Showing posts with label preservation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label preservation. Show all posts

Monday, March 24, 2025

Oak Hill

Image of a brick house with a central two-story wing and one-story side wings. The building large colonial style windows with shutters and a brick arched doorway. A gravel entrance road leads up to the front. The house is surrounded by trees and grass.
Oak Hill, north façade

Just off of Route 15 south of Leesburg, Virginia is one of the last remaining presidential homes of a founding father still in private hands. Though, for better or worse, it might not continue to be. Let's take a look at Oak Hill, a hidden oasis in jeopardy.


In 1794, James Monroe and his uncle Judge Joseph Jones co-bought the property. Monroe didn't do much with it initially, letting his uncle and subsequent estate managers run things. However, after getting increasingly involved in federal government nearby in D.C. throughout the 1810's, he started to have more of a personal hand in matters. He primarily used the property as a plantation, run with a mix of hired laborers and enslaved individuals. 

During Monroe's presidency, he had the current manor home built 1822-23. The home seems to have been a collaborative effort, with James Hoban (also architect of the White House) and George Bomford the main designers, but Thomas Jefferson also gave some suggestions on the project. It featured a central wing with contrasting façades, a Georgian front entranceway and a Neoclassical back porch marked with an unusual five columns across its portico. 

A black-and-white image of a two story home with a portico, five columns across. On the end is a small one-story wing.
Oak Hill south and east façades, c. 1915
Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

It was at Oak Hill that Monroe drafted his self-titled doctrine. It was also where he hosted the Marquis de Lafayette for several days during the latter's 1824-25 famed Farewell Tour through America. Following the end of his presidency, Monroe continued to live and manage Oak Hill. After the death of his wife and at the urging of his daughters, Monroe left the property in 1830 for New York City. He would pass away the next year.

Following Monroe's death, the property initially stayed in his family. After 1850, they sold it off, and it started exchanging hands every few decades. In 1949, the property was deeded to the current owners' family. 

Throughout all this time, Oak Hill has remained a working farm with 1,200 acres of land. The manor house has mainly stayed the same, with only its wings receiving extensions in the 1920's. It remains in terrific condition and well preserved.

Image of an end of the Oak Hill mansion, showcasing the two story wing addition added in the 1920's. The rest of the brick house is blocked from view by boxwoods and trees.
The west façade, expanded in the 1920's.

Due to its private ownership, it can easily come and go from public consciousness. It's also surrounded by large boxwood, so it's very easy to drive past it and not know it's there. However, sometimes its gates are opened up and the public is allowed to check out the property. It has been featured in many Garden Weeks throughout the years, as well as historic presentations.

An image of a gravel road, lined by large boxwoods surrounded by trees.. The road disappears into the distant boxwood foliage.

Recently, the current owners have decided to downsize in their older age. Many developers have proposed buying the property from them for tens of millions of dollars, but the owners have turned them down. Even though they are ending their tenure as stewards, they want the land and house preserved for future generations. Currently, they have been working towards the Commonwealth of Virginia making the house and land into a state park. While this was partially killed by the Senate's Finance and Appropriations Committee, Governor Glenn Youngkin has included an amendment to the state budget to consider Oak Hill as a state park. This is ongoing, so we shall see where it goes.

An image of the two-story portico of Oak Hill from the ground level. The columns and trim are white against the building's red brick. Boxwood and trees overflow from the edges of the view.
South façade portico 

If it doesn't become a state park, Oak Hill will most likely go into the hands of developers, who will fill its 1,200 acres with residential houses. Do we really need to fill every open space in Loudoun County with more houses? No. Loudoun has become too built up.

This is a property of national significance. It's part of our history, and the house and its lands deserve to be preserved. The public should be able to visit this home and learn all of the facets of life that were present on the property.

The Conservation Fund is currently running a petition to urge the Commonwealth to save Oak Hill. If you are so moved, you can sign your name on the petition HERE
 

I'll end this post with some more photos. I took these in 2019 during a Mosby Heritage Area Association (now known as the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association) event hosted at Oak Hill. Photography was only allowed outside.

Another image of the georgian front façade of Oak Hill. A line of three people spaced out walks toward the front door.

An image of the detail around Oak Hill's front door, including windows arching around the door. The window above the door has a sunbeam design, while the side windows have a curvy diamond. Between the door and the side windows are small, thin, white columns.
Detail on the front door

An image of four white wooden chairs and tables on the grass. They are looking out toward a distant view of hilly landscape, partially hidden by boxwoods and trees surrounding the grassy area.
View from the front yard

An image on the back portico at Oak Hill, looking towards the side. Large plants block most of the view. A line of people are standing to the right with their backs to the camera.
On the back portico

An image of the Oak Hill terraced garden. It is overflowing with plants. While green is the predominant color, there are dots of pink flowers and splattering of some yellow-green plants. A pathway of spaced-out stones goes toward the Oak Hill mansion in the distance, it's portico partially visible through plants.
View of the house from the terraced gardens
The decorative gardens were established in the 1920's.

An image of a stone path leading up to a yellow and white wooden shed. Plants with supports in dirt beds grow on either side of the path. Ivy is over the shed. The ground is wet.
Garden Shed

A view of the acres of land

A one-story wooden gable colonial building sits in a grassy area surrounded by trees. Directly out of the middle of its roof is a wooden rectangular tower three stories higher than the rest of the building. A weathervane sits on top.
Oak Hill Springhouse
Spring house from Monroe's time
Rectangular water tower addition added c. 1875

A golden bell from the USS Oak Hill hangs from a white metal arch. The arch is in front of a mass of ivy. Trees and an overcast sky are in the background.
Bell from the USS Oak Hill (1943-1969)

A gray floofy cat with yellow eyes meows at the camera. It sits on a stone floor with wooden doors/shutters behind it.
A fluffy cat on the property [name unknown]



Oak Hill NRHP File

Friday, August 9, 2024

The Ruins of Presidents Park Williamsburg

A line of white, decaying sculptures of men from the chest up.

