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A history of this corner (325 North 27th Street)
The commercial space at 325 North 27th Street / 2707 East Marshall Street began its working life over a century ago. Digging into the Hill Directories at the Main Branch of the Richmond Public Library gives a broad outline of what has been going on at that corner over the years.
The Hill Directories are a series of directories for a variety of cities with the residents listed by address and by last name (often with their employment). You can look up who lived in a particular address for a given year, and then cross-reference to see their occupation.
The oldest Hill Directory on the shelf is 1902: in that year, Philip Alto was using the store at 27th and Marshall Streets as a hardware shop of some kind. By 1915, the space was home to a confectioner (Louis Haboush), a use that it would house in some way for the next 45 years. Confectioner Louis Shuleeta held the corner for 17 years, Shibley’s Inn was on the spot for the next 20 years after that.
27th Street Inn (1960)
In 1960, the 27th Street Inn, described as a restaurant, (with it’s iconic sign) took over the spot. The Inn was open until 1979, after which the space was reincarnated as a laundrymat. The 27th Street Laundrymat closed in 1997, after which the property was vacant for over a decade.
In 2012, House of Homemade brought life back the corner, a neat continuation of the space’s history as a confectionary. House of Homemade closed in July of 2012; WPA Bakery has recently opened in the space.
27th and Marshall (vacant)(2005)
Commercial uses at 325 North 27th Street (now known as 2707 East Marshall Street)
| 1902 | Philip Alto (hardware) |
| 1906 | E H McDonough |
| 1915 | Louis Haboush (confr), Alex Etosh (salesman) |
| 1916 | Louis Haboush (confr) with Miss Mary Haboush |
| 1921-1938 | Louis Shuleeta (confr) |
| 1939-1959 | Shibley’s Inn (listed under Confectionary and Ice Cream), Saml Shibley, Eug Shibley listed as counterman, Ida Shibley as a waitress, later Fred A. Shibley |
| 1960 | 27th Street Inn / Frank Watson |
| 1961 | 27th Street Inn / Edw Simon mgr confy – listed under “Restaurants” (not to far down the list from “The Rendezvouz” at 2800 East Broad) |
| 1962 | 27th Street Inn / Alberta B Thompson (manager)(400 North 27th was the “Diamond Inn” restaurant) |
| 1963-1979 | 27th Street Inn – Chas J Johnson (manager) (by 1977 400 North 27th was the “27th Street Laundrymat”) |
| 1980 | Johnson Laundromat (Charlie J. Johnson Jr.) |
| 1981-1997 | 27th Street Laundrymat |
| 1998-2010 | VACANT |
| 2011-2012 | House of Homemade |
| 2012 | WPA Bakery |
Great sign, but really glad WPA is now there. Perfect for the neighborhood.
The research library at the Valentine Richmond History Center has the Hill Directories back to the 1870’s if anyone wants to trace properties back to that time.
That’s really fascinating! Thanks, John. You might want to start a tag for the Lebanese in Church Hill — the Haboush, Shibley, Shulleeta and Simon families were all members of St. Anthony’s church, which has its roots in Church Hill (as mentioned in a previous post here). I am guessing Alex Etosh was too but I don’t know the name.
I remember going to the 27th St. Laundromat right after I moved to Church Hill in 2001, which Four Corner’s Charlie was still operating along with another laundromat directly across Marshall. Charlie closed it finally in late 2001, maybe early 2002, and then died a few years later, paving the way for the sale and renovations on those four corners.
Meeting Charlie was a great introduction to the neighborhood at the time. He had signs in both laundromats that said, “Need Change? Ring Charlie.” I did, of course, so walked across 27th to the building that is the future home of Dutch & Co. where there was a bell in the middle of the wall (and no door) with a sign that said, “Ring for change” or something similar. I rang it and Charlie popped his head out of a second story window and said, “Hi. Need some change?” He lowered down an old soup can on a string and instructed me to put my money,” in the cup.” I did and a few moments later he lowered the can back down with five bucks in quarters, which I began to extract one or two at a time, trying to squeeze my hand into the soup can. He stopped me, saying,”No, no, man. Pour the cup out into your hand.” That was a lot easier.
THis is wonderful to see. My mom lived above the store until she was 6 along with 2 older siblings and Shibley # 4 was born there. Ethel and Fred A. Shibley were my amazing grandparents.
Thanks for the great post John! Nice to see someone make a timeline for this building. It does take some effort, I know. Bill, I don’t think the building dates back to the 1870s but to the 1890s. It started out as a dry goods store. I have the info stored away but not on hand.
Yes, we too remember when at least the old Wills building (401) was used for small washers and the 325 building for the large load ones until the city finally forced him out of business due to many building code violations. Even at that time the back part where he stored all of those gaming machines was caving in. About the time when Patrick Murray bought it from Charlie the city told me they had a “book” of violations from over the years on the building. But looking back to demographic changes as well as times and parking, the building should have remained a Laundromat. I am glad WPA is there in 325 but it is an uphill battle for new type businesses opening up off the beaten path (away from Broad Street). The building where Dutch & Co. is moving in – where Charlie lived, was built in the 1920s as a Drug Store. Was a restaurant in the 1950s and then a Laundromat part for Charlie before he obtained the old 27th Street in at 325. Then he closed his building by 1979 and remained so until his death when it was discovered how much of a hoarder he was and the mountains of trash and junk on the first floor and roof cave-ins on the second. The yellow house on Marshall Street just behind this building (dates pre 1850s) was saved and the original house simply moved from facing 27th Street when the drug store was built in 1926.
