One of the James River Park System‘s foremost landmarks known as “The Castle on the James” is set for a monumental makeover that will lead to its eventual reopening.
Pump House, a dilapidated granite Victorian Gothic municipal building constructed in the 1880s and located in Richmond’s Byrd Park District, was closed to the public on Aug. 31, 1924.
Exactly 100 years later, Friends of Pump House — the local volunteer-led, nonprofit organization committed to preserving, protecting, restoring and reopening one of Richmond’s architectural jewels — has announced the official kickoff of a Centennial Celebration marking the start of the building’s eventual reopening to the public.
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A $2.2 million stabilization and roof replacement project will begin next year.
The historic Byrd Park Pump House has stood for nearly 150 years, weathering countless storms and floods.
The historic Byrd Park Pump House has stood for nearly 150 years, weathering countless storms and floods.
The project was rendered possible via a grant from the National Park Service’s Saving America’s Treasures program, in addition to funding from the city of Richmond and Historic Richmond.
As part of the anniversary, the organization will also embark on a window restoration project that will see 30 of the Pump House’s windows restored to their original condition.
A spiral staircase leads to the catwalk in the pump room of Pump House.
Funding for the window restoration was provided by a city grant through the Richmond Outdoor and Prosperity Fund, as well as a gift from the Roller-Bottimore Foundation.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to learn about the Saving America’s Treasures grant,” said Penn Markham, FOPH president.
“This was a tremendous effort by the James River Park System Superintendent Giles Garrison, and we are so grateful for her support. Exactly one hundred years after it was abandoned, the Pump House is coming back to life.”
RVA 100: Pump House
FOPH has begun the first phase of the building’s restoration. The plan is for Pump House to reopen as a multipurpose facility providing educational and recreational activities for citizens of Richmond and surrounding communities.
Located at the Three-Mile Locks of the James River and Kanawha Canal, Pump House, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was built between 1881 and 1883 and served as the primary waterworks for the city.
“Exactly one hundred years after it was abandoned, the Pump House is coming back to life,” said Penn Markham, president of Friends of Pump House, seen in 2022.
“Exactly one hundred years after it was abandoned, the Pump House is coming back to life,” said Penn Markham, president of Friends of Pump House, seen in 2022.
Constructed under the supervision of city engineer Col. Wilfred E. Cutshaw, it provided water for the city of Richmond for more than 40 years.
Water was channeled there from the pumping station — located along the Kanawha Canal, close to the point where the James passes Williams Island — which transported water to a 26-foot-deep reservoir in Byrd Park.
In addition to functioning as a pumping station, it also contained an open-air ballroom that hosted an assortment of dances and gatherings for Richmond’s social elite at the turn of the 20th century.
The Byrd Park Pump House’s second floor features a ballroom with an open-air balcony.
Josh Stutz, executive director of Friends of the James River Park, said the goal is to create public access to the ballroom on the second floor. FOJRP hopes to one day use Pump House as an education space.
In 2022, the James River Park Service Master Plan had $12 million budgeted in order to achieve full Pump House restoration, though Stutz said this week that that number is a moving target and a bit out of date.
“We’re proud to support the work of Friends of Pump House as their fiscal sponsor,” Stutz said.
“We are very excited to see the Pump House start to get the attention it deserves. Hopefully, the investment from the city and all of the extra attention can generate the momentum necessary to keep things moving forward.”
The pump room of the Byrd Park Pump House is seen in 2022.
Throughout October, FOPH will be hosting a series of events to mark the Centennial Celebration.
“We invite the public to join us in celebrating the building’s storied history and exciting future,” FOPH said in a statement.
The boiler room of the Byrd Park Pump House is seen in 2022.
Scheduled events include a Follow the Flow Bike Ride on Oct. 12, Grand Reopening tour on Oct. 19, Paranormal Investigation with ghost hunters on Oct. 25 and Poe @ the Pump House with Poe Museum curator Chris Semtner on Oct. 26.
FOPH holds regular public volunteer cleanups and tours. For more information on upcoming events and volunteer opportunities, visit friendsofpumphouse.org.
PHOTOS: Byrd Park Pump House 2022
Arched windows line the ballroom of the Byrd Park Pump House on April 22, 2022. The Pump House is receiving $100,000 to restore windows and doors that have been in rough shape for years.
Richmond’s Pump House, known as “The Castle on the James,” used to host elaborate dance parties in its ballroom.
Windows in the boiler room of the Byrd Park Pump House, seen here on April 22, 2022, have been replaced.
The boiler room of the Byrd Park Pump House is seen in 2022.
“Exactly one hundred years after it was abandoned, the Pump House is coming back to life,” said Penn Markham, president of Friends of Pump House, seen in 2022.
“Exactly one hundred years after it was abandoned, the Pump House is coming back to life,” said Penn Markham, president of Friends of Pump House, seen in 2022.
The pump room of the Byrd Park Pump House is seen in 2022.
A spiral staircase leads to the catwalk in the pump room of Pump House.
The Byrd Park Pump House’s second floor features a ballroom with an open-air balcony.