What draws us to ruins? The nostalgia of yesteryear? The perverse nature of decay? The visual history etched in cracks and holes? The artistry of the perfectly imperfect? The juxtaposition of knowing this crumbling setting used to be taken care of? Catching a fragment of what-was before it completely disappears? Paying homage to great dreams no longer dreamt? Imagining the What it was, What happened, and What it could still be? Whatever it is, a single thing or a mix of many, we are drawn to these places.

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In 2004, Presidents Park opened in Williamsburg, Virginia as a new history attraction, celebrating all the 42 elected leaders of the United States of America (as of then). After first starting at the visitor center, guests would stroll the grounds past 15-18' tall busts of each president, learning each man's history and accomplishments. It was meant to help boost the local stagnating tourist market. Unfortunately, due to many factors (a recession, high ticket prices, no repeatability), Presidents Park did not deliver and closed in 2010.

The busts, created by Houston artist David Adickes, sat fenced off in place for a couple years. In 2012, the property was being sold off, and construction recycling company Hampton Roads Materials was contracted to demolish the heads. The company's owner Harold Hankins couldn't bear destroying them, so he decided to buy them and truck them to his property. And there they have sat since, decaying and damaged. Between sanctioned tours and urban explorers visiting the property, the heads have gained a surge in popularity, more than they ever did at Presidents Park. Last year, Hankins publicly proposed a new development idea, The Ruines at Hankins Folly, with the presidents as its centerpiece. They would be preserved and stabilized as-is, as their ruined state has drawn more interest and attention than when they were pristine and intact. These plans were later put on hold as Hankins returned to the drawing board. 

I was able to to procure a tour ticket through John Plashal Photo, which is currently the only way for the public to visit the heads legally. This had been on my bucket list for quite a few years, and glad the stars finally aligned for me to visit!

The Hampton Roads Materials site is an organized chaos of torn-up concrete, dirt, and other materials. It's a little bit apocalyptic. After checking in, I parked my car by the main house, and walked down a lane. Passing foliage and a shipping container, the heads slowly revealed themselves.

An image of stacks of concrete rectangles, ripped on the short ends. They are laying by dirt, patches of grass, and rubble. The sky is cloudy.
Concrete waiting to be recycled

An image of a green shipping container. Its red door is open, revealing a corner of a shiny, navy blue informational sign. Laying against the door is a Presidents Park Museum tickets and information sign, featuring a patriotic painting of George Washington riding a white horse. Laying against the outside of the shipping container is 20+ white wooden sign frames, their signs missing.
Shipping container holding and surrounded by Presidents Park ephemera

An image of scattered people inspecting the decaying Presidents Park busts. The busts are 2-3 times taller than the humans.
The Presidents Park Williamsburg Busts!

The heads are gigantic. It's so cool to look around them and explore. Each one has weathered in a different way. Their number is incredible. I also like the haphazard, condensed layout they are in.

Guests were told ahead of time to wear boots. It was quite muddy the day I visited, so I was glad I did, as it would have been impossible to reach the busts in the back two rows without them.

A group shot of decaying presidential busts from Presidents Park. Pictured from left to right, John F. Kennedy, Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, unknown, and William Howard Taft. All feature rain stains. Woodrow Wilson's outer layer of concrete appears to be flaking off his face, revealing rougher grayer layers.

An image up-close to one of the upper chests of a Presidents Park bust (president unknown). He is wearing a tie with a repeated pattern of the United States' Republican Party's symbol of an elephant with three stars.
Love the details captured

An image of the Presidents Park Abraham Lincoln bust in the foreground by himself. A little ways away in the background are the rows of other presidents.

An image of the Presidents Park George Washington bust, taken from the ground, shooting upward. Rain streaks run down the decaying bust's face. In the background are the rows of other presidents.

An image of the Presidents Park John Adams and George H.W. Bush busts (from left to right). There are earthworks to the left that have partially buried Adams' body. The picture is taken from on top of the earthworks, appearing almost eye to eye with the bust.
John Adams partially buried under dirt

I loved looking inside the heads, seeing their interior supports. I am always amazed at how something may look like a solid chunk of material, but in actuality is only a couple of inches thick.

A decaying bust from Presidents Park (president unknown). His jaw is missing, showing other holes and the rusting metal substructure the bust is made around.
A missing jaw provides a look into this president's head

Inside the lower bust/chest area of a decaying Presidents Park bust (president unknown). The floor is open to the ground. The concrete is supported by a rusty metal substructure. A chain hangs out from the head hole.
Looking through a hole in one president's shoulder/base

A decaying head from Presidents Park (president unknown). A good concrete chunk of the crown and back of his head is missing, revealing the rusting metal substructure.
The back of some president's head

An image of a white mock-up bust of Barack Obama sits in the grass. It is approximately 2 feet tall.
The 2' Obama mock-up bust
The park couldn't raise the money to commission
the full-size bust before it closed.

