phartman Senior Member



Join Date: May 2009 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 839

Urban Archeology: Garages and Workspaces in Virginia and the Carolinas



Yesterday on a trip to Petersburg, VA, we ran across this handsome guy. Well done, sir, well done. Now a design studio in the historic downtown area:







A few blocks away is this good example of Mid-Century Modern, used now by a few guys trying to make a go of it detailing cars:







A little Arts-and-Crafts, but a little Spanish Revival influence here, too, which is not uncommon in Virginia and North Carolina. Interesting combination of materials on this garage. I've seen brick and river rock used on residences, but not on a commercial building. These fellas had cutomers lined up down the street, waiting to buy used tires. All three bays are in current use.







The humble Quonset Hut used to be found everywhere in our area, but more and more they are being bulldozed. For more on these quirky metal designs, here is a website dedicated to them:



http://www.quonsethuts.org/huts/



Here is a typical example, along the Appomattox River, again in downtown Petersburg, VA.







Can't go rambling without a stop or two for grub. This enterprising fellow has converted a shipping container into a barbeque joint. He had three big industrial size smokers going. Who don't like a little barbeque pick-me-up?





Not a garage, but the old downtown bus station. A handsome deco design. Empty.



Most weekend mornings I'll get up early and drive around in one of my old heaps, taking pictures of interesting garages and workspaces in Richmond, VA where I live. This thread is intended to share some of those pics with you. It spans the gamut of 20th century design, starting with Arts-and-Crafts to Atomic Age. Some of the spaces continue to be used for something automotive or industrial related, some have been subject to adaptive re-use, and others are quietly sitting and waiting to be rescued.Yesterday on a trip to Petersburg, VA, we ran across this handsome guy. Well done, sir, well done. Now a design studio in the historic downtown area:A few blocks away is this good example of Mid-Century Modern, used now by a few guys trying to make a go of it detailing cars:A little Arts-and-Crafts, but a little Spanish Revival influence here, too, which is not uncommon in Virginia and North Carolina. Interesting combination of materials on this garage. I've seen brick and river rock used on residences, but not on a commercial building. These fellas had cutomers lined up down the street, waiting to buy used tires. All three bays are in current use.The humble Quonset Hut used to be found everywhere in our area, but more and more they are being bulldozed. For more on these quirky metal designs, here is a website dedicated to them:Here is a typical example, along the Appomattox River, again in downtown Petersburg, VA.Can't go rambling without a stop or two for grub. This enterprising fellow has converted a shipping container into a barbeque joint. He had three big industrial size smokers going. Who don't like a little barbeque pick-me-up?Not a garage, but the old downtown bus station. A handsome deco design. Empty. Last edited by phartman; 07-03-2013 at 09:14 AM .