The Reed Square Foundation (RSF) was incorporated in April 2002 as a 501(c)(3) Federal tax-exempt organization for the purpose of preserving Reed Square as a green space in the St. John’s Church Old and Historic District. Reed Square is adjacent to the Anthony Turner House at 2520 East Franklin St. The Turner House was built between 1803 and 1810 while Thomas Jefferson was president. When the St. John’s Church Old and Historic District was formed in 1957, it included only the square block west of St. John’s Church. Sometime thereafter, Mary Ross Scott Reed purchased and refurbished the Turner House. By then, the original Turner House property had been subdivided and there were two double houses on what is now Reed Square. To restore the historic look of the property, Mrs. Reed acquired the two structures and razed them. She fenced the property, landscaped it and opened it to the neighborhood as a safe, clean, sylvan retreat particularly for young mothers and their children.
In 1964, Mrs. Reed deeded Reed Square to the Historic Richmond Foundation (HRF). From then until 2002 HRF paid the real estate taxes and maintained the property. During a housing boom in 2002, the HRF Executive Director presented a plan to the Church Hill Association to build a new house on the property and sell it. In response, a group of neighbors formed the Reed Square Foundation (RSF) to purchase Reed Square and save it from development. Between 2002 and 2006:
- RSF Board of Directors met with HRF and forged an agreement to purchase the property.
- RSF filed a Limited Liability Corporation application with the State Corporation Commission and received its approval.
- RSF applied for and received 501(c)(3) Federal tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service.
- RSF purchased Reed Square with financial support from the RSF Board, the Church Hill Association, charitable foundations and individual contributors.
- The Virginia Department of Historic Resources accepted a Conservation Easement to protect Reed Square from development.
When considering the best use of the property beyond its original purpose, the RSF Board recognized that the neighborhood lacked a memorial to principal benefactors who championed the cause of historic preservation on Church Hill. Without them (and others) this historic neighborhood would not exist. The Foundation recognized that as residents moved away and new residents moved in, a sense of the effort and resources required to establish this historic neighborhood was fading from public memory. By establishing Reed Square as a garden memorial, the RSF hopes to keep interest in historic preservation alive and foster an appreciation of the individual sacrifices made for our tightknit community.
Reed Square is open to the public by request for weddings, receptions, and other gatherings. The RSF Board reviews applications. There are no set fees and all donations to the RSF are tax deductible. Among the Foundation’s yearly expenses are full value real estate taxes and liability insurance. The insurance policy requires the property to be locked when not in use. All maintenance is performed by Foundation members and there is no paid staff.