 
The experience is a good time. You're allowed to wander around the heads. At two points during our time, there were group talks, where John and the other tour leader went over the history and fun facts on the busts, as well as presidential trivia (with prizes!). Both were really informative and enjoyable to listen to. Now thinking about it, the tour was pretty much what the Presidents Park experience would have been when it was open. But now instead of the busts symbolizing a man/history, they themselves have a history that is visually represented on them. They're taken out of a museum setting and placed on the ground, allowing you to get a closer look at them. It's this failed funky roadside attraction that is thriving in a muddy field. It's so strange, but it works.


If you would like to visit the Presidents Park Heads, check out John Plashal Photo for all the upcoming offerings. I only took a regular tour, but there are specialty tours (evening, sunset, advanced photography, etc) available. Enjoy!!


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Alright. So most people would stop at that point and say, that's the ruins of Presidents Park! And that's all good and dandy, but that's really only half of the story. The heads may have moved, but the former grounds are still around and have been largely untouched since the heads' removal. If you know me, I like sharing the whole story. So let's now visit the other ruins of Presidents Park Williamsburg!!


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An image of a 2-story brick building. Over the Portico reads "Enterprise Holdings"

The former Presidents Park visitor center still stands. The outside appears the same as it did in its park heyday, an obviously imitation Georgian façade with a lack of windows towards the center and four awkwardly-narrow columns holding up a modest portico. The inside appears to have been reconfigured for office use, with the original lobby sectioned off. Along its backside is a second floor deck, where you could get views of the entire park.

An image of a 2-story brick building, featuring a covered deck on each level. On the right-hand side is an outdoor metal staircase, connecting the floors.
Backside of the former visitor center

An image of an elevated view of Presidents Park when it was still open. There is a winding, looping path, white presidential busts on gray bases, informational signs, and lampposts. In the back is the top of a gazebo-like roof structure.
Presidents Park, 2005
View from the 2nd floor deck of the visitor center.
"263_6311" by David via Flickr [CC-BY-2.0]

An image of a similar elevated view of Presidents Park from 2022. A rain-stained concrete path forks, its branches disappearing into a thick forest of trees. In the foreground is mown grass and one lamppost.
Presidents Park, 2022
View from the 2nd floor deck of the former visitor center.

The grounds immediately surrounding the building and parking lot are maintained, while the park grounds have been allowed to grow freely. What had been a meadow-like space has now returned to its woodland roots. The only things on the outside denoting this had previously been developed are a lamppost and the concrete path that disappears into the foliage.


Let's go in.



An image of the Presidents Park concrete path inside the forest. Many different tree branches and undergrowth is shown. The path ahead appears to disappear into the forest.
Following the concrete path

I visited on an August summer day, so not only were all the plants vibrant and the bugs flying, but the Virginia heat and humidity was out in full force. Did I bring water or bug spray with me? Well, they were in my car, does that count? No, no it doesn't. By the time I realized I should have brought them along, my car was unreachable. I was too deep into the forest.

I did not plan this well.

There were moments I felt these presidential woods were never-ending. The path seemed longer than I thought it would be. It's just a loop, right? 

... Right??

Another image of the Presidents Park concrete path inside the forest. Many different tree branches and undergrowth is shown. The path ahead appears to disappear into the forest.
Does this path actually go anywhere?!

And then, I started to notice the short cinderblock walls.

An image of plants in a forest. Partially obscured by the foliage is a crumbling gray cinderblock rectangular wall. It only goes a few blocks high.

Like sarcophagi scattered through a wood, all missing their lid and contents. The former bases of the Presidents Park busts, all still in place. Some close to the main path, others a bit farther away. 

Another image of plants in a forest. Partially obscured by the foliage is a crumbling gray cinderblock rectangular wall. It only goes a few blocks high.

An image of the side of one of the short cinderblock walls. The "outer" side has been smoothed by concrete and painted gray. Surrounding and within the cinderblock perimeter are plants growing.

An image of a small clearing. A bush obscures another crumbling, gray cinderblock wall. To the right is a white, wooden information sign that has fallen over.

You get the idea. Initially slightly interesting, they quickly became a consistent, almost-banal feature every few yards along the path.


Somehow, through this neverending wood, I found the halfway point, which is marked by the gazebo. It was situated at the far end of the park.

An image of tangled brown leafless vines and some other plants with green leaves. In the center of the vines is an opening to a platform with a step up and white wooden bannisters. Beyond is a deck in shadow with a wooden barrel.
My first view of the gazebo, buried by vines

An image looking up at the upper part of the gazebo and roofline. There are white wooden decorative details around the upper part of the opening. Around the roof are green plants and an opening for the sky.
Gazebo close-up, being swallowed by the foliage

Inside the gazebo. Leaves are strewn around the wooden floor. White bannisters and decorative details are along the gazebo perimeter. In the wooden roof are two white fans. The view outside the gazebo is of the thick, green forest surrounding it.
Inside the gazebo

After being reinvigorated in my journey, I was surprised to quickly run into another structure I had no idea about. It was a rain covering for soda machines. It looked to be in fairly good condition. 

A small wooden structure with a shingled roof in the woods. The walls are made of plastic, white lattice fencing. There is an opening on the right side of the front of the structure.

Inside the small wooden structure. The floor is a concrete slab, surprisingly not very dirty. The walls are made of white, plastic lattice fences. Trees and greenery surround the building.


The rest of the journey was punctuated by the odd object here-and-there.

