beechwood road celebrates 70 years of greatness

Ivor Wayne, original resident of Beechwood Road, wrote forty years ago in the Hollin Hills Bulletin: “The idea for a 30th anniversary party came about, in the course of a somewhat bibulous New Years Eve, when it was decided that three decades merited a proper observance for both residents and the Davenport team.”

Ivor Wayne’s article was a review of the Beechwood Road 30th anniversary party. His words were also a retort to a Washington Post article, somewhat snidely wondering if the Hollin Hills houses would stand the test of time.

The Beechwood Road 30th anniversary party then was dubbed the “Test of Time” party.

The Beechwood Road houses have indeed stood the test of time, and are now 70 years old! The cake was ordered, former residents tracked down, and invites sent, for the Beechwood Road 70th Birthday!

On April 20, thirty-six people, eight kids and five dogs celebrated Beechwood Road’s 70th birthday at 7219 Beechwood, hosted by Mike Kilpatrick, greeters Wendy Montanari and Julie Curtis, and Jere Gibber. The guest list consisted of three groups: current residents, former residents, and a few “Second Generation Hollin Hillers.”

We all traded stories, sang Happy Birthday, ate cake and ice cream, and viewed the foster mom cat and new kittens. Beechwood dogs received bags of biscuits, Maya Topalhan and her friend Maya scooped ice cream for the kids and rotated leading the kitten viewings.

Beechwood Roader Phil Hirschkop is categorized “Former Resident” on the invite list, but he was invited, and arrived, as a Special Guest. Wendy speechified from her handout, "Beechwood Roaders Who Made Virginia a Better Place,” citing Phil’s first case, which became a landmark case, Loving v. Virginia. Phil argued the case, with Bernard Cohen, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The biracial couple, Richard and Mildred Loving, finally won the right to remain married in the state of Virginia. Phil Hirschkop was a volunteer at the time!

Wendy’s handouts cited Allison Brown, who fought for the racial integration of Huntington Park swimming pool—look for the historical marker at the end of Coventry Road—the case was also landmark for the desegregation of all the pools in the state of Virginia. Her handout also cited Ed Risley, who started Friends of Dyke Marsh and pulled his family out of St. Louis Church because the minister was against the Little Hunting Park swimming pool decision!

The cake was decimated, the dogs ate well, and others agreed, “This smacks of a sequel!” Next year!

— Wendy Montanari, Julie Curtis and Jere Gibber