The Bell Telephone Company began service in Roanoke on May 19, 1884. In 1895, Bell Telephone introduced long-distance service. That year Roanokers could call Bedford, Lynchburg and Danville.
Please contact the Virginia Room at 540.853.2073 for permission to use.
This view shows strollers atop Mill Mountain. The top of the mountain had park grounds and trails and was a popular destination with the incline and the watch tower.
This interior view of the Martha Washington Candies store shows what the company considered its “Southern Factory.” Martha Washington Candies Roanoke franchise was started by W.G. Baldwin at 310 S. Jefferson Street in 1914. Mr. Baldwin was of the famed Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency.
Scottie’s Tavern was three miles north of Roanoke on Route 11 and specialized in country ham, chicken and steak dinners. It even offered curb service. J.S. Scott was the manager.
Sanatoriums were popular at the turn of the last century in the care and treatment of tuberculosis patients. Often doctors or others in the healthcare profession would establish homes and other institutions with such a purpose. Tuberculosis often wiped out entire families in the city at the turn of the century.
“Memphis Special” made its debut through the Roanoke Valley on June 20th, 1909, running between Memphis, Tennessee, and New York City. The Memphis Special remained for years a popular passenger train, being the fastest and most direct route to New York.
The Parkway Motel was located on Route 220, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, three miles south of Roanoke. The card promoted the motel as having “room telephone, air conditioning, all tile baths, hot water heat, air foam mattresses.” The motel was razed in the late 1990s.
The VA facility erected structures such as the nurses’ home to house medical staff. The first patients were admitted on April 23, 1935. Some of the patients, as a form of therapy, actually conducted farming operations on the grounds of the facility, engaging in raising hogs and cattle.
The Class of 1933 contributed funds for the landscaping and drive that made the “High Street Gateway.” The entrance and subsequent drive were made necessary at the time by the large number of students possessing automobiles as well as increasing enrollment.
The gymnasium shown here was built in 1930 for a total cost of $138,354. The gym was but one component of a large master plan to expand the college’s facilities. Unfortunately, only the gymnasium was completed on time as the Depression stopped work at the college for a number of years.
Smith Hall, named for a past president of the college, was erected in 1941. Designed by the firm of Eubank and Caldwell in Roanoke, the structure (originally a residence hall for forty women) was built and equipped for a total cost of $50,174.
Bittle Memorial Library was named for Roanoke College’s early president, Dr. David Bittle. Bittle led the college through its move to Salem and during the Civil War. Bittle was one of three Salem leaders who officially surrendered Salem to the Union forces under Gen. William Averell during his invasion of the Roanoke Valley in 1863.
The Farmers National Bank was organized May 8, 1871, with capital of $75,000. Through the leadership of Salem’s prominent businessmen, the bank weathered successfully economic turbulence that put other banks under during the latter part of the 18th century.
Dedicated in 1967 and financed through the sale of bond proceeds, the Salem-Roanoke Valley Civic Center opened as a recreational and cultural center for Salem. Noted historian Norwood Middleton termed this as “the single most talked-about project in Salem’s history.” The arena was first used on September 25, 1967, for a meeting of the Virginia Education Association.
The filtration plant was an early element in Salem’s water supply infrastructure, but the water supply system itself dated to the 18th century. In 1874, the first concept for a water supply system was advanced to the town council, and in 1875 Salem citizens approved a bond to finance a reservoir and pipes. The original water rate at that time was $5 per year for five-member families and $1 per year for each hotel room, and $10 annually for bars.
The land on which Municipal Field was located had originally been designed for use as an elementary school site. Further study, however, prompted Salem’s leaders to appreciate its use more for athletics. Thus, in the spring of 1932, Municipal Field was born. Professional baseball debuted there on May 20, 1939, when the Salem Wolves took the field against Lynchburg.
One of the most notable citizens in the region’s early history was General Andrew Lewis. Though Lewis died before the town of Salem was officially plotted by James Simpson, his life was spent in its general vicinity. This monument was erected in East Hill Cemetery.
Pierpont's Brick Works was owned and operated by Salem businessman George E. Pierpont. In 1908, Pierpont was named as one of the privileged few in Salem to own an automobile.
