History Tourist. Cemetery. Hollywood. Vampires.

I have been all over the place this weekend. Today my friend and I ended up exploring some of the historic areas of Richmond, Virginia including Hollywood Cemetery.

The grounds are huge and seemingly endless. I was struck by how hilly the land along the James River is and how many individuals were laid to rest right on these steep slopes. The foggy, dark, and dreary day created an atmosphere perfect for exploring the unique and intricate memorials to the people buried here.

The cemetery is home to two United States Presidents, the only President of the Confederacy, Civil War soldiers, individuals famous for various reasons, and numerous other people who don't fall into any of those categories!

Sons of the American Revolution

Home to the Richmond Vampire?

The Church Hill Tunnel collapsed and buried a train on October 2, 1925. A few people were killed and at least one was injured. This survivor (Benjamin F Mosby) was badly burned before he emerged from the tunnel. His frightening appearance may have given way to the legend of a Vampire fleeing through Downtown Richmond, over the James River, and into the Hollywood Cemetery. Though Mr. Mosby was taken to Grace Hospital and later succumbed to his burns, the legend concludes with the vampire hiding in the vault of a Mr. W.W. Pool.

Old Houses

For as long as I can remember my dad has had a subscription to the magazine This Old House. Home improvement is definitely not my forte; my very favorite section is the last page. Each magazine showcases an old house that needs to be 'saved'. Usually the houses are cheap (sometimes as low as $1) and need to be moved to a new location. Aside from the fascination with the logistics required to move a house...the histories of the homes is always interesting.

I do like new houses too. Here is my favorite from the same magazine:

While I was traveling over Thanksgiving I saw a sale advertisement for a gorgeous old house built in 1890. I wish I was in the market for buying a house...I didn't get a chance to stop by, but I plan to do so in the next few weeks.

Highlights

A few weeks ago I made what I consider to be one of the most exciting discoveries yet. It didn't help me add new people or fill in a hole on my tree but it was profound because it provides a tangible connection to the past.

Using the census I had a new address to explore. In 1940 for $31/month my grandparents lived in a beautiful 2 story brick building that was built in 1925. The property was assessed in 2010 as being worth $460,000. Similar homes in the neighborhood are selling for $630,000 in 2012.

I was somewhat surprised that this address was not the same place they lived in 1944. I searched for this second home on google maps streetview without much luck. The address plopped me square in the middle of a busy intersection. One side of the street with very modern buildings and the other with old ones. I was disappointed because the old buildings did not match that appeared in family photos.

I searched for property records for the 1944 address and google kept providing me with records for irrelevant addresses. I somehow ended up looking at a map of an entirely differently street...miles away from what I was attempting to find. Then something familiar caught my eye. I flipped through photo after photo...

Days later I examined my browser history trying to figure out how I even ended up at this address "walking" down the street. I still don't know, but it sure was lucky! I don't believe my family ever lived in these buildings (circa 1920), they were probably just in the neighborhood - perhaps across the street, as they appear frequently in the background of photos. A happy coincidence.

Within the next few weeks the last home my grandparents shared (not pictured above) is going to be torn down. It was new in the mid 1950s when they moved into it, and just over 60 years later it is being demolished for a new and improved version.

I'm glad some old buildings are left alone.

Inflation

In 1940 my grandparents paid $31/month to live in a 15 year old brownstone.

Today their building is 87 years old and worth approximately $460,000.