Paris has the Eiffel Tower, London has Big Ben and Seattle has the Space Needle.
Here in Mechanicsville, we have the windmill.
As Marty Martin, commercial executive for Eastern Virginia Bank and former president of Hanover Bank, put it, “You’d be surprised how many people use it as a directive—‘I’m 2.5 miles past the windmill!’”
The windmill stands at 8123 Mechanicsville Turnpike, where the turnpike and the turnpike bypass diverge. Although it has greeted visitors to the old village of Mechanicsville for almost 24 years, for the past two it has stood empty.
But in January the windmill’s arms, which really do turn, will start moving again, says Martin.
EVB purchased the building last year and is in the process of renovating it, expanding the interior space from about 1870 square feet to 2835. The grand opening is scheduled for Jan. 28.
The Mechanicsville branch of EVB will be moving from its current location at 8071 Mechanicsville Turnpike to a site that has traditionally been home to financial institutions. The windmill building was built in 1974 for Heritage Savings and Loan and later became a branch of Wachovia Bank. EVB purchased the building from Wachovia in 2006.
According to their website, EVB is “a family of community banks” that includes the former Southside Bank and Bank of Northumberland and the former Hanover Bank. EVB is based in Tappahannock and operates four branches in Hanover County.