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Bon Air is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. The population was 16,366 at the 2010 census. The community is considered a suburb of the

independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

in the

Richmond-Petersburg The Greater Richmond Region, the Richmond metropolitan area or Central Virginia, is a region and metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding terri ...

region and is a part of the

Southside Southside or South Side may refer to: Places Australia * Southside, Queensland, a semi-rural locality in the Gympie Region Canada * South Side, Newfoundland and Labrador, a community in the St. George's Bay area on the southwest coast of New ...

neighborhoods. Originally developed as a resort, a central portion of Bon Air has been designated as a National Historic District with many structures of

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

design from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its name means "good air," reflecting its role as a resort getaway that wealthy Richmonders enjoyed for its fresh air as opposed to the dirty air of Richmond's industrial downtown of the late 19th century.

Definition and Boundaries

Robious Road The following is a list of former primary state highways completely or mostly within the Richmond District (VDOT District 4) of the U.S. state of Virginia. SR 33 Alternate State Route 33 Alternate was a loop off US 33 near Glen Allen, following ...

and Midlothian Turnpike to the South. " width=425 height=300 zoom=12 latitude=37.52 longitude=-77.53/> Bon Air is located entirely within Chesterfield County, Virginia and mostly within the 23235 zip code. It is bounded to the north by

Huguenot Road State Route 147 (SR 147) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 60 (US 60) in Midlothian east to US 60 in Richmond. In various places, it is known as Huguenot Road, River Road, Cary Str ...

, to the east by the city of Richmond, to the south by

Midlothian Turnpike U.S. Route 60 (US 60) in the Commonwealth of Virginia runs west to east through the central part of the state, generally close to and paralleling the Interstate 64 corridor, except for the crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and in the Sou ...

, and to the southwest by

History

Pre-resort settlement

Prior to the advent of the 1877 resort in Bon Air, the area had some settlements. Brown Road and Belleau Drive each follow portions of the old

Warwick Road Warwick Road is an arterial east-west road located in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. It was built in 1969 to service the Shire of Wanneroo parts of the Hamersley Development Scheme, which was later split into the suburbs o ...

that dates back to the 18th century

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...

plantation. The Bon Air area came to be known as Brown's Summit, probably named for the Brown family farm which was located near the southwest corner of present-day intersection of Jahnke Road and Brown Road. In the first half of the 18th century, Anderson Edwards owned a large plantation on the current site of Bon Air. He sold parts of it to Nathaniel and James Duval in 1840. The Duvals' two portions of Anderson Edwards' land would eventually comprise large parts of modern-day Bon Air.http://ccpl-discover.chesterfield.gov/iii/cpro/ImageViewPage.external;jsessionid=F98E717BD4CE26160C0046752B45125B?lang=eng&sp=2&sp=1000681&sp=F&suite=def The R&D railway came through the area around 1850, connecting Manchester to Robious and the Coal Mines. An 1864 map shows a small cluster of buildings labeled "Pawhite Stop" on the "Railroad to Coal Mines" line near the site of historic Bon Air village. Another Civil War era map shows an area owned by "Cogbill" which is in the vicinity of the area near Buford Road near current day Bon Air Elementary School and Grand Summit subdivision. Early maps also lists a "Powhite Station" 1/2 mile east of Robiou's Station.

Bon Air: the resort era

In the 19th century, it was believed that the higher elevation and distance from the urban area of

provided a more healthful atmosphere, particularly in the hot summer months in central Virginia. With its nearby location and greater elevation, Bon Air offered these features nearby, and was founded as a summer

resort A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that tries to provide most of a vacationer's wants, such as food, drink, swimming, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping, on the premises. The term ''resort ...

town about outside of Richmond by railroad. One of the founders was Colonel

Algernon S. Buford Algernon Sidney Buford (January 2, 1826 – May 6, 1911) was a Virginian businessman, politician, and lawyer best known for his 22-year presidency of the Richmond and Danville Railroad, during which he was responsible for growing the line from 1 ...

, of

Chatham, Virginia Chatham is a town in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Pittsylvania County. Chatham's population was 1,269 at the 2010 census. It is included in the ...

