The Broad-Grace Arcade as it appeared in Richmond Magazine, June, 1929.

The Grace Street entrance to the Broad-Grace Arcade, as it appeared in Richmond Magazine, June, 1929. Drawing by Charles W Smith. 

The Broad-Grace Arcade was situated on the 200 block of E. Broad Street (one could enter the arcade and walk through the building to the second entrance on the 200 block of E. Grace Street). The building was built alongside the Central National Bank building - both built in 1929 and designed by John Eberson (1875-1964). Eberson was a Romanian born American architect based in New York and is best remembered for his Art Deco movie theaters built throughout the nation. Carneal, Johnston, & Wright of Richmond were the local architectural firm carrying out the work.  

This image shows the Grace Street entrance (the arcade ran from Grace to Broad). It was a three-story limestone-faced structure built to house various stores on the bottom with offices on the second and third floors. I am not certain when the Broad-Grace Arcade ceased to be - the building stands, but it has been vacant since at least the 1980s. 

Google Maps view of the Grace St. entrance, 2022.

Richmond Magazine was published monthly by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce from 1914 through 1933. Many of the magazine's cover illustrations in the late 1920s and early 1930s were provided by Virginia artist and educator Charles W. Smith (1893-1987).

Smith was a graduate of the Corcoran Art School and of Yale’s School of Fine Art. After teaching at the University of Virginia and in New York, Smith moved to Richmond to work for the printing firm Whittet & Shepperson. In 1927 he was the first professional artist to be hired by the Richmond School of Social Work and Public Health (later Richmond Professional Institute and now VCU) to teach art. This occurred a year before a full-time art program was developed by Theresa Pollak (1899-2002). Smith became chair of the art department at Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont in 1936. In 1947 until his retirement in 1963 he taught art and chaired the art department at the University of Virginia. He died in Charlottesville in 1987.

- Ray 

Night Scene on Franklin Street, 1938.

[Click on image for larger view]

"Night Scene on Franklin Street" from the February 13, 1938 issue of the Richmond Times-Dispatch's Sunday Magazine and Book Review section. The view is from E. Franklin Street looking down Third Street.

The color illustration by John W. De Groot (1915-1995). De Groot worked for the Richmond Times-Dispatch in the late 1930s as an illustrator and writer. He provided many of the illustrations for the TD's Sunday Magazine section at that time period. This issue is courtesy of Richard Bland. I will be posting more on De Groot and his great illustrations of Richmond scenes in future posts.


-->The Central National Bank Building, built 1929 at 219 E. Broad Street, was known for decades to Richmonders as the Central Fidelity Bank building. At twenty-two stories it was the tallest building in the city for decades. The Art Deco skyscraper was designed by John Eberson (1875-1964), a noted New York architect best known for his design of movie theaters. Local architects Carneal and Johnston shared in the work and design of the building. The large neon sign that stood on the top of the building changed colors according to the weather forecast for the next day.

Charles W. Smith and Richmond Magazine.

The April 1929 issue of Richmond Magazine featured the work of Charles W. Smith (1893-1987). The image is that of the headquarters of the National Pepsi-Cola Corporation, 1224 W. Broad Street in Richmond. The 1920s era building housed the fledgling Pepsi-Cola company from 1923 until 1931. The building would later house the Jack Thompson Furniture Company. In 1998 it was demolished by VCU to make way for its Sports Medicine Building which opened in July of 2001.

Richmond Magazine was published monthly by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce from 1914 through 1933. Many of the magazine's cover illustrations in the late 1920s and early 1930s were provided by Virginia artist and educator Charles W. Smith (1893-1987). Eight of his cover illustrations are currently featured in an exhibit in the Special Collections and Archives department at VCU's James Branch Cabell Library. Two of those covers are shown here.

Smith was a graduate of the Corcoran Art School and of Yale’s School of Fine Art. After teaching at the University of Virginia and in New York, Smith moved to Richmond to work for the printing firm Whittet & Shepperson. In 1927 he was the first professional artist to be hired by the Richmond School of Social Work and Public Health (later Richmond Professional Institute and now VCU) to teach art. This occurred a year before a full time art program was developed by Theresa Pollak (1899-2002). Smith became chair of the art department at Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont in 1936. In 1947 until his retirement in 1963 he taught art and chaired the art department at the University of Virginia. He died in Charlottesville in 1987.

Smith's image of Central National Bank (CNB) building, 219 E. Broad St., on the cover of the January 1929 issue of Richmond Magazine. The building was built 1928-1929.  At 22 stories it was the tallest building in the city for decades. The building was designed by John Eberson (1875-1964), a noted New York architect best known for his design of movie theaters. Local architects Carneal and Johnson shared in the work and design of the building. The large neon sign that stood on the top of the building changed colors according to the weather forecast for the next day.