The Murray Morris Group just listed a beautiful home right in the heart of “The Fan” district. When we did that, we thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to take the time to blog a little about this area.
The Fan is a district of Richmond, Virginia, so named because of the "fan" shape of the array of streets that extend west from Belvidere Street, on the eastern edge of Monroe Park, westward to the Boulevard. The Fan is one of the easterly points of the city's West End section, and is bordered to the north by Broad Street and to the so
uth by State Route 195. The Fan District Association considers the southern border to be the properties abutting the south side of Main Street. The western side is sometimes called the Upper Fan and the eastern side the Lower Fan, though confusingly the Uptown district is located near VCU in the Lower Fan. Many cafes and locally owned restaurants are located here, as well as historic Monument Avenue, a boulevard featuring enormous equine statuary of Civil War Confederate generals and a statue of tennis icon Arthur Ashe. Development of the Fan district was strongly influenced by the City Beautiful movement of the late 19th century.
There are many quaint restaurants and boutiques along with some recognizable name brand facilities. And the homes along most of the streets are beautiful, inside and out! The Fan District Association occasionally hosts house tours, especially during the Christmas holiday season.
Research on Monument Avenue tells about a street that exploded in growth from 1900 to 1925 with what are now classified as historical houses, churches and apartment buildings. It is an excellent example of a “Grand Avenue” with a tree-lined grassy mall dividing the east and west sides of the street. There are fantastic statues of Robert E. Lee, J.E.B Stuart, Jefferson Davis, and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, to name a few.
Monument Avenue plays host to several annual events, such as the Monument Avenue Annual 10K Race and the annual “Easter on Parade” spring tradition event. The Easter Parade event is one we thought was interesting, participants stroll the avenue in bonnets and other period finery. Occasionally the Sons of Confederate Veterans gather along Monument Avenue in period military costumes.
Not too far away in Carytown, is the Byrd Theater. Built by Charles Somma and Walter Coulter in 1928, it opened its doors on Christmas Eve presenting the film “Waterfront.” It is still in operation today. Although the projectors are now digital, the entire inside of the facility looks just like it did when it opened. A beautiful example of how a theater looked almost a century ago.
The campus of VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) shares a portion of The Fan. It is a public research university found in 1838. More than 31,000 students pursue 226 different degrees and certificate programs. It is among the top 200 research universities worldwide. Twenty-eight graduate and first professional programs are ranked by U.S. News & World Report as among the best in the country.
The Fan district of Richmond, Virginia, epitomizes a time of historical buildings and landscaping. Owners have renovated and restored buildings to their best advantage. The home the Murray Morris Group has listed is a prime example. Fully restored and renovated it is a beauty to behold. And you can visit it! Open House is this coming Sunday, January 31, 2016 from 2pm-4pm. Visit our website to see the details on our . Hope to see you there!
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