Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-31
THE OLD AND NEW.
Prominent Buildings That Have Passed
Away Since the War.
WORK OF THE EVACUATION FIRE.
Handsome Structures That Fell Prey
10 Hungry FIames-Ncw Houses
Ereeted on Their sites--Dircctory
Of Confederate Omecrs.

Those Confederate veterans who passed
through Richmond to join the main body
OF Lees army in April. 1865. when that
army was falling back before Grant. and
who have not since visited the capital Of
the Confederacy will upon their visit here
in June note many changes.
Many Of the most conspicuous build
ings Of war times have passed away,
end new ones now stand IN their stead.
But few OF the old landmarks have sur
viyed. and almost new city will greet
the old soldiers. though the same hospi-
tally which charmed them in the co.'s will
be accorded them in the COS.
Libby prison. which was one Of the
most conspicuous buildings in the city,
has been torn down and removed TO
Chicago. and on its site is now busting
refractory. The old Castle Thunder,
on the corner of Eighteenth and Cary
streets, has also disappeared. This prison
was used mostly for the confinement Of
deserters and disloyal southerners. 1t was
a three-story structure with an iron We
randa running the entire length OF the
second story. and during the war was a
most interesting place.
OLD MECHANICS INSTITUTE.
'The War Department building" on
Ninth Street yearly opposite the head OF
Bank street was swept out of existence
and almost out OF public recollection by
the evacuation fire. Comparatively few
residents remember that there was ever
any such structure here. 1t was erected
by the Mechanics Institute as school
OF technology, and its main hall was
then the largest and best public hall in the
city. For time the secession Conven-
ton" sat in this hall When the seat OF
government Of the Confederacy was
moved from Montgomery to Richmond
the Mechanics Institute building was re-
arranged 10 suit the purposes OF our
War Department and was thus occupied
as long as IL remained in existence. IL
went down with hundreds of other build
1ngs which caught fire on the morning OF
the evacuation from the warehouses and
bridges which had been fired by the re-
treating Confederates.
The custom-house, in which President
Davis and many other dignitaries had
their offices may be easily identified
though il has been Temodelled and much
changed. IL is now larger. but not hand
. eomer than IL was before the eVacua-
ton. The custom-house escaped destruc-
tion in the great fire, but this was due
" lHt bltdl open SpdNtS dbOHl IL ldAitl
than to the fact that 1t was "hre-proot,"
the experience derived from great fires In
other cities being that granite will not
stand the heat as well brick. Presi-
dent Daviss Office was In this building,
as was also that of Secretary the
Treasury Memnger. After the war the
first bank started in Richmond was con-
Quoted by man named Suit in the cor
ridor of the custom-house building on
second fnnr Oldham Wigand
who subsequently achieved fame as the
imam milliner." was its teller.
THICKLY BUILT UP SINCE
The residence of President Davis is al
most unchanged. but its surroundings
have undergone great transformation.
New houses have been built up thickly
around il. In Mr.. Davis's time the view
from his porch northwardly was extern
sive. He could stand there and see the
flash of every gun at Mechanicsville. Now
the view is blocked by row of brick
houses.
The Spotswood Hotel. surviving the
evacuation fire, was burned with con-
siderable loss of life, December %, 1870.
The Pace Block Chesapeake and Ohio
Office building) occupies its site. and has
for its neighbor the imposing building of
the Chamber of Commerce The site of
the Chambers building includes two lots.
on one of which stood in war times
Boshers Hall, where the fractional cur
rency Of the Confederacy was printed.
Adjoining this hail was a one-story brick
building where General Wnder. military
commandant of Richmond. had headquar-
tiers for a year or two.
THE OLD ARMORY.
Among the buildings which were de-
Etroyed in the evacuation fire was the
old armory. part Of the walls OF which
now stand on the Trodegar lot. This
building was In its day one OF the hand
soonest in Richmond. Its architecture was
of an armorial type. The main entrance
10 the building was through an arched
doorway. which opened directly into a
beautiful court in which were displayed
numerous Revolutionary relies. These
were all melted during the war and con-
verted into missiles TO be fired into the
yankee" ranks. Shortly after the out
break OF hostiities the machinery from
the armory at Harper's Ferry was re-
moved to Richmond and set up in the
armory here. and the guns which were
used In the Confederate service were
manufactured here The old aTmory w.s
one of the first buildings in the city TO
eaten after the bridges were fired. and
II was totally destroyed. with the excep-
ton of parts of the walls
THE OLD HALL AND NEW.
The old City Hail. which stood at the
cirner of Eleventh and Broad and Capt.
tol streets. was one OF the most promi-
nent buildings of war times 1t was a
two-story structure fronting on Capitol
street. the roof being supported by five
massive pillars. The City Hall sat I'm
large yard. surrounded by trees. and was
great place for the congregation of
loiterers. In March. 1874. it was deemed
unsafe for further occupancy and being
condemned. was vacated. and the citv
fathers moved TO the barn-like structure
y