Lee Hall Village

Lee Hall Village. . As passenger and freight activity became significant, the village of Lee Hall developed around the depot. Numerous places of business sprang up to support the activity generated by the depot including a schoolhouse, Dozier’s dairy, H.M. Clements’ store, Emma Curtis’ cafe, and S.R. Curtis’ grocery, post office and hotelry., H.M. Clements’ store provided residents with a meat shop, grocery, dry goods and other materials, as well as a home to salesmen renting upstairs apartments. Buildings erected on either side, a bar, bowling alley and barber shop, supported his business and added entertainment. Emma Curtis’ cafe and tavern next door fed residents and travelers., The size of the village fostered a close-knit feeling of community. Vada Curtis opened her home as a hostess house and dance hall during World War I to welcome returning soldiers, while Dozier’s farm and dairy provided milk and meat for residents. As the village expanded, other businesses were established: a Maxwell Car Company dealership (later Ford), tomato packing plant, pickle factory, Esso station, telephone exchange and D.P. Pender chain store., During the world wars, the depot enjoyed heavy military traffic from nearby Camp Eustis, now Fort Eustis. For Lee Hall residents during World War II, it was commonplace to see POWs and soldiers passing through their village enroute to and from camp. The village’s economic vitality began to fade after the war. Cars and trucks replaced trains as the prime movers of products and people.