Downtown – Martinsville, Virginia

Isaac Kremer/ October 15, 2018/ downtown/ 0 comments

Martinsville, Virginia, is named for Joseph Martin, pioneer, who settled here in 1773. In 1793 the Courthouse of Henry County was moved here and the town was established. Patrick Henry, for whom the county was named, lived near here once. In 1865, Stoneman, moving south to join Sherman, captured Martinsville. It was incorporated as a town in 1873 and as a city in 1929.

The Peoples National Bank Building has a distinctive stone facade and was built in 1910. It features an ornate, Classical-Revival architectural style crafted with local stone accents. The Martinsville Historic District, in which the bank is located, is a 45-acre historic district encompassing nearly 100 contributing buildings. Historically, it served as a booming regional epicenter for the tobacco, textile, and furniture manufacturing industries throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

Facing the courthouse square is a row of one and two-story buildings. While some have been insensitively modernized, such as the two story building with large picture windows across the second floor. Others like the one-story building with a rigid awning maintain their well-composed dignified appearance.

Rucker Plaza is a two story building that received some insensitive modernization to the ground floor, including reflective windows with pimple awnings. The upper floor is largely intact, despite some poor choices with window replacements. The inset tiles in the facade, and parapet gable and piers breaking through the parapet create a unique architectural effect.

The historic Chief Tassel Building at Main Street and Bridge Street. The prominent four-story brick building on the left (with the dark awnings) was originally constructed in the late 1920s. The Chief Tassel building was named in honor of the historic Cherokee leader, reflecting regional indigenous history intertwined with early Virginia frontier settlements. It stands as a prime example of the Commercial Style architecture that defined the city’s early 20th-century economic boom. At the corner is a three-story, light-colored building on the immediate corner features a Mid-Century Modern storefront renovation with wrapped corner windows, showcasing how downtown architectural styles evolved over decades of continuous commerce.

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The Uptown Martinsville Farmers Market has a unique structure with a central gabled pavilion raised high above two side wings and canted at an angle. For what is lost in protection of weather and shade of the area below is gained in creating almost a stage canopy. Hours for the market when we visited were May-June and Oct-Nov from 7am to 12pm, and July to September the same day and hours, plus markets on Wednesdays from 7am-12pm.

The market tables help to display product on an angle for customers. This is very hard to do with flat folding tables that vendors bring themselves.

Built in 1915, this iconic location was historically home to Globman’s Department Store. In the 1930s, the front facade was heavily remodeled to incorporate the striking Art Deco style architecture visible with the geometric glass blocks and stylized accents. Between 2006 and 2007, the structure was rehabilitated to serve as the initial campus facility for the New College Institute (NCI) prior to the construction of their newer Baldwin Block campus down the street

The Building on Baldwin serves as the main campus facility for the New College Institute (NCI). Opened in 2014, the 52,000-square-foot academic and training center was named in honor of Dr. Dana Baldwin. Dr. Baldwin was an influential historical figure who served as a prominent Black physician and business leader in the community during the Jim Crow era. Designed with a modern aesthetic, the facility seamlessly blends red brick work and sweeping glass window lines. The outdoor layout features an open, pedestrian-friendly concrete plaza integrated with custom bench seating and minimalist light poles. Beyond providing classrooms, specialized workforce labs, and regional degree partnerships, the first floor also houses the Martinsville-Henry County Visitor’s Center.

Martinsville provides proof have parking lots are multi-purpose tools. Here a temporary stage platform is in place for some future performance.

Here in the center of the asphalt parking lot, a portion is given over to a surprisingly well designed plaza. The only problem is the negative space of the parking lot that surrounds it creates no sense of enclosure, no shade, and increases the heat absorption which will make it uncomfortable to sit in this space.

An Up Town bench with laser cut logo in the back creates a placemaking element. As do the bike racks next to it. Though the lack of plantings or shade nearby make this an inhospitable space to sit.

Facing this plaza a mural in billboard format touts the Uptown Connection Trail. Unspoken is how this trail combined with the arts and cultural institutions in Martinsville help to exemplify the “trail town” potential. Location of this in a public plaza where people sit and recreate, helps to further integrate visiting the town with walking or biking the trail. In this way the blind wall of a building is turned from a negative into an asset.

Not too far away the Farmers’ Market Mural is located at 60 West Church Street in Uptown Martinsville, Virginia. This multi-panel outdoor public installation was created by internationally recognized artist and activist Betty LaDuke. Commissioned by Piedmont Arts and installed in 2008, the large-scale triptych is mounted directly to the brick wall overlooking the Uptown Farmers’ Market. LaDuke spent extensive time exploring Martinsville and Henry County, drawing sketches of local agricultural workers, residents, and area marketplaces. Those initial drawings served as the foundation for this colorful, stylized celebration of regional food production and community. In tandem with LaDuke’s centerpiece installation, local high school students in community enrichment programs worked alongside regional artists to paint accompanying mini-murals that decorate the market’s vendor stalls.

Old Glory is a mural painted by artist Scott LoBaido, whose stunning depictions of the American flag can be seen all across America, has used his patriotic artistry to create an inspiring American flag mural on the side of TheatreWorks in Uptown Martinsville. LoBaido created this 38 x 18 ft. mural. in honor of Cpl. JB Kerns, a local veteran who lost three limbs in an IED explosion during his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. LoBaido’s mural, one of the murals in Piedmont Arts’ Public Art Exhibit, was painted entirely in one day – March 28, 2012.

Wayfinding in Uptown Martinsville is mounted on light poles, highlighting many of the sites that we photographed and visited.

The story of furniture making in Martinsville-Henry County

On the heels of the Civil War and with the decline of the planter class, the area’s furniture industry was founded over 100 years ago by a few local men.

