Join AIA Virginia’s annual Historic Resources Committee (HRC) retreat happening in Scottsville. The half-day event will start off with a welcome by Scottsville Town Councilor Molly Angevine and then an introduction about Scottsville’s long history and a tour by Lincoln Lewis. Currently, Lincoln is assisting the Town of Scottsville’s Planning Commission to update their Comprehensive Plan. He is also the University of Virginia’s Climate Equity Doctoral Fellow focusing on how communities – especially those with historic cultural assets – plan for the future amidst dynamic environmental change. Lincoln is an AIA International Associate Member licensed in Singapore and was recently awarded the Larson Award from the American Planning Association as Virginia’s distinguished professional planner for his work with Scottsville.
Stops on the tour will include significant buildings along Valley and Main street, the Thacker Levee along the James River, and Canal Basin Square. A lunch stop during the tour will be at Tavern on the James. An overview will be given about the town’s architecture and planning history and current comprehensive planning processes. Also, reflections will be shared about how the town’s historic assets have been considered in the planning process, such as the Kanawha Canal system or WWII-era Tire Cord Plant.
After the tour, the HRC will have a workshop to discuss the committee’s previous year of activities and chart the way forward for this year. All are welcome to attend and also join the HRC’s monthly online meetings, tours, and events.
About Scottsville
Scottsville, Virginia was first settled in 1744 along the historic horseshoe bend of the James River. Scotts Landing served as the first county seat for an expansive Albemarle County that gradually became parts of five counties. Over time, several presidents of the United States have frequented Scottsville and the region’s rural roads. At the turn of the 18th century, Scottsville became an important stop on the Kanawha Canal and the town was incorporated in 1818. The town still hosts an important stop on the annual James River Batteau Festival.
However, the benefits of the river have also caused a great deal of hardship for the town, including multiple historic floods devastating the architecture of downtown. The Thacker Levee was constructed in the 1980s to protect the town. In 1994, the town’s boundary was significantly expanded beyond its early footprint in the river lowlands to incorporate upland farms, pastures and forests. This expansion has presented several opportunities for the town, while also raising important long-term planning challenges. Today, Scottsville uniquely sits in both Albemarle and Fluvanna counties, and is the only incorporated town in both of those counties. The town also serves as an important rural hub for Buckingham County. A great deal of Federalist Architecture is retained in Scottsville’s Historic District and important homes also contribute to the Southern Albemarle Rural Historic District. Recently, the Tire Cord Plant was added as a historic district and has been the topic of intense discussions regarding the site’s prospective adaptive reuse.
Agenda for the Day:
11:00am Gather at Victory Hall town offices; welcome by Scottsville Town
Councilor Molly Angevine; presentation about the town by Lincoln Lewis
11:30am Begin walking tour along Main Street to the Thacker Levee along the James River and Canal Basin Square
12:00pm Lunch at Tavern on the James (www.facebook.com/TavernOnTheJames/)
1:10pm Tour continues
1:30pm Workshop
2:30pm Coffee break
4:00pm End of meeting
Please sign up here if you’d like to attend the retreat. Thanks!
