Henry "Buster" Saddler hasn't lived in
Cradock
since 1957, when he joined the Air Force and traveled the
world. But this month he came all the way from Sedalia, Mo.,
to see old friends at the seventh annual "
Come
Home
to
Cradock " celebration.
Sadler, 72, along with hundreds of former and current
residents turned out for the homecoming at Afton Square, in
the heart of the neighborhood's historic district. They
reminisced about the past and pondered the future - and
their attendance underscored
Cradock 's
reputation for inspiring civic pride and emotional
attachments.
"I remember this area vividly," Saddler said of the town
square. "I used to deliver groceries for
Mr. Chapman, who owned the grocery store at the corner."
Saddler, who also attended the 1999 and 2004 homecomings,
said he has seen modest but definite progress in
revitalization efforts in the past seven years.
"They tore down the old Academy Bar and are building
$300,000 houses there now," said Curtis Allison, 63,
Saddler's friend and former
Cradock
resident who now lives in the Simonsdale neighborhood.
The Alumni and Friends of Cradock , which
sponsored the Oct. 21 homecoming , was organized in 1999 in
the wake of the 1992 closing of
Cradock
High School. The organization tries
to keep
school alumni connected with the
Cradock
community and solicit their help for revitalization efforts.
Those efforts have taken off in recent years, although at a
slower pace than some residents would like.
In 2005, Portsmouth approved a community conservation plan
for all of Cradock and a redevelopment
strategy for purchasing vacant or condemned
homes
for renovation or demolition and reconstruction. The goal is
to convert blighted properties
to
owner-occupied dwellings, starting with Cushing Street.
Joanna Hall, who moved to the neighborhood
in December 2005, is among the new homeowners.
"I fell in love with (
Cradock 's)
concept," said Hall, an architect who works for Norfolk. "It
has a great plan, and if it's revitalized, it can be the
next Williamsburg, but for the 1920s, '30s, '40s -
to see how life was lived then. You have a chance
to have a living museum. It's time
to reinvest in this neighborhood."
Hall, who bought a two-story 1931 bungalow, said she moved
to
Cradock because she was
interested in the architecture. The neighborhood, she said,
provides affordable housing in a region that has seen
dramatic housing price increases the past few years.
"You can get your dream house at a great deal here," she
said.
Hall has become a proponent for
Cradock
revitalization and a spokesperson against a proposed plan
for New Jersey-based Covanta Energy Corp. 's waste-
to -energy trash depot on the Elizabeth River.
Under the proposal, which was defeated by a 6-0 City Council
vote Oct. 24, about 2½ tons of out-of-state trash would have
been received daily on barges and transported by truck for
incineration at the Southeastern Public Service Authority
Refuse Derived Fuel plant at Elm Avenue and Victory
Boulevard.
"Portsmouth has five historic districts," said Hall. "It is
part of the gateway to Virginia and
to Hampton Roads. Why would Portsmouth bring in
trash from out of state, taking on others' problems?
"You need to take stock of what you have,
and how you're going to market it, and what
you need to invest in, and I just don't
think trash is it."
Karim Shivji, a Navy petty officer first class , originally
from Texas, bought his renovated
home on
Cradock 's Prospect Street six months ago
for its proximity to his job at the Norfolk
Naval Shipyard and what he considers a good investment .
"This area right here is pretty good," said Shivji. "Before
I moved here, I talked to some of the
neighbors because I had heard things about
Cradock
, but this area is not bad. I like the neighborhood and I
haven't had any problems."
Cradock 's civic spirit helps make it a
focal point of many Portsmouth community activities. Events
such as the annual Fourth of July flag-raising ceremony and
Starving Artists Festival draw crowds from throughout
Hampton Roads and keep alive the vision of neighborhood
rejuvenation.
Christa Black , a 35-year Cradock resident
and member of the Cradock Civic League,
raised two children in the neighborhood and retains strong
hope for its revitalization.
"When I moved here, I liked it because it reminded me of
home ," said Black, originally from Bad
Neustadt, Germany. "My hometown had a quaint small town
center with a church in the corner and little shops, just
like Cradock . It's a really great place
and we want to preserve this nice area and
make it better."
Bev Sell
President Alumni & Friends of Cradock
Class of 1969
757-857-1794
BevSell@verizon.net