The construction of a "new" Federal post office on Main Street was a saga of many years. Land purchased by the government in 1917 went undeveloped until 1922 when construction finally commenced. The post office officially opened in June of 1923.
In 1927, Salem businessman Henry A. Oakey purchased the former Hotel Salem and changed its name to Hotel Fort Lewis. The structure was demolished in 1974 .
One of the more contemporary establishments was J.J. Newberry Company. The card boasts, “Completely air-conditioned on two large selling floors, approximately ¾ mile counter space carrying over 30,000 separate items of merchandise. A modern luncheonette unit serves refreshments, a quick snack or a complete meal.”
In 1911, the Piedmont Glass Company purchased and resurrected the old glass plant. During the early years, the plant employed some 125 workers who produced glass bottles for a variety of uses. The plant was closed for two months each summer due to the extreme heat from molten glass. In 1914, the name was changed to the Salem Glass Company.
The Sherwood Burial Park, named for the old “Sherwood” estate that was near the property, was developed on a 35-acre tract in 1928 by C.B. Strickler.
The purchaser of this card sent the following message to his brothers: “Your letter received this morning…Father is working for the Virginian R.R. at present…I expect to take an examination for a R.R. mail clerk sometime this fall.” His brothers lived in Baltimore, MD.
The Homestead Hotel has a long history. Built by David Wade in 1802, it was formerly known as the Old Globe Tavern with five huge fireplaces and 27-inch thick walls. At the time this card was published, it was the only original stage coach tavern still open to the public on Route 11.
This was the sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church congregation from 1904 until 1953. It was located on the northeast corner of College and Clay Avenues.
The congregation of Pentecostal Holiness Church was organized in 1915. Their present sanctuary, shown here, on North Bruffey Street was dedicated in April 1953.
College Lutheran Church – This collage shows the various structures associated with College Lutheran. The congregation first met in the Roanoke College chapel (top left) from 1852 until 1858; then they built their first sanctuary (top right) which served them from 1858 until 1922. The present sanctuary (center) on College Avenue at Pennsylvania Avenue was completed in November 1922.
While termed “First” church here, the sanctuary is known as home to the Salem Presbyterian Church located on Main Street. Salem Presbyterian was organized in 1831 and dedicated this sanctuary in 1852. Additions were made in 1914 and 1958.
Known originally as the First Methodist Episcopal Church when organized in 1908, the congregation later was called Second Methodist (1939) and then Central Methodist (1954). The sanctuary shown here was consecrated on June 26, 1955.
The Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church was started in 1870 and at the date of this card’s printing (1912), it stood on the corner of Water Street and Calhoun.
St. Paul's Episcopal congregation was organized around 1867. The congregation moved a few times before erecting this sanctuary on Main Street in 1911 There have since been numerous acquisitions and additions to the facility.
The Salem Baptist Church was organized in 1870 and dedicated their sanctuary at the corner of North Broad Street and College Avenue in 1873. An educational building was added in 1952. The new sanctuary seen today was erected in 1967.
– The George Washington Carver School was opened in the fall of 1940. The construction cost was $125,000. This new school was in response to the deterioration of the Water Street school
– The “Graded School A” was erected on Water Street as a six-room frame school in 1890-91 (the same year the Academy Street School opened for white students). By 1895, the school had an enrollment of 258 under the principal John Duckwilder.
The architectural drawing gracing this card was done by G.R. Ragan. The new high school, built on Broad Street, opened in 1912, relieving the overcrowded Academy Street school. Additions followed in 1920 and 1923, but the school was heavily damaged by fire on January 19, 1931, forcing town leaders to consider a new high school.
What is now known as the Academy Street School served Salem’s students for many years. The building on the right was constructed in 1890 with an addition (left) coming in 1895. The original portion served the lower grades and the addition became the high school. Other additions came in 1901 and 1908. When first opened, it was known officially as Public School No. 1.
Tuberculosis sanatoriums were numerous in the first half of the last century. By the late 1960s, tuberculosis was controllable and facilities, such as Mount Regis, were converted to other uses usually health related.
