Local School with many Bex connections

I often find current events in Richmond that have a connection to the Mill. The below article talks about a hundred year old local prep school that will be moving to the site of a monastery in neighboring Goochland County.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011/feb/19/tdmain01-benedictine-considers-move-to-goochland-a-ar-853967/

There are several Beckstoffer's connections. First, there was a high school for males located there in the 1960's and early 1970's called St. John Vianney Seminary. Contractor Conquest, Moncure & Dunn built the original school and placed an order for the millwork at Beckstoffers. Records show this order was placed in December 1961 for $30,654. This firm is still in existence and you can learn more about Conquest by clicking here.

Second, a number of the Beckstoffer family members attended Benedictine High School, including Herman Beckstoffer. Herman was in the class of 1927 and was described in a newsletter as a football and track star, longtime member of the Board of Trustees, and a founding member of the Benedictine Athletic Club. He was also the father of five Benedictine graduates.

After closing, the seminary school was bought by Bon Secours Health System in 1986 and made into a drug and alcohol treatment facility, known as St. John's hospital. It later closed and was sold in 1994 to the Benedictine Society, the monastery in charge of Benedictine High. Plans call for renovation of the existing building and with any luck, one of the builders who frequented the Mill will get the job.

Bernard remembered

Bernard Beckstoffer died on this day 41 years ago. He was an equal partner with brother Herman from the 50's through the 70's. I wasn't able to find much information on him but he was born on January 26, 1908. He and Herman were both at different times President of the company, and often proprietor or owner according to City Directories. His son was William H. , aka Bill, who would later manage the Mill.

Virginia Film Office Photos (circa 2008)

Beckstoffer's connection to education

Over the years, many builders came to Beckstoffers for millwork and supplies for buildings throughout Richmond. A number of the projects were schools. A small sampling includes the Maury School, Randolph School, and Carver Elementary, just to name a very few.

One that was completed 50 years ago this month was Pinchbeck Elementary, located in Henrico County at the intersection of Gayton and Gaskin's Roads. It was designed by Robert J. Leary and Joseph V. Cucicci, and constructed by R. L. Bulifant Construction Company.

Robert L. Bulifant was a fairly regular customer of the Mill and some of his other work that year included work at Woodville, Whitcomb and Fairfield schools, as well as the Friendship Church.

For more on the Pinchbeck school click here.

We're moving up

Thanks to Richmond Magazine for their link to this here blog in this week's article about the joining of Better Housing Coalition and the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods.

News and Features - Richmond Magazine

Site Tour

Beckstoffers consisted of many buildings over its life, many of them interconnected. On the main parcel that is bounded by N 28th, N 29th, R and S Streets, there were a total of seven buildings on the site in 2009. They include:

The Mill w/ office

The Workroom

The Lumber Storage Building

The Truck Loading Building

The Kiln/Boiler Room/Saw Dust Room

The saw building

Ruth's

Women in a man's world

For a long time Ruth's beauty shop was the least known part of the mill. It still remains the strangest fit. Located on the edge of the property, at the corner of R and N 29th, this small brick building had a name and that was about it.

After some digging I was able to find out that once Floyd Parsley's Oil closed, the building lay vacant for a time and then was opened as G&S beauty salon. The first mention in the Richmond City Directory was in 1966 and the proprietors were Annette Shaw and Ruth Brooks. In 1966 Ruth was listed as living at 722 N 28th Street.

By 1970, the business changed to be called Ruth's Beauty Shop. That name stayed the same until around 1983, when the store name was changed to Ruth & Shirley's Beauty Salon. Ruth is always listed as the only proprietor and Shirley seemed to have fallen out of the picture by 1990. Ruth appeared to have retired by 1993 and no other business ever occupied that space.

Although little else is known about Ruth, she appears to be alive and well and still living on Church Hill.