The top of a lamppost

An image of a short, split rail fence surrounded by brown leaves on the ground and green plants.
Some snake rail fencing still in place

An image of a white, wooden informational sign, slightly obscured by trees and plants in a forest. The sign itself is missing.
A former informational sign

Another image of plants in a forest. Partially obscured by the foliage is a crumbling gray cinderblock rectangular wall. It only goes a few blocks high.
More cinderblock bases


Finally, after passing 42 cinderblock walls, I emerged out of the forest. Was it still the same year? Was it the same century??

(Yes and yes.) (It had only been an hour.)

Tears of joy ran down my face, or at least would have if I hadn't already sweated out all of the water in my body. I hobbled past the old visitor center and into my car, chugging down my water bottle. I left, tired yet accomplished. I returned home and immediately showered.


If you want to visit the former grounds of Presidents Park Williamsburg, make sure to ask permission at the former visitor center first. Plan your visit in the fall or winter, when the foliage isn't as full and the humidity and heat are nonexistent.


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To conclude this post, while I haven't personally visited them, I want to share with you the other Presidents Parks and associated landmarks. 


In Leads, South Dakota, about 50 miles away from Mount Rushmore, there is a second abandoned Presidents Park. This was actually the first location, opening in 2003. Due to the same problems that plagued the Williamsburg location, it too closed in 2010. Unlike Williamsburg, South Dakota has more land available, both to give each president their own space, and for future expansion. 

The above video was taken in 2022. The busts are still in place along their path, and somehow are in really good condition. I've seen videos of Presidents Park Williamsburg while it was open, and some of the busts were weathering even back then. Maybe the humidity/weather combo in Virginia didn't bode well to the busts?

Then there was a set of busts made for an unrealized THIRD Presidents Park that would have been located in Pearland, Texas in the mid-2000's. Unfortunately, it never came to be. In 2020 (pre-pandemic), there was a groundbreaking in Huntsville, Texas for a public park that would have utilized the heads. Unfortunately, there does not appear to have been any other news since that announcement, so I'm not sure if that park is still happening. In the meantime, these busts are stored at artist David Adickes' studio in Houston, Texas, which is viewable both from the road and close-up whenever his studio is open to the public. This is also the only set that has a full-sized Obama bust!


Finally, there are individual busts scattered around*! Kennedy, Reagan, and Bush (#43) are hanging out at an RV park in Hermosa, South Dakota. There's an Eisenhower in a park in Denson, Texas, which is where he was born. My favorite I've stumbled across is American Statesmanship Park in Houston, Texas. Also known as Mount Rush Hour for being visible from a major highway interchange, it features Washington, Lincoln, and Texas' founding fathers Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston. It's an interesting match-up. I'm sure there could be more busts, but these are the ones I've been able to look up.

* It is unclear to me if some of these were made specifically for these locations or borrowed from one of the existing Presidents Park sets.


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So, here is the final conclusion of this post, but maybe this is just the beginning for you and your journey to discover your own ruins of Presidents Park. Bon Voyage, safe travels, and please bring a water bottle! 


SOURCES:

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

What Remains of Christopher Newport College?

Christopher Newport College letter at Ratcliffe Hall

Since the mid-1990's, Christopher Newport University has been building itself into a world-class university. While doing so, it has demolished almost all of its original buildings. However, not all has disappeared! You can still find remnants of the past to this day....

1995 satellite imagery of Christopher Newport's campus,
with shading of present-day buildings overlaid. 
Map Data: Newport News GIS Map

Before we begin, Christopher Newport College (CNC) became Christopher Newport University (CNU) in 1992. On this tour, I will be focusing on buildings and landmarks that were established before 1993, while it was still known as a College. So, while Santoro Hall, Harbor Lights/Commons, and the third phase of the Smith Library were built in the early/mid-90's and are still around, I will not be covering them. 


Here are the campus buildings that have been demolished:

IN MEMORIAM
Christopher Newport/McMurran Hall   1964 - 2010
Gosnold Hall   1965 - 2019
Campus Center/Student Center   1973 - 2008
Wingfield Hall   1970 - 2011
Cazares Greenhouse   1972 - 2010
Service Building   1979 - 1998
Administration Building   1980 - 2013
Science Building   1984 - 2011

Here are the older campus buildings that are extant in some form:

Captain John Smith Library   1967
Ratcliffe Gym   1967

Let's go check them out!


The Library

Captain John Smith Library concept art. Artist unknown, Forrest Coile & Associates
Courtesy of CNU OCPR

The Captain John Smith Library has been renovated and expanded more than any other building on campus, past or present. It has had 4 major construction projects since its initial 1967 build -- 1979, 1994, 2008, and 2018. With its 2008 addition and renovation, it was renamed the Paul and Rosemary Trible Library. During this time, parts of the original building were demolished. What remained was given a facelift to better fit the new classically-based architecture. The 2018 renovation also continued both of these trends. Today, what remains are the two two-story wings of the building built in 1967 and 1976, forming a T-shape.

Smith Library and Grounds Map, from the February 9, 1989 edition of The Captain's Log.
Red-shaded area is the building section that is still extant. 
(Note: the diagonally-lined section is also extant, but that was built after CNC became CNU)

Aerial view of Trible Library, present-day.
Red-shaded area is the original building section.
Map Data: Google Earth

The outside has been reskinned, but you can still pick out each end of the T. Today on the Great Lawn side of the building, the cross-gable roof section to the left of the library entrance was the former main entrance.

Library construction, June 2006
Photo courtesy Beth Young

Trible Library, present-day

On the other side, the cross-gable along with the stretch of windows on either side of it marks the top of the T section of the original structure.

Smith Library construction/demo, steel outlining future hipped roof.
April 2005, photo courtesy Beth Young.

