79-605: The Richmond Police Memorial is a statue previously located in Richmond, Virginia 's Byrd Park , sculpted by Maria Kirby-Smith. The statue depicts a police officer holding a young girl, and a nearby plaque lists the names of 39 Richmond police officers killed in the line of duty between 1863 and 2003. The statue was originally erected in Nina F. Abady Park in 1987, funded by the private Police Memorial Fund. The statue remained in this location, surrounded by overgrown shrubbery, until it
158-908: A plantation across the James River . Rolfe smuggled seeds of sweet Spanish tobacco into Virginia, where it rapidly replaced the much harsher local strains. Whitaker was drowned in the James River in 1617. His associate, the Reverend William Wickham , held the Henrico Parish Church together awaiting the arrival from England of the Reverend Thomas Bargrave in 1619. Also in 1619, Henricus became located in Henrico Cittie (sic), one of four large "incorporations" or "burroughs" formed by
237-460: A building still extant at present-day Twenty-second and Main Streets, where they operated until the 1970s. The builder of the new church was Col. Richard Randolph (1686–1748), great-uncle to Thomas Jefferson. The original church building was completed on June 10, 1741. It remains as the transept of the current church, built along east-west lines. In 1772, a forty-foot-square extension was added to
316-670: A general advance. When the Union Sixth Corps broke through Confederate lines on the Boydton Plank Road south of Petersburg, Confederate casualties exceeded 5,000, about a tenth of Lee's defending army. Lee then informed President Jefferson Davis that he intended to evacuate Richmond. On April 2, 1865, the Confederate Army began Richmond's evacuation. Confederate President Davis and his cabinet, Confederate government archives, and its treasury's gold, left
395-462: A general retreat southwestward, and General Lee continued to reject General Grant's surrender entreaties until Sheridan's infantry and cavalry encircled the shrinking Army of Northern Virginia and cut off its ability to retreat further on April 8. Lee surrendered his remaining approximately 10,000 troops the following morning at Appomattox Court House , meeting Grant at the McLean Home. Davis
474-633: A major railroad crossroads, showcasing the world's first triple railroad crossing. Tobacco warehousing and processing continued to play a central economic role, advanced by the world's first cigarette-rolling machine that James Albert Bonsack of Roanoke invented between 1880 and 1881. Another important contributor to Richmond's resurgence was the Richmond Union Passenger Railway , a trolley system developed by electric power pioneer Frank J. Sprague . The system opened its first Richmond line in 1888, using an overhead wire and
553-466: A more centralized location for Virginia's increasing western population and theoretically isolating the capital from a British attack from the coast. In 1781, Loyalist troops led by Benedict Arnold led a raid on Richmond and burnt it, leading Governor Thomas Jefferson to flee while the Virginia militia , led by Sampson Mathews , unsuccessfully defended the city. Richmond recovered quickly from
632-483: A multimillion-dollar flood wall was completed, protecting the city's low-lying areas from the oft-rising James River. Consequently, the River District businesses grew rapidly, bolstered by the creation of a Canal Walk along the city's former industrial canals. Today the area is home to much of Richmond's entertainment, dining, and nightlife activity. In 1996, racial tensions grew amid controversy about adding
711-672: A railroad hub, and one of the largest slave markets. It also had the largest Confederate arms factory, the Tredegar Iron Works . The factory produced artillery and other munitions, including heavy ordnance machinery and the 723 tons of armor plating that covered the CSS Virginia , the world's first ironclad ship used in war. The Confederate States Congress shared quarters in the Jefferson-designed Virginia State Capitol with
790-560: A royal colony. Henricus was not rebuilt, but its long-lost site, now located in Chesterfield County (formed from Henrico County in 1749), was discovered in the late 20th century. A county historical park is located there. Despite the destruction of Henricus, the colony continued to grow, and a small village developed at Rolfe's Varina Farms Plantation, which became known as Varina (also called "Henrico Parish" in early years). The Shire of Henrico (soon renamed Henrico County )
869-495: A suburban character as part of Chesterfield County before being annexed by Richmond, most notably in 1970. Richmond has a humid subtropical ( Köppen : Cfa ) or oceanic ( Trewartha : Do ) climate, with hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters. The mountains to the west act as a partial barrier to outbreaks of cold, continental air in winter. Arctic air is delayed long enough to be modified and further warmed as it subsides in its approach to Richmond. The open waters of
