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In addition to Mrs. Reed, Mrs. Bocock, Mr. Fleet and Mrs. Catterall, the Reed
Square Foundation honors the memory of others who played important roles
in the establishment and success of the St. John's Church Old and Historic
District.
Below are capsule biographies of
other honorees.
Mrs. Elizabeth Golsan Schneider
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Miss Marguerite Crumley
Few people’s names are more synonymous with historic preservation in Church Hill than Marguerite Crumley’s. During her 41 years as a resident of Church Hill, Miss Crumley worked in a variety of ways to preserve and enrich the neighborhood and city.
When she and her sisters Carol and Rose Marie moved into the Hilary Baker house at 2302 East Grace St. in 1959, the St. John’s Church Old and Historic District was 2 years old. Mary Wingfield Scott had directed the restoration of the house, and the William Byrd Branch of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities owned it. The sisters were ideal tenants who took an interest in the neighborhood and its development. They bought the Baker house in 1964.
Marguerite Crumley had a distinguished career in education. As the Director of Vocational Education Programming Services for the Commonwealth, she was the first woman in the country to hold such a position. She was also an early member of the Future Business Leaders of America and took a keen interest in its programs and activities. Though active before, when she retired in 1978, she took a more vigorous role in preserving Richmond architectural heritage.
The year she retired she was president of the Historic Richmond Foundation which at that time was headquartered in Church Hill. Immediately thereafter, from 1979 to 1981, she led the nationally recognized effort to preserve Richmond’s Victorian Gothic Old City Hall from destruction. When asked by the Richmond Times Dispatch about her motivation to save old buildings, she said her “interest in old Richmond stemmed from a desire to avoid the sameness of modern architecture.” She was on the City’s Committee for Architectural Review for six years during which time she guided the restoration of countless houses. She was also a board member of the J. Fulmer Bright Foundation and helped direct its efforts to restore and improve the City’s parks including Patrick Henry, Libby and Chimborazo.
In many ways, these preservationist accomplishments would suffice for a lifetime of achievement, but in 1991 she topped them with the publication of “Church Hill – The St. John’s Church Historic District”. She wrote the large format book with Jack Zehmer, then executive director of HRF, who took most of the pictures. “Church Hill” is an architecturally literate textual and photographic tour of the entire district punctuated by historic information, old photographs, drawings and maps. Miss Crumley’s devotion and love for her subject flow from every page.
Upon her death, a bench and plaque in her honor were placed in the St. John’s Mews. The Reed Square Foundation thanks her family for their support of Miss Crumley in all of her historic preservation efforts and for their gracious hospitality to the author of this profile when he was researching this article.
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Mrs. Elizabeth Golsan Schneider
Mrs. Schneider, a native of Richmond, was an active board
member of the Historic Richmond Foundation in the 1960s and 1970s. She was a
proponent of historic preservation, particularly in Church Hill where she lived,
until she moved from Richmond in the 1970's.
Cognizant of the need for businesses to locate in Church Hill, Mrs. Schneider
opened "The Shop on Church Hill" at 2315 East Broad. The shop sold elegant
accessories for the home. A friend recalled that everything she did, she did
with style and quality. Having founded the shop to promote business, the time
eventually came to close. She had a "marvelous" sale and gave her employees
generous gifts. Mrs. Schneider also took a keen interest in the 2300 Club to
which she donated furniture and fixtures.
Mrs. Schneider was one of the few HRF Board members to actually live in Church
Hill. She bought 2308 East Grace on the pilot block in a dilapidated condition
and restored it beautifully. She restored three houses in Church Hill. After a
time at 2308, she acquired and restored 2403 and 2401 East Grace Street. Her
restorations were first rate, especially 2403 where she lived for several years
after moving from 2308.
Mrs. Schneider was known for her ingenuity and creativity. The year 2403 was on
the tour for Historic Garden Week, she timed the planting of her bulbs so they
would be in full bloom the week of the tour. They made a beautiful display. She
attended the Church Hill Christmas Ball for many years and took a keen interest
in all activities promoting the vibrant social life that came to characterize
the neighborhood.
