Around 1925, Dan River management set their hearts on new housing styles and built some fifty homes on Bishop Avenue. These homes are unique, drawing influence from an eclectic mix of architectural styles including Carpenter Gothic, Tudor Revival, Classical Revival, and Craftsman in various combinations, all designed by the architect E.R. James. In the 1930s, Dan River touted these “modern” homes over their earlier iterations of workers’ housing, hoping to attract more workers to this live/work community.
Some of the Bishop Avenue homes as they stand today. 2020 photo on file with the City of Danville.
A 1930s image showing the new housing along Bishop Avenue. Courtesy of Danny from Schoolfield.
See also:
Smith, Robert S. Mill on the Dan: A History of Dan River Mills, 1882-1950. Duke University Press, 1960, p. 256.
schoolfieldvillage.com 