Mount Regis was built on Development Hill in South Salem. Mount Regis closed its doors as a sanitorium in 1939. The building was then taken over by the Youth Administration to provide housing for nurses aids in hospitals. After World War II, the White Cross Hospital, treating alcohol abuse, took over the facility.
In 1952, residents of South Salem started a petition drive to incorporate a new town, Mount Regis. This was countered by residents desiring annexation into Salem. With some legal maneuverings and posturing, the “Mount Regis” citizens settled down, acknowledging annexation was the pre-determined outcome. Soon thereafter, Salem expanded its borders.
The local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution erected in 1927 a monument marking the location of Fort Lewis which had been built by General Andrew Lewis.
The Victorian mansion, known as “Longwood,” was built by Thomas Henry Cooper around 1904. Unfortunately, this majestic structure was destroyed by fire on November 19, 1968.
This hotel stood on Main Street and was erected by W.D.F. Duval in 1871. It contained 40 to 50 rooms with bath tubs and running water. For a few years, the hotel was owned by the Chapman family and renamed the Lucerne.
For many years, Salem had also benefited from passenger service provided by the Virginian Railroad. Virginian passenger service in Salem ended in 1954, five years prior to its merger with the N&W.
Passenger service at the Salem depot ended on April 30, 1965. On that day, YWCA kindergartners boarded the Powhatan Arrow for a trip to Christiansburg. That same year, the N&W donated the station to the town of Salem.
The N&W Railway donated and created a park near the passenger station in 1933 at College Avenue and 8th Street. The park was one of several that were developed in Salem during that time period.
The passenger station hosted a prominent visitor on October 19, 1934, when President Franklin Roosevelt came to dedicate the new Veterans’ Hospital. After the ceremony, the President came to Salem where he was escorted by Salem’s mayor and a cadre of Boy Scouts to his waiting train.
The impressive home of Salem lawyer Demetrius B. Strouse on Broad Street was built around the turn of the last century. Strouse was involved in numerous civic and religious projects in the Roanoke Valley.
The Ridgewood farm land is today a developed retail corridor, known as the Ridgewood Village Center. The center opened in 1985 with a variety of stores and restaurants. The home, shown here, remains.
Monterey was the pre-Civil War home of the Chapman family. In later years, the home at the corner of High and Clay served as a hotel, hosting visitors by providing a truly residential flavor.
James C. Langhorne was prominent in the formation of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, helped develop Lake Spring Park, served on the Salem Town Council, and operated several business enterprises.
The Roanoke County Women’s Club was formed on June 7, 1923, by 28 women. In May of 1929, the club formally dedicated their clubhouse. On year later, the Junior Club added a wing to the main clubhouse and started a library. This effort laid the groundwork for the county’s library system.
The Lutheran Orphanage sold much of its land holdings in the 1960s to Salem for the purpose of erecting what is now the Salem Civic Center. The buildings were sold in 1985 to Roanoke College.
The Lutheran Orphanage arrived in Salem in May of 1896, occupying a brick home on five acres at the corner of present-day Florida Avenue and Boulevard. The orphanage eventually bought the former Hotel Salem on College Avenue (shown here), which it occupied from 1900 until 1927.
Life at the orphanage often paralleled the events within Salem. Some of those were not positive. In 1918, a severe outbreak of the Spanish flu closed Salem’s schools, churches, and businesses for over a month. Sixty children at the Baptist orphanage contracted the illness, including its nurse, Mary Dunton. Ms. Dunton died as a result, having served as the orphans’ nurse for twelve years. In addition to her, the epidemic took the lives of 13 others living in Salem.
The residence for the superintendent was constructed within the first decade of the orphanage’s operation. The residence allowed the superintendent to not only live on the campus but to host visitors and families.
This second cottage to be built for the orphanage was named for the institution’s first superintendent, the Reverend George J. Hobday, who served from 1891 until 1906.
The original 16 acres on which the orphanage sat was donated by businessman John M. Evans. The very first cottage to be built, which was completed on July 1, 1892, was named for the philanthropist.
