The new site is now home to Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Richmond, and it’s not clear how the move will affect the fellowship. A spokesperson with Vineyard could not be reached by press time. The classic red brick building is best remembered as home to the Martin Agency back when the advertising giant’s stature was merely midsized.

Organized by a group of parents, girls and educators as an affordable alternative to more expensive private schools, Orchard House opened in 1998 with 17 girls meeting in the living room of a board member, until a lease was secured with Lewis Ginter Hall in North Side.

In six years, the school, which emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to academics and personal development, has grown to about 80 students. According to its Web site, tuition at Orchard House is $6,875, but is expected to rise next year to nearly $9,000, in part to defray costs of its new home.

Orchard House’s neighbor, Seven Hills School, the private middle school for boys, will have a new home, too. The 40-plus student school for 6th- through 8th-grade boys has been housed at St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Hawthorne Avenue in North Side. It is moving to 1307-19 Overbrook Road in time for the 2004-2005 school year. The site has been vacant for 10 years and formerly was a public utilities plant. — Brandon Walters

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