In 1902, J.D. Bassett, Sr. and his brother and brother-in-law converted their sawmill business into a furniture factory. From this small beginning, Bassett Furniture Industries grew over the next 100 years into a publicly traded company.

In 1906, American Furniture Company was founded by two Martinsville tobacco men, Ancil Witten and Charles Keesee. The company went on to specialize in producing furniture for the hotel and healthcare industries.

In 1924, Thomas B. Stanley, a Bassett Furniture executive and family member by marriage, left the company. He started his own company, Stanley Furniture, which emerged as one of the leaders in the furniture industry.

In 1924, Hooker-Bassett Furniture Company (later changed to Hooker Furniture Corporation) was started by J. Clyde Hooker, who promised jobs and increased payrolls for the citizens of Martinsville.

In 1926, Richard P. Gravely started Gravely Furniture Company. By the 1960s, Gravely began producing wall and floor clocks, and soon became known as the world’s leading producer of grandfather clocks. It was here that Ridgeway Clocks was born.

The rise of these furniture giants sparked other companies, which formed to support the furniture industry-from mirror plants to tool companies that supplied machine tools to the industry.

The Early Years

• 1902: Bassett Furniture Company is formed by J.D. Bassett, Sr., who owned a saw mill and had been selling lumber to furniture manufacturers in New York and Michigan.
• 1923: Bassett Mirror Company is formed. B. Stanley, a Bassett Furniture executive and family member by marriage.
• 1906: American Furniture Company is founded.
• 1924: Stanley Furniture is formed by Thomas.

1930s to 1950s

• 1930: J.D. Bassett forms Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc., a combination of J.D. Bassett Manufacturing, W.M. Bassett and Bassett Furniture Companies.
• 1934: Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc. purchases Ramsey Furniture Company and creates a new company, Bassett Superior Lines.
• 1942: During World War II, Bassett converts its plants to produce truck bodies for the armed forces.
• 1947: Gravely Furniture purchases Ridgeway Furniture Manufacturing Company, the site where their famed grandfather clocks would later be made.
• 1954: Thomas B. Stanley, founder of Stanley Furniture, is elected governor of Virginia.
• 1956: Bassett launches full-color ads in LIFE magazine and was the first furniture company to use mass media to market its products.
• 1959: American of Martinsville forms its Contract Division, specializing in furniture for hotels, motels and college dormitories.

1960s to 1980s

• 1960: Bassett builds the world’s largest chair for Curtis Brothers Furniture Company in Washington, D.C.
• 1964: Bassett acquires Prestige Furniture Corporation in Newton, NC to enter the upholstery category
• 1963: Stanley Furniture acquires The Sandhill Furniture Company in West End, NC., reputed to be the world’s largest manufacturer of beds.
• 1972: With a series of acquisitions during the 1960s and early 70s, Basset has a total of 51 plants nationwide.
• 1979: American of Martinsille becomes the largest supplier of hotel/motel casegoods in the world.
• 1981: A.C. Furniture Company, lnc., one of the country’s largest contract manufacturers of seating, is incorporated.
• 1981: Shenandoah Furniture begins, doing contract work for local furniture companies This led to a major retail contract with Bloomingdale’s and the company expanding to become a stand-alone furniture manufacturer.
• 1985: Pułaski Furniture busy Gravely Furniture and renames it Ridgeway Clocks.
• 1986: American of Martinsville is acquired by LADD Furniture, Inc, the third largest furniture manufacturer in the United States at the time.

1990s to Present

• 1991: American of Martinsville exits the residential furniture market to concentrate solely on hospitality, contract and institutional businesses.
• 1999: Hooker and Stanley Furniture celebrate their 75th anniversaries, which includes a fireworks display at the Martinsville Speedway for Independence Day.
• 2000: La-Z-Boy, one of the world’s leading furniture producers, acquires American of Martinsville and LADD Furniture.
• 2000: Bassett Furniture opens a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for custom casual dining.
• 2003: Hooker Furniture purchases Bradington-Young, a specialist in reclining chairs and upscale leather seating, which compliments Hooker’s strength in home entertainment furniture.
• 2004: Shenandoah Furniture announces a $1.2 million expansion, nearly doubling its Patriot Centre plant.
• 2006: American of Martinsville celebrates its 100th anniversary and is purchased by Hancock Park Associates, a large private equity investment firm.
• 2007: Hooker Furniture completes its repositioning to provide domestic upholstery and global sourcing of wood and metal furniture.
• 2007: Hooker Furniture further diversifies into the fabric upholstery business with its purchase of Sam Moore, a Bedford, Virginia-based manufacturer of upscale occasional chairs.
• 2008: A.C. Furniture Company, Inc. in Axton builds and ships over 10,000 pieces of furniture weekly.
• 2008: Bassett Furniture reports $288 million in sales. Hooker Furniture has $316 million in sales. Stanley Furniture has $226 million in annual sales.
• 2011: Bassett Furniture partners with HGTV to create the furniture line HGTV HOME.
• 2013: Bassett Furniture announces plans to invest $1.5 million to expand its operations in Henry County, Virginia.
• The strong foundation that Martinsville-Henry County provided for these companies continues to drive the nation’s furniture industry today.
• Bassett Furniture still holds its corporate offices and warehouse in Henry County, and now focuses on its 100 retail locations across the country, continuing to be known for quality, style and value.
• Hooker Furniture still employs locally and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 largest publicly-traded furniture sources.
• Stanley Furniture moved its headquarters to High Point, North Carolina in 2012. Today, it continues to thrive and is repositioned for the current marketplace with new product lines and operating systems.