A New State Capitol in the West End? The Meteoric Rise and Fall of a Planned Government Complex

William Tuck was a pragmatic kind of Virginian.  He grew up on a tobacco farm in Halifax County and developed into a canny lawyer and politician, becoming Governor in 1946. His red-clay origins may have given him a conservative and no-nonsense attitude, especially concerning labor relations, but Bill Tuck knew a bad idea when he saw one.

The financial situation with the State government was becoming increasingly serious early in Tuck’s term.  In 1947, he wrote to the heads of State agencies, directing them to report any unspent funds and outlining what these agencies would do to help with a growing budget deficit. These agencies were warned that there may be revenue shortfalls for the next two years.

Governor William M. Tuck (1896-1983). From the collection of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library.

Despite the budget problems, Tuck was faced with the demand for more space for State offices.  The economic boom that occurred at the end of World War II had to be served by a growing number of public servants, departments, and bureaucrats and the traditional seat of government in downtown Richmond was running out of room. The Richmond News Leader reported that “Some departments such as Taxation, Purchasing and Printing, Health and Agriculture, are so crowded that workers are almost sitting in each other’s laps.”

On August 17, 1948, Governor Tuck and the State’s Public Building Commission revealed a secret plan that had been under development for months. “Reliable sources said this proposal was advanced more than a year ago by at least two men high in State government,” reported the Richmond News Leader, “…and that it received some support from some influential outside sources.” There is just the slightest whiff of conspiracy about the initial identification of this site as suitable for the new Capitol, and the mention that the property had recently been surveyed did nothing to dispel this idea.

The approach to the 1948 Capitol complex would have run straight through the site of today’s Epiphany Lutheran Church at 1400 Horsepen Road.

A tract of land at the far end of Monument Avenue was proposed as the site of a completely new Capitol complex, which would stand on a slight rise called Fort Hill. The existing Capitol would be repurposed as a “Shrine to the South” museum, an institution described as, “a Southern museum without equal in the old Confederacy.” The old Capitol Square would be connected to the new seat of government 6.5 miles to the west by a “parkway” that is today’s Monument Avenue.

A plan in the collection of the Library of Virginia shows the State Capitol and the new seat of government 6.5 miles away at the intersection of Horsepen Road and Monument Avenue.

In this detail of the proposed new “Capitol Hill,” the State buildings are shown in red. Note the Civil War-era earthworks still on the “Fort Hill” site. Notations show approaches from various points around Virginia.

As planned, Monument Avenue would cross Horsepen Road and turn into a series of looping drives around multi-story buildings. A new airport was mentioned as one of the features of the plan, which could have resulted in the revival of a nearby airfield that was built in 1941 but soon abandoned. The Shockoe Examiner profiled that airport earlier this year. 

This newspaper photo illustrating an automobile accident shows the undeveloped condition of what is now the West End of Richmond. This view is looking east from the intersection of Libbie Avenue and Monument Avenue. The Richmond News Leader, March 31, 1948.

The design of the new “Capitol Hill” would have taken Monument Avenue into the heart of the Fort Hill neighborhood. The campus would have consumed the area now occupied by hundreds of suburban houses and a portion of the Henrico Doctors Hospital site.

The plan for the new Capitol was hardly an amateur effort, as the principal architect was Merril C. Lee, the respected creator of numerous major Virginia buildings. Consulting architects included a “Who’s Who” of prominent Richmond architects: Baskervill and Son, Carneal & Johnston, and Marcellus Wright & Son. Cost estimates for the complex of buildings were not released, but it would mean an expenditure of millions of Virginia taxpayers’ dollars, and Governor Tuck knew it.

The Richmond News Leader headline announcing “Tuck Reveals ‘Capitol’ in West End” ran on August 17, 1948.  The following day, an equally large headline read, “Tuck Gets Barrage of Protests on Plan to Move ‘Capitol Hill.” Governor Tuck made no secret of how he felt about this remote Virginia Capitol but apparently felt obliged to hear all proposals for expansion of State offices. For Tuck, a strong advocate of fiscal responsibility, the price tag was too much, and the tidal wave of immediate and vocal opposition must have been impressive. The Governor probably enjoyed being near the Capitol and State offices where they were: a five-minute stroll instead of a twenty-minute commute up and down Monument Avenue from the Governor’s Mansion.

With the cost, the inconvenience, the overwhelming public sentiment for keeping Virginia government where it was, the project had a swift end. On August 18, the News Leader concluded, “Indications were today that the West End idea would die aborning.” 

Without Tuck’s support, the “Capitol Hill” in the West End disappeared without a ripple.  All the architects involved stood down from what might have been one of largest and most significant design and building programs the Commonwealth had ever seen. Instead, the following year, Virginians contented themselves with an inexpensive beautification plan for Capitol Square, with new planting and walkways. No more was said about ranks of massed office buildings looming over the West End.

The plan for the new Capitol complex was added to the collection of the Library of Virginia, the repository of several ambitious (and failed) plans for Capitol Square. The Shockoe Examiner explored one of the more vivid plans in 2014. 

