Hotel Richmond facts for kids
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Ninth Street Office Building
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Early postcard view of the Hotel
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| Location | Richmond, Virginia |
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| Built | 1904 |
| Architect | Harrison Albright |
| NRHP reference No. | 09000730 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | September 16, 2009 |
The Ninth Street Office Building in Richmond, Virginia, was once a very important hotel called the Hotel Richmond. It stands across from the Virginia State Capitol, a famous building designed by Thomas Jefferson. What makes the Hotel Richmond special is that it was one of the few grand hotels built by a woman business owner during its time.
Today, the Commonwealth of Virginia owns the building. It is now used as offices for the state government. The Office of the Attorney General, which is like the state's main lawyer, works there.
Contents
The Hotel Richmond Story
Building a Dream
The Hotel Richmond was built in 1904. A determined woman named Adeline Detroit Atkinson was the person who made it happen. The first part of the hotel was designed by Harrison Albright. Later, John Kevan Peebles added more sections. Peebles also designed parts of the Virginia State Capitol building.
The hotel is located near two historic churches: St. Paul's Church and St. Peter's Church. Before the Hotel Richmond, an older hotel called the St. Clare Hotel stood on the same spot. It was taken down to make way for the new building.
Mrs. Atkinson was known for being a very strong and energetic businesswoman. She had already run another hotel in Richmond. She moved to Richmond from Lynchburg, Virginia, after her husband passed away. She then took over their business.
People described her as a "feisty" woman. She fought to make sure hotels were taxed fairly. She even threatened to move her business to another city if the taxes were too high. The Richmond Times-Dispatch newspaper once said she was "tireless as a swallow on the wing."
Overcoming Challenges
Mrs. Atkinson's strong will sometimes caused problems with the city leaders. In 1903, she told newspapers she felt she was being treated unfairly because she was a woman. She said she wouldn't build the Hotel Richmond until the taxes were more fair. She even defended her choice to hire "colored" men for some of the construction work.
The demolition of the old St. Clare Hotel was quite an event. A nearby house, where the Catholic bishop lived, was accidentally damaged. But a picture of the Christ Child was found "alone and uninjured" after the accident.
More additions were made to the hotel by architect John Kevan Peebles. These were done before Virginia's 300th anniversary celebration in 1907. The hotel and the State Capitol were meant to look like they belonged together.
The Hotel Richmond became one of many important hotels in downtown Richmond. Other famous hotels from that time included the Jefferson Hotel and the Hotel John Marshall.
A Hub for Radio
During the 1940s and 1950s, the Hotel Richmond was home to Richmond's top radio station, WRVA. This station was on the AM dial at 1140. In 1948, a sister station, WRVB (now WRVQ), joined it on the FM dial at 94.5.
The hotel's mezzanine floor was the main office for WRVA Radio. This station was famous across the eastern United States for its early broadcasts. In 1940, a popular variety show called Sunshine Sue and Her Rangers started airing from the hotel. This show helped spread country music across the region.
Other shows from the hotel had a local flavor, like Corn Cob Pipe Club and Capitol Squirrel. These shows became very popular, even outside of Virginia. For example, the Corn Cob show had hundreds of fan clubs in the U.S. and Canada.
Political Powerhouse
Because it was so close to the State Capitol, the Hotel Richmond played a big role in the city's political history. For many years, it was the main meeting place for a powerful political group known as the Byrd Machine.
The hotel was a center for political activity. Early on, it displayed a banner for Westmoreland Davis when he ran for Governor. Later, it became the headquarters for the state's Democratic party. Their offices were in a historic room called Parlor A.
In 1926, from the hotel's ballroom, Harry Byrd Sr. took control of state politics with his Byrd Machine. At his inauguration party on the hotel's roof garden, he spoke to the state over WRVA radio. Later, in 1933, Governor William M. Tuck even set up an office in the building.
Historian Jim Latimer said that a certain room in the hotel had the best view of the State Capitol. This room became very important. The last five governors who were part of the Byrd Machine ran their successful campaigns from there. This shows how much influence the hotel had. In the 1970s, the building was also where the state's famous "Virginia Is For Lovers" tourism campaign began.
A New Purpose
In 2016, the Commonwealth of Virginia renovated the old hotel. The Office of the Attorney General moved into the newly fixed-up building. Before this, there was a chance the building might have been torn down.
A company called Commonwealth Architects is now planning changes for the entire block where the building stands. Some parts of Steven Spielberg's movie Lincoln were even filmed inside the building.
