Richmond Before Concrete

This post is dedicated to my favorite folks in history, the forgotten but oh so important.

   James Netherwood was born in Yorkshire England in 1834.  In "The City On The James" The Chamber of Commerce Book published by George W. Engelhardt in Richmond Va in 1893 James Netherwood is listed as a "contractor for stone work of all kinds, on a large scale, maintains yards of two acres area, lying on the water front of the city, at the foot of Virginia Street, between the river and the canal, and upon the line of the Richmond and Danville Railroad, which affords him transportation facilities direct". The article states that he was established in Richmond for more than thirty years and had used more more stone than all the other contractors for stone masonry here together. Netherwood did work in the South, but mainly in Virginia, the Carolina`s and Florida. Netherwood`s home was at 2612 E. Grace Street.

   He put up the Lee monument, The Soldiers` and Sailors` monument, and the Howitzers` monument. He executed contracts for stone work on the "new" Planters National Bank, "new" City Hall, Masonic Temple and the "new" Chamber of Commerce building.

(The City on the James)

   James Netherwood`s quarries on the south side of the river were at present day West 42nd & Riverside Drive and near the Granite Station north of Forest Hill Avenue (known then as the Granite Road) at the Richmond Danville Railroad Line. Stone from surrounding quarries was shipped as far north as New York. The largest shipments went to Washington where the State, War and Navy Building was constructed entirely from stone from the Forest Hill area quarries.

Granite Station (LVA)

Here, I will include a passage from the book "Chesterfield-An Old Virginia County" by Francis E. Lutz 1954, which gives details about an 18th century house owned by Netherwood`s stone cutter and was owned by William Byrd III `s associate James Patteson.

   "Before James Netherwood`s death he had a life-sized figure of himself carved out of granite from his quarry by Edward I. Schutte, a master stone cutter and owner of extensive tracts between the James River and Midlothian Turnpike west of the Belt Line Railroad and whose residense was the former Patterson manor house with huge hand hewn girders and fastened with wooden pegs, which still stands near the Granite Road. After Mr. Schutte had completed the figure, it was found that a hat had been omitted and Mr. Netherwood declared that no one would recognize him without it. Mr. Schutte thereupon carved alone a hat which was fitted realistically on the head. After Mr. Netherwood`s death in 1899 the figure, having as its pedestal a part of one of the massive granite columns from the old Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, which had been made of Netherwood granite, was erected over his grave in Oakwood Cemetery."

Mr. Netherwood did not believe in wasting material. The foundations of the homes at 308, 312 and 314 North 25th Street were built from scrap tombstones. There is street named for him in the neighborhood south of Forest Hill Ave bounded by Powhite Parkway and Stratford Hills.

Pedestal is old Netherwood granite column from Jefferson Hotel

Oakwood Cemetery: A forgotten Cemetery

James and wife Nancy`s graves

Notice resemblance to the Soldiers & Sailor`s monument below

Soldiers & Sailors monument  Libby Hill, put up by J. Netherwood

Margaret Smith, great-granddaughter of Edward I. Schutte (German Master Stone Cutter) died. Her son Michael K. Smith age 56, fell from a ladder while working on the beloved family home and died on June 15, 2004 as a result of his injuries.


Here are photos of the Patteson-Schutte House that I took along with Jim Mullins & Trip Tender in July 2005 before anything was done to the house or property. The house was covered in aluminum siding. Trip Tender  practiced music at the house with Michael Smith on many occasions. There is a cemetery near the house, but we could not locate it that day.

Drive to front of house

Old kitchen

The granite stone industry quietly died with the age of concrete and steel.
The Historic Richmond Foundation bought the house to clean up and sell as residential property with restrictions. The subdivision was built on the surrounding 5 acres of the property.

Sources from my private library:
Virginia Cavalcade  Summer 1954
Chesterfield-An Old Virginia County by Francis E. Lutz William Byrd Press 1954
The City On The James The Chamber of Commerce Book published by George W. Engelhardt in Richmond Va in 1893
Richmond Times Dispatch 2005, 1977

Research & Photos:
Laura Smith unless indicated