ENWR 1510 Charlottesville Research Resources

Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the city of Charlottesville thrives amidst numerous tangible reminders of an incredibly rich history. Founded in 1762, the heart of early Charlottesville was the stage for some of the most important figures in early American history, including Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. Growing side by side with Jefferson's University of Virginia, Charlottesville developed into a bustling community whose businesses, families, and celebrations were well documented in photographs beginning in the 1880s. The collection of images reproduced in Images of America: Charlottesville tells the story of the creation, growth, hardship, transformation, and success of a city beloved by residents and visitors alike.

The University of Virginia is one of America's greatest architectural treasures and one of Thomas Jefferson's proudest achievements. At his request his headstone says nothing of his service as America's first Secretary of State or its third President. It says simply: "Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia." For this political genius was a supremely gifted artist as well, and of all Jefferson's stunning accomplishments, the school he built in Charlottesville is perhaps the most perfect expression of the man himself: as leader, as architect, and as philosopher. In this engrossing, perceptive book, Garry Wills once again displays the keen intelligence and eloquent style that have won him great critical praise as he explores the creation of a masterpiece, tracing its evolution from Jefferson's idea of an "academical village" into a classically beautiful campus. Mr. Jefferson's University is at once a wonderful chronicle of the birth of a national institution and a deft portrait of the towering American who brought it to life. "There is much auspicious history to explore here, and Wills does so with great narrative skills." --Richmond Times-Dispatch

From the early days of Thomas Jefferson's Garden Book" at Monticello to the hustle and bustle of the modern City Market on Water Street, Charlottesville has an illustrious culinary history. The city's cuisine is characterized by a delight in locally raised ingredients. The locavore mentality appears at all levels of Charlottesville's food industry, including the nationally acknowledged methods of Joel Salatin's Polyface Farms, the sourcing of local pork for Chipotle's Charlottesville location and the accessibility of regional ingredients everywhere from Whole Foods Market to online favorite Relay Foods. Author and food enthusiast Casey Ireland explores how Charlottesville's residents have created a food culture that is all their own.."

Not long after Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia in the final years of his life, a small commercial community sprang up where the main road to Charlottesville intersected with the entrance to the University. Known as the Corner, this community reflected the often profound changes in student life at the University. From panhandlers to gentry, from movie stars to antiwar protesters, from soda fountains to discotheques, this wonderfully illustrated book provides a fascinating folk history.

Charlottesville and surrounding Albemarle County have the peaceful charm of another era. Author Jean Cooper reveals fascinating details of Charlottesville's history at every turn. Nestled at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this area's celebrated allure comes from a storied past filled with intriguing people and events. Author and local resident Jean Cooper brings Charlottesville's past to life while providing a useful guide to the city's most historic streets, buildings and neighborhoods. This guide invites all to explore different time periods of Charlottesville's history including the colonial era, the War for Independence, the Civil War and early twentieth century.

Like an Evening Gone is the story of Charlottesville's oldest church, Christ Episcopal, at the start of its third century. It is the story of the people of the congregation and the priests who led them. Their story is often the story of the community around them -- marked by famous names, wars, epidemics, the effects of institutional inertia, and the social struggles against racial and gender discrimination. It is a very human story of one congregation coping with their own shortcomings while attempting to follow the principles of their faith. It is the story of hardship, doubt, and indifference in light of St. Paul's famous triad of faith, hope, and love.

Monumental is a memoir from Dr. Bellamy, former Vice-Mayor and current City Councilor, City of Charlottesville, Virginia about the essence of the White Supremacists attacks in his city, and how a movement to awaken a nation was born.Step into his shoes and read what it felt like to be in the midst of a war for the soul of a community. Travel with Dr. Bellamy, the only African American city councilor at the time of the attack, on this journey through his personal lens that describes the untold story of a city grappling with the fight for equity while simultaneously fighting to right the wrongs of the past. Monumental covers the year before the White Supremacist attacks, and the year after, as this small Southern city dominated national and international headlines and social media.Dr. Bellamy writes, "They came with torches, they came with swords and shields, they came with guns. They came with signs that called me the N-Word, months earlier they tried to take my livelihood, break down my family, and send us all a message. It was clear THIS was deeper than a statue. My city was in the midst of a change that the world would see. This monumental shift would have ramifications felt across the world, and through my eyes, it was a fight that almost cost me everything, but it was all worth it."Look through the eyes and the lens of Dr. Bellamy, who is often attributed, for better or worse as the person who pushed the scene of events into the forefront. The removal of a statue is one thing, but this monumental shift, highlighting race, equity and justice, was something more.

Interviews with members of a demolished Virginia community.