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1979
04/30/2009 6:52 AM by John M
With the new BBQ place still not quite open yet, here is a photo from the 1979 to feast your eyes upon.
Photo via VCU Libraries Digital Collections – Richmond Commission of Architectural Review Slide Collection.
Wow, when were the two adjacent row houses demolished? Cool photo John, thank you for sharing.
Are they waiting for a city ordinance to raise cattle in the park? WTF!
#2 : LOL.
Beautiful photo!
Great picture – interesting how the cornice of the now-gone rowhouse directly behind the “alamo” extends down the side of the house. I wonder if this lot was vacant until the little gas station was built? It was a gas station, right? Interesting also that it looks vacant in this picture – has it really been sitting empty for 30 years?
About 10 years ago it was a rib joint and a few years ago it was used as the kitchen for one of the sidewalk cart food vendors, Indian food I think.
Ramzi #6, yes it was a rib joint – actually a very, very good one – between around 1998 and 2000. From what a neighbor told me, the folks who ran it then had something tragic happen – I think someone was in a horrible car accident – and they had to close it for that reason.
Brandon #5- yes, I think it was probably a gas station originally. At some point, I read that the National Trust was recognizing 1930’s gas stations as historic (along with other industrial and commercial structures) and I would imagine this would have been an example. And no, it has not been sitting vacant for 30 years, see also Ramzi’s post. Prior to the rib joint, it was another carry out food place, but I can’t remember what it was back into the 1990’s, will have to ask a friend who lives just up the street from it for that history!
Ryan Ramsey #1, I’d look back into the VCU libraries digital collection that John mentions in the heading here, there’s probably some reason this photo was put there to begin with. I looked at those archives a few weeks ago when John first posted mention of them on here, and found some other stuff from that era, and the photos I looked at were there because there was about to be a change/renovation/restoration, etc. I don’t know if this photo was taken because the former gas station was about to be rehabbed at that time or not, maybe it was also capturing about to be demolished house(s)….
It definitely was a gas station at some point. You can still see the “island” for the pumps in this pic. Would be interesting to know who first built this, as I don’t think there’s a whole lot of Spanish style architecture in the city (at least not in structures built prior to the wave of Mexican restaurants that started rolling in about 15 year ago).
Chris from Alamo BBQ told me this morning that they will likely be open this evening for dinner!