In her history of the Historic Richmond Foundation, Mrs. Catterall described
Mrs. Schneider as a "vital and generous part of Church Hill life" and she is
recalled as a benevolent landlord who cared about her tenants and their comfort.
When she moved from the area, she left a legacy of accomplishment, gentility,
generosity and kindness.
– A Personal Reminiscence
Although I knew Betty Moore, in her hats and stylish
ensembles, from Church Hill Association meetings and neighborhood activities I
did not know her well until Eileen and I moved to the 100 block of North 26th
Street where we became friends. Betty always made a point of making the
acquaintance of her neighbors and befriended many.
I recall clearly at a Church Hill Planters meeting sitting in Betty’s living
room with its distinctive moldings and mantels, fine artwork and elegant
furniture. I felt as though I were in a museum on the other side of the velvet
rope—with delicious food to boot which Betty prepared. As a member of the
Planters, Betty took great interest in the trees and landscaping of Church Hill.
Our convivial block invited Betty to all of its get-togethers and she rarely
missed one. If Betty was in the room, the conversation never lagged. Skilled in
the art of conversation, Betty knew how to draw people out without being
inquisitive. At her memorial service she was spoken of as the “life of the
party” and that was our experience.
My feelings for Betty matured when I saw the look on her face at the prospect of
Reed Square--the companion property to her house--being developed. We talked
frankly about it and the delicate situation it put her in due to her long
association with the owner of the property, the Historic Richmond Foundation.
Happily Reed Square was saved from development and preserved the historic look
of her house and adjoining grounds.
Spring and summer weekend afternoons Betty was often on her back porch reading
or working the New York Times crossword puzzle. Frequently I’d be working in
Reed Square. When I finished she never failed to offer me a cold beverage which
I often accepted as we chatted. Betty was a brilliant woman with a wide
experience. Among many stories, I especially remember the sparkle in her eye as
she related amusing anecdotes of William Faulkner at the University of Virginia
when she was there. She was a font of knowledge about “old Church Hill” in the
nineteen sixties and seventies and had paper ephemera of House Tours, garden
tours and other events going back many years.
Betty lived in the same house in Church Hill for over forty years. During that
time she was robbed and shot in the hand; her car was run into or broken into
several times, and her house needed near constant attention. But Betty never
considered leaving the neighborhood or lost faith in the value of community
participation, neighborliness and a sense of place. When I visited her in
hospice she was immediately focused on the neighborhood as she greeted me with a
lilting, “Hello Tom. What’s the news?”
Over many years Betty forged strong friendships with many people. Her dynamic
personality and enthusiasm for life naturally drew people to her. Friends from
the early years who’d long since left the neighborhood remained close. Never the
most practical of people, as she aged, Betty became increasingly dependent on
the kindness of her friends to help her manage day to day activities. Her
independent spirit fought this dependence and she limited the number of people
aware she needed help.
Betty was scrupulous about the appearance of her property. Among the people who
knew her best and saw her most was her handy man who kept her sidewalks clear,
hedges trimmed, and yard orderly. He kept one eye on the grounds and one eye on
Betty. His presence was a comfort to her friends and he kept them informed of
her well-being. We are in his debt. I’m sure he misses her as much as any of us.
As her health declined, Betty stayed in her house as long as she could. For many
weeks this was only possible with the daily attention of two wonderful friends
in the neighborhood. They know who they are. When she could no longer be alone
in the house, an old friend, as executor of her estate, made her last days as
comfortable as possible. Over the years Betty had always come through for her
friends and when she needed them most, they came through for her. When Betty
died we lost a direct link to Church Hill’s historic district origins; an
element of fineness is gone. It was a privilege to know Betty Joyce Moore, all
who knew her well were better for it.
by Tom Sanders