RECENT COMMENTS
Eric S. Huffstutler on What is up with the Church Hill Post Office?
Eric S. Huffstutler on What is up with the Church Hill Post Office?
Yvette Cannon on What is up with the Church Hill Post Office?
crd on Power Outage on the Hill
Why that church does not have a steeple
05/04/2008 2:08 PM by John M
Hurricane Hazel, the only recorded Category 4 hurricane to make landfall as far north as North Carolina, was the worst hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season and one of the worst hurricanes of the 20th century. The storm hit Richmond on October 15, 1954, with 79 mile-an-hour winds that bent the steeple of the Trinity Methodist Church on East Broad Street.
I have ALWAYS wondered about that !
And that Mad Man Dapper Dan sign is tops.
At one time the church was trying to raise money to replace the steeple. Think they needed $150,000 but never saw any more of it? That was at least 5 years ago.
Eric
I never knew Dapper Dan’s place was right there. His motto was “I’d give’em away but my wife won’t let me!”. I used to deliver newspapers to him when I was in high school. His house was a copper-clad, crescent shaped, architecturally beautiful, modernist vision. It even had movable interior walls and was right on the river. I think it was recently demolished in order to put up some McMansions. Keep that in mind when you wonder what will happen if they demolish the buildings on Cedar St.
Maybe the church could work a deal with a cell phone company, get them to build a steeple and conceal a cell tower in it.
Great idea!
post #5 is me not Ramzi…I forgot to change the name…LOL…we share the same computer/email.
THE NAME OF THE CHURCH IN 1954 WAS NOT THE TRINITY METHODIST CHURCH.THE CHURCH’S NAME SHOULD BE AND STILL IS THE NEW LIGHT BAPTIST CHURCH.
George — Thanks for the correction. My original source called it the TMC. In digging a little more, I found the application to the National Register of Historic place which says:
I wonder why they didn’t just keep the bent steeple. It would have made for an interesting landmark.
even the strongest of trees bends to the slightest of winds…
mike, like the leaning tower of Pisa.
Actually, the church does still have the steeple, I beleive. It’s being stored somewhere in the counties.
There was talk one time of helping the church put it back up again.
Mr. Hartsock may know more about this.
Thanks for the plug, hillkid. All I know is that a few years ago the church had a fundraising drive going to replace the steeple (not as high as the old one, but a shorter and more proportional one)The Church Hill Association was a supporter at that time, but I’m not sure where that project is at this time.
What a great before-after image at the top! A postcard, for sure. Not digitally altered, but bent by Nature Herself. And sure, why not keep it up, though somewhat askew. Wonder, however, if there was interior structural damage that necessitated its removal. Leaks wouldn’t have been good.
And Mad Man Dapper Dan! His real name was Howard Hughes. Architect Hugh Jamgochian thought he’d hit the jackpot when he answered his phone and Hughes wanted him to design his house…but it was not the reclusive billionaire, instead, the used car man.
Dapper had this Gibraltar like head of hair that went from slick black to grey and never moved, or eroded, much like the rock. He was a good poker player, and dressed well — hence his nickname.
Dapper sold used cars, and financed them, and sometimes, well, had to get them back due to lack of payment. When he built his Spage Age Bachelor Pad (though he was married, with three daughters) he cleared the property of most of its trees because he needed a clear line of sight in case some angry former car owners wanted to come after him…
The house had one of the best views of the river, a terrace and a pool. A great loss. Jamgochian’s only other building is the former Markel Building, rather, the “Jiffy Pop-Jetsons-Flintstones” structure by Willow Lawn.
I erred with Hike’s first name: Its Haigh. And he’s a first-generation American, as his parents were Armenian immigrants.
“Jamgochian’s only other building is the former Markel Building, rather, the “Jiffy Pop-Jetsons-Flintstones†structure by Willow Lawn.”
I am not sure if it’s an urban legend or not but it is said that the building was originally smooth. Hike didn’t like the look of it, drove to the nearest hardware store and bought a hammer. A few days later he was done smashing the exterior of the building to the horror of everyone involved…
The church has been raising money for as long as I’ve been up here (almost 10 years). There was some story about the old one butI can’t remember all of it: something about they couldn’t put the other one up (other than being damaged) or place one just like it b/c the height of the original was grandfathered in but once it blew down it was heigher than allowed for airplanes. I guess that would have been additional money to get one that has one of those red lights on the top of it?
Also, I think at one time they even had one lined up to buy but it was so expensive. I’m not sure what came of the seller.
The steeple was built by David McMinn according to the WPA report written on 2717 E Broad, home of Mr. McMinn.
This is in reference to post #15- It is not an urban legend, Haigh Jamgochian had indeed envisioned the “aluminum foil” look for the Markel building. the day it was to be done the crew stood around telling Haigh (pronounced Hike in Armenian and Haig in English)it could not be done. He told them it could and set about to showing them with a big hammer. He finished the first floor in about 4 hours. He is a most interesting gentleman, sharp as a tack and still just as creative and insightful as ever!
Oh yeah- and if anyone is interested The Library of Virginia currently has an exhibit entitled “Never Built Virginia” which has a large focus on many of Haigh’s idea’s. I still think Haigh will see his “Treehouse” built in his lifetime..
Why Richmond, Why?!? What Happened to Church Steeples?
http://www2.richmond.com/2012/may/21/why-richmond-why-what-happened-church-steeples-ar-1918743/
This is by far, one of the most interesting and historically educational posts that I’ve seen on CHPN that does not include a bunch of muckedy muck arguments from people in our ‘hood. Thanks to Harry and Robin’s tidbits of trivia.