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#1732783551329948-453: A trolley pole to connect to the current and electric motors on the car's trucks. The success led to electric streetcar lines rapidly spreading to other cities. A post-World War II transition to buses from streetcars began in May 1947 and was completed on November 25, 1949. By the beginning of the 20th century, the city's population had reached 85,050 in 5 sq mi (13 km ), making it
1027-498: Is 11 °F (−12 °C), set on February 11 and 12, 1899 . The record warm minimum is 81 °F (27 °C), set on July 12, 2011. The warmest months recorded were July 2020 and August 1900, both averaging 82.9°F (28.3 °C). The coldest, January 1940, averaged 24.2 °F (-4.3 °C). Precipitation is rather uniformly distributed throughout the year. Dry periods lasting several weeks sometimes occur, especially in autumn, when long periods of pleasant, mild weather are most common. There
1106-572: Is an Episcopal church located at 2401 East Broad Street in Richmond, Virginia , United States. Formed from several earlier parishes, St. John's is the oldest church in the city of Richmond, Virginia. It was built in 1741 by William Randolph 's son, Colonel Richard Randolph ; the Church Hill district was named for it. It was the site of two important conventions in the period leading to the American Revolutionary War , and
1185-697: Is considerable variability in total monthly precipitation amounts from year to year, so no one month can be depended to be normal. Snow has been recorded during seven of the 12 months. Falls of 4 in (10 cm) or more within 24 hours occur once a year on average. Annual snowfall is usually moderate, averaging 10.5 in (27 cm) per season. Snow typically remains on the ground for only one or two days, but it remained for 16 days in 2010 (January 30 to February 14). Ice storms (freezing rain or glaze) are not uncommon, but they are seldom severe enough to cause considerable damage. The James River reaches tidewater at Richmond, where flooding may occur in any month of
1264-514: Is famous as the location where American Founding Father Patrick Henry gave his memorable speech at the Second Virginia Convention , closing with the often-quoted demand, " Give me liberty, or give me death! " The church is designated as a National Historic Landmark . The earliest precursor of St. John's was Henrico Parish Church, initially located at Sir Thomas Dale 's progressive development at Henricus (also known as
1343-623: Is home to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit and a Federal Reserve Bank (one of 13 such courts and one of 12 such banks ). After the first permanent English-speaking settlement was established at Jamestown, Virginia , in April 1607, Captain Christopher Newport led explorers northwest up the James River to an inhabited area in the Powhatan Nation. Richmond was Arrohattoc territory where Arrohateck village
1422-502: Is located at the James River's fall line , 44 mi (71 km) west of Williamsburg , 66 mi (106 km) east of Charlottesville , 91 mi (146 km) east of Lynchburg and 92 mi (148 km) south of Washington, D.C. Surrounded by Henrico and Chesterfield counties, Richmond is at the intersection of Interstate 95 and Interstate 64 and encircled by Interstate 295 , Virginia State Route 150 and Virginia State Route 288 . Major suburbs include Midlothian to
1501-545: Is surrounded by Henrico County , which has a population of about 334,000. The Greater Richmond region has an estimated population of about 1.3 million. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 204,214 people living in the city. 50.6% were Black or African American , 40.8% White , 2.3% Asian , 0.3% Native American , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 3.6% of some other race and 2.3% of two or more races . 6.3% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). St. John%27s Episcopal Church (Richmond, Virginia) St. John's Church
1580-593: Is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city since 1871. The city's population in the 2020 census was 226,610, up from 204,214 in 2010, making it Virginia's fourth-most populous city . The Richmond metropolitan area , with over 1.3 million residents, is the Commonwealth's third-most populous . Richmond
1659-436: Is the bowl of the baptismal font, which today is used at St. John's. Henrico Parish Church moved to Richmond in 1741, and was housed in what is now the Church Hill neighborhood, on land donated by William Byrd II . Byrd also donated timber used to build the church, and wood to fire the kiln for the bricks for the foundation. Henrico's county seat was also moved from Varina to Richmond in 1752. The county offices were moved to
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#17327835513291738-732: Is the city's traditional hub of African American commerce and culture, once known as the "Black Wall Street of America" and the "Harlem of the South." At the beginning of the 20th century, Richmond had one of the world's first successful electric streetcar systems. Law, finance, and government primarily drive Richmond's economy. The downtown area is home to federal, state, and local governmental agencies as well as notable legal and banking firms. The greater metropolitan area includes several Fortune 500 companies: Performance Food Group , Altria , CarMax , Dominion Energy , Markel , Owens and Minor , Genworth Financial , and ARKO Corp . The city