Trible Library, present-day
Relevant section outlined in red

Let's go inside now and explore what can be seen in the publicly-accessible areas first. For the most part, what remains in these areas are structural/hidden.

On the first floor behind the 2008 rotunda, there is a computer workstation space. The back wall marks where the 2008 addition ends, and the original building begins.

Computer workstation space

Through a doorway is a pass-through space. Straight ahead is a stretch of hallway, with the book collections branching off of it. But here, here we are in the Smith Library. While the walls and floors have been redone, you can tell it's older because the ceiling is lower in this section than the newer ones. Also inhabiting this Smith-era area are the bathrooms to the left, and an exhibit space to the right marked by glass-window doors and a wall (the former entrance to the Mariners' Museum Library when it was housed at the Trible Library). The back wall marks where this section ends, crossing through the lower end of the T.

In the "T," you are cutting across the lower part of it

If we go towards the books and immediately turn right and walk to the back right corner, there's a section that crosses back into a Smith Library section, and you are met with ... a brick wall! This was one of the walls that surrounded a Smith Library staircase that took you up to the second floor. More on that later.

Drywall opening revealing Smith Library bricks
 
On the second floor behind the rotunda is the former c. 2008 Media Center, now a study space. In the center of that area is a connection hall to the 2018 wing. Going through the liminal hallway, you are once again pass through the structure of the Smith Library! The awkward placement of walls is due to you traversing through different generations of building sections.

Entrance to the hallway connection from the 2008 library wing.

Looking towards the 2008 library wing.

So that is the extent of what the public can still experience of the Smith Library. Lucky for us, today we have a VIP pass, so let's delve beyond the shelves and trek into the staff-only areas!

For much of the first floor, the former Smith Library spaces are composed of library offices and the kitchen for Einstein's café. The spaces have been reconfigured and reskinned, leaving no discernable remnants. The one picture I have from this level is from the window that marks where the front door used to be.

Window where the former Smith Library entrance used to be.

Let's head upstairs now. This is where things get interesting. The original second floor was never connected to the 2008 or 2018 sections' second floor. Why for? Well, the floors don't line up. Like much of new CNU construction, the Trible Library's floor-to-ceiling height is larger than what was built in the early years. The first floors mostly lined up, so they were compatible to be used together. The second floors, not so much. This height discrepancy is hidden by the cross-gable's multi-floor window. You don't notice it unless you're looking for it.

Rough comparison of where the floors are in the original wing (cross-gable), and the 2008 addition (r).
The light blue line marks the ground on the first floor.
The black line marks the first floor's ceiling.
The orange line marks the second floor's floor.
The yellow line marks the ceiling for the second floor.

To build the hallway to connect the 2008 and 2018 second floors, they had to build a raised section of path through the Smith Library's second floor. This has created two separate sections that are no longer reachable to each other. Luckily, each side has its own Smith Library staircase, so we can still check them out!

Here is staircase #1, which used to be by the Smith Library entrance. By the turn of the century, it was used primarily as an emergency-only stair. It might have been reconstructed when it became emergency stairs, as I have found two maps from the 1980's showing the stairs rotated 180 degrees from their present setup.

Staircase!

These stairs lead to a single room, facing the Great Lawn. This is the first second floor Smith Library area. Due to fire code, it is no longer a useable space, so it is empty. 

A single room

View out the window. Where once was Wingfield Hall and the Administration Building is now Luter Hall and Christopher Newport Hall, respectively.

Pre-2008 door

Fire evacuation phone in stairwell

For the other section, its staircase is on the other side of that brick wall we saw earlier, and it is a beauty!

Smith Library staircase!


There is an intentional separation between the landing and the brick wall.

Close-up on the terrazzo floor on the landing

View to the top of the stairs from the landing

Before we go up these lovely stairs, one interesting thing to note. This was part of the 1979 addition. For some reason, this whole section's first floor was lower than the 1967 build's floor, necessitating a ramp.

Smith Library interior c. 2006, in the midst of emptying it of furniture before being renovated.
Ramp leading down to the stairs
Photo courtesy of Beth Young.

For the next library expansion in 1994, they placed that section at the 1967 height. This necessitated another ramp where the 1994 and 1979 sections met. For the 2008 expansion, they decided on consistency and put all the floors at the 1967 height. The ramps were done away with, and the 1979 floors were raised. The proof of this is in the above photo, as there are 11 steps to the landing. Today, there are 9 steps!

Stair comparisons, 2006 and 2022.
2006 photo courtesy of Beth Young.

On the backside of these stairs is the library's first elevator.

Smith Library elevator

Second floor brick wall surrounding the stairs

More brick on the second floor


In this second section of the Smith's second floor, it is used as a storage/behind-the-scenes flex space, with many odds and ends in here. 

Former Smith Library second floor.
In the "T," this is the horizontal top part.
Notice the windows, continuing past the drop ceiling. They are following the Trible Library scale.

Older water fountain

Possibly the same Smith Library water fountain, 1979
Pictured in the December 4, 1979 edition of The Captain's Log.
Photo by Vincent Emmons

The water fountain STILL works!

Old Janitor Closet

Bathroom door handle, pull to open

Men's Bathroom in Smith Library

You can see the same bathroom and urinal on the right side of this image.
Smith Library construction/demo, April 2005. Photo courtesy Beth Young.

In the above photo, you can see one of the mansard roofs of Smith Library, with the Trible Library steel built over and around it. Did that survive? Somehow, part of it did. 

