Good for the Neighborhood

Thank you for your concise story about the Spring Hill neighborhood (“Neighborhood Seeks Swanky Status,” Street Talk, March 16). You always do such a wonderful job of capturing the essence of the topic!

Please pass on congratulations to our neighbors to the east who have been working to get their area designated an “old and historic district.” The South Bank, as those of us who live there like to call it, has lots of history to tell, and the more we honor it, the more it prospers.

Several points should be noted, however. One is that Spring Hill (two words, not one) goes much further back than its period of development as a working-class streetcar suburb (presumably from the 1890s to 1920s). According to a comprehensive history of South Richmond by Dr. Benjamin B. Weisiger III, “Old Manchester and Its Environs, 1769-1910” (William Byrd Press, 1993, see esp. pp. 32, 87, 88), the area’s roots are much deeper than that.

Spring Hill was an early suburb of Manchester since the 1840s; was the site of the Spring Hill Mansion, built by Chastain Clark (Clarke?) and formerly located between 23rd and 24th streets overlooking the river; and was the site of a Civil War gun and battery magazine on the brow of the hill — to name just a few.

Secondly, I was surprised to see the reference to the Lee Bridge, at the end of the article, spelled “Leigh.” For Father’s Sake (!) — “Traveller” would roll over in his grave.

Monica Rumsey
Forest Hill Neighborhood

Editor’s Note: “Springhill,” one word, is how the neighborhood currently uses the title. Please consider Lee/Leigh a correction. We meant the Lee Bridge.

Correction

The Science Museum of Virginia campus and the former Rehrig shopping-cart factory are to the east of the Interbake Foods factory (“Who Wants a Cookie Factory?” Street Talk, March 23). Style regrets the error.

Letters to the editor may be sent to: letters@styleweekly.com