Great Scott! Scott’s Addition Neighborhood

Scott’s Addition’s lush history of factories, homes, and store fronts, mirrors the the illustrious life of its namesake General Winfield Scott, who at one point owned the land that is present day Scott’s Addition.

General Winfield Scott is one of The United States’ most decorated and long serving Generals, serving under a range of Presidents that extended from Thomas Jefferson all the way through Abraham Lincoln.  He garnered recognition during the war of 1812 and would play a prominent role in the armed services for many of the years to come. By 1841, He was the General-in-Chief of the United States army. He led the US to victory along with other notable generals such as future President Zachary Taylor.

In his private life, Scott married Maria Mayo, daughter of prominent Richmond figure, Colonel John Mayo. It is through this marriage and John Mayo’s death that Winfield and Maria Scott inherited the land which would become Scott’s Addition. After Scott’s death in 1866 his children gained possession of the land, which was eventually acquired by the city of Richmond in 1914.

After its annexation in 1914, Scott’s Addition began creating residences that were generally lower income homes. The neighborhoods of Scott’s Addition reflected the landscape, working class families for a working class district of industry and commercial factories. These factories as well as the neighborhood were ever changing, coming and going, but there was always growth. Such examples include the National Biscuit Company (NABISCO) and Coca Cola factories each once located within Scott’s Addition.

Today, Scott’s Addition utilizes its history to shape its future. The neighborhood is growing every day. With the additions of restaurants, breweries, newly renovated apartments (made from some of the warehouses and factories of the past) as well as various businesses Scott’s Addition has become an attractive neighborhood for future Richmonders.