Bygone Days in Denbigh

Bygone Days in Denbigh. . , Oriana Station , The Peninsula extension of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway from Richmond to Warwick County, included five new stations, with one specifically to serve the government complex at Denbigh. Oriana Station, located at Milepost 23, was named for the Oriana Barrel and Stave Company, a business begun after the Civil War. Passengers had ready access to the county seat at this stop. They were met at the depot by the Smith Livery Stable horse and buggy like a taxi service, and taken to the courthouse., The 30'x65’ building was an example of Carpenter Gothic architecture. In an era before automobiles and good roads, the station was vital to Denbigh and Grafton residents for transport. In its last years, passenger service was curtailed, and it was used as a storage and railway express pickup point. As noted in a Daily Press story dated September 8, 1965, a "predawn holocaust completely consumed the little wooden railway station." The building was not replaced., Smith's Hotel , Located across the road from the square was a general store and the Smith Hotel, built in 1883 by proprietor Levin Smith. The new courthouse was an economic tonic for the Denbigh community. Court, which met for two weeks every month, provided customers for both businesses. When in session, the establishment offered lodging for judges, juries, lawyers and witnesses, who often had to double up in its 16 rooms. It was a halcyon period for the boarding house, a time when courthouse regulars gathered to partake of fine food in the dining room or play poker and swap stories. Following Smith's death in 1909, the inn closed and became a private residence. It was torn down in 1985., (captions) , An overhead view of Route 60, then Warwick Boulevard and now Old Courthouse Way, depicted the Smith home and store across from the courthouse square., May 4, 1920 featured Denbigh and Morrison students celebrating May Day by dancing around a maypole on the Warwick Courthouse lawn. The image captured an annual event in days of yore. James L. Histand, Sr. Collection, An aerial of downtown Denbigh, c. 1940 is largely rural landscape. Oriana Road snakes down the center crossed by Route 60 (Old Courthouse Way). Image courtesy of the Warwick County Historical Society, Mrs. Horace C. Cross