What’s in a name? Well, a lot’s in a name: brand identity, history, context, location,
recognition. We want to our buildings to be distinctive, memorable, easy to find – and to
always offer an enjoyable living experience to our residents. We would like the presentation of our buildings in the marketplace to fit neatly in their broader community setting.
Cary Place has been the naming convention for a section of the Lower Fan in Richmond, Virginia that was beautifully redeveloped by the late Edgar Eck over many years. In January, we acquired a portion of Cary Place, the city block bordered by Main and Cary Streets on the north and south, and Harvie and Randolph Streets on the west and east. Many Richmond residents will know this block as the home of Little Mexico and Postbellum, two of the city’s enduring restaurants.
In the middle of the block is an unusual building with a convex roof, formerly known only by its street address. Built as a flag factory in 1940, we are told its entrepreneurial female owner was an early creator of the colorful residential flags so common to Richmond and especially in The Fan, portraying nature, holidays, and school affinity among other themes. In 2004, the building was dramatically renovated consistent with historic preservation guidelines into ten
apartments. The newly named Flag Factory Apartments celebrates this building’s provenance.
The building facing Cary Street, with Little Mexico on the corner, has housed many businesses over the course of 100 years, including two dry cleaners, an auto service station and a florist, among others. Now home to Maiden Motion as well as eleven apartments, the newly named Leo’s Path Apartments was redeveloped in 2004 consistent with historic preservation principles. Why Leo’s Path Apartments? Suffice it to say that Leo is a lion of a colleague of ours, a product of Richmond, who is on a path to do great things.
The other distinctive building on the block is the newly named Randolph House. To read more about Virginia Estelle Randolph and why Randolph is such a prominent name in Richmond, read our blog post here. A classic, historic Richmond home, renovated into two beautiful apartments on the corner of Randolph and Main Streets, with the type of bright color common to the Lower Fan and Mr. Eck’s style – the name Randolph House seems perfect and appropriate.
“A good name is rather to be chosen than riches.” So we’ve named and are now marketing
these rebranded buildings as Leo’s Path Apartments, Flag Factory Apartments, and Randolph House. New signage will be installed in the coming weeks.