The Marina mystery has been solved! Thanks to a tip from Retro Richmond reader Barry and a little help from David, author of Old Richmond Grocery Stores, the history of this wonderful structure has been uncovered!

Here’s what David had to say:

The 20th Street store was built as a Siegel’s. It first appeared in the city directory in 1959. It remained a Siegel’s until 1989 when Siegel’s was acquired by Farm Fresh. Farm Fresh operated it for one year as a Nick’s Market and then sold it to Community Pride.

From what I’ve gathered, Charlie Siegel got into the grocery business in the 1940’s. There was a Siegel’s at 419 N. 6th in the 1941 directory and one at 426 N. 6th from 1950 to 1968. Siegel also operated at 1911 W. Main (last time I looked, it was a brewpub) from 1968 to 1986.

All of my dates are from the city directory and are approximate. Charlie Siegel’s brother “Hip” Siegel was the “S” in S&K Famous Brands.

Everyone wants to make the 20th & Hull store into a Safeway or something else, but it was Siegel’s from the beginning. The barrel roof style was popular for supermarket construction in it’s day, though not as much in Richmond as in other places. One thing it’s not, is a Marina. The best surviving example of a Marina Safeway still in Richmond is the Big Apple Market at Jeff Davis and Terminal.

So there you have it. The building formerly known as Community Pride had its humble beginnings as a Siegel’s SuperMarket in 1959.

The added bonus to this story: the roof style is NOT a Marina, but a Barrel roof (which I’m not 100 percent sold on since I think of Barrel roofs as more rounded, but David is probably correct. To me, it looks like a Barrel-Marina hybrid.)

Thanks to Barry for the Siegel’s tip and to David for the additional info! Now we just need to get this building a historic landmark designation so it can remain standing for all to see.

Last month, I posted photos of this cool Marina-roofed building on West 20th Street and asked if anyone knew any additional information about it.

This week, i received a new clue in my Marina mystery from Robb over at Nashville Modern. (Check out the photos of his ultra-hip modern ranch. It is fabulous!)

Here’s what Robb had to say:

To me, it looks a lot like the King Cole Market, Whittier CA, architect A. Quincy Jones, 1951. Although it appears slightly different in your photos, that may be due to alterations done to it over time.

Robb was kind enough to scan some photos from Cory Buckner’s book about the architect titled, “A. Quincy Jones.” What does everyone think? I see a lot of similarities.

View a larger version of it here.

View a larger version of it here.

That’s some good sleuthing, Robb! If it’s not a Jones original, it’s definitely Jones-inspired. The original King Cole market in Whittier, CA (pictured above) was featured in the 1967 movie “Divorce American Style” with Dick Van Dyke but has since been demolished.

Though Jones’ did most of his work in California, his architectural firm did design the Pabco Linoleum Plant in New Jersey. However, that’s the only East Coast reference I can find for this famed modernist architect. I’m turning to my Richmond natives once again, does anyone remember a King Cole market in the area?

The mystery continues!

I had a great (and sweltering) time photographing places last weekend. In my travels, I stumbled across this Marina-roofed gem on West 20th Street, just off Hull Street Road.

Commonly seen in grocery store architecture in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Marina roof made its debut in 1959 on Safeway’s first store, which was located on Marina Boulevard in San Francisco.

This former Community Pride grocery store is in dire need of repair, but the beautiful arched roof still is a sight to behold. I bet it was spectacular in its heyday. I’d love to see photos of it in all its glory.

If anyone has any additional info about this building, let me know. I’d love to know more about it.