Postcards circa 1950s
 
Charlottesville, Virginia -- Emmet @ Ivy Rd
 

Believed to have opened in 1948, the stand-alone Charlottesville Restaurant was a "Canton" type not unlike the unit which was built on Afton Mountain. Practically on the grounds of Thomas Jefferson's University of Virginia, it was also adjacent to a couple of motels which all served to assure a steady stream of patrons. The prosperous location was owned or managed by Frank Welch during the early 1950s, and directories indicate that the unit was a Howard Johnson's until 1968.

Above: The vintage postcard view depicts Charlottesville without an Orange Roof much less porcelain enamel tiles. No information about its lack of Orange has yet been unearthed!
 
 
 
 
 
Photographs 11-2003, 6-2003, 2005: Courtesy of Phil Edwards
 
Above and Below: While the Restaurant's Dairy Bar section on the left remained recognizable, the front of the building had been pushed forward rendering it unoriginal. Nonetheless Phil documented that the general shape of the building was intact as were architectural embellishments like the metal awning and railing leading to the basement.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

While the postcard above was primarily for the motel, it featured the Restaurant prominently as a benefit for its guests. By the time of Phil's first visit, the Restaurant had been long shuttered and obscured by foliage. A sign at the site indicated that the Best Western Cavalier Inn (located across the street) had some interest in the old Restaurant's parking lot.

When Mr. Edwards ventured a second time to the former HoJo's, he discovered that the University had taken an interest in the site, and its vehicles were in the parking lot. However by the middle 2000s upon his final visit, the restaurant had been demolished--not a trace remained.