-Selden

 

 

Rare view of the Construction of the City Hall building of Richmond, Virginia, ca. 1887.

 

This image of the "Stonewall" Jackson statue in Capitol Square (unveiled in 1875, removed in 2026) shows a glimpse of the construction of what is now Old Richmond City Hall. The image is from a small publication entitled "Richmond Indelible Photographs" published in 1890. While the book was published in 1890, I determined that the image probably dates from about 1887 when construction on the City Hall building was begun. 

The Shockoe Examiner published another rare view of the construction of the building several years ago. Here's a link to that blog post.

Image of the cover of the publication "Richmond Indelible Photographs" published in 1890. It was for sale on eBay in Sept. of 2026. 

- Ray

"Architecture in Richmond, Va." from the Feb. 1901 issue of the Architects and Builders Journal,

 

Below is the text to a short article on Richmond architects that appeared in the February 1901 issue of the Architects and Builders Journal. The journal was published in Baltimore between 1899 and 1908. It was a monthly periodical subtitled A Monthly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of Building, Architecture, & Real Estate and was printed by The Globe Publishing and Printing Co. If focused primarily on architecture in Maryland but also had coverage of the District of Columbia, Virginia, and other regional areas. 

The Library of Virginia has the journal on microfilm. They filmed it from a copy held at the Library of Congress - thanks to a request by Tom Ray, a former librarian at the LVA. I was sent a digital scan of a photocopy of the article by a librarian at the Valentine Museum. The photocopy is from the Valentine's subject folder on Richmond architects. I present the text here so others can easily access it.

Architecture in Richmond, Va.

Architecture in Richmond has more of history, than variety, but is certainly one hundred and fifty years old, for it has been that long since Thomas Jefferson built the present state capitol; one of the finest types of Ionic architecture in the country. That the art in the first century of the city's growth did not die with Mr. Jefferson, is exemplified in the Virginia Medical College, one of the purest types of Egyptian architecture of modern construction, and the Monumental Church, a striking picture, of unique and simple design, and many noble residences of general Colonial style, which rival in beauty and comfort the more pretentious and less gloomy modern dwellings. The modern architecture of Richmond may be said to date back a quarter of a century, for it is within that time that the most imposing structures of this city have been created and they stand as enduring monuments to architects still in the prime of their usefulness.

Capt. M. J. Dimmock, the dean of the architects here, has been peculiarly happy in his contributions to the beauty and utility of the imperishable art, in a place where conservatism has held genius bound for many years in bonds of red brick, and gable roofs. Capt. Dimmock has been the designer and supervisor of the erection of a large number of buildings both public and private. He threw down the sabre at the close of four years service in the Confederate cavalry to take up the pencil and rule, and the very best types of architecture in Richmond are monuments of his genius. Some of these are the Chamber of Commerce, Grove Avenue Church, Hollywood Mortuary Chapel, the all native stone residence of W. H. Jones and scores of other business and residence houses.

The office of William C. West is the oldest architectural establishment in the city, the mantle of the late Albert L. West, one of the ablest men in creative design in the south, having fallen on the son. In the few years since his father's death he has drawn and supervised the construction of a large number of bank, school, church, business buildings and residences in Virginia and North Carolina.

Albert F. Huntt, one of the leading men in his profession in the South, graduated from the Pennsylvania Military Academy both as engineer and architect, and has executed much handsome work. Recently he has designed and planned extensive ware-houses for the American Tobacco Company here, in North Carolina, Oswego, N. Y., Madison, Wis., and the Winnie Davis Memorial School at Luray, Va. A magnificent Indian Bungalow on James River for Mrs. Bullock of Philadelphia is one of his latest productions.

D. Wiley Anderson, a resident of Albemarle county, Va has been a resident of Richmond for ten years and in that time has taken front rank with the designers and originators in architectural circles. He owes his position to natural ability and close personal study and his skill and originality are pictured in many of the handsomest structures in this city.

Carl C. Ruehrmund, is a native of Berlin, Germany and secured his technical knowledge in the Royal Academy in that city and after graduation superintended the erection of several works for his own government. He came to this country in 1881 and was employed in the bureau of architecture of the National Government at Washington, D. C. Being sent to Richmond to remodel the Post Office building he liked the place and settled here. He is admittedly an accomplished architect, as the Henrico County court-house, the state hospital at Williamsburg, Va. and other artistic and substantial creations of his testify.

Benjamin West Poindexter after fifteen years experience in the best architects offices, set up in business for himself in 1899. He designed Union Station Methodist Church, one of the largest church buildings in the state and considered one of the best church designs in Virginia. He has done much other creditable work in the limited time he has been in business.

