RECENT COMMENTS
A simple house with a big story
PHOTO: 725 North 22nd Street (right)(Jan.2006)
The Thomas Cannon house at 725 North 22nd Street has been recently polished and put on the market. A neat piece by Carol Hazard in the RTD tells of Cannon’s life, Union Hill in the 1990s, and the story of the home’s renovation:
The Church Hill house sat empty for 10 years until Ralph Oliver bought it from Cannon in 2005, just before the philanthropist’s death, and did the heavy lifting, restoring the rickety home to resell it.
A carpenter, contractor and trucker, Oliver was renovating his house on the same street when Cannon’s daughter-in-law noticed his work and asked him to buy the Cannon house and fix it.
“I had the real pleasure of having an audience with him,” Oliver said about Thomas Cannon. “He had the most positive attitude of anyone I had ever met in my life.”
Oliver said Cannon told him that he had an operation to remove cancerous tumors, but doctors said they could not do much with a third tumor. “ ‘Don’t worry about me,’ ” Cannon told Oliver. “ ‘I’ve had a good life.’ ” He chose to be buried among the poor.
Oh, my…thanks for your clarification, John, that the house is in Union Hill.
The Thomas Cannon story needs to be told more often…..somehow this feels like the proper season for us to reflect upon one of Richmond’s Favorite Sons
There is a story behind the wording of the plaque she mentioned
Mr. Cannon and I were sitting on his front porch swing ( which he dearly loved and I restored it as well to make the new owner happy) talking and I mentioned I would probably use his name as a way to market and sell the finished house, maybe even put up one of those historic bronze plagues declaring this his home
He laughed like a kid at that and told me to do whatever I had to to make plenty of money on it. I asked him what he would like on the plaque and after knocking around a few suggestions we finally decided on ” Thomas Cannon Slept Here”
He thought that was the funniest thing yet and he made me promise to use it.
I added a few things but I kept that phrase in his honor
A good man ,better than most but too humble to say so
We need more like him now
“Now go out and help others”
Thomas Cannon
AMEN
It’s great to see Ralph commended for the quality renovation he did of the Cannon house. Because of the care Ralph took, this house and plaque will be a testament to Cannon for years to come.
Let’s all take note of the high quality renovation and the modest sales price: this part of Union Hill can be well-renovated and be the kind of dignified, attractive, desirable affordable workforce housing the city needs.
Ralph, thanks for sharing your story regarding the copy for the Cannon plaque – I’ve often noted how unusual and yet perfectly fitting it is. We give bike tours of the neighborhood and I can tell you that stopping at this house – and offering the Thomas Cannon story – is always a highlight. My neighbor is a postal worker and shared that Cannon had a rickshaw and a rice hat and would run all the neighborhood kids up and down the streets of Union Hill for the fun of it. I hope that the new buyer appreciates this legacy!
Wonderful stories…about the house and the man who lived there! And I, too, hope that whoever settles there appreciates the legacy.
If you want to hear more about Thomas Cannon- He is featured on our bike tour of Church Hill!
Such an inspiring man!
Has it already sold…?