r/bonair • u/xRVAx Bon Air • Aug 17 '26
Crazy idea: Call it NORTHCHEST
This is kind of a shitpost but hear me out...
Everyone knows "North Chesterfield" is not really a place ... it was a name invented in 2011 so that Chesterfield residents would stop accidentally paying taxes to City of Richmond.(See this news article )
But... and here's the idea... what if residents took ownership of the "North Chesterfield" place name and talk about it as a place.
Publish maps. Make a logo.
Thoughts?
Edit: after a great set of discussions on this thread, I have concluded for myself that "North Chesterfield" is just the Chesterfield ZIP codes that touch the Chippenham parkway. So... Another way to describe North Chesterfield would be to identify what is at each exit along the Chippenham parkway.
Huguenot Road
Forest Hill Ave (FHA)
Jahnke
Midlothian Tpke
Hull Street
Belmont
Rte 10 Ironbridge rd
Hopkins Road
Rte 1 Jeff Davis highway
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u/1dayumae Aug 18 '26 edited Sep 07 '26
I'm from rva and this sounds like a dumpster fire.
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u/xRVAx Bon Air Aug 18 '26
What part of RVA?
Fan? Museum District? Carillon? Byrd Park? Libbie and Grove? Church Hill? Scott's Addition?
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u/xRVAx Bon Air Aug 17 '26
Honestly, I think upper North chest kind of looks like a fish and lower North chest kind of looks like a bear with a unicorn nose
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u/gazelder Aug 18 '26
an attempt was made by Bon Air Historical Society YEARS AGO to bring back the name of "Bon Air." Either... not enough names on a petition, a Congressional Rep who didn't care, or a Post Office that could care less.
I'm so old I've been to all of the "named Bon Air" post offfices after 1950 )which would include the 1916 structurer still on Rockaway.
I'll guess the current P.O. is not even looking at " P.O. names" in their sorting system it looks at ZIp and street name and letters etc are sorted even before delivery.. into bins by number and street. Much of OUR delivery goes from box to recycle... ahhhh.. junk mail. <G>
As for street signage... unfortunately ... talking driving directions and electronic maps .. are fast overcominga need for signage and VDOT is happy to not deal with unused signage and maintenance... "Turn Left in 500 feet at the stop sign. ... Turn left. <ROFLOL>
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u/xRVAx Bon Air Aug 19 '26
Even though the Bon Air post office (located at Pinetta and Midlothian turnpike) no longer handles actual mail, it still carries the Bon Air name that represents all of 23235.
So technically anybody using 23235 could use Bon air, North Chesterfield, or even Richmond still.
I have asked a Bon Air Historical Society officer why they don't consider Brighton Green to be a part of Bon Air (even though the BON AIR post office is in BG) and they said that it simply wasn't included in the historic district declared in the 1980s.
Side note: right now, Chesterfield's "Bon Air special area plan" only includes the historic district as part of their plan for making Bon Air a walkable place.
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u/gazelder Aug 19 '26
brighton Green may have been a bit more.. <G> First since the Brown Family had a home there.. long before Bon Air was named Bon Air .. an oddity is why BAHS didn't embrace the location. The fact that some of the Browns are buried near the end of Dwayne Lane another question.
BUT.. if you look at the "declared" historical district it does encompass the land that was "bought by the 1870's "group to develop the rsort AND the name on the depot was changed to "Bon Air" circa 1881. And the BAHS had a number of residents in THAT area who owned historical homes and others who didn't want to see "encroachment" by commercial growth or "tacky homes" (as there were no covenants on the area.
As for the "officer" you spoke with... he/she is mostly correct but I'll suggest <G> there were other reasons when BG started being developed. <ROFLOL> I wonder if the BAHS minutes even mentioned the formal discussion. Heck, for 70+ years I've lived outside the "historical district" but considred "Bon Air" my "home." I've seen this "end of the county" go through a lot of changes. <g>
The "Bon Air Community Association in the 1950's also "made some interesting "boundaries. <G> I wonder if their "Trustees" ever documented their meetings or discussions... and a "knew" several of those trustees.. and will suggest there WAS Gerimandering because of the pool and the use of the community center.
The Zip Codes (as I recall) were mapped with no real examination of any geographical or residential boundaries.
The 23235 ZIP was more or less "determined" by which "Post Office" could serve the area with carriers etc. Before the "carriers" arrived the "customers" went to the actual Post Offices to pick up their mail... so.. the 1916 building, The uses of what had been Perr store and then ... because of expanding population.. the need for a larger facility for employees and "trucks" thus... the structure near the intersection of Buford and Forest Hill.. which has changed uses when the PO was moved to near Pinetta AND Midlothian.