The slate and mansard shape is gone. However, the rectangular base and the upper part's structural steel remain. This space was a mechanical room. It still continues to be used in that capacity, its services being reused and expanded upon for the Trible Library.

Former mansard roof mechanical room.
White cinderblocks and maroon steel mark the original shape.

Another corner of the remaining Smith Library mechanical space.
In the top-right near the top of the vertical steel pieces, you can see angled steel -- remnants of the mansard roof structure?

This framed piece of paper from 1978 is nailed
inside the rectangular mechanical space,
calling it the "Penthouse."


That ends our tour of the Library. Now that we have worked out our brain, it's time to work out our body... Gym time!


The Gym

Ratcliffe Gym concept art. Artist unknown, Forrest Coile & Associates.
Courtesy of CNU OCPR

Ratcliffe Gym (now Hall) has had 2 major additions over the years -- 2001 and 2012. In 2001, along with an expansion, the gyms were converted into classrooms and offices. Two stories were built into the main gym, while the auxiliary gym stayed one story, its tall ceilings hidden by a drop-ceiling. In 2012, another expansion was added, and some of the front façade was reskinned. 

It might not be apparent on first glance, but much of Ratcliffe's original exterior still remains.

Two present-day aerial views of Ratcliffe Hall
Top view is as-is.
Bottom view features red shading marking the original 1967 sections of the building.
Its original building outline can still be easily traced. 
Map Data: Google Earth

To the right of the 2001 glass tower is a stretch where you can see the main gym's mansard roof and the original walls.

Ratcliffe Hall

In this image, all but the small glass structure on the right is original Ratcliffe Gym

The auxiliary gym, while buried behind plants, is still there.

Auxiliary Gym behind the basketball court

Trapezoidal prism exhaust opening

The backside is virtually unchanged.

A back entrance on Ratcliffe with cantilevered covering.
Former Auxiliary Gym is to the left.

Light detail on the cantilever roof

Odd curvy metal arm of some contraption

Back corner of the mansard roof

View of the backside of Ratcliffe from the football stadium

Another trapezoidal prism exhaust opening

Peeking inside, the opening has been bricked closed.

Distinct roof line difference between
the 1967 and 2001 wings (left and right, respectfully)

The 2012 addition added traditional architecture elements across a portion of the front, to better blend in with the rest of campus. Ratcliffe windows and bricks were reused in this section.

Modified façade to the left of the glass tower

A stretch of Ratcliffe Gym windows.
Arches, keystones, and extra window muntins were added to make it appear more neoclassical.

Close-up on one of the added window muntins.
It is attached onto the front of the glass.


Now that we've seen the outside, let's go inside. The 2001 Ratcliffe renovation mainly involved the gyms and entrance area. Many of the original hallways and support spaces have retained their appearance.

Entering through the glass tower entrance, you are greeted into a two story lobby. This is a corner of the former main gym that still shows off its high ceiling. The rest of the space was filled with an added second floor.

Ratcliffe Hall lobby atrium, present-day 

Ratcliffe Main Gym Interior, date unknown

Ratcliffe Hall lobby atrium, present-day
Looking from the opposite end of the space.
The row of columns on the left denote where the gym wall used to be.

In the 2001 offices and classrooms on the first floor, there are two parallel hallways. These actually run the whole length of the main gym.

Hallway, running the length of the former main gym

Another hallway, running the length of the former main gym

Hallway.
Where the light is reflecting off the floor, there is a barely-noticeable circular protrusion.
I have been told this is the ground outlet that powered the scorers' table, covered over by the new floor. The court would have been to the right of the image.

Back in the lobby, there is an intersection of two Ratcliffe hallways, denoted by brick walls and terrazzo floors.

Brick wall with single-use bathrooms 

These single-use bathrooms were added in the 1990's as part of making Ratcliffe more accessible. The space was formerly part of a locker room bathroom.

A look inside one of the single-use bathrooms

A look down the hallway to the former auxiliary gym

The far end of that same hallway
The two vertical lines on the brick on the left is from where an outside doorway used to be.

The auxiliary gym was converted into classrooms. Today, it serves as the offices for the IT department.

Hallway through the former auxiliary gym
I would love the chance to see what remains above this drop ceiling...

Office space. Auxiliary gym windows in back.

The two sets of original locker rooms are still used as locker rooms. The lockers all underwent refurbishment in the last year, so while they have new looks, they still fit the same footprint.

Example of a locker room

In the current men's lacrosse locker room, the showers have remained fairly intact to their original appearance.

Looking down the row of shower stalls
These showers were originally built for women -- the original men's locker rooms had communal showers without stalls. 

An individual shower stall

Shower stalls

Sink station.
Reflected in the mirror is a CNC bathroom stall, which I apparently did not care to get any other shots of, so this is all I got to show.

There is a second bathroom area in the men's lacrosse locker room. This is because this locker room was originally two smaller locker rooms combined together. The second bathroom area is smaller than the first one, because this is the area that was carved out of to become the single-use bathrooms we previously looked at.

The sink side of the second bathroom area in the men's lacrosse locker room.


Continuing on from the the locker rooms...

An original back hallway with minimal changes

Around the corner from the previous picture is the only remaining main gym doorway still present and walkable.
It is denoted where the walls briefly jut into the hallway.

Old water fountain

Unlike the water fountain in the library, this one is not operable.

Some of the most interesting remnants of Ratcliffe Gym are in its smaller areas: closets, storage areas, and offices.

Here, we have a framed piece of original gym floor. This is located in a storage area.
Featuring the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference logo (Now called the USA South Athletic Conference), which Christopher Newport was a part of 1972 - 2013.
The wood is maple hardwood.

