Preservation Begins With the Grassroots

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• Preservation Begins With the Grassroots

Welcome to our city: Richmond. Spring is a wonderful time of year to enjoy and appreciate our city, with all of the dogwood and azalea blooming.

Richmond is rich in history, not just our own, but the nation's.

Important aspects of our nation's roots are right here at the core of our community: starting with the James River, "America's founding river," the view of which inspired William Byrd to name the city Richmond; at St. John's Church and the surrounding neighborhood, where the quest for liberty and independence was given its distinct American voice; and Jackson Ward, where the largest African-American entrepreneurial district in the South flourished in the first half of the 20th century.

Sometimes we forget to appreciate what is in our own backyard. Our resources are our citizens, our history, and our architecture. We drive by so many architectural wonders and historic sites every day it is easy to let them fade into the background.

But if you walk by those buildings, enjoy the elements of their structure, look up and around, it is also easy to become exuberant over the craft and the vision in the creation of these structures. You start to realize what makes our city and its older neighborhoods beautiful and not easily replaced.

The words "preserve" and "save" come to mind. And when we read that someone proposes to tear down some of this history, some of this grandeur, we sometimes feel the need to fight back. In doing so, we are saying: We have eyes, we have a brain, we live here, and we care what it looks like, even if the people that might be making the decisions do not.

Richmond is very fortunate to have so many people who do care. The love of our history, the love of our past, and the appreciation for our architectural diversity have created partnerships. The Department of Historic Resources and Preservation Virginia offer tools to protect and promote our state architectural and historic resources.

The City Council-appointed Commission of Architectural Review protects our local Old and Historic Districts. Many of our landmarks would have been lost to age, neglect, or demolition if it were not for the preservation activities of nonprofit organizations such as Historic Richmond Foundation, which has been active since 1935.

Beginning with the revitalization of Church Hill, HRF has been tirelessly saving Richmond's rich character in order to preserve our city's history -- an essential element of our future. Perhaps most important, grassroots neighborhood groups of concerned citizens make a significant positive impact on their environs. And so can business and community leaders and city officials who take an active leadership role.

No single one of these partners can work alone today. Successful preservation requires collaboration of many groups and many individuals working together on the local, state, and national levels.

Today, that is particularly evident in our own city. Richmond's Master Plan is a perfect example. Rachel Flynn, the city's director of community development, showed leadership and planning as she encouraged individual city residents to come together to share what they wanted their community to look like. She created an opportunity for the people's vision to be considered.

The Master Plan also provides a cohesive and collective vision that considers the value of open spaces in our capital city. (Do we want to sprawl like Short Pump, utilizing every inch of land?)

Mayor Dwight Jones has asked residents to accept more responsibility for our community's success. He has emphasized cooperation and inclusiveness of all ideas and people -- in order to improve Richmond -- demonstrating an understanding that the people who walk the streets of their own neighborhoods every day see those irreplaceable pieces that make part of their city a gold mine and a treasure, even in these uncertain economic times.

What's at stake is not just a structure, it is also a story, and an example that can give hope to future generations. The work is about bricks and mortar, of course, but it's also about broad-ranging benefits and engaging many people with varied interests to maintain and strengthen a sense of place.

Citizens have contributed their thoughts enthusiastically about how they want their city to look. In this way, the Downtown Master Plan models our potential and promise, utilizing citizen input, and engendering a greater sense of community for all of us.

On May 30, Historic Richmond Foundation, The Richmond History Museum, and Sports Backers are collaborating and invite you to enjoy this wonderful time of year and get healthy through the Anthem Stride Through Time, a 10K walk highlighting Richmond's historic sites. Consider creating your own preservation partnership with a friend and take a stroll through Richmond history -- your history.

Mary Jane Hogue is executive director, and Amy Swartz is director of preservation for the Historic Richmond Foundation. Contact them at (804) 643-7407.