Todd, E.M., Company
Why it's listed
Occupying a triangular lot beside a railroad spur northwest of downtown Richmond, this brick building at 1128 Hermitage Road grew in two stages. Its five-story north end opened in 1892 as the Richmond Brewery and Hygeia Ice Factory, with granite trim and detailed brickwork. After Prohibition ended the brewery, the property passed to the F. E. Patrick Young Company, which expanded it in 1919 and 1920 with a five-story smokehouse block and a larger plant to the south, built with a visible concrete frame and loading dock. Five metal flues on the west side mark the smokehouses where Todd's hams and bacon were cured. Inside, board-formed concrete columns and overhead rails remain from meat handling. The E. M. Todd Company, tracing its Smithfield ham business to about 1779, made its products here from 1927 to 1998. The building is recognized for its role in Richmond's brewing, ice-making and meat-processing industries.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant under Criterion A for its importance to local industry. It was tied to two industrial institutions: the Richmond Brewery and the E. M. Todd Company, described as the country's oldest meat processor in continuous business. Todd's smoked ham and bacon were made here from 1927 to 1998.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 02000997, listed September 14, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1128 Hermitage Rd., Richmond (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Richmond (city and county) |
| Listed | September 14, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000997 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1892, 1919-20 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic use was meat processing; the form lists the current function as multiple dwelling conversion, work in progress. The Todd company left the building in 1998. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | James River and Kanawha Canal Historic District |
| Coordinates | 37.56235, -77.46071 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 02000997.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16901800
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.