected in 1852 by private interests to serve as an auditorium for
traveling plays and musical events. Henry Benson, owner of the neighboring auction house, was the rental agent for
Town Hall events.149
Rawlings, Mary, p. 17
Gayle Schulman, “Site of Slave Block.” Magazine of Albemarle County History. Volume 58. 2000.
142 Brenna and Maliszewski, p. 19
143 History of the Levy Opera House: Culture Goes Local: 1852-1870, <http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug02/kirk/levy/operahistory.html>
144 History of the Levy Opera House
145 History of the Levy Opera House
146 History of the Levy Opera House
140
141
More Than a Mall, p. 10
Rawlings, Mary, p. 17
149 Gayle Schulman, “Site of Slave Block.” Magazine of Albemarle County History. Volume 58. 2000.
147
148
Town Hall became the first centralized entertainment venue in Charlottesville. Previously, entertainment
events by local performers took place at the small taverns around Court Square.150 After the Central Railroad
reached Charlottesville in 1850, residents had the Town Hall built to take advantage of the opportunity to bring larger
performing acts to Charlottesville by train to a centralized, designated venue.
Town Hall contained an upstairs ballroom and a performance space on the first floor with a stage and
moveable benches.151 One of the earliest acts was by a hypnotist: Professor Lawrence Hale. Hale performed
"Electro-Biology", "freezing" volunteers from the audience into figures such as Atlas and Diana.152 In 1853,
Norwegian violinist Ole Bournemann Bull toured the Southern United States along with the ten-year-old Spanish
opera prodigy, Adelina Patti.153
During the Civil War, Town Hall was the site of Confederate benefit performances. Volunteers also used
Town Hall to fashion war supplies, such as bags for soldiers. Performances after the war never reached the
popularity or international status of pre-war acts.154
In 1888, Jefferson Monroe Levy, owner of Monticello, had Town Hall remodeled with an orchestra pit, and
renamed it the Levy Opera House. The Opera House operated until 1912, when it was converted into the Park View
Apartment building. In 1981, the Park View apartments were renovated into offices.155 The Imperial Russian Ballet
was the last group to perform at the Opera House in the winter of 1912.156 The City of Charlottesville and Albemarle
County now jointly own the building, which was recently used as the Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court.157
WHAT OTHER FAMOUS BUILDING DID JEFFERSON LEVY OWN IN THE CHARLOTTESVILLE AREA?
Jefferson Monroe Levy and his family owned the Monticello estate until the Thomas Jefferson Foundation purchased
the property in 1923. Levy spent his own money restoring and preserving the property and the home, including
purchasing many pieces of Jefferson‟s furniture.158
Brenna and Maliszewski, p. 19
History of the Levy Opera House: Culture goes Local: 1852-1870, <http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug02/kirk/levy/operahistory.html>
152 History of the Levy Opera House
153 History of the Levy Opera House
154 History of the Levy Opera House
155 More Than a Mall, p. 10
156 http://www.charlottesville.org/Index.aspx?page=3193
150
151
Brendan Fitzgerald. “Albemarle County: We‟re Gonna Need a Bigger Court!” Cville Weekly. 29 December 2010. http://www.cville.com/Albemarle_County_Were_gonna_need_a_bigger_court/#.UozwVdKkqKk
157
158
The Levy Family and Monticello. < http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/levy-family-and-monticello>