Shockoe Slip in Richmond, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

1201 East Cary Street

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, March 5, 2011

1. 1201 East Cary Street Marker

Inscription. This building, now the home of the popular Tobacco Company Restaurant, was originally built in 1866, just one year after the Evacuation Fire. Erected during the most difficult period Richmond has ever experienced, the structure was considered especially amazing, during that time of extreme economic hardship, for its size.

For decades it serviced the nearby James River and Kanawha Carnal as a warehouse for groceries and, in the 1870s, for tobacco. Even after the demise of the canal, this particular warehouse was able to remain active because of its proximity to the railroad depots, which had become the hub of commercial activity. Included in the area’s renovation for retail and restaurant trade in the 1970s, this building was reborn as a fashionable, modern eating establishment which is known for its 19th-century charm.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1866.

Location. 37° 32.146′ N, 77° 26.079′ W. Marker is in Richmond, Virginia. It is in Shockoe Slip. Marker is at the intersection of East Cary Street (Virginia Route 147) and South 12th Street, on the right when traveling east on East Cary Street. Marker is on the northwest corner of the building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1201 East Cary Street, Richmond VA 23219, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers.

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 1200 Block East Cary Street (within shouting distance of this marker); Commercial Block (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Bowers Brothers Coffee and Tea Building (about 300 feet away); 1300-1304 East Cary Street (about 300 feet away); Columbian Block (about 300 feet away); Gallego Mills (about 400 feet away); Powers-Taylor Building (about 400 feet away); Inside A Flour Mill (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Richmond.

More about this marker. On top is an early 20th-century photograph of the building courtesy of the Valentine Museum.

Also see . . .
1. Historic Shockoe Slip, Richmond. (Submitted on March 5, 2011.)
2. The Tobacco Company Restaurant. (Submitted on March 5, 2011.)

Tobacco Company Restaurant (E Cary St & S 12th St) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, March 5, 2011

2. Tobacco Company Restaurant (E Cary St & S 12th St)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 5, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 892 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 5, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.