RECENT COMMENTS

New book documents Church Hill’s Old and Historic Districts

The Church Hill Old & Historic Districts, a look at the St.John’s Church, Church Hill North, Chimborazo Park, and Shockoe Valley districts, will be released by the Historic Richmond Foundation in October 2011. The HRF will be sponsoring the Church Hill neighborhood picnic on 6/21 to highlight the neighborhood and to let neighbors know about the book.

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John Zehmer and Marguerte Crumley wrote a previous look at the St.John’s Church Historic District (published in 1991). The new book, written by Zehmer in collaboration with Joanne Tresnauk McDonald, augments the original and adds the Church Hill North, Chimborazo Park, and Shockoe Valley City Old & Historic districts. As the book was already underway when Union Hill was declared to be a City Old & Historic District, it is not included in the book. The adjacent National Historic Districts of Fairmount and Oakwood-Chimborazo are not included, either.

A block-by-block look at the historic districts, this is a stunning book that makes clear the historical importance of the area, as well as illustrating the appeal of living in the neighborhood. Photographs of many, though not all, of the structures in the areas are included in the book. Ownership history is provided for some of the properties, and is fascinating when available. The 275-page color-bound hardback includes a handful of historic photos, a large amount of black and white photography by Zehmer, as well as stunning new color photography by Richard Creek.

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