The Grove Memorial is a public gathering space that pays tribute to past recipients of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce's Business Leaders of the Year award.

Nestled on the eastern side of McIntire Park, in Charlottesville, Virginia, the Grove offers parkgoers a place to gather, engage in recreational activities, and rest on a sprawling elliptical lawn. At the heart of the Grove lies a stone terrace, constructed from repurposed stones that once formed an integral part of a local historic dam. These stones bear the testimony of their rich history. Each reveals a distinctive palette of colors and bears the marks left by the hands that crafted the dam nearly two centuries ago. The boulders offer a diverse array of surfaces for interaction. Some boulders have been tilted, creating both vertical and horizontal orientations that beckon visitors to engage with their forms. Among them, a particularly noteworthy boulder showcases a polished inscription, serving as an introduction to the memorial. The adjacent seatwall’s inscribed bluestone coping displays the names of past recipients of this prestigious accolade.

The design of the memorial draws inspiration from the site's underlying geology. Mimicking the striated pattern of Metagraywacke outcroppings discovered on site, the bluestone paving pattern and intricately shaped edges of the terrace are a representation of the weathering process that transforms the metagraywacke into elongated lozenges, giving the rock its pin-striped appearance. Taking further cues from deep time forces on this site, the boulders were aligned at the same angle as the Blue Ridge Mountain range. Into the future, the Grove stands as a tribute to the rich history of Charlottesville and its connection with the surrounding natural environment. The Grove Memorial provides a timeless monument, bridging the past and the future, and inviting all to partake in its enduring legacy.

CLIENT:
The Grove Committee
Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce

PROJECT TEAM:
Martin Horn - General Contractor
SLP Masonry - Stonework
Bob Clore - Stone Inscriptions

LOCATION:
Charlottesville, VA - McIntire Park

PHOTOGRAPHY:
Waterstreet Studio
The Hook