By 1905, the Baptist Orphanage, which was just a decade old, was caring for 165 orphans. Some were placed in the institution’s care due to loss of parents, while others came to live because their families were impoverished. All needs of the children were met, and all attended schools in Salem.
The hill-top Baptist Orphanage prided itself on being self-sustaining in its early years. A generous donation of an additional 87 acres in 1897 allowed the orphanage to even operate a full-scale farm and dairy herd.
The cornerstone on the Administration Building was laid on July 4, 1901, becoming occupied in 1902. It’s red-brick castle-like structure was an imposing piece of architecture on the campus. The Administration Building was razed in 1965.
Before the advent of modern medicine, quarantine was often the best strategy to avoid the spread of disease. Salem, like all communities, had to impose its fair share of them. In 1905, the Baptist Orphanage was quarantined for two weeks due to an outbreak of 15 cases of varioloid on it campus.
As a measure of Salem’s hospitality, many of the local churches, regardless of denomination, became involved with both the Baptist and Lutheran orphanages. In fact, Roanoke College offered free tuition to qualified students from both orphanages.
The Baptist Orphanage often brought visiting Baptists from around the state to Salem, who, according to the early Salem newspapers, would bring the children into town for entertainment and recreation.
Judge William Moffett convened the first session of Circuit Court in the new court room on April 1, 1910, and dedicated the day “for the hearing of matters and reading of papers of local historical interest.”
This photo postcard shows the old county courthouse. The structure was built in 1841 on a lot purchased by Roanoke County from John Gray of Missouri for $400. The courthouse was constructed by Salem hotelier William C. Williams. During the Civil War, the structure served as a hospital, and if anyone dared to carve on the wooden interior ornamentation they could be fined $5. The courthouse stood for 69 years being demolished in February of 1909 due to severe structural deterioration.
Business leaders in Salem and Roanoke sought to promote their respective communities through a variety of promotional pamphlets. Scenes, such as the one above, were often included to demonstrate progress and prosperity. Salem was labeled as the “Queen City of the Southwest” in an 1884 circular.
For a few years, Salem’s residential streets were segregated. In 1913, Salem created racially segregated residential districts which were permitted by state law. District No. 1 (centered around Water Street) was for blacks, and District No. 2 was for whites. This arrangement met with local controversy before an enlightened U.S. Supreme Court ruled such districts unconstitutional in 1919. The house at left was built in 1901 as the home of Theophilus J. Shickel, The home was conveyed to John M. Oakey and Sons Funeral Home in 1936.
Good streets have always been one of the basic services provided by any municipality to its citizens. In 1909, a Salem newspaper headline read, “Good Streets Coming.” The editor was congratulating Salem leaders for applying crushed limestone to the streets in replace of cinder. In 1911, the streets were actually “oiled” to suppress dust.
Salem’s first major population and economic boom occurred between 1880 and 1890 with the development of the railroad. The population during that decade nearly doubled. The Roanoke Collegian reported in 1891, “Building continues, High Street is being graded and widened, the streets are brilliant with electric lights, the laying of sewer pipes is being pursued vigorously.” This card depicts the many improvements made to High Street during that time.
Main Street has become the setting for one of Salem’s most successful civic and commercial events – Olde Salem Days. The event began in 1981 with an estimated 12,000 visitors. By 1985, under the sponsorship of the Jaycees, “Days” drew some 40,000 persons and has continued to be a major draw encompassing a variety of vendors, musicians, crafters, and an antique car show.
After much discussion, Salem’s city fathers agreed to a streetcar route on Main Street (the tracks can be seen in this card) in 1894. The system served Salem and connected riders to the Roanoke line that crossed over Masons Creek. The streetcars operated for many years, but were abandoned in 1931 with the discontinuation of the Salem-Roanoke line. The trolley tracks along West Main were removed in 1938.
On the back of this postcard was written the following message: “Dear Mama – Does this look like home? Not much, I guess you would like it down here because people are so easy going and don’t believe in working all the time…” Home, by the way, was Dover, New Jersey.
