Town Council in 1900: W. M. Tredway, Jr., Mayor, and councilmen Dr. S. J. Turner, James W. Collie, J. Hunt Hargrave, W. K. Graves, Charles G. Sours, Samuel S. Spruce, and J. Henry Bolanz. (See also further details.) This photograph is from the collection of Wayne Mayhew, Chatham, Virginia, and is used with permission.
This photograph is from the Preston B. Moses Collection, and was printed in the Star-Tribune, Chatham, Virginia, Thursday, October 6, 1977, p. 2B. The caption as written by Preston Moses is: “Chatham's famous Carter's Hotel, known far and wide for its dining room, burned in 1902. It was replaced by Bennett Hotel, now Hotel Chatham [the Woodfin's Pharmacy part of the building remains], on the same site. (Note stepping stones across dirt street.)”
The above caption is probably slightly in error. According to information obtained on July 24, 2004, from Mrs. Catherine M. Overbey (granddaughter of George Richard “Dick” Bennett, owner of the hotel), Mr. Bennett purchased the hotel from the estate of Hutchings L. Carter on November 23, 1899. The fire occurred on March 15, 1902. It is related by the family that the building's insurance had elapsed on the day of the fire, because a trip to Lynchburg to renew the insurance had not yet been accomplished. Even without the insurance, Mr. Bennett did rebuild the hotel in a modern configuration (see photograph), and named it the New Bennett Hotel.
Students at Chatham Elementary School, ca. 1902 (see further details).
Asa Viccellio and friends enjoy his car, perhaps the first automobile in Pittsylvania County (see further details).
Chatham Episcopal Institute (now Chatham Hall) buildings, as seen around 1905. The facilities were destroyed by fire on February 17, 1906. Until rebuilding was accomplished, the school utilized the Sims-Mitchell House at 242 Whittle Street as a classroom and administration building, and other Whittle Street residences and cottages for housing of the students (see below). This photograph is from the archives of Chatham Hall.
110-118 Whittle Street, as seen in 1906. This photograph is from the archives of Chatham Hall.
202 Whittle Street, the home of Caldwell and Janie (Gammon) Giles, as seen in 1906. This photograph is from the archives of Chatham Hall.
215, 217, 219, and 221 Whittle Street (the “Patterson cottages”), with the Moses-White home (no longer existing) beyond, as seen in 1906. These four cottages, along with four others (no longer existing) directly behind them on Kemper Lane, were built by local businessman Jud Patterson in order to house Chatham Episcopal Institute (now Chatham Hall) students after the CEI fire of 1906, after which time the school was housed in the Sims-Mitchell House at the end of Whittle Street, until Pruden Hall was completed. Later the cottages became rental units, and eventually privately-owned homes. This photograph is from the archives of Chatham Hall.
Whittle Street, as seen in 1906. This photograph is by Cole of Danville, from the collection of the late Maury Moses, and is also found in the archives of Chatham Hall. In the near foreground on the right is the Dabney-Hedrick House, and beyond it the Watson House. In the far distance, mostly obscured behind trees, is the Sims-Mitchell House. On the left are the Moses-White and Sours (originally the Episcopal rectory) homes, no longer in existence. In the street between the Watson and Sims houses is seen Rev. Clevius Orlando Pruden with CEI girls around a horse and buggy.
232 Whittle Street, the Watson home, as seen in 1906. This photograph is from the archives of Chatham Hall.
242 Whittle Street, the Sims-Mitchell House, as seen in 1906. This photograph is from the archives of Chatham Hall.
The home of Scott and Belle Carter, 9 Aston Place, as seen in 1906. This photograph is from the archives of Chatham Hall.
According to Frank Taylor (from a conversation on 3/1/01), “‘Old Man’ Scott Carter had ‘go-boy’ buckets on a cable to his spring and back up to his house. This was the spring off Aston Place [in the ravine behind the Carter-Mayhew House].”
This photograph is from the Preston B. Moses Collection, and was printed in the Star-Tribune, Chatham, Virginia, Thursday, October 6, 1977, p. 2C. The caption as written by Preston Moses is: “This is Chatham's Main Street in 1907, looking south, with its stepping stones, horses and wagons. The building at left was a hardware store and post office — and is now the site of the county office building. The Star-Tribune office is now located in the building at the extreme right.” The photograph itself is labeled “Looking Down Main Street from White's Livery.”
This image shows Eldon (built ca. 1835) during the early ownership of Gov. Claude A. Swanson. It appears on a postcard (postmarked July 1, 1908) titled “Country Home of Gov. Swanson, Chatham, VA.” The Swansons eventually enlarged and significantly re-styled Eldon. This photograph probably shows it as it had appeared during the later residency years of its original owner James M. Whittle and of his daughter “Miss Mary” Whittle. The postcard is from the collection of Samuel Waldo, descendant of James Whittle.
This photograph, from the Dr. Glenn B. Updike, Sr. Collection of the Pittsylvania Historical Society, shows an advertising wagon on Main Street in Chatham. Dr. Updike's typewritten caption states: “Advertising a local show - standing - Dick Reid [with megaphone] - at front with driver - Fletcher B. Watson, [Jr.], Dr. M. H. Watson's father.” It is thought that the show being advertised may have been Down on the Farm, presented by the students of Warren Training School Dramatic Club on Friday night, February 19, 1909 (see next image).
Graffiti found on a fourth-floor wall at the Sims-Mitchell House, while the plaster was being prepared for repainting in 2001. The Sims-Mitchell House was home in 1908-1909 to the Warren Training School. The graffiti announces the public performance of Down on the Farm, presented by the students of Warren Training School Dramatic Club on Friday night, February 19, 1909. Most other graffiti on the nearby walls involved scores and rosters for the school's sports teams.
This photograph is from the Preston B. Moses Collection, and was printed in the Star-Tribune, Chatham, Virginia, Thursday, October 6, 1977, p. 2B. The caption as written by Preston Moses is: “A view looking north on Main Street during the horse and buggy days of 1909. Chatham Savings Bank is on corner and Post Office and drug store are at the right. Trees are growing along Main Street.” The picture was published as a postcard by Chatham Pharmacy in 1910. (See a larger image, in color, from a different original.)
The family of John Richard Whitehead gathers in 1909 at the Whitehead home, 335 South Main Street, Chatham. (See also further details.) This photograph is from the collection of Dorothy Whitehead Motley, Chatham, Virginia.
Jones Drug Store on Main Street, in a photo made prior to 1910 (see further details).
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