by Emma Earnst
On this day in 1987, Rip Payne spent the day in the air. Apparently hanging out the side of a small plane, he took a series of overhead shots of what he labeled “K-Mart” but are actually better described as “Addition to Seminole Square,” or in some cases, “Views of the Airplane’s Wing.” The plaza, which at the time consisted of only the east side as we now know it (the Giant side), was being expanded to include a north side- which now houses a series of great shops like Pete’s Pet Forum.
Take a look for yourself– compare these images with a current map of the area. You can use this crude diagram as a reference tool (please don’t judge my Photoshop skills):
Some time ago, Peter Hedlund shared this awesome map overlay program—HistoryPin— where anyone can place historic images of places directly onto Google Maps- even street view! I attempted to plop this photo onto the current satellite images of the area, but I’m mostly disappointed. However, the program works much better in street view. Check out these examples from the local area of the McIntire Building, the JPA bridge, and West Main Street. Learn more about the uses of HistoryPin on the Encyclopedia Virginia blog.
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Tags: 1980s, Albemarle, Giant, Google Maps, HistoryPin, Jefferson Park Avenue, JPA bridge, K-Mart, maps, McIntire Building, Pete's Pet Forum, Rip Payne, Seminole Square, West Main Street
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