Thirteen Acres: A New Use

by Charles McGuigan 04.2021

The fate of one of the oldest structures in the Hermitage Road Historic District (HRHD) is in the balance. It stands alone behind Linwood Holton Elementary School, ringed in six-foot high hurricane fencing like a post-insurrectionist US Capitol. Not long ago, Union Presbyterian Seminary demolished an historic building that was also architecturally unique, and one of Northside’s oldest structures, the first section of which dated back to the early 1800’s. The Hunter McGuire cottage was reduced to rubble in the comparative blink of an eye. Regardless the reason for razing the structure, it was an important part of Richmond’s history.

The brick farmhouse that sits behind Holton Elementary was built in 1885, making it the second oldest house among the forty-or-so homes that make up the HRHD. It’s a handsome structure, featuring a broad wrap-around porch, wide eaves supported by decorative dentils, four chimneys, and a hipped roof of slate.

 For decades it has been referred to as Thirteen Acres—and there’s reason for that. 

Way back in 1967, the house and its accompanying thirteen acres (the land now occupied by Holton Elementary School) was sold to the City of Richmond for $475,000 by the Virginia Methodist Home for the Aged, which operated its facility there. Richmond Public Schools (RPS), at that time, planned to build an elementary school there, but there was fierce opposition from the adjoining neighborhoods. They argued that the location was too close to the dense traffic along Laburnum and Hermitage, and children might be hit by speeding cars. Which, incidentally, is still a concern today.

For the next four years, the old house served as a school for children with special needs. Then, from 1973 until 1978 the building became home to the RPS community relations department. In 1978, RPS proposed using the site as a residential school for adolescents. The surrounding communities—Rosedale, Bellevue, Ginter Park—were vehemently opposed to the proposal, but two years later Thirteen Acres opened a five-day residential program for emotionally disabled students, ranging in age from six to twelve. It continued as a residential school until 2007, eight years after Holton Elementary School first opened its doors.

Another note of interest: during the Second World War, Thirteen Acres was home to one of the largest Victory Gardens in Richmond. That victory garden lasted for the full duration of the war.

Since the time RPS vacated the property, the building has fallen into a state of disrepair. The paint is peeling, exposed wood rotting, and window panes have been shattered and dentils pried loose from the fascia boards. For the past couple years, neighborhood kids have made their way into the school, slapping on a little graffiti, hanging out, and, in at least one instance, starting a fire on the second floor, which was about the time the hurricane fence went up.

 So what should the city do with this old building?

“Our primary goal is to retain the building to prevent it from being demolished,” said Bob Balster, president of the Hermitage Road Historic District (HRHD). “That building is a contributing structure to our designation as an old and historic district. So losing that structure could conceivably imperil our designation as a historic district. How many buildings can we lose in Northside?”

There have been a number of proposals about what to do with the old Thirteen Acres building. One of them is moving the structure to a parcel fronting Hermitage Road. ”Because we are a district whose primary characteristic is a series of single family dwellings, we would like to see that building convert back to its original use as a single-family dwelling possibly after having moved it to face Hermitage Road,” says Bob Balster. “We have historically opposed converting single-family residences to things such as doctor’s offices or Airbnbs and the like. We’ve been pretty rigorous in defending the residential character of the neighborhood because once you lose these old residences they just don’t come back.” 

About ten years ago former Holton Principal David Hudson suggested the old Thirteen Acres building be used an ancillary structure for classrooms to accommodate the burgeoning student population at the elementary school. “We put together a proposal to get it as a school for humanities during the regular school day,” David told me. “And then to use it for the extended, after-school programs in the afternoons.”

Third District Councilwoman Ann-Frances Lambert said recently, “I really like the idea of about it being used for after-school program. I’ll schedule a ZOOM call and ask the people what they want Thirteen Acres to be.”

Kenya Gibson, Third District School Board representative, definitely wants the building preserved and put to use.  “The property has been sitting vacant for over a decade, so first and foremost it’s time to do something,” she said. “As for my preference. I went to architecture school so I’m always going to sit on the side of preserving a building with historic value like Thirteen Acres. So I really hope that whatever happens, the building itself can be preserved. Beyond that, I’m open to suggestions that the community has about the space, but of course as a board member and a parent I think that given its proximity to Holton, and ideal use is something that really complements the activities that are happening in the school. It’s been over a decade, it’s time to do something, and it’s important to preserve the historic fabric of our community.”