Sandra Murray still owns 324 which was a Grocery Store and then a Mini Mart and her Antique Shop for a while. Has remained empty ever since. It is Charlie and the Murrays who are also linked to the York family, that maintained the stance that they have “birthrights” to these buildings and will not sell out to whites. Well, that of course is a bogus claim as Charlie himself lived on M Street driving for the newspaper before moving to the corner and two of the building have since sold to white owners though they maintain a ridiculously deliberately overpriced tag on 401 of half-million dollars when the city has an assessor appraise it for just over 100k.
I am still confused as to why the 325 address was shifted?
John, are you sure that 400 was a Laundromat by 1977 as opposed to 1979? Both dates close 🙂
I also know that the 1/2 address – the side now being made into Dutch & Co.’s kitchen, was a Pool Hall prior to 1979.
The Diamond Inn restaurant is new to me (or was it simply a bar?).
The Virginia State Library also has directories as does Ancestry.com for Richmond dating back much earlier than 1902 – back to the 1860s I believe at Ancestry. The library ones are on microfiche goes back to the 1820s.
Glad that the Richmond Library hasn’t thrown out the old city directories. They use to be close to the information counter on the first floor years ago but disappeared and thought were thrown out.
The 324 building was Morris Grocery for many years.
I am sure more than anyone wants to know but posting here for those interested…
I am still working on the 401 building which was vacant several times but names of people living upstairs listed.
Remember the wooden rear section was built in 1859 while the brick front section in 1815. Seen on insurance documents on the house as Charles Wills “new store” and Mutual Assurance policy on the store as number 510 dated October 31, 1815.
Some known names the store went by:
Francisco Cassala Grocer – 1852
[missing years data]
Bourn & Elam – 1883
(Parley / Parsley???) 1891
J.L. Blankenship & Bro. – 1902-1911
Hudson’s Market – 1912-1946
Serve Your Self Laundry – 1947-1964
27th Street Laundromat 1964-2004
J.L. Blankenship & Bro. — James Leonard Blankenship (1880-1967) and brother Luther Clyde Blankenship (1883-1962) both from Tennessee, opened a Fish and Game market. By 1910 they had opened the wooden section up as a separate business building with address of 2702 E. Marshall Street and sold the fish from that section while having Confectionaries and Fruit in the 401 building. Luther went on as an insurance salesman for Met Life and James became a policeman before moving to Tuckahoe by 1920 and farmed land off Three Chopt. Believe the Blankenship family lived across the street on Marshall in a house where Pritchard Bros. reposession holding lot is now.
Hudson’s Market — Harry Hinton Hudson (1879-1940) was in the grocery business with Simon Damiani with their store Hudson & Damiani located at 300 W Clay St. The partnership split in 1911 and Hudson opened Hudson Market at the 401 building in 1912. Hudson expanded by WWI I selling radios and electronic parts in the front calling it Hudson Supply Co. and still sold groceries as Hudson’s Market in the back section until after the war and closed shop giving way to Morris Grocery across the street. From 1947 onwards the 401 building would be a Laundromat. Changing times, the first one had hours on Saturday until midnight. Hudson rented a house in the 1930s at 3308 E. Broad St. Damiani opened Home City Market – Fancy Groceries at 935 W. Grace Street in 1914.
The small brick storefront buildings facing Marshall between the Store and Pritchard Brothers were not there in 1905 but a wood yard and wood shed stood there.
Also before anyone mentions about the Hudson entry about “him” changing formats in WWII when he died 1940, his wife Willie and son George continued the business 🙂
I looked at earlier directories for 325 N 27th.
Philip Alto was the first owner of this business building. Keep in mind that usually yearly City Directories are a year behind meaning a 1930 book reflects 1929 listings.
That said, in 1898 a family named Anglea was living on the corner then in 1899 the business shows up as a hardware, cutlery, household and kitchenware store.
Alto also had a store at 611 W. Main St and the contents put up for auction in 1906. He died in 1930 living on Cary Street. Was born in Italy and arrived in America in 1882.
Believe 324 was also built at the same time – late 1897-early 1898.
Eric
In further research I found that George A. Payne ran the 401 building from 1874-1883 as a grocery store prior to Bourne & Elam and then George A. Parsley from 1891-1895 (the Parsley family also had a Saloon-Restaurant-Rooms for Rent down in the red light district of Shockoe Bottom for many years located at 14 N 17th St.) I believe it was when he built his house in 1880 and the address changed that he altered the building adding the stepped parapet roof, stucco siding, and change of the windows and door location.
The store address listed prior to 1880 was 2700 E. Marshall and when Payne built his house at 403 n 27th in 1880, the store became 401 N 27th again as in years prior. So at one point even this building had an address change mix-up.
I’ve never seen Shibley Sr. smile like the day he walked into WPA and said I’m home!