Sprawling across the southern bank of the James River, Manchester’s old town district was known for decades as a regional industrial hub. Nowadays, many of the neighborhood’s red brick-covered factories were either repurposed or demolished in favor of modern apartment buildings. Amid the ever-changing townscape, the formidable Southern States Silos still stand as a testimony for Manchester’s historic role as a major manufacturing center.

Tucked away along the intersection of Mayo Bridge and Manchester Rd., the industrial complex was erected during the 1940’s as a grain elevator. Initially owned and operated by the Cargill Corporation, the storage facility often triggered a traffic havoc around it as a string of grain-carrying lorries waiting to unload their seedy cargo, was extended all across the nearby bridge. The grain elevator and its surrounding buildings were subsequently purchased by the Southern States Cooperative, which embellished the silo’s northern façade with an iconic sign that greets drivers and pedestrians on their way to Manchester ever since.

The complex exchanged owners again in 2003 and shortly after was decommissioned, ultimately falling into a state of disrepair. In attempt to revitalize the now-dilapidated landmark, the former storage facilities became a large-scale canvas during the 2016’s RVA Street Art Festival, where local artists cover several derelict places throughout the city with colorful murals.

Unfortunately, as it turns out, the Southern States Silos’ famed past and sheer uniqueness probably won’t be enough to save the structure from its impending demise. Coveted by multiple real-estate developers, the 2.2-acre tract was recently rezoned for a mixed-use project, one of many along the Manchester Floodwall. Though concrete timetable is not clear at the moment, the industrial monument is set to be demolished somewhere in the near future, making its precarious present a truly remarkable rarity to witness.

The silos and the complex's administrative building, fully covered by murals painted during the 2016's RVA Street Art Festival

The abandoned silos

The iconic sign on the silo's northern façade, installed by its former owner, the Southern States Cooperative

An upwards perspective of the silos

The silos and the surrounding buildings

The former entrance where trucks deposited their grains

The grain elevator

The silos alongside decommissioned vehicles for workers

One of the decommissioned worker buses at the premises

The complex's northern side is flanked by the Manchester Floodwall, built as a countermeasure against seasonal floods from the nearby James River

The vividly colorful façade of the administrative building

An adjacent residential building, a prelude to the Southern States Silos' ultimate destiny

One of the many murals across the site

The Untold RVA 11:11 Portal, a nearby marker, dedicated for the city's black history

Featuring photos of prominent African-American figures from the city as well as a red spinning wheel, the portal's intended purpose is to link between Richmond's painful past and present