Broad Street Commercial Historic District (Boundary Increase II)

This boundary increase extends Richmond's Broad Street Commercial Historic District north into two half-blocks bounded by Marshall, First and Second Streets. It holds eight contributing buildings and one non-contributing building, mostly two-story brick structures with storefronts, decorative cornices and revival or vernacular commercial detailing. Maps and directories show the area was largely residential with a few small businesses in 1895 and 1905. Commercial uses then spread, and by 1924 the change from houses to businesses south of Marshall Street was complete. Shops included a bicycle repair shop, an auto garage, billiard parlors, a restaurant and specialty stores, though they were less stylish than those on Broad and Grace Streets. One surviving dwelling at 313 North 2nd Street, with a later storefront addition, recalls the earlier neighborhood. Architects represented include Henry T. Barnham, Luther T. Bengston and Davis Brothers. The demolished St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, designed by Charles Thaddeus Russell, is also part of the area's story. The period of significance runs from 1900 to 1925.