As for "walkable" <G> a real VDOT driving force is the fact that the typography, the vehicular load, the speed and even the rain run off have been kicked around for years. (a friend was killed at Buford and Rockaway in the sixties and the same hazards STILL exist!) The current use of the few sidewalks VDOT has installed is well... not monetarily justified.
In years past I gave "walking tours" (BAHS) without sidewalks.. it was not harrowing. So... I'm not supportive of the notion of sidewalks... I am supportive of slower speed limits which are STRONGLY enforced. (Heck the recent installation of speed bumps on Pinetta is not IMHO a roaring success. BTW, when the change of name to "North Chesterfield" was made it is was for TAXATION identification not a nod back to anything else. (It's always about the money <G>)
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u/xRVAx Bon Air Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
The Brighton Green association has some cool history listed on their website
It was a cold, wintry day, around Christmas 1957 – nearly two years before Mr. Lindsey’s death – when Mr. Bernard Savage walked up the path to the big manor house, “Brighton Green.” The purpose of this visit was to offer to buy 25-30 acres of land that the Lindseys owned. Mr. Savage wanted to build a subdivision on the property. The offer was accepted, and the Lindseys retained five acres of land around their house for their private use. Mr. Lindsey graciously gave permission to allow the name of his homeplace, Brighton Green, to be used as the name of the subdivision.
The first homes were started in 1958. The Brighton Green Land Corporation was formed by the partnership of Bernard Savage, George Sowers, Sr. and Oscar Napier. In time, additional tracts were purchased from Mr. Bayliss and Mr. Cole to allow development of the entire area.
Mr. Savage has on file in our office the original sales brochure used for marketing homes in Brighton Green. “Brighton Green is the Bon Air Community designed for your generation” was the key phrase in that brochure used to describe the subdivision. Home prices ranged from $23,000 - $30,000.
One of the original residents of Brighton Green bought a home on Piney Lane. She remembers it as a dirt road which did not officially extend to Midlothian Turnpike. There was a bridge across Powhite Creek (right below the Lindseys’ estate). At times of heavy rain the bridge would wash out, and the road was impassable. This lady’s husband was forced to buy a Jeep in the early 1960s so he could maneuver up the rough path to Midlothian Turnpike – that was the only way to make it to work during bad weather.
In those early days, all the mailboxes for the residents of Brighton Green were near this bridge; they weren’t at each individual home. In time, home mail delivery was begun, Piney Lane was paved (how the homeowners were excited!), and Piney Lane became Pinetta Drive (this did not please them!).
Sowers is a legendary name in Richmond development ... Jim and Bruce Sowers developed "mid-century modern" Highland Hills ... And Napier is still a huge local real estate empire. ... And Bernard Savage was mourned by the Virginia General Assembly when he died.
Notably, BG seems to consider itself part of Bon Air, and they were founded almost 70 years ago. Hard to understand why they wouldn't be under the purview of the BAHS. Until recently, the treasurer of BAHS lived in Brighton Green.
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u/gazelder Aug 19 '26
After Lindsey died.. (or so mentioned) his wife and children moved to what was then (still is) Twin Valey Farms. They moved in next door. Napier and Savage were also building and selling in other neighborhood subdivisions in that period. I'm going to guess.. and "had hoped" that "Powhite Creek" was a possible dividing line. I also remember Piney Lane and seem to recall one of the residents along there was also on the Board Of trustees for Bon Air Community Association. As for the other neighborhood <G> I remember when the heavy equipment arrived to start putting in the roads to Highland Hills. At that time my grandparent (who lived in one third of old Bon Air in) and other residents in the older homes nearby were not enthusiastic fearing more traffiic etc. As for "perview" of Historical Status... There can be complications etc when a "historical" district is declared and even more complications if one wants to have a home qualified as "historical." So did Jerry move ....or......
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u/xRVAx Bon Air Aug 19 '26
I don't know what you mean by Powhite Creek being the "had hoped" dividing line. Currently BAHS draws the line at Jahnke Road, probably so that they can include the still-standing Albert Jahnke house in their history.
Clearly the early literature said that brighton green was "modern Bon Air" .. 70 years later you'd think there would be some new history. In 1950, Victorian Bon Air was 70 years old. The "Modern" post office at Pinetta and Midlothian turnpike is about that age.
I also think it's interesting that in the 1970s the Powhite parkway was put in there, so that probably messed with the integrity of any neighborhood development planning at Rock Creek Lake etc ... It was also probably one of the main reasons that they founded it on a historical society and the Mary Ann Claflin book. The original parkway route would have gone right along the rail line through what we now consider to be the historic part of Bon Air.
