A major milestone quietly occurred in 2022, the 150th anniversary of Mechanicsville! It was back in 1872 that the neighbourhood subdivision was first laid out, and the first houses built. Over the past few years I have been researching Mechanicsville's history extensively, and so I was easily able to write a (very quick) summary of how Mechanicsville developed for the October Kitchissippi Times. It's a really neat story for which this column only scratches the surface. I have been aspiring to write a book, and my original goal was this year (2022) to coincide with the anniversary. But the pandemic scuttled those plans as I was not able to complete the interviews I needed. I still hope to have a book finished at some point, because I think it's absolutely necessary to have the stories of Mechanicsville recorded as the neighbourhood changes so fast, and little of the old houses and people remain.
Mechanicsville itself was not in a position to be able to celebrate the 150th as Laroche Park was in full redevelopment mode and not usable. So I think the community may have plans to low-level celebrate the anniversary in 2023.
Either way, I look forward to getting a book finally done, and if you, or someone you know would be a good candidate to meet with me to share old stories and photos, I would love to hear from you!
For now, enjoy this article!
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