Prominent on the left is a sign for W.B. Dillard Drug Co., Prescription Druggists, Soda and Mineral Waters. Watts Dillard was a prominent Salem business man involved in numerous civic projects. His drugstore, at the corner of Main and College, got a hot-water soda urn in 1901 which was big news. A local newspaper reported “both hot and cold drinks will be served in summer and winter.” This same establishment had turned heads with the installation of a “fly brush and fan,” a contraption that drove away flies from the soda fountain and kept air stirring constantly!
W.G. Ronk took the picture that produced this card of turn-of-the-century Main Street, which James Simpson originally called Roanoke Street. The street was only a few blocks long when first developed, running from present-day Colorado Street to Union Street.
Dirt streets and horse carriages marked town living one hundred years ago. In the foreground, one can see the outline of a crosswalk, probably brick, that allowed pedestrians to maneuver across streets avoiding ankle-deep mud that often plagued towns following heavy rains.
Water Street, later South Broad Street, was one of the earliest streets laid out in the 1802 plot of Salem. Water Street became the dominant center for Salem’s African-American community.
This early street scene illustrates the stately residential developments that marked Salem’s development at the turn of the last century.
This century-old view of Salem showed the development of the town since its inception in 1802 by James Simpson when he created 40 lots on 16 acres. The lots fronted one main road which Simpson named “Roanoke Street.” The lots were two sizes, rectangular (66 x 266 feet) and square (132 feet). Cross streets were originally named Limestone Street (later called Union Street), Water Street (later Broad Street), and Market Street.
Lakeside survived for over six decades, but the competition brought on by other more major theme parks took its toll. By 1983, the park was in financial trouble. Bought by Charles Fox in 1984, the park was struck by the Flood of 1985. The flood seemed to seal the fate of the park. Lakeside’s final day of operation was October 19, 1986. Today, the grounds of Lakeside are occupied by a shopping center.
Aunt Katherine wrote her nephew in Salisbury, Maryland, using this card, the following: “How would you like to go in bathing here? Uncle Frank and the boys are in now. It is fresh water. They have slides and swings and acting bars and every kind of exercise in the pool.”
Lakeside was for many decades the most popular draw for Valley residents and tourists in the region. Offering rides, amusements, recreation, and concerts, Lakeside was complimented by Dixie Caverns, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and being at the intersection of present-day Routes 419 and 460.
This card shows how much the park had developed under the ownership of the Roberts family. This card advertises, “South’s Finest Swimming Pool, Joy Rides for Children and Adults, Beautiful Picnic Grounds.”
Like most public venues in the South, Lakeside was not integrated until 1964. At about this same time, park owners closed the pool, filled it over, and the park expanded.
Lakeside survived the Depression by offering low admission prices and cheap entertainment. During World War II, the USO provided servicemen complimentary tickets. There was even a movement in 1958 by nearby residents to constitute themselves as the town of Lakeside!
In 1936, Lakeside was purchased by H.L. Roberts, and his family owned and operated Lakeside for the next fifty years. When the amusement park opened it was described as “the largest pool anyone had ever seen,” complimented by a beach of imported sand and a boardwalk.
Lakeside was opened in 1920 by Robert Lynn, Sr., and featured a public swimming pool, roller coaster and one additional ride. The original 50-acre tract on which Lakeside was built was an orchard owned by John Bower.
This card reads, “From the crest of McAfee’s Knob, near Salem, at an altitude of 4,000 feet, and commanding a view of entrancing beauty. ‘Point of Rocks’ projects over the Valley far below. With nearly 2,000 feet of space beneath him, the visitor finds he does not have to travel thousands of miles to Yosemite Valley to grow dizzy on stupendous heights or to view men and horses dwarfed to pygmies in the depths below.” McAfee is one of the most photographed spots along the Appalachian Trail.
Camp Powhatan was located in the Natural Bridge National Forest Reserve. Scouting, having reached the States in 1910, has a long history in Roanoke County. The Blue Ridge Mountains Council, No. 599, is headquartered in Roanoke County, having merged in 1972 with the Piedmont Council.
The vast majority of tourist homes, motor courts, motels and other tourist-related businesses dried up after the emergence of President Eisenhower’s interstate highway system. Small towns were bypassed, and routes, such as Route 11, were no longer used with any significance by destination travelers.
