Plus, Afro Fest rounds out Festival of Arts
 
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49º | Sunny | 5% chance of rain
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🏠 Time-traveling Tudors

Tudor Revival architecture in Richmond
The photo shows the red brick face of the Branch Museum of Design. White, green, and pink trees bloom in the grounds in front of the facade. Windows cover much of the building, and several chimneys are built on the roof.
The Branch House is listed on the Virginia Register and the National Register of Historic Places. | Photo by @adam_n_goldsmith
A casual walk around the Fan or Museum District can transport you back a hundred years, when Anglophilia had taken hold and Richmond’s architectural community was abuzz with Tudor Revival design + the nostalgia associated with pre-industrial life.

Also known as “Mock Tudor,” this architectural style revisits the characteristics common before and during the Tudor period in England (1485-1603). Common features of the style include steeply pitched or cross-gabled roofs, decorative half-timbering, prominent chimneys, narrow windows with multiple panes, and patterned stone or brickwork.

While the Tudor Revival style appears to nod toward more rural aesthetics, it’s historically tied to elitist aristocracy and nobility. In fact, one of the most notable Tudor landmarks is Hampton Court Palace, conveniently located in our official sister city, Richmond upon Thames.

Now that you know a bit more about the architectural history — from pedigree English Tudor palaces to Richmond’s more rustic-inspired Revivals — where can you see Tudor Revivals around the city?

A castle on Monument Avenue

This shot shows the point of view from the roof of the building, highlighting detailed, latticed windows, a rooftop walkway, and three patterned cylindrical chimneys in the distance.

It’s all in the details at the Branch — from latticed windows to patterned brick chimneys. | Photo by @adam_n_goldsmith

Although the revival period took hold in Europe in the late 19th century, it didn’t gain momentum in Richmond until the construction of the Branch House.

Now home to the Branch Museum of Architecture and Design, the Branch House was originally designed by John Russell Pope and completed in 1919, making it one of the oldest examples of the Tudor and Jacobean Revival style in Virginia.

Shakespearean stomping grounds

Two Richmond manors — conveniently next-door neighbors — can trace their roots directly back to the Tudor era.
Two people walk on the grass toward Agecroft Hall. The photo is in black and white.
1/2: This photo of Agecroft Hall dates back to 1960. | Photo courtesy of Richmond Chamber of Commerce Photograph Collection. V.86.153.975/PHC0015. The Valentine, Richmond, Virginia
RIC_agecroft_hall_tudor_APRIL
2/2: Nowadays, Agecroft hosts garden tours, estate walk-throughs, and an annual Shakespeare Festival. | Photo by @phoebe reid, via Flickr
Agecroft Hall’s half-timbered structure dates back to the late 15th century, when it stood in Lancashire, England. Over four centuries later, it was deteriorating. A Richmond businessman and his wife bought the building at auction in 1925, dismantled it, and transported the pieces to their property overlooking the James River.
Green trees and grass surrounded the stone Tudor Revival estate.

The Virginia House is a popular wedding venue nowadays. | Photo courtesy of Virginia Historical Society and Jennifer M. Guild, via Wikicommons

The Virginia House was built from the materials of a 16th-century English home called the Priory. Alexander and Virginia Weddell combined three Tudor designs when they moved the home across the Atlantic and constructed the west and east wings upon its arrival.

Time-traveling residency

RICtoday_EnglishVillage_MuseumDistrict

The English Village was constructed in 1927. | Photo by RICtoday

Another example of the Tudor Revival is the English Village, a multi-family complex in the Museum District designed by local architect Bascom Rowlett. The planned townhome community was centered around a courtyard set back from the street.

A stock market stop

The Tudor Revival period largely declined around the late 1920s and early 1930s, when the stock market crash halted building projects around the city. However, the revival had already made a mark in Richmond — from lavish mansions to more modern approaches to middle-class living.

You can still spot Tudor Revivals, like ornate time capsules, around the River City today. Plus, now you’ll have a better idea of what to look for.
Virginia Physician for Women
 