, who is best known for his presidency of the

Richmond and Danville Railroad The Richmond and Danville Railroad (R&D) Company was a railroad that operated independently from 1847 until 1894, first in the U.S. state of Virginia, and later on of track in nine states. Chartered on March 9, 1847, the railroad completed its ...

during its massive postwar expansion, which ended in 1894 with the formation of the Southern Railway System (now part of

Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway (U.S.), Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the ...

). Bon Air's connections with the railroad's leaders could possibly be evidenced by the fact that over many of the years until passenger service ended in 1957, the community simultaneously had three stops within of trackage. Colonel Buford was a graduate of the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

. He became a lawyer, and represented

Pittsylvania County Pittsylvania County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 60,501. Chatham is the county seat. Pittsylvania County is included in the Danville, VA Micropolitan Statistical A ...

in the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

during 1853 and 1854. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, Buford served the Confederacy in Richmond at Virginia Depot, although the title "Colonel" is believed to have been honorary, a southern custom common in the post-slavery years. With the support of

Virginia Governor The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022. Oath of office On inauguration day, the Governor-elect takes th ...

Francis H. Pierpont Francis Harrison Pierpont (January 25, 1814March 24, 1899), called the "Father of West Virginia," was an American lawyer and politician who achieved prominence during the American Civil War. During the conflict's first two years, Pierpont served ...

, on September 13, 1865, Buford became president of the Richmond and Danville Railroad (R&D). Around 1875, Buford purchased portions of a large tract of land from Nathaniel and James Duval, a tract of land on the south side of the R&D right-of-way known as the old Anderson Edwards plantation. He personally (as well as through the R&D Railroad) helped in the development of Brown's Summit, which was renamed Grand Summit, then Bon Air, after the French expression for "good air". This choice may also have been related to the earlier settlement by French

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

s, a group of religious refugees, slightly to the west. In 1877, Richmond jeweler Lewis G. Jahnke bought the other 153-acre portion of the Edwards estate from the Duval brothers and two years later sold this farm it to his brother A. Franz Jahnke Sr. This 350-acre estate, at 7737 Jahnke Road, would be known as Shady Echo. The Jahnke family, including jeweler

Minnie Jahnke Minnie Augusta Jahnke (October 11, 1872 – March 14, 1954) was an American jeweler, based in Richmond, Virginia. Early life Minnie Augusta Jahnke was born at "Shady Echo", her family's farm in Bon Air, Virginia, one of the ten children of Al ...

, were very involved in Bon Air life, from the fledgling

Bon Air Presbyterian Church Bon Air Presbyterian Church ( PCUSA), which began in 1884, is an historic Presbyterian church and preschool located on Huguenot Road in Bon Air, Virginia, a census-designated place (CDP) in Chesterfield County, Virginia, in the United States. Th ...

to the Bon Air

Chautauqua Society Chautauqua ( ) was an adult education and social movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua bro ...

founded by Reverend Hazen in 1885. Bon Air Its Attractions for Summer Residents - 1882 - Map of Bon Air Virginia

In 1877, Buford was among the first investors and officers in the Bon Air Land and Improvement Company. Other R&D officials involved in the development of Bon Air were General

Thomas M. Logan Thomas Muldrup Logan (November 3, 1840 – August 11, 1914) was an American soldier and businessman. He served as a Confederate general during the American Civil War, and afterward was greatly involved in railroad development in the Southern ...

Andrew Talcott Andrew Talcott (1797–1883) was an American civil engineer and close friend of Civil War General Robert E. Lee. He did not serve during the Civil War, as he could not fight against the Union, nor fight against his brothers in the South. He trav ...

, and his son,

Thomas Mann Randolph Talcott Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

. In addition to these names, other early settlers contributed their names to the roads within the old Bon Air village. Col. Buford is honored by the naming of the thoroughfare Buford Road in Bon Air. Logan Street is named for General Logan. Polk Street is named for Bon Air resident

Polk Miller Polk Miller (August 2, 1844 – October 20, 1913) was a musician and entertainer from Richmond and Bon Air, Virginia. He was also a pharmacist and the founder of Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Early life Polk Miller was born in Prince Edwar ...

, a

pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...

and highly acclaimed

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

player who founded what became Sergeant's Pet Care Products while creating treatments for his favorite hunting dog,

Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

. Other prominent residents included Dr.

