Chuck's Locksmith Sign Restoration Project - In Honor of Tyler Potterfield

Before his unexpected passing, Tyler Potterfield was working to restore the historic Chuck's Locksmith sign on Nine Mile Road to revitalize the Church Hill neighborhood in the City’s East End.  Tyler had wanted to have the sign restored in time for Richmond’s Better Block event in June 2014.  The Better Block event, hosted by Bon Secours Richmond Health System, Sports Backers, Capital One, and other community supporters targeted a commercial intersection along 25th Street in the northern part of Church Hill. The initiative began in March with community engagement activities and culminated in a two-day event in June that showcased building façade enhancements, local public art installments, and other temporary streetscape improvements to help residents and city stakeholders see how the local area could be revitalized and transformed.  It was Tyler’s hope that the restored sign was to be a symbol of good things to come. 

I served as a liaison between Tyler and the sign owner, Bon Secours to coordinate the sign restoration project.  I had a sticky note on my desk to return Tyler’s call that Friday, April 25th, 2014 to discuss next steps.  I decided to wait until Monday to touch base.  On Monday, I received the tragic news of Tyler’s unexpected passing. 

Thomas “Tyler” Potterfield was my first friend at the City of Richmond.  I started working for the City as a Senior Planner in the fall of 2009.  We quickly connected through our passion for old houses, historic preservation, the City’s unique neighborhoods, and our vision for a better Richmond region.  Tyler and I worked tirelessly together on several projects to revitalize the northern part of Church Hill and the 25th Street and Nine Mile Road corridor.  We remained connected even after I left the City for another employment opportunity, always searching for ways to transform Church Hill.       

October 25th represents 6 months since Tyler left us.  To keep his spirit alive, we would like to restore and dedicate Chuck’s Locksmith sign as a memorial to Tyler's commitment to Church Hill.  One side of the sign will be preserved in its original condition.  The other side will feature a custom design by Marshall Higgins of interlocking irises to symbolize Tyler’s hope, courage, and wisdom as a leading champion for preserving and revitalizing Richmond’s historic neighborhoods. 

The purple Iris was one of Tyler’s favorite flowers.  The Greek word, Iris, means rainbow.  The flower got its name from the Greek goddess Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, who was a messenger on Mount Olympus. Iris would take messages from the eye of Heaven to earth by the arc of the rainbow.  This means that each of us carries a piece of heaven, and Tyler, with us.  The three leaves of the iris represent faith, wisdom, and valor.  It has been a symbol of royalty and divine protection for centuries throughout the world.  We believe the restored sign will be a symbol of divine protection for Church Hill.

The current sign owner, Bon Secours has agreed to donate the sign for this initiative.  The total cost of the restoration is $2,300.  We have already received a donation of $500 for this effort.  T-shirts featuring the iris design that will be hand painted on the restored sign can be purchased to help us raise the additional funds needed to restore the sign. All funds raised will go directly to the sign restoration project.  Any additional funds will go towards installing the sign in a public location and ongoing sign maintenance.  

This initiative has been organized by Ashley Peace, Caroline Warner, and several other personal friends of Tyler Potterfield. The iris image was created by members of the Supremo Guano Salon and designed by Marshall Higgins (marshallhigginsart.com).  Marshall Higgins will restore the sign once the necessary funds are raised.  

About Tyler: As a Senior Preservation Planner in the City of Richmond Department of Planning and Development Review, Thomas "Tyler" Potterfield worked for over 20 years to preserve the City's most important historic architectural resources; to restore and revitalize Richmond's historic neighborhoods such as Church Hill, Jackson Ward, and Oregon Hill; and served as a project manager for many important streetscape and infrastructure projects.  As an avid bicyclist, Tyler strived to make Richmond more bicycle and pedestrian friendly.  Tyler was the catalyst for Richmond’s planned Brown’s Island Dam Walk, which will put a span about 1,600 feet long from Brown’s Island to the foot of the Manchester climbing wall.  The walk will be the first direct crossing of the James River dedicated to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Tyler was also an accomplished author and historian.  His 2009 book, Nonesuch Place: A History of the Richmond Landscape is essential reading for urban planners, architectural historians, and lovers of Richmond.