John Binford Walford
John Binford Walford of Richmond, Virginia (3/4/1891 to 7/24/1956 (buried in Hollywood Cemetery)) was the youngest of five children born to Charles Paterson Walford, Sr., who operated a book business under the name T. C. P. Walford & Son, who was later employed by the National State and City Bank until 1907 when he was elected Clerk & Supervisor of Richmond City Schools. C. P. Walford, Sr. was a staunch democrat and was on the vestry of Ginter Park Methodist Episcopal Church. He married Aurelia Behm of Baltimore on 4/17/17. He claimed an exemption from service on his WWI draft card dated 6/5/17 stating “wife dependent on me.” He listed his address on that draft card as 904 Chamberlayne Avenue and his employment as “architectural draftsman” for Carneal & Johnston. He was a 1911 graduate of the Virginia Mechanical Institute. He worked for Scarborough & Howell (1910-1911) and Carneal & Johnston (1911-1917) before becoming employed as a draftsman for Charles M. Robinson Architects in late 1918 or early 1919, and literally being the last man out the door when Charles M. Robinson Architects’ business rolled to an almost-stop in 1931. He literally stayed with the Firm until the end, was a pallbearer at Charles M. Robinson’s August 22, 1932 funeral and he obtained the Plan Archives and Customer Accounts – either by a succession planning agreement with Charles M. Robinson or by purchase from Annie Custer Robinson. It was not Charles Custer Robinson that took over the firm and represented himself as “Successor to Charles M. Robinson,” it was J. Binford Walford.
The 1910 City of Richmond Directory lists J. Binford Walford (at age 19) as a “Student” and living at 802 East Clay – the same address as his parents.
The 1911 Directory lists him as a “Draftsman” for C. K. Howell, a Richmond Architectural Firm.
Mr. Walford’s name appears on all pages of the Scarborough & Howell blueprints for the design of the “Star Theater,” later known as the Empire Theater, now known as the November Theatre, at 114 West Broad Street. “Drawn by Walford” appears on all pages. Mr. Walford kept the original set of blueprints in the Charles M. Robinson archives, and then his firm’s. All successor firms honored Mr. Walford by retaining them.
J. Binford Walford attended the Richmond Public Schools and upon graduating he enrolled in the Virginia Mechanics Institute’s Architectural Drafting Classes. On May 18, 1911, he received his certificate for completing the “Night School Architectural Drawing” and a second certifivate for “First Honor Certificate, Architectural “B,” also dated May 18, 1911.
The 1912 City of Richmond Directory lists J. Binford Walford as “Draftsman” for Carneal & Johnston. The 1913 and 1914 directories list him as “Superintendent” for Carneal & Johnston.
The 1915 and 1916 directories list him as “Draftsman” for Carneal & Johnston.
A display ad in the Richmond Times-Dispatch – published on September 26, 1915 by the Lewis Ginter Land and Improvement Company – states that three Ginter Park Homes are being built at a total cost of over $18,000 by three Richmonders: W. D. Crenshaw, J. Binford Walford and L. G. Crenshaw. Mr. Walford’s was located at 904 Chamberlayne, which was later re-numbered to “3904.” This would be Mr. Walford’s home until his death in 1956 and his wife’s until she passed away in 1975. Mr. Walford’s parents would also move to the house and live there until their deaths:
An article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on October 7, 1915 states that Mr. Walford, at age 24 and Scoutmaster of Richmond Troop #31, was elected President of the Scoutmasters’ Club of Richmond. He would ultimately be President of the Robert E. Lee Council of Scouts and would receive a national award for scouting—the Silver Beaver.
The 1917 City of Richmond Directory lists “J. Binford Walford” in BOLD with “Chief Draftsman, Carneal & Johnston [and] Sec-Treas. Richmond Architects Association.”
Did he respond to this advertisement in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on August 28, 1918? Was a “teacher” needed to assist in the assimilation of existing – including Charles Custer Robinson – employees?
When J. Binford Walford joined the firm in late 1918 or early 1919, it must have been a huge “get” insomuch as Charles M. Robinson Architects took Carneal & Johnston’s Chief Draftsman, the son of the Clerk & Supervisor of the Richmond Public Schools, an officer in the Richmond Architect’s Association and a prominent citizen—all rolled into one. Mr. Walford initialed his first set of Charles M. Robinson Architects plans in March of 1919 (Blue Ridge Sanitorium Women’s Patient and Men’s Patient Buildings).
