In a recent cover story done by Ed Slipek, Style Weekly chronicled the history of the governor's mansion, with a focus on the many, many renovations it went through. Richard Beckstoffer, former owner of the Mill and grandson of the Mill's founder, told an interviewer in 2008 that Beckstoffer's played a role in one of those renovations. The article (see link below) talks briefly about the 1982 renovation when the mansion was inhabited by then Governor Charles Robb and his wife Lynda. They found the quarters lacking and embarked on a half a million dollar renovation.
If Walls Could Talk: Through fire, a mob attack, years of remodeling and 58 governors, Virginia's Executive Mansion endures after 200 years.
Although I don't have a record of any other renovations, it seems likely that the craftsmen at Beckstoffer's provided millwork for other renovations of the Mansion, of which there were many. Check out the article. Slipek is a favorite of mine.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Saturday, March 16, 2013
More revitalization at the Mill
Better Housing Coalition is close to finishing another phase of high quality housing at the Mill. This time they are taking green building to the next level. Click on the the link below for a great video about these units:
http://www.betterhousingcoalition.org/blog/bhc-builds-affordable-net-zero-apartments-for-seniors/
These apartments were one of the projects that I was invovled in while at BHC. The design of these apartments fit in well with the Mill.
http://www.betterhousingcoalition.org/blog/bhc-builds-affordable-net-zero-apartments-for-seniors/
These apartments were one of the projects that I was invovled in while at BHC. The design of these apartments fit in well with the Mill.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
VHS Battle Abbey
The Virginia Historical Society broke ground in August 1990 on a $12 million expansion that doubled the size of its Battle Abbey headquarters in the Fan District in Richmond. This was one of six total expansions at this location from 1912 to 2006 in what is now a museum of over 200,000 square feet.
This expansion more than doubled the exhibition space within the
society headquarters and helped it become a more public-welcoming institution with a new a lecture hall complex, allowing it to offer more educational programs.
The new wing's design was unique at that time because it involved installing new windows that were specifically constructed to let in light while screening out harmful ultraviolet rays. In addition, sophisticated heating and cooling systems allowed for the precise control of the temperature in more than 25 different sections. Another innovation was the type of sprinkler system used.
This was the second largest job for the Mill in 1991. Total millwork sold to this job was almost $113,000 and the client was frequent contractor Taylor & Parrish. Battle Abbey represented over 10% of all work at Beckstoffer's that year.
For more information on the expansion of the Virginia Historical Society's headquarters go here.
This expansion more than doubled the exhibition space within the
society headquarters and helped it become a more public-welcoming institution with a new a lecture hall complex, allowing it to offer more educational programs.
The new wing's design was unique at that time because it involved installing new windows that were specifically constructed to let in light while screening out harmful ultraviolet rays. In addition, sophisticated heating and cooling systems allowed for the precise control of the temperature in more than 25 different sections. Another innovation was the type of sprinkler system used.
This was the second largest job for the Mill in 1991. Total millwork sold to this job was almost $113,000 and the client was frequent contractor Taylor & Parrish. Battle Abbey represented over 10% of all work at Beckstoffer's that year.
For more information on the expansion of the Virginia Historical Society's headquarters go here.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
The Founder of the Mill
Henry Beckstoffer was born in 1877 and hailed from Alfhausen, Germany. He came to the United States in November 1893 and went immediately to Richmond.
His first known profession was as a grocer. He started the Beckstoffer's Lumber Mill in 1897. He lived at 1130 N 28th, just a block away from the Mill.
(UPDATED) He was a father of five children and married to Sophie Beckstoffer, also a native of Germany. He died in 1958 and is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, along with Sophie.
His first known profession was as a grocer. He started the Beckstoffer's Lumber Mill in 1897. He lived at 1130 N 28th, just a block away from the Mill.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
White House of the Confederacy
The White House of the Confederacy is one of Richmond's most renowned National Historic Landmarks. Located at 1201 E. Clay Street, it looks almost exactly as it did when it was the executive mansion for the Confederacy and the home of Jefferson Davis from August 1861 to the fall of Richmond in April 1865. The building's restoration, completed in 1988, took almost ten years and cost over $3 million.
Beckstoffer's played an important role in this renovation. In August 1988, they produced $32,314 worth of millwork for contractor Taylor & Parrish for the job. Later the following year, they supplied another $21,000 in millwork for the White House. Given how extensive the renovation was and how specific the task of making the building look like it did one hundred and fifty years ago, one starts to appreciate how difficult a task that the craftsmen at the Mill had to take on.
The White House was originally a two-story neoclassical mansion built in 1818 for Dr. John Brockenbrough, a prominent Richmond physician and banker. In 1857 it was renovated by its then owner, Lewis Crenshaw, a wealthy flour manufacturer, who added a third story and cupola, installed gas lighting and decorated and furnished it in the latest style.