Traveltown, located on Route 11 in Cloverdale, advertised “Every cottage heated with Private Bath.” In the mid-1920s, Route 11 became a link in the Washington-to-San Diego Lee Highway, making it a part of the transcontinental highway system.
The name “Hanging Rock” was given due to the rock formation’s appearance as projecting from the mountainside. In the area of Hanging Rock occurred one of only two Civil War engagements within the bounds of Roanoke County.
This Methodist Church was an early sanctuary of the present-day Thrasher Memorial United Methodist Church. The present sanctuary was built in 1963. The church was named for Paul and Sallie Thrasher, pioneer Methodists in the Roanoke Valley. The church traces its origins back to 1815.
This fine residence belonged to prominent businessman, J.C. Cook originally of Bonsack. Cook later moved to the Vinton area and owned the land on which the Vinton War Memorial was built.
The Vinton War Memorial is a tribute to the 29 men of Vinton who gave their lives in military service during World War II and Vietnam. The building, seen here, was dedicated in 1948 as a community center and remains such today.
Vinton Baptist Church began in 1892. The building shown in this postcard rendering is one constructed in 1924, replacing the original sanctuary of 1894.
Vinton Roller Mills, along Glade Creek, grew out of mills originally built by David Gish that pre-dated the Civil War. By the Twentieth Century, the remaining mill was owned and operated by James Bowie and produced three kinds of flour. By 1924, the operation was known as Vinton Milling Company.
This camp was originally constructed in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1941, it became an Army mechanical training camp. From 1943 until 1946, the camp housed 150 German POWs who worked in nearby orchards. Today, the camp is owned and operated by the Roanoke Valley Baptist Association as a retreat center.
The official arrival of the Norfolk and Western Railroad (later Railway) into the Roanoke Valley occurred on June 18, 1882, when an N&W locomotive steamed into the newly-named Town of Roanoke. With the coming of the railroad, the population and commercial activity of the Roanoke Valley began to boom.
Exactly what road this might be cannot be determined. Historic records, however, show that interest in building a road from Salem across Twelve O’Clock Knob to Back Creek and then up Bent Mountain dated back to 1840.
One of the most prominent geographical features in the Roanoke Valley is Twelve O’Clock Knob with an altitude of 2,707 feet. According to local tradition, the mountain received its name prior to the Civil War when slaves, working west of Salem, determined it to be noon and time for lunch when the sun was just at a point directly over the mountain.
Enon Baptist Church is one of the oldest Baptist churches in the Roanoke Valley. Built in 1855 across from the entrance of present-day Hollins University, the church was established by Charles Cocke, president of Hollins Institute.
This view of the women’s quarters shows the west end of the lean-to with lounging room in the center. Catawba ceased accepting tuberculosis patients on January 1, 1972. When it did, records indicated that some 25,000 tuberculosis patients had received treatment at Catawba Sanatorium during its 63 years of operation. Since 1972, Catawba Hospital has served patients with mental illness.
Catawba Sanatorium developed its own nursing school to train healthcare professionals in the treatment of tuberculosis. Between 1912 and 1954, Catawba School of Nursing graduated 258 Certified Tuberculosis Nurses.
Catawba Sanatorium became in many ways a self-sustaining community. For many years, the sanatorium operated its own dairy farm. The number of patients and employees were such that the area soon had its own post office, school, chapel, and other amenities.
By 1937, Catawba Sanatorium was serving some 340 patients and the grounds totaled over 1100 acres, almost double the acreage contained in the original purchase. The many pavilions, such as the one above, were named for Virginia governors.
When Catawba Sanatorium opened in 1909, it consisted of 42 beds located primarily in the old hotel that served the sulphur springs resort area. The sanatorium would expand in both buildings and number of patients significantly over the next few decades.
The Virginia Building of Catawba Sanatorium was constructed in 1913, four years after the Catawba Sanatorium opened. The original property for the sanatorium had been the Red Sulphur Springs.
The infirmary, constructed in 1910, was named for Susanna Cocke. Utilizing Georgian and Federal architecture, the infirmary was actually the first building included in part of new quadrangle on the southeast section of the campus.
