November 4, 2009

Everywhere you look in the Charlottesville area, you can see an historic building. However, a few of those buildings may not be around much longer. Jennifer Black has met with historians and local history buffs, and has compiled a list of three local buildings that are in danger of demolition.

The trains still run daily along the Chesapeake and Ohio Railways through Scottsville, flying past the first endangered building on our list, the Old Scottsville Train Depot. The building is one of the last functioning depots on the C&O Railway, but it is now empty and crumbling.

“The people of Scottsville sort of had a love affair with the four trains. On each of those trains there came mail to the town, and there came freight that was destined to the stores that were here in Scottsville at the time,” said Scottsville resident, Robert Spencer.

For Spencer, two benches that once sat outside and the old train scheduling board are souvenirs and reminders of an important era in the history of Scottsville.

Our second building in jeopardy sits just a few miles up the road from the George Rogers Clark statute on University Avenue, in The Corner section of the University of Virginia. Clark, a Virginian soldier and high ranking military officer, is the older brother of farmed explorer William Clark. The endangered building is George Rogers Clark’s birthplace, an old log house that is one of only a handful left standing in the country.

The property’s caretaker says it's sad to see the log house fading and tattered.

“The Clark family secured so much of our heritage, which makes us Americans, and more importantly makes us Virginians and people from Albemarle County,” said Clara Belle Wheeler.

The days are numbered for the third and final structure on our list of local buildings in danger of demolition. The Amato house is one of four homes in Crozet scheduled for demolition. The buildings are coming down to make room for the new Crozet Library.

“It's representative of the development of Crozet, not only the arch aspects, but also the economic history of the town, and even the landscape nature of the setting,” said Charlottesville/Albemarle Historical Society President, Steven Meeks.

Three historical structures with three historical stories.

Recapping Jen's List:
1) Old Scottsville Train Depot
2) Log birth home of George Rogers Clark
3) The Amato house in Crozet

This area has so much history, it is possible a building got overlooked. Leave us a comment with your opinions on Charlottesville buildings that are in danger of demolition and we may feature it on air.