The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-03-17
OUR ANTIQUARY.
RECALLING REMARK ABLE T0P0-
GRAPHICAL CHANGES ~
RICHMOND.
THE GTLDED CAR OF IMPROVE
NEWT UURLING ALONG.
OUR MANNERS AND cusrONs UNLIKE
THOSE OF OUR PROGENI1ORs.
some of the Old Houses Of Richmond
The Condition OF the Highwsys
aud Byways of sIur City IN
the Days of Nore.


In our Last, giving some account Of the
country west of Richmond when 1t was
a modest little town, we had not space
20 make mention OF too many things Al
once At the time OF which we write
there were probably not more than ten
or twelve thousand inhabitants within
the corporate limits Streets that have
since crept slowly ont, devouring on
their way the unconscious country, have
now grown into magnificent highways
Where yerdant hillocks, oaks and elms,
stately poplars and ripping streams
were once seen. are now long arrays OF
palatial residences. before which
The tyIant Midas. with lorily air
Triumphant hurls his silded car.
The town az that time looked very
much Ike the well settled country dress
ed up i'm its best. The homesteads were
far anart in the midst of large lots Or
squares Of ground; or, ms the good old
English word hamestead signifies, was
the space itself. in the midst of which
the mansion stood secluded, patrician
ike respectable, hut not pretentlous
Ianv OF Us derive an indescriOable
pleasure, somewhat partaking OF the Gu
riOus. in assOciatin- events and persons
with certain localities. especially If it he
a retrospect looking back dimly and yet
distlnctiyely enough into the past / ne
visitor 10 London, for instance, passing
almost anywhere. say through Leicester
square. now iy no means fashionable
quarter. would regard with peculiar IN
teresi certain unpretending houses, when
he Is told that here and there lived lto-
earth and Newton and Sir Joshua Key
nolds and that in Wonder simple dwell
ing once resided DR.. Burney, and that
there his gifted Fanny wrote her charm
Ing " Evelina.'
We ourselves dined at times when in
the great metropolis at o place now
scarcely noticeable, but in the yeiy room,
built bv himself, where the peerless
Sheridan had lived and held high cafnl'
val Of wit and riOting. When suddenly
told of II. the realization all most drove
OH power of digestion in the presence Of
such "reminiscences. So, too, 10 Ola
+ Chelsea what emotions We experienced,
when passing along we learned that
Walpole. steele, Addison and Locke had
/ lived and died here, and how our hearts
/ heat and our vencration kindled into awe
As we approached Cheyne Row and
/ looked un1n the humble tenement house
/ In which had lived and died there in late
years the great Carlyle. Not that We
| have I'm Richmond any such places OF
note. any s1ch shrine- before which our
| homage may be made 10 greatness IN
/ rs mulfilOrmity, save one, and thal
happily still stands the once modest ahoue
/ Of him whose fame shall co-e1lst win
/ the greatest Marshall lived there. an
therefore we should be content. These
illustrations are an excuse for saying
something of the community and town
in which we live. of the physical anu
social changes IL has undergone, and OF
what IL was in an age now past forever.
We must needs dwell upon details 10 10
this: details which may appear trivial In
/ themselves. but which are important TO
the consistency OF what We shall have to
say. M
The typographical changes in Rich
mond have been remarkable since It's adj
vance TO the dignity and proportions OF
a city. One could scarcely recognize
these unless he had once been familiar
with It's appearance in years gone by.
Hills have been leyeled, deep decliyltiea
filed no. and obstacles in the way OF i'm
progement removed which gears ago
seemed too enduring to tempt the efforts
of man. By virtue of law that appears
universal towns grow up the streams on
which they are situated rather than be-
low. We need not stop to account for
this. but only 10 show how strongly this
has been illustrated in the case before u.s.
and IN the face OF almost insur
mountable difficulties. In its progress
westward Richmond has Of necessity
been forced 20 seek the great plateau
living bevond the termini of Cary, Main,
Franklin. Grace and Broad stress.
While the vacant and waste places Win
in the narrowest limits were being made
available. it was steadily looking in that
direction. AT the same m0meat that
long and high bridges were neces.
sarv to Cross from Marshall and
CLAW streets 10 the region north
of Leigh and Eighth, il was
equally important that the deep gullie'
and streams that cut off Main and Frank
lin streets from the fields beyond should
be considered. Broad street was always
comparatively level, but was q sea OF
mud In winter until tho construction OF
the railway along its centre. The west
ern end, of Grace and Franklin streets
were at one time lost in a labyrinth OF
gull g though whose lntrlcacles II was
not easy 10 pass with a vehicle during
the day, and almost impossible during
Tue night.
4 bold stream of water ran from above
and beyond Broad street southwark tl
lose itself in the marshes Of Cunningham !
pond. where now the Richmond and Al
ieghany shops stand. On its way II had
worn in the course of years, channel
too deep TO be crossed by horses or yehl-
cles except over bridge. Between Madi
son aud Henry streets was a decliyity 81
steep and so washed into gullies, tha'
from the house now occupied by halOl
Doolev. A carriage could with difficulty
be driven down IT, Al the foot OF thi'
dill the channel just referred to Wa
crossed by stone bridge OF a single
arch, to reach a road that made ~ devil
GUS way out into the commons beyond
In following this the traveller had Il
avoid deep ragines and gullies II driving
and II walking was ireqently lOrceu tu
cross these gullies on planks or descend
into their muddy depths and Chamber on
on the other side IL became necessary
at last TO construct a thick stone wall or
the south side OF Franklin street, uadel
what Is now Henry street, and where i
! lntersecis with Franklin, in orde
10 I'LL up that space By The
washing from above. The etfec
of this was soon seen, but it did not en-
trely remedy the evil A wooden bridge
more than d hundred yards long had thcl
to be constructed for the accommcda
ton of pedestrians, while horses anc
vehicles had TO pass over the new leve
as they could. In due time il was found
that after heavy and persistent rains th'
trouble al this place seemed AS great a.
ever. Ii was then determined to change
the water shed from which the pestiter
Gus stream was fed Accordingly thi.
was done BY a series Of bitches and
grades, and by the subsequent change
made in the grade OF the Richmond
Fredericksburg and Potomac Railway