Hunter McGuire Hunter Holmes McGuire (October 11, 1835 – September 19, 1900) was a soldier, physician, teacher, and orator. McGuire was a surgeon in the Confederate Army attached to Stonewall Jackson's command, and he continued serving with the Army of Nor ...

who was affiliated with the

Medical College of Virginia The VCU Medical Center is Virginia Commonwealth University's medical campus located in downtown Richmond, Virginia, in the Court End neighborhood. VCU Medical Center used to be known as the Medical College of Virginia (MCV), which merged with the ...

and several other important hospitals and medical schools (and for whom McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center in Richmond was named), his wife Mary Stuart McGuire, and their 10 children, many of whom also went into the field of medicine. In 1889, the tract (with an

antebellum Antebellum, Latin for "before war", may refer to: United States history * Antebellum South, the pre-American Civil War period in the Southern United States ** Antebellum Georgia ** Antebellum South Carolina ** Antebellum Virginia * Antebellum ar ...

farmhouse which was earlier known as "The Old Burton Place") was purchased by J.R.F. Burroughs, a Confederate civil war veteran from Lynchburg, (then in Campbell County), and his wife Lucy. A childless couple, a few years later the Burroughs opened an orphanage which was originally called "The Home for Friendless Children", and was incorporated in 1898. Religiously devout, the couple never solicited for funds for the orphanage, but there are tales of the support they received anyway. When Mr. Burroughs died in 1915, he was buried at a site now surrounded by neighboring apartments, where his tombstone reads "Faithful unto Death". Burroughs Street in Bon Air was named for the couple. Rail continued to serve as the primary means of transportation to and from Bon Air until the automobile era. The original Southern Railway Station was a building brought to Bon Air from the

International Cotton Exposition International Cotton Exposition (I.C.E.) was a world's fair held in Atlanta, Georgia, from October 4 to December 31 of 1881. The location was along the Western & Atlantic Railroad tracks near the present-day King Plow Arts Center development in t ...

which had been held in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, Georgia, in 1881. (This station was replaced in 1917, and portions of the original station were used in an old home on the south side of the tracks, still existent in 2005). Other early stops in the Bon Air area include "The Steps", located on the north side of the tracks near the current Buford Road Bridge, a stop for the Bon Air Inn south of the Inn site on Burroughs Street, and a stop near the current subdivision of Woodmont for the Wherry Farm. This latter station was the only private station on this section of the railroad and was known as Lee Park. The early railroad alignment through Bon Air may have been to take advantage of a

kaolin Kaolinite ( ) is a clay mineral, with the chemical composition Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4. It is an important industrial mineral. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet of silica () linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral ...

clay mine said to have been located on the south side of the tracks near the current Buford Road bridge. A plant built in Manchester to process the clay from Bon Air burned before it could go into production, ending the project.

Village period

In the 20th century, as the residential area around Richmond grew, Bon Air evolved into a middle-class

neighborhood A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural area, ...

, occupied year round versus just being a summer resort. The oldest lending Library in Chesterfield County was built in 1902 by the Bon Air Association as a Memorial to Dr. James K. Hazen, minister of Bon Air Presbyterian Church and a literary and educational leader of the community. In 1911, the new

Westham Bridge Westham Bridge crossed the James River between Henrico County and Chesterfield County. The bridge was located between Bosher Dam and Williams Island Dam just west of the 7 miles of rapids and falls which constitute the fall line of the James ...

crossed the

James River The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...

between

Henrico County Henrico County , officially the County of Henrico, is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 334,389 making it the fifth-most populous county in Virginia. Henrico County is incl ...

and Chesterfield County about upstream from

. Built as a

toll bridge A toll bridge is a bridge where a monetary charge (or ''toll'') is required to pass over. Generally the private or public owner, builder and maintainer of the bridge uses the toll to recoup their investment, in much the same way as a toll road. ...

, it was named for the nearby Westham Station of the

Chesapeake and Ohio Railway The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P. Huntington, it reached from Virginia's capital city of Richmond t ...

in 1911. The privately owned Westham Bridge was financed by a group headed by developer

George Craghead Gregory George Craghead Gregory (July 17, 1878 – August 25, 1956) was an American attorney, businessman, historian, and author. He lived with his wife and seven children at "Granite Hall", an estate located near Granite in northwestern Chesterfield Cou ...