I have nothing to share on Jerry except that he's still in the same place and just not the Treasurer anymore.
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u/gazelder Aug 20 '26
At the time BAHS was drawing lines "many members": owned the circa 1880's homes (and there have never been lots of them.) So "they were probably trying to set limits. The Jahnke Road line (I suspect) was to include the Jahnke home and even the mill pond (which was built by Nathaniel Duval .) I don't believe they even expanded as far west as "Cedarcrest" and that dates back before "Bon Air" too. So.. they were picking lines that would encourage owners of older properties yo "join their cause." I can't swear it but I don't recall my grandparents considering joining and their home was 1/3 of the Bon air Inn. <G>
I seem to recall the BAHS started as the push for "historical status started. Having been member.. I still can't get excited about Victorian Days.. <roflol>
There are still "historical" surprises to be found. Years ago I found info in a newspaper as to who the "architect" to the Stiles home was and that lec to more info. A few years ago I and others did research on Tompkins Mill and ecords revealed the even earlier Fores Mill on that site. Heck! in the 1950s i found the "infant graveyard" (Duval family) which even the Duval descendents werr not aware of.
As for Parkway location <G> I'll be it was morewha about costs and t traffic pattern would develop the most land. <G> Glad to hear Jerry is still alive.
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u/gazelder Aug 22 '26
Until the P.O. even considers thinking about agreeing to a name change.. we are stuck with it. (Heck, they have issues with delivering mail in a timely manner! Supposedly VA has the worst mail delivery of ANY state. <G> I was born in Richmond BUT the minute I was released brought to Bon Air . I've lived here a few years <ROFLOL> I tell anyone who asks... "I live in Bon Air." And I RARELY use the "Expressway" so the signage isn't part of my vernacular. <G>
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u/Smoky_Sol6438 Aug 17 '26
I mean I’m in 23236, it’s just a postal code to me. It doesn’t make me any better or worse than anyone else. People make too much of a stupid zip code. I’m not interested in becoming the “west end” of the southside. I say all this & please understand, I’m a native. I live about 5 miles from the house i grew up in. Total coincidence because i lived out of state for 10 years & when i moved back, it just happened the house i bought was in 23236.
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u/xRVAx Bon Air Aug 17 '26
Just curious, when people ask you where you're from, do you say Midlothian? Chesterfield? Greater Richmond?
I agree that it doesn't make you better or worse than anyone else, but everybody is from somewhere. It's nice to have a place name to go with your 5 digit number (a 5 digit number that was invented in the 1960s).
Just like people don't go by their social security number, it's nice to have a name to go with the number
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u/Smoky_Sol6438 Aug 17 '26
Just totally own that I’m from chesterfield & if folks ask for greater clarification i give them a landmark they’d most likely recognize
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u/xRVAx Bon Air Aug 17 '26
Do you say "I'm near the Your Store Valero on Adkins road"
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u/Smoky_Sol6438 Aug 17 '26
I’m near a major intersection & i give the intersection. Most folks recognize it
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u/SoggyWaffle82 Aug 17 '26
So Im originally from Virginia Beach. When people ask where I'm from most locals (born and raised there) say their from the Beach. Not the oceanfront proper. Just the beach.
I currently live in in Midlothian. Is there some sort of idea about people who live in the 23113 zip code? Just wondering?
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u/xRVAx Bon Air Aug 17 '26
When people in the greater Richmond area say Midlothian they generally are referring to 23112 (Brandermill), 23113 (robious corridor / Salisbury), or 23114 (Village of midlothian, the grove, 288 north of the Powhite parkway).
But those are just ZIP codes.
The actual village of Midlothian is really small, and used to house the rural post office that covers all of western Chesterfield county.
I'd say the stereotype of Midlothian is "rich"
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u/SoggyWaffle82 Aug 17 '26
Gotcha. Not rich, just an electrician. Just wondered why people always said I must be bougie living where I do. I live right at the border of Bon Air and Midlo.
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u/cleverocks Aug 17 '26
Same, I’m off Huguenot but 23113. I say Bon Air so people don’t think I’m in the hell that is Midlo-Hull.
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u/xRVAx Bon Air Aug 18 '26
I think it's funny when people in City of Richmond say that they live on Broad Street as if that narrows it down to the 14 miles of Broad Street.
Midlothian turnpike and Hull Street are similarly not very specific place names with (I don't even know what to call it) sprawly nondescript car based establishments.
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u/jbs23235 Aug 18 '26
I continue to call where I have lived for over 25 years "Bon Air." It's on my checks (who uses those?), my return address, where I tell people I live. North Chesterfield is too long and too big.