For nearly three centuries, the James River has been vital to Richmond’s economic growth. From hydropower to shipping to beer production to recreation and tourism, the river’s waters are the foundation…
Browsing: Richmond History
In an attempt to lure riders to their streetcar line, the Virginia Manchester Railway opened a combination terminal and amusement park just south of the James in 1890. Accessible with…
How Virginia Union college students in Richmond changed the world and lead the way in the Civil Rights movement with a sit-in at Thalhimers in 1960.
In 1944, the U.S. Army built a hospital on the south side of Richmond to serve as the first stop for injured World War II soldiers returning home from England.…
The story of education is a long and complicated one across the nation. In Virginia, a well-documented piece of history is the commitment to racial segregation in the public schools.…
In 1844, evangelicals in England founded an organization meant to attract young, often wayward men into Christianity through social events and Bible study groups. A decade later, in 1854, a branch…
In 1929, a fantastic Richmond holiday tradition was born: the Christmas Toy Parade. Every year, just after Thanksgiving, crowds gathered on Broad Street to watch floats, bands, clowns, and drill teams…
In 1871, lines were drawn around a new voting ward. Before the Emancipation, the area had been home to German, Italian, and Jewish immigrants, in addition to a large population…
In 1646, two now-Virginia tribes signed a peace treaty with the British powers, ending the Third Anglo-Powhatan War. With this, the first reservations (the legal designation for an area of…
In 1916, the famous New York architect, John Russell Pope, designed one of the largest private residences ever built in Richmond. On Monument Avenue, the 27,000 square foot Tudor-Revival house was…
In 1892, Major Lewis Günter decided to build the finest hotel in America, in Richmond. Some would say he succeeded, considering its impressive guest list, which included Teddy Roosevelt, Bette Davis,…
On November 20, 1909, the Equal Suffrage League of Virginia voted itself into existence. It was the first women’s voting rights organization in Richmond and it had just eighteen members,…
