Sometimes I forget how Richmond used to be. That quiet, stagnant desperation. The barren predawn streets throbbing with bass from warehouse raves, or bottles breaking in artist studios where people weren't supposed to live. But there was a sense of possibility back then that doesn't seem to exist anymore.
On one hand, scandals like this, they can only really be pulled on a work-in-progress kind of place. Not a Southern Living destination.
On the other, the city felt like it was anyone's to invent back then. And some of us saw the magic in what it was, and did what we could to make it what we knew it could be. Until people with more money and their own ideas stepped in and took over. For better or worse, everyone sees Richmond these days.
Great article - but only one piece of the puzzle. I credit the original Scott's Addition Business Association, and Dixie Hornstein in particular, for doing the hard work of researching and obtaining the historic district status that first attracted Justin French.
I was on the board at the time and can fill you in on lots of back history if you're ever interested. I uploaded the original association minutes to a Google drive. Also, it cracks me up that there's still a Justin French billboard on the roof of one of the buildings - you can see it as you drive over the viaduct heading south on Arthur Ashe Boulevard!
There's only one couple who built Scott's Addition and their name was John F Batte and his wife Frances Batte. They owned every piece of land that the new multi's sit on and the warehouses that the restaurants and breweries occupy today.
Thanks for sharing this history! Someone recently was asking me about the story of Scott's Addition and this is an important part of its transformation.
Sometimes I forget how Richmond used to be. That quiet, stagnant desperation. The barren predawn streets throbbing with bass from warehouse raves, or bottles breaking in artist studios where people weren't supposed to live. But there was a sense of possibility back then that doesn't seem to exist anymore.
On one hand, scandals like this, they can only really be pulled on a work-in-progress kind of place. Not a Southern Living destination.
On the other, the city felt like it was anyone's to invent back then. And some of us saw the magic in what it was, and did what we could to make it what we knew it could be. Until people with more money and their own ideas stepped in and took over. For better or worse, everyone sees Richmond these days.
Now what?
Need you to write a piece Preston. It's only forgotten if no one puts it down. -- Tony
Great article, so much I didn't know! 'Sometimes the spark comes from failure, from scandal, from someone chasing the wrong kind of glory.' So true!!
Thank you for reading Ward.
Great article - but only one piece of the puzzle. I credit the original Scott's Addition Business Association, and Dixie Hornstein in particular, for doing the hard work of researching and obtaining the historic district status that first attracted Justin French.
That's a great point and one I didn't know about. Thank you. -- Tony
I was on the board at the time and can fill you in on lots of back history if you're ever interested. I uploaded the original association minutes to a Google drive. Also, it cracks me up that there's still a Justin French billboard on the roof of one of the buildings - you can see it as you drive over the viaduct heading south on Arthur Ashe Boulevard!
There's only one couple who built Scott's Addition and their name was John F Batte and his wife Frances Batte. They owned every piece of land that the new multi's sit on and the warehouses that the restaurants and breweries occupy today.
Thanks for sharing this history! Someone recently was asking me about the story of Scott's Addition and this is an important part of its transformation.
Pretty crazy right? I've been working on this story in my head for probably 3-4 years. Thanks for reading Noah.