J. P. Ellington

J. P. Ellington
Ellington, c. 1906
Member Charlottesville City Council
Electoral District	Fourth Ward
Term Start	1905
Term End	1916
Preceded by	A. D. Dabney (D)
Succeeded by	New Council (Charlottesville City Council (1916–1922))
Member Charlottesville City Council
Electoral District	Fourth Ward
Term Start	1920
Preceded by	F. M. Huyett (D)
Succeeded by	New Council (Charlottesville City Commission (1922–1928))
Biographical Information
Date of birth	John Pinkney Ellington 1864 Rockingham, North Carolina
Date of death	1940 (aged 76) Volusia, Volusia, Florida Riverview Cemetery
Spouse	Susan Jane Ayers (m. 1888)
Children	Walter Raleigh Ellington (1889–1963) Frank Raymond Ellington (1890–1931) Edna B. Ellington (1892–1928)
Residence	709 1/2 W Main Street Charlottesville, Virginia
Profession	Merchant J P Ellington & Son Dry Goods

J. P. Ellington (1864-1940) was a successful merchant who served on the Charlottesville City Council, representing the Fourth Ward, during the 1st quarter of the 20th century (1905 to 1922).

In 1894 he operated

John Pinkney Ellington was born in 1864, in Rockingham, North Carolina to John Pleasant and Nancey Epps “Nannie” Wells Ellington. A wheelwright by trade, his father enlisted in the Confederate Army and was promoted to full Corporal on January 30, 1864. He married Susan Jane Ayers on December 28, 1888 in Liberty, Bedford, Virginia. They were the parents of three children.

J. P. Ellington died in 1940, in Volusia, Florida (located between Orlando and Daytona Beach), at the age of 76, and was buried in Riverview Cemetery.

The Peyton–Ellington Building

The Peyton–Ellington Building is a historic commercial building located at 711 W. Main St. in Charlottesville. It was built in 1893, and is a two-story, three-bay, brick building with an iron front facade. The facade features decorated pilasters at each end that support a cornice with a plain frieze, modillions, and cornice stops. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.This is one of two surviving buildings in the city with metal-clad facades. It is also part of the last remaining commercial block on West Main Street. In 1892 Sarah F. Culin, widow of John C. Culin, sold a comer of her yard to A. N. Peyton (City DB 3-242) who built this store building there the next year and rented it to J. P. Ellington for a dry goods store. According to tax records and the Sanborn maps, the rear wing was probably added c. 1896. Ellington purchased the building in 1901 (DB 12-288) and also purchased several adjoining lots when the rest of the Culin property was subdivided in 1920. He sold it all in 1924 to A. G. Carter (DB 46-44), who sold it to W. D. Haden and Hollis Rinehart in 1935 (DB 85-424). Haden's estate later purchased Rinehart's share of this building (DB 141-224, 229) and sold the building to J. Elmer and Virginia C. Estes in 1970 (DB 321-73). After Ellington sold it, Charles Worthington operated a book store in this store room in the 1930's and lived above. In the 1950's and early 1960's it housed the Albemarle Maytag Co.

c. 1906

Peyton-Ellington Building (711 W Main St)

Legacy

J. P. "Dry Goods" Ellington purchased the first automobile in Albemarle County in 1906, triggering the area's automobile craze. With his purchase, Ellington became the proud owner of number 494 of the first 500 automobiles in Virginia. Enthusiasm for automobiles spread quickly. Although automobile use was limited in the early decades of the twentieth century by various factors, including weather, road quality, and money, by 1922 more than 1,800 cars existed in Albemarle County, along with 363 trucks. This amounted to one vehicle for every 17 persons in the county.