This locker room closet has a door inside it that has been barred closed.
It used to be a locker room entrance.
The other side of the door led to a hallway.
The other side is now a janitor's closet.

This next room doesn't look very impressive, but in 2000 it served as former President George H.W. Bush's office/safety room. He stopped at Ratcliffe to give a speech for his son's presidential campaign. The Secret Service needed an interior room space (not touching an exterior wall) that had access to a private phone line, and this space fit the bill.

President Bush's Office at CNU.
Two (now-covered) interior windows are still viewable.
The one on the left used to look into the main gym.
The one on the right used to look into a hallway.

In this janitor closet added in 2001, its back wall features a 1967 exterior wall.

Another closet that has a closed-off window.
This was a coach's office.
This window looked into the locker rooms.

The same coach's office came with its own bathroom

Sink in the coach's bathroom with stylized faucet levers

Originally, Ratcliffe had a stage. It wasn't anything fancy or big. It was available for indoor commencements and special events. When it wasn't in use, there were wooden doors that could be rolled closed from either side. At some point prior to 2001, the stage opening was bricked up, its raised platform taken down, and the space was converted into storage. Later on, it became a mechanical room.

For some odd, inexplicable, wonderful reason, one of the wooden doors and its rolling mechanism are still in place.

Wooden gate partially rolled out.
The bottom of the gate marks the stage height.

Basketball Game in Ratcliffe Gym, date unknown
Closed stage doors are behind the basketball hoop.
Courtesy of the CNU Archives

Stage proscenium still present!

Lock detail
Also note how a pipe is screwed into the gate


Alright, time to get out of these closets and see some of the sky again. On the second floor, there is an indoor balcony inside the glass tower. Here, you can see much more of the gym's mansard roof, as well as the 2012 classical roof façade attached to it.

Windows overlooking the original mansard roof

Structural steel extending from the mansard roof to support the 2012 classical roof façade 

View from the other side, where you can see a corner of the mansard roof and the auxiliary gym.


Ratcliffe is a little disjointed architecturally, with many different styles present. It hasn't been completely redone to match the neo-georgian style of the newer buildings. But that has allowed for many elements of the original gym to still be present, and for that I am grateful.


Ratcliffe Bonus: Freeman

The Freeman Center? Why are we stopping there, a 2001 post-CNC structure? Well, when Freeman took over presenting sporting events from Ratcliffe, it brought over the trophies, banners, and plaques.

All-American certificates that used to hang in Ratcliffe's lobby
Some have yellowed more than others. That is due to the way the sunlight hit them through the glass doors of Ratcliffe. They are now in a Freeman hallway that does not receive direct sunlight.

These Ratcliffe trophy cases were built by track and field coach Vince Brown.

Around the Vince Brown Track are banners. The older ones used to hang around Ratcliffe's court.


The Alumni House


While also not an original building, I would be remiss not to highlight the Gregory P. Klich Alumni House. Named after a 1984 CNC graduate, it is the home for every Captain that returns back to campus. It includes many school artifacts, including the school mace and the first degree ever given out by the college, as well as exhibits highlighting aspects of the school's story.

Lois Wright's 1962 degree

School Mace, crafted by J.J. (Jan) Heuvel, Sr.


Outside on Campus

Like the buildings, much of the plants have changed up, but some of them still give wisps of what once was.


The woods directly behind Wingfield, formalized as the Wise Woods in 1990, have mostly been cut down, save for two small sections.

The section closest to Luter and Forbes is slated to be cut down in the coming years for an expansion of Luter Hall. [April 2024 Update: This section has now been cut down]

Wise Woods fragment by Luter and Forbes Halls

Wise Woods fragment between Parking Lot D and the Freeman Center

Walking in the Wise Woods today

Meanwhile, Gosnold Hall was demolished in 2019 for the next expansion of Forbes Hall, an expansion that is not in the immediate queue of construction projects. In its place is a grassy area, named Gosnold Lawn.

Gosnold Lawn

The last of the on-campus remnants are the trees in front of Luter. These trees were previously directly in front of Wingfield Hall.

Wingfield Hall, Summer 2011
Red arrows denote extant trees

Luter Hall, present-day
The same trees with 12 added years of growth


Off-Campus Curiosities

Christopher Newport College even survives outside the borders of campus!

First off, we have the first CNC-owned President's House. For the first two decades, the college president had to find their own private residence. In 1983, CNC bought 812 Riverside Drive for the college president to use for entertaining/college functions, as well as a home during their reign. After the construction of the current President's House in 2009, this house was sold and became a private residence once again.

812 Riverside Drive, former CNC President's House


Heading into downtown Newport News, we visit the 1929 West Avenue Library. Inside is a mural of Christopher Newport that was painted in 1957 for the 350th anniversary celebration of the creation of the Jamestown colony. The mural's depiction of Newport was used as the basis for many of CNC's early depictions of its namesake.

Christopher Newport landing mural, painted by Allan D. Jones, Jr.

Mural detail of Christopher Newport
Painted by Allan D. Jones, Jr.

Christopher Newport appearing in the logo on the first issue of The Captain's Log
November 7, 1963

Early 1970's CNC Seal and Christopher Newport Drawing
by Kenneth Flick (CNC '72)
Courtesy of the CNU Archives

The West Avenue Library closed to the public in 2013. From 2013 until 2022, the building served as the offices for Newport News Public Library (NNPL)'s Collection Services department, and you could schedule an appointment to view the mural. As of 2023, Collection Services is moving to a new building, and the West Avenue Library will now be used for auxiliary purposes. The mural is currently unavailable to view. Here's hoping it can once again be enjoyed by the public, either by repurposing the building, or moving the mural elsewhere.

