Thursday, November 4, 2010

Chamber of Commerce Building, Richmond, Va., 1912.



Post card image of the Chamber of Commerce Building, postmarked 1912.

The Richmond Chamber of Commerce building, 823-827 E. Main Street, was built 1891-1892 and designed by architect Marion J. Dimmock (1846-1908). Considered one of the most impressive buildings of its time in Richmond, this Richardsonain style building was sixth-stories high, used local Petersburg granite, included numerous offices and an auditorium. Despite its many features, the building was only in use for ten years. It was demolished in 1912 to make way for the First National Bank building. Granite from the building was salvaged and used in the construction of a building at 203 Governor Street.

I found the two articles below at Chronicling America - seems that other Richmond architects and their own designs were considered before Dimmock's design was finally accepted.  Those other architects included Charles H. Read, Jr.(1846-1904) and the firm of Egerton S. Rogers (who would design the Dooley Mansion at Maymont)  and Walter. R. Higham. Rogers and Higham designed Cavalry Armory in Richmond, which Selden wrote about in an earlier blog entry.

Check out the nom de plumes that the architects used. Read, as Johnny Reb, was a VMI graduate and fought in the Battle of New Market.


-- Ray B.

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