, who resided at Granite Hall, an estate about a mile from Williams Dam, where he had a mansion erected which was faced with stone quarried nearby. Gregory was also involved with plans to extend a

streetcar A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

line from an existing line at Westhampton Park (now the

University of Richmond The University of Richmond (UR or U of R) is a private liberal arts college in Richmond, Virginia. It is a primarily undergraduate, residential institution with approximately 4,350 undergraduate and graduate students in five schools: the School ...

) to Bon Air, which he saw as becoming a "

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

" of Richmond. Between the James River and Bon Air, Gregory controlled large land areas along the proposed rail line which he hoped to develop. However, despite his plans, aside from grading of

right-of-way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...

all the way from the Westham Bridge to Bon Air, Gregory's planned streetcar line did not materialize. This may have been due to weight issues at the Westham Bridge and/or right-of-way matters in Henrico County. However, portions of the planned and partially improved route can be seen in modern times with the gentle slopes found on present-day Southampton Road and along Mohawk Drive. After Burroughs died in 1915, the Bethany Home was taken over by others, including

, until the home closed for good during the 1940s. Over a thousand children had known the farm as "home", maintaining an average of 50 boys and girls at a time. After 1933, State Route 147 was routed across the Westham Bridge. It connected River Road and Westham Parkway in Henrico with Southampton Road and the new Huguenot Road in

Chesterfield Chesterfield may refer to: Places Canada * Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, Saskatchewan * Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom * Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a market town in England ** Chesterfield (UK Parliament constitue ...

. In 1950, the Westham Bridge, which had been subject to flooding and was inadequate for traffic in the growing suburban area, was replaced by the new

Huguenot Memorial Bridge Huguenot Memorial Bridge is located in Henrico County and the independent city of Richmond, Virginia. It carries State Route 147 across the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (now the James River Line of CSX Transportation), the James River an ...

(named in honor of the French

settlers who came to the area in the eighteenth century to escape

religious persecution Religious persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or a group of individuals as a response to their religion, religious beliefs or affiliations or their irreligion, lack thereof. The tendency of societies or groups within soc ...

in France). The old bridge was dismantled, but the abutments were still visible at each end, and overhead power and telephone lines continued to mark the route for many years. Traces of the old streetcar right-of-way may be seen along gently sloped Southampton Road and Mohawk Drive near Forest Hill Avenue (which was formerly known as Granite Road), and on Logan Street and Hazen Street in Bon Air, where a washboard surface was long rumored by local lore to be the remnants of the streetcar project. Gregory's old mansion, Granite Hall, now located in the Cherokee Estates subdivision near Williams Dam, was still in use as a private residence in 2008. The C&O's Westham Station was relocated to a Richmond city park at Robin Hood Road and Hermitage Road in 1961.

1950s Suburban Development Boom

Suburbanization Suburbanization is a population shift from central urban areas into suburbs, resulting in the formation of (sub)urban sprawl. As a consequence of the movement of households and businesses out of the city centers, low-density, peripheral urba ...
: As suburban development progressed to the southwest along US-60, VA-76, and VA-150, the Southside Plaza (A) became overshadowed by Cloverleaf Mall (B) in 1972 and further eclipsed by the

Chesterfield Mall Chesterfield Mall (formerly known as Westfield Shoppingtown Chesterfield) is a soon-to-be-defunct shopping mall in Chesterfield, Missouri, at the intersection of Interstate 64/ U.S. Routes 40- 61 and Clarkson Road ( Route 340). The mall opened in ...

(C) in 1978. In 1988 the Powhite Parkway Extension opened, enabling fast travel from the Chippenham Parkway out to the new Virginia State Route 288. The Stony Point Fashion Park (D) was built in 2003. " width=550 height=300 zoom=12 latitude=37.52 longitude=-77.53> By the mid-1950s, Bon Air experienced a suburban population boom. The Bon Air Shopping center was built at Buford and Forest Hill Ave, and subdivisions like Crestwood Farms, Highland Hills, Brighton Green, and Brookwood Estates welcomed new residents. The burgeoning population also resulted in infrastructure and civic amenities being built. Bon Air's elementary school was already in its second home, but most high school students had to travel to

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

Midlothian Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...

high schools. In the 1960s, a new high school and later a middle school were built by

Chesterfield County Public Schools Chesterfield County Public Schools is the public school system of Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. As of 2020, there are about 63,000 students enrolled in 64 schools. There are 39 elementary schools (grades K-5), 12 middle schools (gr ...

on part of the former Bethany home property.

