One needn’t look far to find the source of Knitting Mill Creek. The short creek begins at 42nd Street and runs along the western edge of the Colonial Place neighborhood into the Lafayette River. A brief stroll to the west, standing along the west side of Colley Avenue between 44th and 45th streets, is the century-old building whose operations gave the creek its name.
The brick and masonry structure dates from 1895, when it was built for $100,000 as Lambert’s Point Knitting Mill.
At the time, the mill employed about 200 people and was one of about two dozen such mills in an area home to extensive manufacturing and industrial facilities.
A fire insurance map from the period mentions the building’s two-story main structure, which housed machines for carding, knitting, spinning, and steaming. Other structures housed the mill’s washroom, dry room, machine shop, box factory, and storehouse.
The mill featured the latest technology of the time, including electric lighting, steam heat, and an automatic sprinkler system, which was fed by a 5,500-gallon water tank mounted atop a four-story tower on the building’s south side.
A now-defunct Norfolk and Western Railway spur entered the mill from the north side and was used for delivering materials and taking away finished goods.
In the 1910s, the building was used as a woodworking and a cotton processing facility. By 1920, it was a storage warehouse.
In the 1950s, the building, now owned by Old Dominion Paper Co., was expanded and updated extensively. Crews added a one-story addition on the mill’s south, north, and west sides. The window openings were resized and replaced with textured glass block, and the entire building was clad in concrete stucco, a nod to Modernist architecture.
Today, the mill has a new life as Knitting Mill Commons, with loft-style apartments home to many Old Dominion University students, among others.
Discover fun activities, delicious cocktail/mocktail recipes, essential bike safety tips, upcoming events, and so much more! We’re thrilled to bring you this newsletter and hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy creating it!
Spring has sprung, and we’re starting to see more cyclists on the road. The following information from the Virginia DMV includes important information for both cyclists and drivers.
Our NEW registered agent, Grayson T. Orsini, a Senior Associate with Williams Mullen, spoke at our meeting to introduce himself and talked to the audience about what a registered agent does and how we can support the civic league moving forward.
Officer Brenton Blakeslee, our Community Resource Officer, provided the latest crime report. He talked a bit about a “swatting,” a term used to describe when police are falsely called on a residence/person, in regards to a false call incident that had happened in the neighborhood earlier that morning. He also noted that car break-ins have been on a notable rise this month and to take ensure doors are locked and not leave valuables in plain sight. Officer Blakeslee also spoke about a minors curfew hour of 11pm in effect. Also he shared that while they are aware of the racing motor bikes/4-wheelers, but that they are not permitted by law to pursue offenders once in motion due to safety reasons, making it difficult to make arrests.
Gene Ward, resident of Colonial Place and nominee for Civic League Vice President, introduced himself to the attending members and shared a bit about his background in community work.
Upcoming Social Event: CPRV Easter Egg Hunt | 4/19 at 10am (Delaware/Colonial Circle) – Social gathering and Easter Egg Hunt for kids with some light refreshments provided. See CPRV facebook group page for more event details.
Next Month’s Meeting: On May 12, 2025 at 6:30 PM, we will return to Kingdom Embassy Ministries.
Reminder to Pay Your Dues: If you are interested in being a part of the civic league and want to support the efforts and service we provide to the community, please consider a membership. It is $10 per person under 65 and $5 per person 65+. Click Here to Learn More.
Spring updates, pothole tips, a warm welcome to our new Registered Agent, event recaps, community happenings, kid activities, and volunteer opportunities—all inside this month’s CPRV newsletter!
Attention CPRV Parents & Kids of All ages!! Join the Social Events Committee, led by Riverview Neighborhood Representative and event sponsor Patience McCartney, on April 19th for an Easter Egg Hunt in the Delaware x Colonial circle.
Samantha Miller, Environmental Project Coordinator for Elizabeth River Project joined us to share details about Knitting Mill Creek health and Phases 2 and 3 of the Mayflower Path restoration project coming in Spring 2025. See her full presentation from the meeting below.
Click on the logos below to learn more about our sponsors.