The Bradley Chapel was built in 1883 but not named until the 1930s for Joshua Bradley. The chapel served as the center for campus religious activities. During the early years, Hollins students were expected to attend chapel services daily after supper.
Presser Hall was erected in 1925, a gift of Theodore Presser, music publisher. Presser was a music professor at Hollins from 1880 until 1883. Unfortunately, Presser died before the building was completed. At the time of its dedication, the structure’s final cost was $56,000.
Construction on East Building began in 1856 and was completed two years later. The East Building, complimenting Main and West, completed the quadrangle courtyard. According to early Hollins historians, East was designed to imitate in appearance the resort hotels popular during that era at many of Virginia’s sulphur springs.
The Little Theater was created largely through the spirited giving of Hollins students who, in the 1920s, raised $45,000 toward the total cost of $65,000 for the structure. The theater was built in 1924, replacing an old auditorium that was in the basement of the school’s library. The theater contained 540 orchestra and 240 balcony seats.
The West Building was totally rebuilt in 1890. The left wing contained the infirmary, doctor’s office and faculty living quarters, and the right wing contained two large halls for Hollins’ two early literary societies. The portico, completed in 1900, was done to echo that of the Main Building.
The 1920s saw the emergence of student leadership in the affairs of the college. In 1920 a student forum was organized for the purpose of providing input on a variety of issues. One reoccurring issue was dress. Could students wear short skirts, rolled hose, and French heels in lab classes? Students judicial and executive councils merged into a legislative committee in 1928.
The Main Building is one of the oldest structures on the campus. The building was erected in between 1861 and 1863. The day the building was started was the same day Virginia seceded from the Union. With the onslaught of the Civil War, construction was often delayed, and the builder, David Deyerle, was not fully paid until 1882 due to the economic collapse of the South. Total cost for Main was $20,000.
When this postcard was sent, Hollins students were on a reinvigorated academic schedule that covered six days. Students could no longer attend for two years and get an “Academic Certificate.” They now must complete all four years. These academic changes were the results of the school’s visionary president, Matty Cocke, who served from 1901 until 1933. “Hollins with its comfortable special courses is no more; we have become a more exact college,” noted a student reporter in 1909.
The sulphur spring on the Hollins campus was discovered in the early 1800s in the bed of Carvins Creek. The message on this card boasted, “Its water has wonderful curative powers, and many prominent men, among them President Andrew Jackson and General Lafayette, have enjoyed it.”
Early in Hollins’ history, social life for the students was very structured and limited. For example, in 1925 students could receive “gentlemen callers” only on weekend nights and Sunday afternoons. Dates off campus required a chaperone and parental permission, although seniors could accompany first year students on the buses to Roanoke.
The “new” bridge shown here was built in 1908, replacing an older one. The bridge was part of an extensive landscape plan developed for the campus at the time that consisted of gardens, boardwalks, bridges and recreational areas.
The history of Hollins University actually begins in New York with Joshua Bradley, a Baptist minister. Bradley purchased the property of the defunct Roanoke Female Seminary in 1842 for the purpose of forming an education union to “conduct an institution for all denominations.” This card shows how Hollins looked a century after Bradley’s purchase.
Elva wrote to Albert Reinhold on the back of this card the following: “Received your postal from Washington, thank you so very much. Tell your dear mother that I will write to her tomorrow. This is a perfectly grand day to take a walk. Wish you were here to go with me.” The falls and mill dam were located where the current Carvins Cove reservoir dam is located today.
Windsor Court Motel was at 1908 W. Main Street, Salem. Effie Snead was the owner and, at the time the card was published, Charles Snead was the manager.
This motor court was managed by H.R. Poole, who mailed this particular card to Joseph Lang of West Hempstead, NY, with the simple message, “You’re welcome in Virginia.” The establishment lured visitors by claiming “no truck or railroad noise.” Its address was 811 E. Main Street in Salem.
