New Life for the John Marshall
By Michael Fletcher | Monday, May 16th, 2011 | Catch-All, Virginia
The John Marshall Hotel opened in downtown Richmond in 1929. And for decades it was one of Richmond’s grand hotels. Political campaigns were launched here. And, such notable Richmond visitors as Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Mary Tyler Moore and Elizabeth Taylor have been guests there.
Time took its toll on the John Marshall, and while various attempts were made to restore the property, the small rooms and outdated plumbing didn’t make it a candidate to be a successful modern hotel.
I stayed at the John Marshall when I attended the Model General Assembly back in 1976. I’m sure that it was showing its age even then. But I was a country boy from the hills of Southwest, Virginia. What did I know? To me it was a grand experience.
Nearly ten years later, I worked for a campaign (sadly unsuccessful) that launched from the John Marshall with a fundraising breakfast. And when I moved back here in the early 90s, I still got my haircut at the John Marshall barber shop.
So today’s news in the Richmond Times-Dispatch was most welcome.
New Chapter awaits the John Marshall
The John Marshall hotel will reopen this fall as the Residences at the John Marshall — a 16-story apartment building with retail at the ground level.
Once again The Virginia Room will be available for events. The ballroom and catering will be managed by Suzanne Wolstenholme of Homemades by Suzanne. Several weddings are already booked for the fall.
This is a welcomed addition, or return, to downtown Richmond. It’s grand to see these old buildings such as Thalheimer’s and now the John Marshall repurposed for use.
It’s the best kind of recycling.
Cross posted at The Write Side of My Brain.
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About the author
Michael Fletcher works as a freelance writer and consultant in Richmond, Virginia. He blogs regularly at http://www.thewritesideofmybrain.com, http://www.richmondvabusiness.com and http://365thingsibelieve.wordpress.com
Comments
11 Responses to "New Life for the John Marshall"
Can’t wait to see the interior! There are practically dozens of these old art deco buildings in Richmond just waiting to be restored.
Glad to hear this. Wish it could have been a hotel, but still its good to see a piece of Virginia history preserved
It appears that it will be housing appealing to VCU students, based on the advertising around the site. I like the idea of more people actually living in downtown Richmond.
Steve,
Concur. The recession has been hard on the muggers and punk thugs on East Broad and they need a fresh supply of targets. If it wasn’t for the pedestrian traffic around the convention center, then they might have to stay in school and get real jobs.
HR: You know, I live in Churchhill. I’m not afraid to walk around anywhere in downtown Richmond at night. And, although I’m a Second Amendment supporter, I’m not one of those people who goes strapped 24/7 either.
Steve,
When I am there, I don’t go strapped in Richmond 24/7 either–just at night. And thank you Gov. Bob for making it legal to carry into restaurants that serve alcohol or to lock you piece in your car when you valet park.
You can take measures to avoid being a victim: always be aware of your surroundings, stay in well-lit areas where others are present, park your car in an attended lot instead of looking for free parking on a dark side street, and don’t appear to be intoxicated or distracted. Do these things and you will probably never need a handgun. But if you ever do need one, you are going to need it real bad.
You are’t likely to need own in downtown Richmond. There cetainly are neighborhoods in Richmond that I wouldn’t walk through at night — or in the daytime either — but downtown isn’t one of them.
“Richmond has a fairly high crime rate, but the vast majority of serious crime occurs in and around the city’s public housing projects, located mostly in the northeast, eastern and southside sections of the city. Muggings and purse snatchings, however, occur throughout the city, so be careful when walking or standing around at night.
Popular night-spots around downtown, such as The Fan District, the areas around Virginia Commonwealth University and Shockoe Bottom can become dodgy at night, so it is best to avoid walking alone or on side streets. While all of the night spots are generally safe, it is also wise to avoid any confrontations inside or outside of nightclubs, especially in Shockoe Bottom, as incidents have sometimes lead to stabbings or shootings. This goes for fights between other people; just go the other way.
In addition, much of the free and cheap parking in Shockoe Bottom is located under the freeway and train overpasses and have many dark areas; be aware of your surroundings when returning to your car after dark. As always, use common sense and avoid walking or parking in any areas that seem unsafe.
Most areas of the city are also notorious for car break-ins, so it is always best to have nothing visible inside your car, including shoes, clothing or trash if you park on the street, in open lots, or in unsecured parking garages.”
http://wikitravel.org/en/Richmond_%28Virginia%29
“Richmond has a fairly high crime rate, but the vast majority of serious crime occurs in and around the city’s public housing projects, located mostly in the northeast, eastern and southside sections of the city”
This much of that quote is accurate.
The Fan District is perfectly safe, it’s among the more desirable addresses in the city.
Shockoe Slip also safe. Always crowded, always a cop in sight.
The advice about fights outside Shockoe Bottoom clubs is well taken.
However, the parking advice gets one thing wrong…there isn’t any legal free parking in Shockoe Bottom.
Steve,
I like the assessment that crime is generally found around and in the public housing areas but that muggings and purse snatchings are common throughout the city. That reminds me of Marion Berry’s famous statement that “the crime rate in DC is relatively low if you don’t include the murders.”
Somehow, the fact that most murders occur in the projects but that muggings are common downtown doesn’t reassure me.
Great news about the John Marshall. I was privileged to have a private tour of the place in 2003. Apartment use is probably the best use, but there is still plenty of public space for let. The top floor ballroom is one of Richmond’s lost art-deco treasurers, and I sure hope that will be restored. It has undergone many wanna-be restorations and hopefully this time will be the charm. It will take many millions of dollars and the pay-back will not be quick in coming without some hefty historic tax credits and other stimulus incentives. No matter what, it will take some very deep pockets to bring this gem back to life. Best of luck to the developers and investors.
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