Huguenot High School Huguenot High School, part of the Richmond Public Schools system, is a high school located in Richmond, Virginia, United States, with grades 9–12. Huguenot High School was named in honor of the Huguenots, French Protestants who emigrated to th ...

opened on September 6, 1960. The first principal was G. H. (Gurney Holland) Reid, a longtime principal of Manchester High School, for whom

G. H. Reid Elementary School Richmond Public Schools is a public school district located in the independent city of Richmond, Virginia. It is occasionally described locally as Richmond City Public Schools to emphasize its connection to the independent city rather than the ...

in another section of the county had been named. A fourteen classroom addition was completed around 1964. G. H. Reid retired at the end of the 1968–69 school year, the last before the city annexed the land occupied by the school the following January 1. Also on the former Burroughs land, Fred D. Thompson Middle School, named for a long-time county educator, was completed in 1965, and was one of the first county schools feature central air conditioning. The Southern Railway ended commuter service to Richmond in 1957, and the Bon Air station was dismantled. In 1967 Chesterfield County began to operate the Hazen Library and moved the location in 1975, according to a plaque on the building.

1970 Richmond-Chesterfield annexation

A portion of what was then considered Bon Air was annexed by the City of Richmond in 1970. In the Bon Air area,

, Thompson Middle School, and J.B. Fisher Elementary School (named for a Midlothian-area physician) were among approximately a dozen schools, support buildings, and future school sites conveyed to the City of Richmond along with of territory as the result of a compromise negotiated during the annexation suit by the City of Richmond against Chesterfield County in the late 1960s. The annexation became effective January 1, 1970. The original Bon Air Elementary School and the newer building and Bon Air Primary School were allowed to remain in the county.

1970s - present: Additional Suburbanization and Historic Preservation of Bon Air

When

Chippenham Parkway State Route 150 (SR 150) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Chippenham Parkway, the state highway runs from Interstate 95 (I-95) and SR 895 in Bensley north to Parham Road and River Road near Tuckahoe in Henrico Count ...

was built, construction severed the old Warwick Road route in the mid-1960s when it was built between present-day Jahnke Road and

. As Bon Air became increasingly suburbanized, Mary Anne Claflin published a 144-page book documenting Bon Air called "Bon Air: A History" in 1977, the Bon Air Historical Society was founded in 1978, and in 1988 the society assisted in generating an application for the Bon Air Historic District submitted to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1987, The traffic patterns changed when the Powhite Parkway Extension cut across southern Bon Air from Chippenham Parkway to Jahnke Road on Midlothian Turnpike. Further, when the

Willey Bridge Edward E. Willey Bridge is a highway bridge which crosses the upper James River (above the fall line at Richmond) in the western portion of Henrico County, Virginia. It carries Chippenham Parkway ( State Route 150) between Parham Road in Henrico ...

opened in 1988 near Bon Air, Southsiders had significantly improved ability to access the West End of Richmond. In 1985, the Stony Point Shopping Center opened, anchored by a

Ukrops Ukrop's is an American company that operates a central bakery and kitchen producing baked goods and prepared meals. Its baked goods are marketed under Good Meadow and Ukrop's brand. In 1976 Ukrop's bought Dot's Pastry Shop, a well-known bakery in ...

store. The 1990s, Arboretum and The Boulders

office park A business park or office park is a designated area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. These types of developments are often located in suburban areas where land and building costs are more affordable, and are typically ...

developments popped up south of Bon Air, and the Shoppes at Bellgrade (northwest of Bon Air) opened in 1990. The Stony Point Fashion Park opened in 2004, which competed with other retail centers and malls (Chesterfield Town Center and Cloverleaf Mall) nearby to Bon Air.