The Goodwin Motel’s postcard boasted “approved drinking water.” The motel was located west of Salem on Route 11, which served for many years as the modern-day equivalent of the interstate.
unknown
The sender of this postcard wrote, “Will spend New Years Eve here, rained all day, having a good time. This motel is very comfortable. See you in San Francisco.” The Fort Lewis Tourist Courts was ½ mile west of Salem on Route 11.
The St. Charles Hospital was located at 533 Mountain Avenue. It opened in March of 1913 under the direction of Dr. J.C. Burke. The hospital closed in 1934, and the building was converted into apartments.
This card’s description reads, “One of the bedrooms of the Roanoke Sanitarium, Inc. – Institution for the treatment of Nervous and Mental Diseases, Drug and Alcohol Addictions.”
The Belmont section of Roanoke, long-served by the Christian Church there, began as a 40-home development around 1889. The Belmont School opened in 1893 and soon followed street car service (1905), the city’s first automobile fire steamer (1911), and jitney buses (1921).
A member used this card to celebrate her new church sanctuary: “Our new church cost $15,000, pipe organ $2,650, pews $1,100. Expect to dedicate third Sunday in April.” Unfortunately, the church was badly damaged by a fire in 1917, but recovered.
Belmont Baptist Church was organized on October 17, 1901. They dedicated their second sanctuary in Southeast Roanoke in 1904. Belmont Baptist continues to worship in the sanctuary depicted on this card.
J.H. Marsteller created ornate marble monuments and headstones. This card was produced for Marsteller in 1907, showing on the left the exhibit of Marsteller at the 1907 Jamestown Exhibition’s Timber and Mineral Building. The image on the right shows Marsteller’s place of business in Roanoke on 21 Campbell Avenue SE, which was built in 1897 as the left half of the building with the right half and additional third floor being added in 1905. It was sold to Nelson Hardware in 1916. In the 1960’s it was the Gulf Mills Discount Department Store. It has since been razed for the Market Square parking garage and Orvis store.
The Masonic Temple was located on the northwest corner of 1st and Kirk Street. In 1915, the street level was occupied by Reams, Jones and Blankenship furniture store. The store’s slogan was “Marry the girl – we’ll furnish the home.”
This card shows how Jefferson Street had changed over the years. This view looks north down Jefferson Street from Mountain Avenue, showing a variety of commercial buildings, apartments and hotels.
The postcard image shows what the vista would have looked like over a century ago atop the famous Mill Mountain Incline. In the bottom foreground is the back side of the old Roanoke Hospital, and in the top distant background one can see the former Roanoke Fairgrounds.
The top image is of the Central YMCA and the bottom image is of the Railroad Department YMCA. The Railroad YMCA opened on November 10, 1903. The Young Men’s Christian Association began in Roanoke in 1883.
Construction of Shenandoah Hospital commenced in 1912, opening the next year. The hospital was located on West Campbell Avenue between 7th and 8th Streets. Dr. J.H. Dunkley was president and assisted by Dr. Ira Huff, Dr. W.S. Slicer, Dr. J.T. Hughes, and Dr. L.G. Richards. The hospital also had an 11-room house for nurses and doctors.
The Calvary Baptist Church on Campbell Avenue had as its early sanctuary this beautiful building which was located directly across the street from the present-day facility. Needing more space for the growing congregation and with the completion of the new sanctuary, this sanctuary (built in 1894) was razed in 1931.
The Roanoke Times was the first daily paper in Roanoke, having been started by M.A. Claytor in 1886. In 1909, the Times was purchased by J. B. Fishburn, Edward L. Stone, and W.S. Battle and became the Roanoke Times, Incorporated. The Times building, shown here, was built in 1914.
The Jefferson Apartments were built in 1912 on South Jefferson Street. The apartments existed for several decades before being razed in the late 1990s. The site of the apartment building was occupied by a house that was moved across Mountain Avenue to create the lot for the apartment building to be erected.
The Virginia Bridge and Iron Works began in 1888 as the American Bridge Works, changing its name in 1893. Other branch plants were located in Memphis, Tennessee, and Atlanta, Georgia. The Roanoke Branch was involved in hundreds of bridge projects throughout the state and some commercial buildings. After World War II, the plant was purchased by the American Steel Company. The plant closed in the early 1960s.