Bridge over the River Dan

This bridge is an old railroad truss that has been repurposed as a part of the Riverwalk Trail--an 8-mile trail along the Dan River. It originally was part of a railroad that connected with Richmond, Va but hasn't been used in ages. This bridge connects the revitalising downtown areas on the south bank of the river with the trail that is mostly along the northern bank of the river.

DO NOT BLOCK SIDEWALK

I kinda liked the washed out look of this sign that surely has been here for decades. It sits on an abandoned building in the Tobacco Warehouse District. I wonder if anyone actually even notices it.

Back to Nature

Now on to a different part of town. Due to Danville's Tobacco Heritage there is a large distrcit that is full of old tobacco warehouses. Many of these have been repurposed into offices or condominiums, but there are still numerous ones that just sit empty. This parking lot has obviously been unused for some time. It sits between Bridge Street and the Dan River. I like the two towers that--I assume--were once part of a factory of some sort. Currently they just sit (unused?) next to a repurposed office building.

Sidewalk Attack!

Walking around the Historic West End, I came across this tree and it's slow domination over the sidewalk. Really, I just liked how it looked...kind of a fight between the tree that (I'm sure) has been there for decades and the sidewalk that I imagine hasn't been there half as long as the tree.

Who will win? (My money is on the tree.)

Fields of Green

Tobacco Fields in Pittsylvania County

What would Danville be without tobacco? Probably not much but a small town on a river. For that matter, what would most of the colonial United States be without this famous cash crop? British Colonial America was partially rocketed into wealth through the export of the narcotic plant to Europe. Here, in the heart of Southern Virginia and North Carolina, you will find thousands upon thousands of tobacco fields. Tobacco isn't what it used to be but it's still a big business around here...and an important part of our history.

Something I just realized recently: most of the names of cigarette brands (Winston, Salem, Marlboro, etc.) are just names of towns in this area of the country.

More fun than watching paint dry

Many of the buildings in Danville, despite having some gorgeous architecture, are not always kept up. The economic downturn this city has had over the past few decades with the departure of some major industries have left even the most ornate houses to succomb to the elements. Without minor upkeep throughout the years, most of the houses in Danville are showing their age--particularly with their paints.

This is a close up of a column on a porch in a house on Jefferson Ave. The paint is cracking and most likely won't be replaced any time soon. With the economy in it's current slump and the exhorbitant cost of repainting houses painted before 1978 due to lead-paint issues, most of the paint on dwellings in Danville will continue their slow deterioration.

It does make for a nice picture though.

Be. Different.

Walking along some of the brick-layed streets off Main Street in Danville, I liked how this one brick was sticking out and being a bit different. I really enjoyed the contrast with the rest of the "orderly" bricks. I wonder how long they've been there.

They're Creepy and They're Kooky...

This is one of the many, many beautiful houses mansions along Danville's Main Street which is known as Millionaire's Row. It is the largest collection of Victorian and Edwardian architecture in the Southern United States. Danville's economic boom in the late 1800s brought about Tobacoo and Textile tycoons from the Tidewater areas of Virginia and made many millionaires here with some extravagant houses.

I think this one looks like the Addam's Family House; what do you think?

Come and knock on our door....

Walking around through the Historic Old West End district of Danville, I came upon this door. Lots of houses around here have intricate doors, but this one particularly stood out to me. It sometimes amazes me what people can carve out of solid wood.

City of Churches

Danville is known as the "City of Churches". I have read that there are more churches per capita here than any other city in Virginia--but I cannot speak to the veracity of that statement. It does seem like there are an awful lot of them. This church is the First Baptist church on Main Street in Danville. I particularly like the green oxydized copper steeple. This is one of the highest steeples here and it can be seen from numerous places around town.

Welcome!

Welcome to Danville Daily Photo (DDP)!

For my first post I'd like to show you probably the most famous landmark of the town. This is a gorgeous Italianate home that has an interesting history and has served as a residence, a public library, and a museum. Its current incarnation is the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History but its claim to fame is the fact that it was the last Capital of the Confederacy. Jefferson Davis (The President of the CSA) lived here temporarily in 1865 for only 8 days prior to the end of the Civil War on 10 April.