Related to this, at CNC's first commencement ceremony in 1963, the NNPL Board of Trustees gave the college an over 5' sketch of Christopher Newport by Jones. This was an early drawing study for the 1957 mural, depicting the captain with two hands. As someone wrote towards the bottom of the work, the sketch was done before research uncovered Newport had actually lost his right arm prior to sailing to the New World. He is depicted correctly in the final mural. The sketch is now stored in the CNU Archives.

Sketch of Christopher Newport by Allan D. Jones, Jr., located in the CNU Archives
Photo courtesy of Dr. Sean Heuvel


On the other end of Newport News is one final stop -- the Japanese Teahouse at Newport News Park. In 1988, a 17th-century reproduction teahouse was built for a Japanese exhibit at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Virginia Governor Gerald Baliles sought to have the teahouse reside in the state once the exhibit was completed. Christopher Newport College became the lucky recipient of it, thanks to its newly-formed Japanese Studies program and the nearby Japanese-owned Canon Virginia, Inc. business. The teahouse was rebuilt on campus in a wooded area next to the main entrance road in 1989. In 2006, the teahouse ended its college residency. CNU's Japanese Studies Program had been discontinued, and the university needed the land for infrastructure expansion. The building found a new home at Newport News Park in 2007, where it remains to this day. Its former site on campus is now Parking Lot M.

Japanese Teahouse in Newport News Park

Japanese Teahouse in Newport News Park


Bonus: Subway Station

Since 1977, Subway Station has been making delicious sandwiches from across Warwick Boulevard. May they never go out of business, may they never leave their corner, and may they never change their god-awful/iconic paint scheme.

The eternal Subway Station


CNC On-Line

CNC exists in a couple places on the World Wide Web!


First off is the amazing CNC First Decaders website. This website celebrates the early years of Christopher Newport College and its students, faculty, and staff. Founded and run by longtime CNC professor Dr. A. Jane Chambers, she has been a huge force in preserving stories and reuniting former classmates. The website holds a treasure trove of stories and articles throughout its pages.
For extra information on the First Decaders, check out this article CNU recently ran on the group.


The archives held by the successor of the Captain John Smith Library can be found digitally in two places, C.H.R.I.S. and S.A.I.L. 

S.A.I.L. (Smart Archiving for Institutional Learning) is the older of the two. It is a catalogue of materials found in the CNU Archives. SAIL has a couple online exhibits and PDFs, but most of the material comes in the form of listings and descriptions. If you wish to view the items, most likely you will have to contact the Archives to make an in-person appointment. Ah well, a worthy reason to visit your alma mater!

C.H.R.I.S. (Campus History Records Information Stories) has digital copies of CNC yearbooks, campus newspapers, and inter-collegiate publications. The digitization process is still ongoing, but as of this writing, all the yearbooks and newspapers during Christopher Newport College's years are available online!


Randall Monroe (CNU class of 2006) is the author of the online xkcd comics. In the deep recesses of his site, he has photos from kite-flying experiments at CNU 2004-2005. You can see a couple CNC buildings from the air, Ratcliffe being the most prominent.


eCampus Tours has some excellent 360 degree camera captures around CNU from the early 2000's. The best is probably a 360 degree capture inside the Student Center, but plenty of the original buildings make cameos in the outdoor shots.


Collegiate Books

Captain Chris reading Memories of Christopher Newport College: The First Decade, 1961-1971
Photo by Topher Embrey

For those bibliophiles, here are a couple of excellent publications I would recommend:

Memories of Christopher Newport College: The First Decade, 1961-1971, by A. Jane Chambers, Rita C. Hubbard, and Lawrence Barron Wood Jr., Hallmark Publishing Company, Inc., 2008
          Photos and essays on the college's first decade from teachers, students, and staff

Christopher Newport University by Sean M. Heuvel, Arcadia Publishing, 2009
          A comprehensive photographic journey of the school's history, a good choice for casual readers/introduction to Christopher Newport history

Serving the Old Dominion: a History of Christopher Newport University, 1958-2011 by Phillip Hamilton, Mercer University Press, 2011
          A detailed written history of the school (over 300 pages), good for deep dives



I hope you've enjoyed this look around Christopher Newport College at Christopher Newport University! It's a school that has gone through lots of redevelopment, but it still has some of its old stomping grounds. I hope the next time you visit campus, this article will have helped you find a bit of "Scotty's College" of yesteryear.

Early 1970's CNC Seal and Christopher Newport Drawing
by Kenneth Flick (CNC '72)
Courtesy of the CNU Archives


Sources
Memories of Christopher Newport College: The First Decade, 1961-1971, by A. Jane Chambers, Rita C. Hubbard, and Lawrence Barron Wood Jr., Hallmark Publishing Company, Inc., 2008
Christopher Newport University by Sean M. Heuvel, Arcadia Publishing, 2009
Serving the Old Dominion: a History of Christopher Newport University, 1958-2011 by Phillip Hamilton, Mercer University Press, 2011
Delaney, Bill "First Class Is Graduated From Christopher Newport," Daily Press, 7 June 1963.
Smith Library Maps, various years
Ratcliffe blueprints, 2001


Thank you to Beth Young and Matt Shelley at the Trible Library, and Lou Serio and IT Services at Ratcliffe Hall for all of their insight and taking me through their hallowed halls! 


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