Events
Wednesday, Sept. 6
  • TAUK Moore: TAUK + Kanika Moore | Wednesday, Sept. 6 | 7 p.m. | The Broadberry, 2729 W. Broad St., Richmond | $20 | The funky, soulful collaborators will play a show with Sicard Hollow.
Thursday, Sept. 7
  • Music at Main | Thursday, Sept. 7 | 5:30-8 p.m. | Main Street Station, 1500 E. Main St., Richmond | Free | Head to Shockoe after work for free concerts from High Definition.
  • Book Launch: “Joy Rides Through the Tunnel of Grief” | Thursday, Sept. 7 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Fountain Bookstore, 1312 E. Cary St., Richmond | Free entry | Local author Jessica Hendry Nelson will discuss her new memoir with writer Kayleigh Hughes.
  • Whitfield Lovell and Richmond | Thursday, Sept. 7 | 6:30 p.m. | VMFA, 200 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Richmond | $5-$8 | The artist will return to discuss his installation “Visitation: The Richmond Project,” part of the exhibit “Passages.”
Friday, Sept. 8
  • Armenian Food Festival | Friday, Sept. 8-Saturday, Sept. 9 | 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. | St. James Armenian Church, 834 Pepper Ave., Richmond | Free entry | Shish kabobs, cheese boreg, Armenian meat pies, and stuffed grape leaves are on the menu at this family-friendly fest — plus traditional music, dancing, and drinks.
  • Flying Squirrels vs. Akron RubberDucks | Friday, Sept. 8 | 6:05 p.m. | The Diamond, 3001 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Richmond | $10-$25 | The first 1,500 fans will go home with an Ardillas Voladoras Hawaiian shirt.
  • “Lady Bird” | Friday, Sept. 8 | 7 p.m. | The Byrd Theatre, 2908 W. Cary St., Richmond | $8 | Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut stars Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, and Timothée Chalamet.
Saturday, Sept. 9
Plan your month
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Children's Museum of Richmond
 
News Notes
Development
  • The city is still deciding which of the four teams in contention will lead the City Center redevelopment project. Check out this in-depth breakdown of two of the proposals. The city is likely to announce the selected team in the fall. (Richmond BizSense)
Festival
  • This summer’s free Festival of Arts is almost over, but it’ll end with a big party at Afro Fest. Head to Dogwood Dell this Saturday, Sept. 9 from 1 to 6 p.m. for a festival with live music, drumming, food, and a kids zone.
Cause
  • Make reservations for RVA Brunch Weekend, taking place September 9-10 at these 30+ restaurants around Richmond. Grab brunch and try specialty menu items at select spots — the whole weekend benefits Richmond SPCA.
Community
  • There are new security protocols for RPS after-school activities, including athletics games. Public attendees should now get tickets in advance and no bags will be permitted inside stadiums. (ABC 8News)
Biz
  • Customers will soon be able to use their palm to pay for groceries at the Whole Foods on Broad Street. The grocery chain, which is owned by Amazon, wants to implement phone and wallet-free technology at all of its locations by the end of the year. (NBC12)
Eat
  • McLean’s Restaurant is now offering dinner service for the first time in three decades. The longtime Broad Street spot will keep the same menu with a few weekly specials, open daily from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. for breakfast and lunch and 5 to 9 p.m. for dinner. (Style Weekly)
Closed
  • The Dome at the Science Museum of Virginia will be closed through Friday, Sept. 29. The museums is renovating the theater to bring brighter images, better visuals, and new 3D models to future screenings. It’ll reopen in October with a new giant screen film, “Ancient Caves.”
Theater
  • Know an actor, or ever picture yourself on stage? Richmond Shakespeare is hosting open auditions for its production of “Into the Woods,” planned for spring 2024. Auditions will take place this Saturday, Sept. 9 from 12 to 6 p.m. at Dominion Energy Center. Get details and try out.
Beauty
Finance
  • A Banksy got everyday investors 32% returns? You read that right. Thousands of investors are smiling all the way to the bank thanks to the fine-art investing platform Masterworks. Investors have benefited from 16 sales with returns including 13.9%, 27.3%, and 35.0%. Interested? RICtoday readers can skip the waitlist and join.†*
† See important disclosures at masterworks.com/cd.
 
Civic

Short term rental requirements could change

Planning Commission recommends changes to short term rental requirements
RICtoday_STRs_Map_Richmond
Short-term rentals tend to be clustered in certain neighborhoods around Richmond. | Screenshot via city documents
The Planning Commission is recommending that City Council approve an ordinance that would shift short-term rental (STR) requirements in the city — with a few amendments.

The ordinance is one of three zoning changes the city has been pursuing for over a year. If adopted, it would increase the permit fees for STRs from $300 to $600.

The commission is also suggesting capping the number of units that can be STRs in a multi-family dwelling either to 10 or to one third of the units — whichever is lesser. Additionally, it recommends that STRs in residential districts should be located on the same lot as the operator’s primary residence and verified by the DMV or the city registrar.

The commission heard public comments at its meeting yesterday. Richmonders can also provide their thoughts when City Council discusses the issue later this month.
Shop

Shop 9.6.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
Outdoors
Fun Fact
  • Looking for a new coffee, candle, or moisturizer? We’ve got you covered. Shop some of Six & Main’s new arrivals. There’s something for everyone.
Drink
  • The internet’s favorite tumbler — the 40-oz. Stanley Quencher — is in stock in cute colors like pool, jade, and orchid.
Health
Wellness
  • It doesn’t get more luxurious than the Drowsy sleep mask, which is silky smooth on skin and completely light-blocking for the deepest sleep.
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The Wrap
 
Robin Schwartzkopf in a red button down shirt

Today’s edition by:
Robin
From the editor
Did anyone else witness the fireball that sped across the sky Sunday night? I spotted it as I was driving home — I’m choosing to see it as a good omen.
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