Showing posts with label historical building. Show all posts
Showing posts with label historical building. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 06, 2017

Carry Me Back to Virginia: Richmond, Pt. 1



I'm back! Yes, it's been awhile, but I have been traveling so that I can actually have something fresh to write about. As a tot, I was quite the history buff; my first trip to Virginia back in 1971 was heaven for me. 46 years later, I still find Virginia to be a beautiful place. My trip begins in Richmond, and today's brief post showcases a little gem of a building, known as the Confederate Memorial Chapel.



I am hoping that readers can enjoy the beauty of this quaint little structure and move past the name of it. It was erected in 1887 as a tribute to the more than 260,000 lives that were lost (Confederate alone) in the bloody civil war. Veterans at the nearby Robert E. Lee Camp Confederate Soldiers' Home worshipped here, as they were also the group that funded the construction of the chapel.

The inside of the chapel is well-maintained and definitely a peaceful place to worship.



Marlon J. Gimmick, Sr. designed the Gothic Revival chapel and Joseph F. Winfield was the builder. It was used regularly as a place of worship for veterans until the last resident veteran died in 1941.



Of course there was an abundance of stained glass:









And other interesting details for those that take the time to notice:





Next up: The Virginia Museum of Fine Art, which is located adjacent to this chapel.

More Richmond, Virginia photos at my main website.

Friday, February 17, 2017

Union Station Hotel



Built in 1900, Nashville's Union Station became a luxury hotel in 1986. I love a good adaptive reuse that preserves historic detail while finding new life for something that might have been torn down instead.



Last year, a $15.5 million renovation was completed that helped bring the property into the modern age while retaining its history.



The lobby is really a stunner:





Vintage tile: check.



Handcrafted stained glass windows: check.



An impressive staircase: check.



An inviting fireplace: check.



This was one of the few things that made me wish I'd had more time to linger in this city.

More Nashville, Tennessee at my main website.