In June 1861, Crenshaw sold the house and its contents to the city of Richmond for the official residence of the Confederate chief executive. During Reconstruction, when Virginia was under martial law, it was headquarters for Military District No. 1 and was returned to the city when Union occupation ended in 1870. The city operated it as Central School, one of the first city public schools, in it until 1890 when it proposed to knock it down to build a new school. At that time it was saved by a group of Richmond women who formed the Confederate Memorial Library Society to save the building. By raising $30,000, they were able to found the Museum of the Confederacy here. Many of those items from their museum are still shown today.
The museum is open for regular tours.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Beckstoffers Mill reborn
The renovation of the Beckstoffer's Mill building is now complete and the first residents moved in in mid-January. This marks a three year-long effort that included rezoning and subdividing the site, getting all of the necessary City approvals, installing underground utilities, putting in rainwater cisterns, installing brick sidewalks, and finally rehabilitating the Mill for loft style apartments.
For more information, go to Better Housing Coalition's website.
For more information, go to Better Housing Coalition's website.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
1991 - Year in Review
Looking back 20 years
Total sales in 1991 were $1,089,305, with orders averaging $90,775 per month. As was often the case, December had the most sales. That month they sold $174,406 of millwork. October and November were also very good months, with each averaging around $163,500. These three months helped to make up for a very slow first half of the year.
The contractor with the most purchases in dollar value was Custom Products Construction, then Conquest, Moncure & Dunn (CM&D). The largest order at Beckstoffers that year was for $117,000 to Custom Products for a Law Office. This order was placed in November 1991. The second largest single order was placed by T& P for the Virginia Historical Society’s Battle Abbey expansion. CM&D placed the most orders (18), followed by T&P (17).
The project with the most millwork that year was the Virginia Historical Society -expansion, another Taylor & Parrish job. Total sales for this job were $121,347.
Below is a list of some of the more noteworthy orders that year with the contractor’s name in parenthesis:
o CFB Garden Branch (Woolfolk Construction)
o Christian Children’s Fund ( Taylor & Parrish {T&P})
o Doswell Comb Cycle Factory (Conquest, Moncure & Dunn {CM&D})
o Mutual Assurance Society of Virginia (Taylor & Parrish)
o Black History Museum (Woolfolk Construction)
o John Tyler Community College, Bud Hall (Dixie Constructors)
o St. Mary’s Hospital Education Center (Kjellstrom & Lee)
o Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (CM&D)
o Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Evans Construction)
o Highland Springs, Douglas Freeman and Mills Godwin Field Houses (AD Whittaker)
o Jepson Hall, University of Richmond (John W. Daniel & Co.)
o Game & Inland Fisheries (Adkins Construction).
1991 saw an 18% drop in millwork orders from the prior year and total sales that year were basically at the same level as those in 1981. For the five years of records that we have from this decade (1990-1994), this was the worst year.
In 1991 total wages were $549,000 and the Mill had about 18 employees, with 11-12 in the shop and an additional 6 office staff. Both Ron and Bill worked there full-time, with Ron being the company president.
Total sales in 1991 were $1,089,305, with orders averaging $90,775 per month. As was often the case, December had the most sales. That month they sold $174,406 of millwork. October and November were also very good months, with each averaging around $163,500. These three months helped to make up for a very slow first half of the year.
The contractor with the most purchases in dollar value was Custom Products Construction, then Conquest, Moncure & Dunn (CM&D). The largest order at Beckstoffers that year was for $117,000 to Custom Products for a Law Office. This order was placed in November 1991. The second largest single order was placed by T& P for the Virginia Historical Society’s Battle Abbey expansion. CM&D placed the most orders (18), followed by T&P (17).
The project with the most millwork that year was the Virginia Historical Society -expansion, another Taylor & Parrish job. Total sales for this job were $121,347.
Below is a list of some of the more noteworthy orders that year with the contractor’s name in parenthesis:
o CFB Garden Branch (Woolfolk Construction)
o Christian Children’s Fund ( Taylor & Parrish {T&P})
o Doswell Comb Cycle Factory (Conquest, Moncure & Dunn {CM&D})
o Mutual Assurance Society of Virginia (Taylor & Parrish)
o Black History Museum (Woolfolk Construction)
o John Tyler Community College, Bud Hall (Dixie Constructors)
o St. Mary’s Hospital Education Center (Kjellstrom & Lee)
o Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (CM&D)
o Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Evans Construction)
o Highland Springs, Douglas Freeman and Mills Godwin Field Houses (AD Whittaker)
o Jepson Hall, University of Richmond (John W. Daniel & Co.)
o Game & Inland Fisheries (Adkins Construction).
1991 saw an 18% drop in millwork orders from the prior year and total sales that year were basically at the same level as those in 1981. For the five years of records that we have from this decade (1990-1994), this was the worst year.
In 1991 total wages were $549,000 and the Mill had about 18 employees, with 11-12 in the shop and an additional 6 office staff. Both Ron and Bill worked there full-time, with Ron being the company president.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
