In that process of rummaging through my notes on Penniman, I was reminded that I’d been looking for photos taken by Drewry Jones of Williamsburg. Despite lots of poking around, I never have been able to locate those photos (originals or reproductions), or anyone who has even heard of Mr. Jones’ collection of photos.
The photos appeared in the Richmond Times Dispatch in an indepth article on Virginia’s Own Ghost City: Penniman (June 1938). The article featured a wide photo of Penniman‘s village (with all those little houses).
Despite two trips to Hagley Museum and Library (in Wilmington, Delaware) and several billion trips to area museums and libraries, I’ve never seen anything like those photos. They were truly unique in that they captured a great view of Penniman’s residential village.
Augustus Drewery (sometimes spelled “Drewry”) danced off this mortal coil on April 8, 1977. His obituary was published in the Newport News Daily Press on April 10, 1977, and named two nephews as his lone survivors.
I’ve sent two letters to Mr. Jones’ only surviving nephew (“Dr. John M. Pitman” of Williamsburg) and haven’t heard a peep. That was 18 months ago.
The rest of Mr. Jones’ obit reads,
Augustus Drewery Jones of Williamsburg died Friday in a Williamsburg Community Hospital after a long illness.
A lifelong resident of Williamsburg, Mr. Jones was a graduate of the College of William and Mary. After a long career with the Peninsula Bank and Trust Company, he was appointed state treasurer of Williamsburg-James City County and retired from office in 1959.
He was past chairman of the board of deacons and ruling elder of Williamsburg Presbyterian Church, a member of the Association for the Preservation of Antiquities, the Pulaski Club, Sons of American Revolution, Williamsburg Rotary Club, and a former member of the Williamsburg Rotary Club.
Mr. Jones loved Penniman. In fact, in the early 1920s, he had one of the old Penniman houses moved to a lot on South England Street, and he lived there until his death. In fact, that house is currently for sale! Click here to see pictures!
And he owned photo(s) of Penniman – that he shared with the Richmond Times Dispatch – which were taken from an angle that I’ve not seen anywhere else.
Drewry Jones was fairly well-connected, as an alumn of William and Mary College, a banker with the Peninsular Bank and Trust Company and state treasurer of James City County. Someone somewhere must know this fellow.
I’d be so grateful if anyone could help me find out what became of Mr. Jones’ collection of photos.
For the intrepid researchers here, below is a list of where I have already checked for these photos.
1) Valentine Museum
2) York County Museum
3) William and Mary Swem Library
4) Virginia Historical Society
5) Preservation Virginia
6) Colonial Williamsburg ‘s “Rockefeller Library”
7) York County Library
8) Waterman’s Museum ( Yorktown )
9) Virginia Department of Historic Resources
10) Library of Virginia
11) Newport News War Museum
12) Richmond Times Dispatch
So where are Mr. Jones’ photos?
There are a handful of Penniman houses in Williamsburg. Click here to learn more.
To read more about Penniman, click here.
See the interior of Mr. Jones’ home by clicking here.
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Here's a grainy reproduction of Mr. Jones' photo, as seen in the Richmond newspaper (June 2, 1938).
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Here's the original newspaper reference to "a print belongin gDrewry Jones of Williamsburg" (RTD, June 2, 1938).
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If you squnit your eyes a lot and look closely at this photo of Penniman (1918), you can see two of the DuPont "Georgias" in the photo. As one historian said, "Penniman was not erased, it was dispersed." Many of these houses were moved to nearby cities. Photo is courtesy Hagley Museum and Library.
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Drewry's house was a DuPont design, The Georgia."
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Drewery loved Penniman. He purchased this house from DuPont's 37th munitions plant on the York River, and had it moved to Williamsburg. Drewery lived in this house on South England for many years.
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After Mark Hardin first spotted this house, we traveled out to Williamsburg to see it "in the flesh." It's had some pretty substantial additions added onto it in the intervening 90 years.
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Here's a Georgia that started life at Penniman, and landed (with 64 other Penniman houses) in Norfolk, Virginia. The houses were shipped by barge from Penniman to the Riverfront neighborhood in Norfolk (Glenroie Avenue and Major Avenue). Notice the windows flanking the front door.
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The Georgia was designed by DuPont's architects, and was *probably* built with building materials from North American Construction Company (also known as Aladdin Readi-Cut Homes). The houses were built by Hancock-Pettijohn. Shown below is a chit found at the old Penniman site, maybe used for checking tools out of the tool shed.
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The only other tidbit I have is that on March 17, 1918, this item appeared in the Virginia Gazette. Seems Mr. Jones resigned from C&P (as manager) on March 1, 1918.
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And as of January 15, 1926, Mrs. Drewry Jones was chair of The Little Theater League.
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To read more about Penniman, click here.
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