Model Tobacco Building
Encyclopedia
Built from 1938-40, the Art Deco
style Model Tobacco Building is the primary six-story building of a six building collection of buildings comprising a former tobacco
factory. Located at 1100 Jefferson Davis Highway
(U.S. Route 1
), in Richmond, Virginia
, the building was designed by the Chicago
architecture firm of Schmidt, Garden and Erikson and is known for the 9' tall Moderne MODEL TOBACCO letters which dominate the north end of the building.
It is one of many Art Deco
buildings in Richmond, including assorted buildings on Grace Street including the Central National Bank
building, the Virginia Union Belgian Building
, Medical College of Virginia's West Hospital
and Henrico Theater.
Currently the building houses approximately 3.5 acres (14,164 m²) of used cubicle
partitions and other miscellaneous office furniture. It also is the site of Russ Parsons
' famous collection of "hot dog cars," rumored in certain circles to be worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style Model Tobacco Building is the primary six-story building of a six building collection of buildings comprising a former tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
factory. Located at 1100 Jefferson Davis Highway
Jefferson Davis Highway
The Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway was a planned transcontinental highway in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s that began in Washington, D.C. and extended south and west to San Diego, California; it was named for Jefferson Davis, who, in addition to being the first and only President of...
(U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs 2,377 miles from Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border south to Key West, Florida. U.S. 1 generally parallels Interstate 95, though it is significantly farther west between...
), in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, the building was designed by the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
architecture firm of Schmidt, Garden and Erikson and is known for the 9' tall Moderne MODEL TOBACCO letters which dominate the north end of the building.
It is one of many Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
buildings in Richmond, including assorted buildings on Grace Street including the Central National Bank
Central National Bank (Richmond, Virginia)
The Central National Bank building is an Art Deco skyscraper located in Richmond, Virginia. Completed in 1929, it was one of the first skyscrapers in the city of Richmond not in the heart of the financial district...
building, the Virginia Union Belgian Building
Belgian Building
The Belgian Friendship Building or Belgian Pavilion is the former exhibition building for Belgium from the 1939/1940 World's Fair in New York City. It now serves as Barco-Stevens Hall on the campus of Virginia Union University, in Richmond, Virginia.It was designed by Belgian architects Victor...
, Medical College of Virginia's West Hospital
West Hospital
thumb|200px|Plaque on hospital's west auditorium entranceWest Hospital is a building on the MCV Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University noted for its Art Deco architecture.The building, in Richmond's Court End, is in a crucifix shape...
and Henrico Theater.
Currently the building houses approximately 3.5 acres (14,164 m²) of used cubicle
Cubicle
Тhe cubicle, cubicle desk, office cubicle or cubicle workstation is a partially enclosed workspace, separated from neighboring workspaces by partitions that are usually tall...
partitions and other miscellaneous office furniture. It also is the site of Russ Parsons
Russ Parsons
Russ Parsons is the food editor and columnist of the Los Angeles Times. He has been writing about food for 25 years, including almost 20 years at The Times, where he has also been managing editor, and deputy editor...
' famous collection of "hot dog cars," rumored in certain circles to be worth tens of thousands of dollars.