18 Responses to “short Quince?”

1. posted by Daniel at March 23, 2008 7:50 am :
   

   That’s pretty neat, they should bring the names back. I also didn’t know that Church Hill was called Marshall Ward.

2. posted by Lerry at March 23, 2008 12:08 pm :
   

   I agree with the full street names. Going back to the historical names would be wonderful.
   A discussion on brining back the original ward desiginations would be interesting. I am not for or against changing them. Does anyone know when or why the desigination of the present names?

3. posted by kimmy at March 24, 2008 7:32 am :
   

   I love knowing stuff like that! Now, who were Quince, Otis, Mason, Nelson, and Pendleton? One wonders :)

   Thanks for the post

4. posted by Magneto at March 24, 2008 9:04 am :
   

   I agree with Daniel; I want the original names back.

5. posted by archie bunker at March 24, 2008 9:44 am :
   

   Do we know for whom the streets were named? Perhaps (and I’m just speculating) they were named for some awful, pro-slavery folks. Something tells me that bringing back those names would be fraught with problems.

6. posted by john_m at March 24, 2008 11:44 am :
   

   An even earlier map in the same book does not have the alternate names. It seems that the letters preceded the names even for some of the currently named streets: the text refers to Clay Street as an alternate name for K Street.

7. posted by Chimbo at March 24, 2008 11:47 am :
   

   They sound like founding fathers and early Virginia politicians.

   Edmund Pendleton (1721–1803), American politician, lawyer, and judge, delegate to the Continental Congress from Virginia

   George Mason IV (December 11, 1725 – October 7, 1792) was a United States patriot, statesman, and delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention

   James Otis, a lawyer in colonial Massachusetts who was an early advocate of the political views that led to the American Revolution

   Thomas Nelson, Jr. (1738–1789), American planter, soldier, and statesman from Yorktown, Virginia

   or Nelson Muntz, A bully in the TV show and movie The Simpsons.

8. posted by Magneto at March 24, 2008 1:02 pm :
   

   Is that dashed line running along Jefferson Ave. the old trolley? If only it (and the other trolleys) was still in operation….

9. posted by john_m at March 24, 2008 1:06 pm :
   

   I’ve got some of the old trolley maps here. Can you just imagine?

10. posted by edg at March 25, 2008 4:08 pm :
    

    I uncovered an obituary in Richmond Visitor for 1809 for a Col. Richard Quince, who died in North Carolina. Could this be the Quince?

11. posted by Bill Hartsock at March 25, 2008 7:30 pm :
    

    John, I have two maps of the neighborhood, from 1876 and 1889, and neither one shows street names like this. These must have been very early. If you want copies, let me know.

12. posted by Eric S. Huffstutler at June 2, 2008 11:49 am :
    

    Bill… can you shoot me a copy of each to me to: web-czar (at) rcn.com. Thanks!

    Fix the (t) with @ and remove the spaces. The hyphen stays :-)

    Eric

13. posted by john_m at June 21, 2008 10:41 am :
    

    seen recently:
    1844: K Street is renamed Clay Street in honor of Henry Clay.

14. posted by Steven at July 11, 2008 12:47 pm :
    

    How about Cary Street? Was it named after Col. John B. Cary or someone else? Finding that info seems to be a bit fuzzy about the more major streets. All I found is that it use to be called Plank Road and also Westhampton Ave in certain places.

15. posted by Cadeho at July 11, 2008 3:33 pm :
    

    Richmond’s east-west streets were alphabets at one time.

    A St became Arch, B became Byrd, C became Canal, D became Cary but west of Belvidere it was Dover, E became Main but west of Belvidere it was Ellwood, F became Franklin, G became Grace, H was Haxall but became Broad, I became Marshall, they skipped J although there was once a Jay St, K became Clay, L became Leigh, and the rest were left offcially as alphabets for some reason. Each of the streets had alternate names from A to Q that appear on the old maps, but I don’t think R through Y had other names.

    Steven, I am not sure if Cary is named after John B. Cary but I would believe so. I need to go out and buy my old classmate’s book on Richmond’s streets and how they got their names. However, as I said above, west of Belvidere it was a part of the Town of Syndey’s plan and named Dover St since their streets were also alphabetized (A = Albermarle, B = Beverley whcih became Idlewood, C = Cumberland, E mentioned above, F = Federal which became Floyd, G = Grove, H = Hanover, I = Ivy which became Stuart, again no J, K = Kensington, L = Leonard, M = Marsh, and N = North but the last two never existed). West of Boulevard it was part of Westham Road an ancient road that went to the mountains. That portion’s been named a couple of things through the past including those you’ve found.

    I love the history of our streets and roads. I wish they could be protected by the National Register. I’m upset how Henrico has destroyed huge sections of Three Chopt which was a major route to Richmond in the early days. I’d like to find more on the Old Coal Pit Road which I think is basically Broad west of the Boulevard.

16. posted by Celeste at July 11, 2008 9:40 pm :
    

    There used to be something called the Virginia Place Name Society….I think I’ve got that right. My father, who died in 1970, was part of it. Somewhere around here I have a book of the things they named, and/or figured out where the names came from. I’m not sure if I can find the book right now, it may be two or three months before I can do that because I think I’m moving in two months, but if you guys can hang on, I think it would really be fun to share the book and perhaps reinvent the so-called society in order to figure some of this out!

17. posted by john_m at July 12, 2008 8:59 am :
    

    Harry Kollatz’ True Richmond Stories points out that mid-19th century Richmond historian Samuel Mordecai credits Mary Randolph (1762-1828) with giving Cary Street its name. Her mother’s maiden name was Ann Cary, the daughter of Archibald Cary (plantation owner and statesman). Here is more about Mary Randolph; here is a link to her book (The Virginia Housewife ).

    Colonel John Barry Cary was later: he was the Superintendent of Richmond Public Schools 1886-89. [via]

18. posted by Cadeho at July 12, 2008 2:12 pm :
    

    Thanks John… that Archibald Cary sounds familiar.

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