Despite Mr. Walford’s arrival, there was a critical shortage of draftsman for Charles M. Robinson. Classified Ads were run in the Richmond Times-Dispatch at an almost-frantic pace in the Summer and Fall of 1919:
August 2, 1919 a classified advertisement “Draftsman – Wanted Architectural Draftsman with Experience. Apply Charles M. Robinson, Architects, 1004 Times-Dispatch, City.”
September 6, 1919 a display classified ad in all capitals “ARCHITECTURAL DRAFTSMEN—WANTED IMMEDIATELY. SEVERAL ARCHITECTURAL DRAFTSMEN. APPLY CHARLES M. ROBINSON, ARCHITECTS, TIMES-DISPATCH BUILDING.”
December 1, 1919 a classified advertisement “Draftsman—Experienced draftsman wanted at once. Apply Charles M. Robinson, Architects, 1004 Times-Dispatch building, City.”
Walford stood out from all the new employees, He was employed as a draftsman until 1922 and became an architect in 1922 and at some point: a partner, and eventually: Successor—over Charles Custer Robinson. He is present in the 1926 photograph of the Drafting Room on the 10th Floor of the Times-Dispatch Building.
Walford was an avid, life-long philatelist. He often saved envelopes addressed to Charles M. Robinson Architects that had colorful stamps. He used envelopes bearing the Firm’s custom “Old English Logo” to obtain special cancellations. He was a founding member of the Richmond Stamp Club and maintained his membership until his death. His legacy to the philatelic world is those envelopes that he saved and obtained.
J. Binford Walford continued in the tradition of strong Masons being employees of Charles M. Robinson Architects. He was a pallbearer at Charles M. Robinson’s August 22, 1932 funeral at Hollywood Cemetery. He had been a life-long Mason—another commonality among Charles M. Robinson’s employees.
Taking over the Firm at Charles M. Robinson’s death, Mr. Walford formed a sole-proprietorship and issued the first plans bearing his name in October 1932—the Women’s Activity Building at the University of Richmond. The only other 1932 Walford plan (and there were only eight Charles M. Robinson plans dated “1932”), was a retaining wall for Brown Hall at William & Mary (Women’s Missionary Society Virginia Conference).
J. Binford Walford would take Charles M. Robinson’s accounts and build on the foundations that the Firm laid with colleges, especially James Madison, William & Mary, Virginia State, Mary Washington. Public School Systems, including and especially those in Tidewater would be very fruitful in commissions. From 1932 to the end of 1945, J. Binford Walford would prepare – as a sole proprietor – approximately 260 different sets of plans. From 1946 until his death in 1956, Walford & Wright would prepare an additional 230 sets of plans. Over 500 more sets of plans would be prepared from 1957 to 1990 by O. Pendleton Wright operating Walford & Wright on his own and then by Wright, Jones and Wilkerson.
J. Binford Walford died on July 24, 1956 at Stuart Circle Hospital a few days after suffering a heart attack. He had been a lifelong member of the Ginter Park Methodist Church, taking extremely personal interests in its architecture, both the interior and exterior, in completing Charles M. Robinson’s original ideas for their Laburnum Avenue campus. Over the years he made numerous architectural drawings, taking great pains and care to make the church beautiful.
Mr. and Mrs. Walford made their home at 3904 Chamberlayne Avenue and she died April 23, 1975. The Walfords had no children but did have – at the time of Mr. Walford’s death – Four nieces, three newphes and several great nieces and nephews. J. Binford Walford is buried in Hollywood Pavilion #194. When J. Binford Walford died, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that he left an estate of $263,743.62 to his wife and a Trust. Upon her death in 1975, the Trust liquidated and set up scholarships at the Virginia Colleges that Charles M. Robinson and J. Binford Walford had worked with, including James Madison, Mary Washington, Virginia State and William & Mary. These colleges perpetually give an annual scholarship award in J. Binford Walford’s name.
The Walfords were one of the original sponsors of the Richmond Symphony and the Collectors’ Circle at the Virginia Museum. They were quite active in promoting classical music in Richmond through their Church. Their interest in classical music developed because Mrs. Walford was a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of Music.
