The Original Thalhimers Bakery - Richmond, Virginia

The Original Thalhimers Bakery - Richmond, Virginia

Thalhimers Department Store was one of Richmond's finest Downtown landmarks. Built in 1939, it was torn down in 2004 to the dismay of devoted customers, former employees and many fellow Richmonders. After providing 150 years of service to the community, the void was deeply felt when this location of the company shut its doors in 1992, following its sale to a major retail conglomerate. Most of the remaining twenty-six stores became Hecht's and eventually Macy's.

Shoppers of Thalhimers deeply loved the merchandise and service, but nothing surpassed their love for the store's bakery.

Even though the department store is no longer a part of our landscape, the original Thalhimers Bakery continues to stand. Located at 1800 East Main Street, on the corner of 18th and Main Streets in Shockoe Bottom, it is now home to a neighborhood bar and grill, with an apartment on the upper level. The black and white checkerboard-patterned floors of the bakery were its enduring trademark. As the department's theme, the pattern served to decorate the bags of pastries and cake boxes. For a while, it also adorned the Thalhimers jewelry boxes, further sealing its mark as the visual brand for the company. A strong sense of nostalgia developed for this reporter by standing at the spot that defined the bakery logo.

The English-style dwelling was built in 1842 by William Thalhimer, founder of the dry-goods establishment which would eventually develop into a chain of twenty-six department stores along the East Coast. As noted in a 1983 appraisal report, the bakery opened there in 1852. Also, according the current owner, Louis Holmes, Jr., the building was also used as one of the city's hospitals during the Civil War. Soon after the war, the entrance to the basement from the outside was completely sealed off as it remains this day.

Most of the original features of the bakery remain a part of the bar's current attributes, such as the fan-detailed tin ceiling and those famous floors of the kitchen and behind the bar. The original stove is now covered from the interior, but can be partially viewed in the rear along with the initial brick laid to set it in. The original iron steps in the rear of the building to the second floor are still well-intact and the premier Heart Pine floors of the bakery continue to grace the floors inside. Plate glass window panes along the side of the front entrance are over 100 years old. Black and white checkerboard-patterned tiles were set to highlight the front entrance under the large plate windows; however, they are presently covered with paneling for the current establishment.

Mr. Holmes recognized the integrity of the building and the legacy it provides to Richmond's history. He was fortunate the National Department of Interior agreed and awarded 1800 East Main Street placement to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

There may be a few other fine pastry shops in the area, but where else could one get a such delicious Devil's Food Bar crowned with a cherry and whipped cream dash? How about a perfectly tangy/sweet lemon chess pie? Okay, there's one place in town comparable, actually quite close, but it doesn't match Thalhimers. Neither do their elegant petit-fours. Then, there's the divine six-layer chocolate cake...

The English-style dwelling was built in 1842 by William Thalhimer, founder of the dry-goods establishment which would eventually develop into a chain of twenty-six department stores along the East Coast. As noted in a 1983 appraisal report, the bakery opened there in 1852. Also, according the current owner, Louis Holmes, Jr., the building was also used as one of the city's hospitals during the Civil War. Soon after the war, the entrance to the basement from the outside was completely sealed off as it remains this day.

Most of the original features of the bakery remain a part of the bar's current attributes, such as the fan-detailed tin ceiling and those famous floors of the kitchen and behind the bar. The original stove is now covered from the interior, but can be partially viewed in the rear along with the initial brick laid to set it in. The original iron steps in the rear of the building to the second floor are still well-intact and the premier Heart Pine floors of the bakery continue to grace the floors inside. Plate glass window panes along the side of the front entrance are over 100 years old. Black and white checkerboard-patterned tiles were set to highlight the front entrance under the large plate windows; however, they are presently covered with paneling for the current establishment.

Mr. Holmes recognized the integrity of the building and the legacy it provides to Richmond's history. He was fortunate the National Department of Interior agreed and awarded 1800 East Main Street placement to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

There may be a few other fine pastry shops in the area, but where else could one get a such delicious Devil's Food Bar crowned with a cherry and whipped cream dash? How about a perfectly tangy/sweet lemon chess pie? Okay, there's one place in town comparable, actually quite close, but it doesn't match Thalhimers. Neither do their elegant petit-fours. Then, there's the divine six-layer chocolate cake...

Article reposted by permission: Tonya Rice, examiner.com