An unexpected byproduct of preservation-based economic development is the discovery of a community’s history. While the primary goal is to ensure a building is being used to its fullest potential, the process often yields stories waiting to be told.
In Buena Vista’s Main Street district, sits a vacant building at 141 & 149 West 21st Street. For at least 14 years, the building has sat dormant and has fallen into the backdrop of the community. To a passerby, it may appear to be just another long-vacant structure, but the building has a history that dates back to the late 1800s.
Originally known as the Hotel Colonnade (141 & 149 West 21st Street), the building was constructed in 1889 as a mixed-use property. The ground floor housed four businesses, while hotel rooms occupied the second and third floors. The street-level façade was likely remodeled in 1949, and by the 1960s through the 1970s, the structure served as the home to the local branch of the First National Bank.
Through façade rendering provided by the Community Preservation Group (CPG), the official architectural firm for Virginia Main Street, it helps visualize the building’s historic character and future within a community. As part of the design process, CPG uncovers the historic uses of buildings and includes a snapshot within their deliverables.
The story of the Hotel Colonnade is just one of many waiting to be uncovered through preservation-based economic development. These unique stories are often found closer than we think, being preserved within our local libraries, economic development officers, community historians, and are even archived through Google Maps Street View.
Virginia Main Street 