The Southern States Silos and the James River as seen from Mayo Bridge
photography by: Omri Westmark
Once an independent city and now part of Richmond VA, Manchester abounds with dozens of industrial monuments, a vestige of its bygone era as a 20th century’s manufacturing powerhouse. Towering over the James River’s southern bank, the Southern States Silos are perhaps the town’s most conspicuous building, and yet, in spite of its unmissable presence, this industrial landmark is still forgotten in time, waiting to be explored.
By: Omri Westmark
Date: 00:01 29.03.22
Last Update: 19:51 08.02.24
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 testament 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 silos and the complex's administrative building, fully covered by murals painted during the 2016's RVA Street Art Festival
photography by: Omri Westmark
The abandoned silos
photography by: Omri Westmark
The iconic sign on the silo's northern façade, installed by its former owner, the Southern States Cooperative
photography by: Omri Westmark
An upwards perspective of the silos
photography by: Omri Westmark
The silos and the surrounding buildings
photography by: Omri Westmark
The former entrance where trucks deposited their grains
photography by: Omri Westmark
The grain elevator
photography by: Omri Westmark
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.
One of the decommissioned worker buses at the premises
photography by: Omri Westmark
The complex's northern side is flanked by the Manchester Floodwall, built as a countermeasure against seasonal floods from the nearby James River
photography by: Omri Westmark
The vividly colorful façade of the administrative building
photography by: Omri Westmark
An adjacent residential building, a prelude to the Southern States Silos' ultimate destiny
photography by: Omri Westmark
One of the many murals across the site
photography by: Omri Westmark
The Untold RVA 11:11 Portal, a nearby marker, dedicated for the city's black history
photography by: Omri Westmark
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
photography by: Omri Westmark
