Comments on: Charlottesville Neighborhood – Fifeville http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/ Tracking Charlottesville's Real Estate Market since 2005 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:15:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Reader Question - What do you think about Fifeville? | Real Central VA http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/comment-page-1/#comment-15924 Reader Question - What do you think about Fifeville? | Real Central VA Tue, 06 May 2008 12:01:59 +0000 http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/#comment-15924 [...] For starters, I wrote about Fifeville last year. [...] [...] For starters, I wrote about Fifeville last year. [...]

]]> By: Arthur http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/comment-page-1/#comment-2034 Arthur Wed, 31 Jan 2007 22:06:30 +0000 http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/#comment-2034 I hit submit too soon. continued As part of their report, they will include some facts about the contributing houses in the neighborhood and a narrative about the historical significance of the district. Of wider interest is the fact that the city is moving forward with design review districts not only in Fifeville, but in all of the older areas of the city. This is a ways down the pipe yet, and these new districts will likely be much less restrictive than the existing ones. Even so, I think we can expect that large condo projects in the central city will be much more difficult, unpredictable, and costly to build should such design districts be put into place. I wonder to what extent the persistent condo building craze in the city is an attempt to get projects in before the city starts adding such regulations. I hit submit too soon. continued

As part of their report, they will include some facts about the contributing houses in the neighborhood and a narrative about the historical significance of the district.

Of wider interest is the fact that the city is moving forward with design review districts not only in Fifeville, but in all of the older areas of the city. This is a ways down the pipe yet, and these new districts will likely be much less restrictive than the existing ones. Even so, I think we can expect that large condo projects in the central city will be much more difficult, unpredictable, and costly to build should such design districts be put into place. I wonder to what extent the persistent condo building craze in the city is an attempt to get projects in before the city starts adding such regulations.

]]> By: Arthur http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/comment-page-1/#comment-2033 Arthur Wed, 31 Jan 2007 21:53:44 +0000 http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/#comment-2033 The promised update on the name: Apparently Castle Hill was the name that local African-Americans used for the northeast corner of the Fifeville neighborhood. According to the older residents of the neighborhood, there were also different (and more interesting) names for the numbered streets (4th, 5th,...) like "____'s (I missed the name) Stillhouse Road." These names were used by the African American community before and for a time after the city incorporated the area in the late 1800s. The name of the proposed historic district is "Fifeville-Castle Hill" in recognition of the different histories of the east and western parts of the neighborhood and also in recognition of the African-American community's long presence there. There are two historians working on the applications for the National Registry and Virginia Registry. The promised update on the name:
Apparently Castle Hill was the name that local African-Americans used for the northeast corner of the Fifeville neighborhood. According to the older residents of the neighborhood, there were also different (and more interesting) names for the numbered streets (4th, 5th,…) like “____’s (I missed the name) Stillhouse Road.” These names were used by the African American community before and for a time after the city incorporated the area in the late 1800s. The name of the proposed historic district is “Fifeville-Castle Hill” in recognition of the different histories of the east and western parts of the neighborhood and also in recognition of the African-American community’s long presence there. There are two historians working on the applications for the National Registry and Virginia Registry.

]]> By: Jim Duncan » Blog Archive » Charlottesville Neighborhood - Fifeville http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/comment-page-1/#comment-1987 Jim Duncan » Blog Archive » Charlottesville Neighborhood - Fifeville Mon, 29 Jan 2007 19:20:06 +0000 http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/#comment-1987 [...] Read the whole story at Real Central VA. [...] [...] Read the whole story at Real Central VA. [...]

]]> By: Arthur http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/comment-page-1/#comment-1837 Arthur Mon, 22 Jan 2007 20:38:56 +0000 http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/#comment-1837 I am planning on going to the meeting, so I'll let you know what I learn about the name. I am planning on going to the meeting, so I’ll let you know what I learn about the name.

]]> By: Jim Duncan http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/comment-page-1/#comment-1834 Jim Duncan Mon, 22 Jan 2007 18:30:30 +0000 http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/#comment-1834 You mean people actually read this? I agree that "Castle Hill" is confusing, as I have always thought of that area as Fifeville, rather than Castle Hill. Truth be told, I was not aware of the historical survey until now, and equally look forward to hearing the update on the survey's progress. Perhaps a clarification might be in order. Let me work on that. You mean people actually read this?

I agree that “Castle Hill” is confusing, as I have always thought of that area as Fifeville, rather than Castle Hill. Truth be told, I was not aware of the historical survey until now, and equally look forward to hearing the update on the survey’s progress.

Perhaps a clarification might be in order. Let me work on that.

