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What we talk about when we talk about Church Hill

Harry Kollatz sketches the history of Church Hill and the current state of the neighborhood in advance of Tuesday’s Community Conversation at The Valentine and the bus tour the next Saturday (and with a nod to the current Made in Church Hill exhibit):

Church Hill has gone through the Dickensian cycle of “the best of times, the worst of times,” involving concentration, deterioration, demographic and situational alteration and rehabilitation. How to move forward to the benefit of residents who’ve lived there generations, and those who’ve arrived in the past decade or less, makes North Church Hill one of the most dynamic nodes in the constellation of Richmond neighborhoods confronting these issues.

The Valentine’s fifth Community Conversations series is addressing several of the city’s communities that are in flux. It’s the turn now for North Church Hill, with the Conversation at the Valentine, on Tuesday, 6 to 8 p.m., and a bus tour on Saturday, Feb. 7, 10 a.m. to noon. The discussion is free to attend; reservations are recommended for the tour.

This conversation is greatly complemented by the Valentine’s current exhibition, “Made In Church Hill,” This multi-media show embraces the history and changes of the community. Viewing it, one should become aware of the sweep and arc of urban history — which is bundles of biographies and memories that create a foundation to understand the place.

PHOTO: Woody Funeral Parlor, 700 N. 28th Street (demolished) / courtesy the Valentine, Cook Collection