Bon Air In the 2000s

While remnants of the 1916 village-era post office, 1902 Hazen Library, and Hotel Grounds (currently the Bon Air Community Association) still linger at the intersection of Rockaway and McRae Roads, current day "Old Town" Bon Air is generally not a tourism attraction. The privately owned and restored Hazen House Library contains artifacts from Bon Air's history but is open only by appointment. While one can drive by numerous 1880s era houses on Buford Road that show an architectural style signature of the Bon Air resort era, these are all private dwellings that do not regularly offer access to the public. The "historic" bridge built over the railroad tracks by the Bon Air Historical Society enable one to look out over existing railroad tracks and see where "the Steps" once disembarked train visitors to the Bon Air Hotel, but most actual evidence of the train era in Bon Air has all but disappeared. The Bon Air Historical Society and Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation Department do offer infrequent tours of the resort era houses, and once a year, Bon Air residents and cultural institutions celebrate Bon Air's resort era history by hosting a "Victorian Days" community parade and general celebration on the first weekend in May. Bon Air is largely a residential

surrounded by suburban shopping centers. In some cases, these shopping centers house independent businesses (butchers, coffee shops, restaurants) that are spinoffs from downtown Richmond's thriving independent business and restaurant scene. As families from the Fan District and other Richmond neighborhoods leave the city in search of a better school system and affordable housing, many settle in the

inner suburb ''Inner suburb'' is a term used for a variety of suburban communities that are generally located very close to the centre of a large city (the inner city and central business district). Their urban density is usually lower than the inner city ...

of Bon Air with 10-minute access to the city or the West End via the

Powhite Parkway State Route 76 (SR 76) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Powhite Parkway (first word officially pronounced , similar to Powhatan), the state highway runs from SR 652 near Midlothian north to Interstate 195 (I-195) in R ...

and/ or Chippenham Parkway.

Geography

Bon Air is located at (37.519947, −77.568768). The elevation is . The community is located in the Eastern Standard time zone. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.38%, is water. Just west of the

fall line A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is typically prominent where rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the coa ...

, which divides Virginia's

Tidewater Tidewater may refer to: * Tidewater (region), a geographic area of southeast Virginia, southern Maryland, and northeast North Carolina. ** Tidewater accent, an accent of American English associated with the Tidewater region of Virginia * Tidewater ...

and

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

geological regions, the average elevation in the Bon Air area is approximately above

sea-level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

, which is significantly higher than most of Richmond, only to the east. The two branches of

Powhite Creek Powhite Creek is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 stream rising near the unincorporated community of Bon Air in Chesterfield County and flowing into th ...

originate nearby, which flows into the

just upstream from downtown Richmond.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,213 people, 6,308 households, and 4,459 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,834.1 people per square mile (708.1/km²). There were 6,502 housing units at an average density of 735.5/sq mi (284.0/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.91%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 8.43%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.16% Native American, 2.53%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.85% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.10% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.73% of the population. There were 6,308 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.97. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 26.6% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $57,493, and the median income for a family was $67,656. Males had a median income of $42,796 versus $31,551 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $26,527. About 0.8% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.9% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.

Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center

An area just outside of the Bon Air CDP is also home two facilities of the

Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice The Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) is a state agency of Virginia, headquartered in the Main Street Centre building at 600 East Main St. in Richmond. The DJJ operates 30 court service units and one juvenile correctional center. Person ...

:2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Bon Air CDP, VA

Archive
.

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

. Retrieved on April 5, 2015. Central Admission and Placement Unit (CAP), and Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center. At CAP, juveniles from across the state are evaluated, processed and assigned to a unit at Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center.

Facilities

Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center consists of the minimum security wing, with several open cottages for offenders with lesser crimes and shorter stays. The Expansion is a Level 5 Maximum security wing for all types of offenders. The Expansion has 8 units on two different housing wings. It has three dedicated units for sex offenders, with the other four being regular wards and one for individuals with intellectual disabilities. While incarcerated at Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center, residents receive mental health and rehabilitative counseling services. Specialized treatment programs include substance abuse, aggression management, sex offender, and intensive therapeutic programming. Academic and career readiness training are provided on campus. Residents are able to earn a high school or high school equivalency diploma.