The firm of Noland & Baskervill is among the youngest and yet perhaps the most important in the amount of patronage enjoyed in Richmond. The firm is composed of Wm. C. Noland and H. E. Baskervill. Mr. Noland is a native of a neighboring county. He studied architecture in Philadelphia and New York and in Europe, while Mr. Baskervill is a Richmonder and graduated from the Engineering department of Cornell, and for eight years held a position in the engineering department of this city under Col. Cutshaw. They entered the field several years ago with youth and ability and have been aggressive as winners of work. They planned St. Luke's Hospital, Virginia Electrical Company's plant, addition to the University College of Medicine and numerous residences. They are now at work on plans for the Virginia Mechanics Institute and Baptist Church, and other important work. 

[End of article.]

- Ray

Letter to Richmond Mayor Avula about the Threat to the Historic Westwood Neighborhood.

Below is a copy of a letter Selden just sent the Richmond mayor. It is a shame that residents of Westwood, a tiny but important community at Willow Lawn Drive and Patterson Avenue, have to once again band together and resist yet another legalistic assault by an indifferent and uncaring City administration. The importance of this neighborhood can’t be underestimated, and the threat to it is very real. The Shockoe Examiner explored the significance of Westwood years ago – please read this entry that illuminates the history of the neighborhood, its role in the struggle for Civil Rights, and why an appeal to the Mayor is so important.                                                                                                                

Dear Mayor Avula:

The historic neighborhood of Westwood is again under attack, and it is remarkable how often this tiny African-American Richmond community has faced destruction and persevered.  Richmond has a terrible record of destroying its Black neighborhoods: Jackson Ward was gutted by I-95, Fulton was turned into an urban prairie, and Navy Hill was bulldozed into Shockoe Valley.

As horrific as all that sounds, none of these disasters of civic planning was fueled by the overt racial prejudice that once drove an effort to erase the entire Westwood neighborhood down to the ground and disperse the families who had been there for generations.  And yet, Westwood prevailed and survived.

In recognition of its astonishing past and fragile present, the community has been recently named to the list of Preservation Virginia’s “Most Endangered” list.  Nevertheless, Westwood is again under siege by an insensitive bureaucratic assault called “Code Refresh.”  This ham-handed revision of the city zoning code would allow more density on the existing street grid.  The affordable homes and lots in Westwood have already felt the attention of developers in their neighborhood, builders who are snatching up houses and properties.

Mashing more density into Westwood’s existing housing stock will forever alter the character of the neighborhood and rising taxes will disperse the current residents.  This triumph of the developer is the result of insensitive and poor planning on the part of the “Code Refresh” proponents.  Places like Westwood desperately need to be exempted from “one size fits all” planning, and Richmonders look to your office to provide the kind of leadership and vision to understand this.

Mayor Avula, a myth in our country exalts real estate developers as kings.  Let’s not allow Richmond’s future to become yet another victim of that horrid idea.  Revise “Code Refresh” to accommodate our past – it is ours to have or lose, and as they well know in Westwood, it is up to us to defend our history.  We need your help and support.

Sincerely, 

Selden Richardson

To contact Richmond Mayor Danny Avula, call the Mayor's Office at (804) 646-7970 or email RVAMayor@rva.gov.  

You can also visit or send mail to the office at 900 E. Broad St., Suite 201, Richmond, VA 23219

Panorama Postcard image of Capitol Square and Surroundings, Richmond, VA, ca. 1907, published by The Albertype Co., Brooklyn, NY

 

Panorama Postcard image of Capitol Square and Surroundings, Richmond, Virginia, ca. 1907, published by The Albertype Co., Brooklyn, NY

There are only a few panorama postcard images of Richmond published before 1930. This rare view, taken from a building on the south side of the 1000 block of E. Main St. opposite what is now the U. S. Court of Appeals Building, originally the U.S. Customhouse. These types of postcards were also called fold-out postcards. 

This building seen on the right is the old Times Building at Main and Twelfth Street. The building was enlarged 1890-1891 from a design by Richmond architect Charles H. Read, Jr. (1846-1904). 

This postcard was published in what is commonly called the Undivided Back Era, 1901-1907, when the back of a postcard was strictly reserved for the address, so senders had to write messages on the front of the card. This changed in 1907 during the Divided Back period, 1907-1915, known at the Golden Age of Postcards, when the U.S. Postal Service allowed messages and addresses to share the back of a postcard. This let images take up the entire front side, sparking a massive craze for illustrated and photographic postcards.

This image is dated from about 1907 - its a view that shows the Virginia State Capitol after the 1904 addition of the two wings added to the east and west ends of the building and before the Divided Back era of postcard publishing. 

The Albertype Company is described below from the catalog record for the "Albertype Co. Collection of North Carolina Photographs," circa 1900-1930s at the library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:

The Albertype Co., headquartered in Brooklyn, N.Y., produced postcards and other printed materials from 1890 until 1952. The company utilized a specific photomechanical processes process that had been invented by Joseph Albert in Australia in the late 1860s. Albert's process was an improvement on the collotype photographic process. The company had teams of photographers who traveled across the United States taking and buying images depicting people, places, and activities in all parts of the country. The images were published as postcards and marketed to be sold in the locales depicted in the images.

Back of the panorama postcard of Capitol Square. 

-- Ray