Cat Thrasher Photography

There’s a feeling in the air around these parts that the warehouse might be nearing the end of its lifespan.

I just got finished chatting with the building’s owner about what the place was like in the very beginning, when, as part of Vinegar Hill, the property extended into what is now the parking lot for Staples. At the time, the plot of land was surrounded by shanties and run-down houses, many with no electricity and no plumbing. It was also mostly African American. When, in the 1960′s, Charlottesville City had the whole neighborhood razed as part of urban renewal, it seemed like there were grand plans for the area. Today, a simple drive down McIntire makes it clear that there’s not a whole lot of life or culture that took the place of the old Vinegar Hill, and the whole story makes you take a big ‘ol depressed sigh.

Enter the warehouse, which was an Oldsmobile dealership at the time of the razing. While well within the bounds of Vinegar Hill, the dealership was allowed to stay, which is why I am lucky enough to have a studio today. For a time lapse of the razing, click on “Aerial Timeline” at the top of this page. The studio is at the very bottom and just to the left of center in the time lapse photos.

Back in 2009, when I first discovered the empty warehouse, West Main was a virtual no-man’s land. When I first starting reclaiming the section of the warehouse that would become my studio and Sweethaus, another tenant also began exploring the place for a potential bookstore. Ryan Deramus, pictured below, has since made an authentic and poetic setting out of the space next door. His place is so inspiring, that a year after we both moved in, my husband and I held our wedding reception in his space. There’s no doubt that Random Row Books has contributed to a bit of organic urban rejuvenation on West Main Street, along with the rest of the businesses in our little section of West Main.

The pictures below were taken with a Hasselblad 500C, rented from Pro Camera. Shot on Fuji 400 Pro H film.