Potential Closure

In the late 2010s, the Commonwealth of Virginia began a process of Juvenile Prison reform with expertise from the

Annie E. Casey Foundation The Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) is a charitable foundation focused on improving the well-being of American children according to their ideals. The AECF is one of the dominant organizations in child welfare issues in the U.S., and one of th ...

. The program involves closing youth prisons and using the savings to built and support more localized rehabilitative programs across the state. The Central Admission and Placement (CAP) unit was established upon the closure of the Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC), BAJCC is the last of the state youth prisons, and in 2018 Governor Northam's administration is attempting to close the state-owned 420-acre facility by building other regional facilities. This would eventually free the Bon Air property for development or conservation. the closure plan has been contingent upon identifying these smaller locations, but attempts to build a 60-bed facility in

Chesapeake Chesapeake often refers to: *Chesapeake people, a Native American tribe also known as the Chesepian * The Chesapeake, a.k.a. Chesapeake Bay *Delmarva Peninsula, also known as the Chesapeake Peninsula Chesapeake may also refer to: Populated plac ...

and near

Isle of Wight County Isle of Wight County is a county located in the Hampton Roads region of the U.S. state of Virginia. It was named after the Isle of Wight, England, south of the Solent, from where many of its early colonists had come. As of the 2020 census, th ...

have met local resistance. In late March 2019, the Commonwealth of Virginia's negotiations with the Isle of Wight board of Supervisors over funding seemed to cast doubt on the plan to build in Isle of Wight. Soon after, Andrew K. Block Jr. (the architect of Virginia's Juvenile Justice Reform initiative) announced he would be stepping down effective April 19 to be replaced by Valerie Boykin (previously deputy director of community programs at the juvenile justice department). On April 5, 2019, DJJ and Isle of Wight reached an provisional agreement to split funding of several costs that had held up the deal. The Isle of Wight Board of Supervisors was to take a final up/down vote on the measure April 18 on whether to transfer 20 acres of farmland to the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice in order to construct the $13.5 million facility. On Thursday April 18, the Isle of Wight Board of Supervisors voted 3–2 to reject the plan, leaving the closure of Bon Air in limbo. RISE for Youth, a Richmond-based advocacy organization, had also pushed heavily against the Isle of Wight project. as well as previous efforts to build a similar facility in

Chesapeake, Virginia Chesapeake is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,422, it is the second-most populous independent city in Virginia, tenth-largest in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 90th ...

Education

The

serving the area are Bon Air Elementary School, Crestwood Elementary School, Greenfield Elementary School, Robious Middle School and James River High School. The independent St. Michael's Episcopal School, Riverside School Inc., St. Edward-Epiphany Catholic School, and Stony Point School are also located in Bon Air. Bon Air Elementary was the inspiration for a series of

children's book Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

s, ''

The Kids of the Polk Street School ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' by

Patricia Reilly Giff Patricia Reilly Giff (April 26, 1935 – June 22, 2021) was an American author and teacher born in Brooklyn, New York, United States. She was educated at Marymount Manhattan College, where she was awarded a B.A. degree, and St. John's Universi ...

. The

Japanese School (リッチモンド（VA）補習授業校 ''Ritchimondo Hoshū Jugyō Kō''), a Japanese weekend supplementary school, is held at the Bon Air Baptist Church in Bon Air.Japanese Schools

. Japan-Virginia Society (JVS; 日本バージニア協会). Retrieved on April 5, 2015. Richmond school address: "Richmond Japanese School Bon Air Baptist Church 2531 Buford Rd. North Chesterfield, VA 23235

. It was established in 1988.

Religious life

Places of worship in Bon Air include Buford Road Baptist, Bon Air Presbyterian, St. Joseph Roman Catholic
St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church
Bon Air Baptist, Bon Air Christian, Bon Air United Methodist, St. Michael's Episcopal Church, Stony Point Reformed Presbyterian, and the Islamic Center of Richmond.

References

External links

Chesterfield County Planning Dept. Bon Air page"Bon Air Buzz"
community website {{Authority control Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Census-designated places in Chesterfield County, Virginia Census-designated places in Virginia Geography of Richmond, Virginia Victorian architecture in Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Chesterfield County, Virginia Suburbs of Richmond, Virginia