]]> By: Arthur http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/comment-page-1/#comment-1833 Arthur Mon, 22 Jan 2007 16:47:31 +0000 http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/#comment-1833 According to a Google search, "Castle Hill" is a pretty popular name for historically significant places... and for fitness centers, resorts, and subdivisions. The only other reference to the Castle Hill of this neighborhood I find there leads back to the same historical survey. There is a meeting on the 30th to discuss the survey's progress. I look forward to hearing the justification for the name then. According to a Google search, “Castle Hill” is a pretty popular name for historically significant places… and for fitness centers, resorts, and subdivisions. The only other reference to the Castle Hill of this neighborhood I find there leads back to the same historical survey. There is a meeting on the 30th to discuss the survey’s progress. I look forward to hearing the justification for the name then.

]]> By: Waldo Jaquith http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/comment-page-1/#comment-1831 Waldo Jaquith Mon, 22 Jan 2007 15:02:23 +0000 http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/#comment-1831 "Castle Hill" would be a terribly confusing name to use. Castle Hill is, famously, the enormous Keswick estate established by Dr. Thomas Walker in 1764. Walker convinced Colonel Tarlton and his troops to stick around for breakfast, a trick that allowed Jefferson and the legislature to escape with the time that he bought them. Castle Hill is where the nationally-renowned Albemarle Pippin apple was developed, and remains the largest, most storied estate in Keswick. It's still intact, on a square mile of land, and recently sold for something like $15M. It is, of course, on the state and national historic registers. The name Castle Hill is taken. :) “Castle Hill” would be a terribly confusing name to use. Castle Hill is, famously, the enormous Keswick estate established by Dr. Thomas Walker in 1764. Walker convinced Colonel Tarlton and his troops to stick around for breakfast, a trick that allowed Jefferson and the legislature to escape with the time that he bought them. Castle Hill is where the nationally-renowned Albemarle Pippin apple was developed, and remains the largest, most storied estate in Keswick. It’s still intact, on a square mile of land, and recently sold for something like $15M. It is, of course, on the state and national historic registers.

The name Castle Hill is taken. :)

]]> By: Jim Duncan » Blog Archive » Charlottesville Neighborhoods - Fifeville http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/comment-page-1/#comment-1830 Jim Duncan » Blog Archive » Charlottesville Neighborhoods - Fifeville Mon, 22 Jan 2007 12:25:17 +0000 http://www.realcentralva.com/2007/01/22/charlottesville-neighborhood-fifeville/#comment-1830 [...] The city calls the area south of West Main “Fifeville” after the Fife family, who once owned a farm in this area.  However, Oak Street resident and self described “old-house-hugging preservationist” Antoinette Roades <a href=”http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2003/10/02/letterFifevilleWasntFifes.html”>notes that a portion of what the city calls Fifeville (the part bordered by Ridge Street to the east, Cherry Avenue to the south, 5th St. SW to the west, and West Main Street to the north) was not part of Fife’s farm</a>, but was developed separately in the 1840s and 1850s by Allen Hawkins. An ongoing survey of the architectural history of the neighborhood found that the Hawkins land was once known as “Castle Hill.”  I like that name, and it describes the area of “Fifeville” I know best, so I’ll write about Castle Hill and the neighboring blocks.  People also refer to the same area as “5th Street” or “5th and Dice.”  According to a UVA oral history of the area, Castle Hill was home to prominent African Americans and whites at the turn of the 20th century, until, in 1912, the city resolved that it should be illegal for whites and blacks to live next to each other and “<a href=”http://www3.iath.virginia.edu/schwartz/vhill/mcginness.html”>the whites moved away.</a>” Read more at Real Central VA. [...] [...] The city calls the area south of West Main “Fifeville” after the Fife family, who once owned a farm in this area.  However, Oak Street resident and self described “old-house-hugging preservationist” Antoinette Roades <a href=”http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2003/10/02/letterFifevilleWasntFifes.html”>notes that a portion of what the city calls Fifeville (the part bordered by Ridge Street to the east, Cherry Avenue to the south, 5th St. SW to the west, and West Main Street to the north) was not part of Fife’s farm</a>, but was developed separately in the 1840s and 1850s by Allen Hawkins. An ongoing survey of the architectural history of the neighborhood found that the Hawkins land was once known as “Castle Hill.”  I like that name, and it describes the area of “Fifeville” I know best, so I’ll write about Castle Hill and the neighboring blocks.  People also refer to the same area as “5th Street” or “5th and Dice.”  According to a UVA oral history of the area, Castle Hill was home to prominent African Americans and whites at the turn of the 20th century, until, in 1912, the city resolved that it should be illegal for whites and blacks to live next to each other and “<a href=”http://www3.iath.virginia.edu/schwartz/vhill/mcginness.html”>the whites moved away.</a>” Read more at Real Central VA. [...]

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