The Valentine has unveiled Building a City: Richmond’s Landmarks, a new exhibition created in collaboration with nearly 500 students and 25 teachers from across the Richmond region. This year-long initiative invited elementary, middle, and high school students to explore Richmond’s built environment and create models of some of the city’s architectural icons.
Developed by the Valentine’s Education and Curatorial teams alongside Valentine Teacher Fellows Sam Futrell and Charlotte Humphries, the project provided participating classrooms with lesson plans, research materials and hands-on support throughout the school year. Students at public and private schools from Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield selected from a curated list of 31 historically significant Richmond buildings, researched their architectural and cultural impact and wrote original exhibition labels to accompany their models. See the full list of partner schools below.
Building a City features 19 final works representing landmarks that continue to shape Richmond’s identity today, including models of St. John’s Church, Maymont Mansion, Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site, the Richmond Dairy Building, Main Street Station, and many more. The exhibit also includes a free booklet on the development of Richmond as well as two videos detailing the history of all 31 buildings and images of the model-making process at each school.
“Building a City reflects the creativity, curiosity, and dedication of students and teachers across our region,” said Cece D’Arville, Manager of Student Tours & Programs at the Valentine. “This project invited students to see Richmond’s history all around them through the buildings, neighborhoods, and landmarks that continue to shape our community today. We are thrilled to share their hard work with our visitors.”
For more than a century, the Valentine has connected students with Richmond’s history through hands-on learning and community engagement. Building a City: Richmond’s Landmarks continues that tradition by placing student voices and perspectives at the center of the exhibition experience.
Partnering Schools:
Anna Julia Cooper School
Brookland Middle School
Cosby High School
Fairfield Middle School
Highland Springs High School
Hunter Classical Christian School
Lucille M. Brown Middle School
Mary Munford Elementary School
Meadowbrook High School
Open High School
Peter Paul Development Center
Swansboro Elementary School
Swift Creek Middle School
The ARTS Community Center
Tuckahoe Middle School
Westover Hills Elementary School
For more information, including ticketing and visiting hours, please visit the Valentine’s website at thevalentine.org or call 804.649.0711.
About The Valentine
The Valentine has been collecting, preserving and interpreting Richmond’s 400-year history for over 125 years. Located in the heart of historic downtown, the Valentine is a place for residents and tourists to discover the diverse stories that tell the broader history of this important region.
