Murphy's Hotel

[1] It was deconstructed in late 2007 to give way to a modern high-rise that will house offices for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

[1] The original hotel was built in 1872 by John Murphy, an Irish immigrant, and former Confederate soldier.

[1] He renovated his oyster shack by opening multiple rooms above it, giving birth to the Murphy Hotel.

[1] Murphy would completely demolish the hotel in 1913 and would hire local architect John Kevan Peebles to replace it with a larger 11-story building, with the project being a success.

[1] After John Murphy died in 1918, his son-in-law, James T. Disney, would run the hotel until his eventual death in 1933.