O V - The Nickel Tour VI - Richard Barnett's Memories

~ OV Tour MAIL ~

Richard Barnett (Barnett's Hardware) wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2004 12:39 PM Subject: Nickel Tour
[click thumbnail images to enlarge]

RK, I ran Barnett Hardware for a while from the mid 70's to about '85... this is [click thumbnail, right - Oct '45] shortly after it opened. The parking lot had not been paved; the row of buildings beginning where Advance Auto now sits, down to the RR tracks, had yet to be completed. One reason the area declined is there are so many owners --8 different landlords!

At left is the cover the '57-'58 directory of the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Ward's Corner Lions Club. (Wheew, what a mouthful! They sure did things formal then) aerial shot by Photocraftsmen; likely right after the trolley was torn up. You can see both the Texaco and Shell gas stations; Shell was run by a man named Jim Hall, who repaired punctured inner tubes and sold them for rafts to take to OV beaches. Next are several buildings that saw a checkered career, demolished when the Amoco was built in the 80's. Interesting how things were on a much smaller scale then. Careful examination will reveal numerous parking lot entrances and median cuts that were later closed. Across from the Shell is Crossroads Restaurant. The marque for Suburban Theater sticks out, and you can see the letters PHR over Center Shops. Opposite, next to the RR crossing was the original location of the US Post Office, and People's Drug Store. Mercury Roller Rink is plainly marked on the roof. At the other end would become the Giant Open Air (and the original site of Green-Gifford Dodge/Plymouth). Along Taussig Blvd, is a housing development (erased by the I-64 overpass). Upper right corner, note a rail spur that served Addington-Beamon Lumber. Right next to the RR X-ing at Little Creek, you can just make out the used car lot. The two structures above Hofheimer's right in the center of the photo. The triangular one is the sign, but the other narrower tower is the elevator. It was built to allow the addition of a third floor. Note also, Ames & Brownly. There's at least five rooftop billboards. Above Midtown Offices (next to Peoples)-- the left-most billboard has a clock (top left). As a teenager, rounding the curve on Granby in front of DePaul, returning from whatever mischief I'd been up to on a Saturday night, I could see if I was going to make curfew.

Shortly before we vacated the store I took the photo [at left, click-- Mary Barnett's is now in Riverview]. The glass-front addition was built by my father in the mid-50's, originally as a garden shop, which also served as a toy store at Christmas, and eventually the gift shop. Most long-time residents of Ward's Corner assumed we owned the building, but that was not the case. The developer had passed away shortly before it's completion, and it was in a real estate trust for decades. We purchased the structure shortly after leaving the hardware business.The Hofheimer's [click, right] being razed to make way for Walgreen's.

From the corner of Burleigh it was West's Drug Store - (boy --he was on us all the time for reading the comic books and not buying them-- we should have bought all and saved them). Also, there was High's, Naas Bakery, Jerry's, Barrett Cleaners, and Sai Gai. I lived a couple of blocks further down Granby on a dead end street Elvin Ct, across from Carrolton Oaks School.

70's Wards Corner When the Giant Open Air opened, it was a really big deal that it stayed open 24 hrs. All the boys in my neighborhood would camp out in a neighbor's side yard, and we'd walk up to the Giant at 5 AM, just to say we did it. We'd buy frozen banana splits or some other junk food. It was so eerie, as only things can be at that age, to see the Corner with absolutely no cars, and the traffic signals flashing caution. During the 70's energy crisis, they hung the drop ceiling that you see in there now. Most people have no idea there's a huge vaulted space invisible above.

Editor's note: When Giant sold to Farm Fresh, it had 26 stores and 49 convenience stores. Open Air started in 1939 when its founders, Wendall P. Rosso and V.J. Mastracco established the firm of Rosso and Mastracco, Inc. trading as Giant Open Air Markets. In just over four decades, it grew from one little open-air roadside stand into a super chain-- and the most outstanding and unique food business in the entire world. Over the years, they operated Shumadine Dairy and Bisese and Console. Throughout the years, "R&M" had been very successful with their convenience store operations, known as Tinee Giant [there is one at Duffy's Lane & OV Ave, on Thole near Tidewater Dr, another at 7th Bay in EOV, and more, today].

It's a shame Kenny Perry gutted the Suburban Theater. It was closed when the antiquated AC gave up the ghost, and there wasn't enough traffic to pay for a new one. It was the best decision to make at the time, but it's easy to see now it shoulda' been turned into an" art house". Ward's Corner might be very different from what it's become. The free kiddy shows on saturday mornings were always just total pandemonium. We drove the manager out of his skull. I saw so many movies there as a teen, many that stand out, but the top two would be "The Magnificent Seven" and the best Bond flick ever, "Goldfinger".

The block of E Little Creek between the tracks and Granby had a very checkered past. There was a photo store in their somewhere, I can't remember the name, right/west of that alley (Norfolk Camera?).

And-- oh-oh, this was really cool, in the late 50's there was a slide projector that put advertisement's up on the side of the building at night, a changeable billboard. Ward's Corner Motors had a small lot. The cars sat under an aluminum awning like that at Doumar's, strung with clear bare bulbs. How that 50's American chrome would sparkle under the light. My dad bought a 56 Cadillac Sedan d'Ville there, a true finmobile.

RK, we must have crossed paths at some time... in the late 60's I went to several IFC dances at The Nansemond before they shut it down. What a gas. Years later at Radford College I worked on the Student Life Council, and persuaded, just about insisted, that the events co-ordinator bring in The Showmen for this big dance we were putting on for the dedication of a new Student Union building. The place was PACKED.

When I was 14, I had one of those miniature Model T Fords like the Shriners drive. On Friday nights, when my old man would be working late at the store. I would drive it up to High's with one of the other kids on the block, usually Jack Nelson (who appears locally as a Mark Twain impersonator & I think, a Jr. Ace). Well, being young and dumb, on the return trip, I'd drive right down Granby the last block from North Shore to Elvin. That night I pulled into our garage and one of Norfolk's finest, complete with flashing lights, pulled into the driveway behind us. I'm sure he was doing his damndest trying to keep a straight face as he put the fear of God in me.

Richard Barnett, Charlotte, NC

Richard, on behalf of all Nickel Tourists everywhere, thanks for these priceless memories & images --RK

Back to Tour Mail: Current Archives: 2003; 2002; 2001; 1998-2000
About the Nickel Tour ro@rkpuma.com

The Litotes Collection | Shellfishing | Buddy Miles | Juke-Box | Willoughby | Menu | Home

Š2010 AAA Writing
All Rights Reserved