The classical façade of the Second Baptist Church building could remain after demolition of the rest of the structure and become a mini-Parthenon. (BizSense file)
Last year I wrote about the impending demolition of the Richmond Coliseum. I suggested that any demolition need not be absolute.
Simply leaving the seating bowl of the Richmond Coliseum intact would result in an amphitheater much like the ancient Colosseum in Rome. A Richmond Colosseum would be useful and would pay homage to an interesting piece of the city’s architectural history.
Although the city’s plans continue to call for complete demolition of the Coliseum — above and below ground — the idea that other demolition need not be absolute remains.
The latest high-profile candidate for the wrecking ball is the Second Baptist Church building, whose fate was recently affirmed by the city. The historic 1906 building sits next door to The Jefferson Hotel on West Franklin Street. The owner of the church building and the hotel is Historic Hotels of Richmond.
Demolition of the church building was first approved by the city in 1992 but never occurred. The chairman of Historic Hotels of Richmond, Bill Goodwin, said in a recent Times-Dispatch article that he and his colleagues have since “gone through every idea” they could come up with, but that the building has deteriorated too much over those decades to save it. He added that “we don’t know of any legal reason” why the city’s initial approval would not be valid.
One legal reason might have been the doctrine of “laches,” the failure to timely assert one’s rights. But the city has concluded that its initial determination is still valid despite the owner’s failure to act on it for three decades.
Goodwin told the RTD he is truly sorry that the church building will be demolished, because he likes “to preserve stuff.” And experts agree that the church building needs to be preserved because of its classical façade, which is of major architectural importance.
If Historic Hotels of Richmond desires and is permitted to proceed with demolition, I again suggest that it need not be absolute. The classical façade of the church building could remain. That would leave eight classical columns across the front, and at least four classical columns along the sides, supporting the portico.
Instant mini-Parthenon.
When that ancient former temple in Athens was extensively damaged by an explosion in 1687, nothing but roof and columns remained. And the columns and portico remain today. The preserved ruins of the Parthenon make up one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world, visited by about 7.2 million people every year.
Similar classical buildings, like the intact Roman temple Maison Carrée, inspired the design of the 1788 Virginia Capitol by The Jefferson Hotel’s namesake, and the Second Baptist Church building.
If the church building is razed, I hope Historic Hotels of Richmond will at least preserve the columns and portico, like the Greeks did with the Parthenon. That would at least attain the goal of preserving the classical façade, for the benefit of future generations. And tourists staying at The Jefferson Hotel might like it, too.
Stefan Calos is a shareholder at Richmond law firm Sands Anderson, where he is also chair of the commercial real estate team.
To submit a guest opinion to BizSense, please email [email protected]. And click here to read more about the criteria for submission.
The classical façade of the Second Baptist Church building could remain after demolition of the rest of the structure and become a mini-Parthenon. (BizSense file)
Last year I wrote about the impending demolition of the Richmond Coliseum. I suggested that any demolition need not be absolute.
Simply leaving the seating bowl of the Richmond Coliseum intact would result in an amphitheater much like the ancient Colosseum in Rome. A Richmond Colosseum would be useful and would pay homage to an interesting piece of the city’s architectural history.
Although the city’s plans continue to call for complete demolition of the Coliseum — above and below ground — the idea that other demolition need not be absolute remains.
The latest high-profile candidate for the wrecking ball is the Second Baptist Church building, whose fate was recently affirmed by the city. The historic 1906 building sits next door to The Jefferson Hotel on West Franklin Street. The owner of the church building and the hotel is Historic Hotels of Richmond.
Demolition of the church building was first approved by the city in 1992 but never occurred. The chairman of Historic Hotels of Richmond, Bill Goodwin, said in a recent Times-Dispatch article that he and his colleagues have since “gone through every idea” they could come up with, but that the building has deteriorated too much over those decades to save it. He added that “we don’t know of any legal reason” why the city’s initial approval would not be valid.
One legal reason might have been the doctrine of “laches,” the failure to timely assert one’s rights. But the city has concluded that its initial determination is still valid despite the owner’s failure to act on it for three decades.
Goodwin told the RTD he is truly sorry that the church building will be demolished, because he likes “to preserve stuff.” And experts agree that the church building needs to be preserved because of its classical façade, which is of major architectural importance.
If Historic Hotels of Richmond desires and is permitted to proceed with demolition, I again suggest that it need not be absolute. The classical façade of the church building could remain. That would leave eight classical columns across the front, and at least four classical columns along the sides, supporting the portico.
Instant mini-Parthenon.
When that ancient former temple in Athens was extensively damaged by an explosion in 1687, nothing but roof and columns remained. And the columns and portico remain today. The preserved ruins of the Parthenon make up one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world, visited by about 7.2 million people every year.
Similar classical buildings, like the intact Roman temple Maison Carrée, inspired the design of the 1788 Virginia Capitol by The Jefferson Hotel’s namesake, and the Second Baptist Church building.
If the church building is razed, I hope Historic Hotels of Richmond will at least preserve the columns and portico, like the Greeks did with the Parthenon. That would at least attain the goal of preserving the classical façade, for the benefit of future generations. And tourists staying at The Jefferson Hotel might like it, too.
Stefan Calos is a shareholder at Richmond law firm Sands Anderson, where he is also chair of the commercial real estate team.
To submit a guest opinion to BizSense, please email [email protected]. And click here to read more about the criteria for submission.
This is a good commentary, thanks for including the legal opinion. I wonder why the city attorney is not looking into that?
To what end? This is not the parthenon, nor does it bear anywhere near the historical significance. What good does a roof and some columns serve Richmond Residents? I can understand some of the arguments for keeping the structure. But keeping a roof and columns? That sound neither structurally sound nor particularly useful.
Where do you see architecture like this being developed today anywhere in America?
How can we be so arrogant as to deny someone 100 years from now from reveling in this architecture and seeing it then as historically significant.
What will we leave for them then, if not beautiful structures like this?
We’ve destroyed most of the history in Richmond expressed by our monuments to our bloody and honorable and not so honorable past.
A bust of George floyd?
A BLM time capsule?
A microbrewery tap?
Monuments to the heroes of a lost cause to enslave a race of people are not equivalent to the preservation of historic architecture. Your attempt to conflate the two are ridiculous.
Any realistic proposal is worth consideration. Does anyone find it hypocritical that the owner of a corporation named “Historic Hotels of Richmond” is so quick to tear down a vintage building with so much potential for reuse? Especially to merely add more surface parking area. This is an affront to Richmond’s historic fabric.
To me, this building is beautiful. It reminds me of our connection to the spread of Western Civilization from ancient times, as our State Capitol. Of course, that is reason enough for some to want it torn down. smh.
Interesting concept and certainly one very worthy of consideration. Still, I hope the building can be saves, preserved, rehabbed and reused. It’s a Richmond classic that is absolutely unique in the city, in the metro and in the Commonwealth. Losing this treasure really would be a sin and a shame. I’m no preservationist by any stretch — but I don’t mind saying that this is one of those extremely rare gems that can never EVER be replaced or replicated. I hope and pray someone might step up to make Historic Hotels a lucrative offer to purchase and restore this gorgeous… Read more »
Every beautiful thing in Richmond is being supplanted by the ugliness of liberal hatred for christianity and Southern Heritage.
It is a vile and wretched practice, but it is waged by those who personify and exemplify vile and wretched