1817-666: The American Revolutionary War . The Burgesses met as a provisional government in the First Virginia Convention in Williamsburg . Since the governor had loyalist forces in the vicinity of the capital of Williamsburg, it was decided to hold the next convention in Richmond. On March 23, 1775, the Second Virginia Convention was opened at the church. The President of the Convention was Peyton Randolph , who
1896-717: The Bishop of London , making him the colony's highest-ranking religious leader. At the urging of the House of Burgesses , he became a founder and the first president of the College of William and Mary . In doing so, James Blair is said to have used some of the plans of the ill-fated earlier College at Henricus. Apparently taking no chances, the newer College was established at the fortified location of Middle Plantation in James City County , later renamed Williamsburg , to which
1975-720: The Blue Ridge Mountains . Significant bodies of water in the region include the James River , the Appomattox River , and the Chickahominy River . The Richmond-Petersburg Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the 44th largest in the United States, includes the independent cities of Richmond, Colonial Heights , Hopewell , and Petersburg , and the counties of Charles City , Chesterfield , Dinwiddie , Goochland , Hanover , Henrico , New Kent , Powhatan , and Prince George . On July 1, 2009,
2054-610: The Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean contribute to the humid summers and cool winters. The coldest weather normally occurs from late December to early February, and the January daily mean temperature is 37.9 °F (3.3 °C), with an average of 6.0 days with highs at or below the freezing mark. Richmond's Downtown and areas south and east of downtown are in USDA Hardiness zones 7b. Surrounding suburbs and areas to
2133-784: The Colony and Dominion of Virginia in 1780. During the Revolutionary War period, several notable events occurred in the city, including Patrick Henry 's " Give me liberty, or give me death! " speech in 1775 at St. John's Church and the passage of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom written by Thomas Jefferson . During the American Civil War , Richmond was the capital of the Confederate States of America . The Jackson Ward neighborhood
2212-627: The River Thames . In 1742, the settlement was incorporated as a town. In 1775, Patrick Henry delivered his famous " Give me liberty, or give me death " speech in Richmond's St. John's Church , greatly influencing Virginia's participation in the First Continental Congress and the course of the American Revolution . On April 18, 1780, the state capital was moved from Williamsburg to Richmond, providing
2291-562: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 62 sq mi (160 km ), of which 60 sq mi (160 km ) is land and 2.7 sq mi (7.0 km ) (4.3%) is water. The city is in the Piedmont region of Virginia , at the James River's highest navigable point. The Piedmont region is characterized by relatively low, rolling hills, and lies between the low, flat Tidewater region and
2370-608: The Virginia Company of London in 1619. Henricus was an outpost of Jamestown , one of the most westerly settlements at the time. This proved a severe disadvantage on Good Friday in 1622, when the entire development at Henricus and the church were destroyed in the Indian Massacre of 1622 , in which a third of all colonists in Virginia were killed. The Virginia Company lost its charter in 1624 and Virginia became
2449-647: The Virginia General Assembly . The Confederacy's executive mansion, known as the " White House of the Confederacy ," was two blocks away on Clay Street. Located about 100 mi (160 km) from the national capital in Washington, D.C. , Richmond was at the end of a long supply line and difficult to defend. For four years, its defense required the bulk of the Army of Northern Virginia and
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2528-793: The Virginia Historical Society and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts . South of the Downtown Expressway are Byrd Park , Maymont , Hollywood Cemetery , the predominantly black working-class Randolph neighborhood, and white working-class Oregon Hill . Cary Street between Interstate 195 and the Boulevard is a popular commercial area called Carytown . Richmond's Northside is home to numerous listed historic districts. Neighborhoods such as Chestnut Hill-Plateau and Barton Heights began to be developed at
2607-672: The "Cittie of Henricus", "Henricopolis" or "Henrico Town"). When the colony was organized, the Anglican Church was the established church of the Crown. Founded in the Virginia Colony in 1611, Henricus was notable for a number of "firsts". It was the first to allocate land to individuals and the site of the first "College" in colonial Virginia, a school modeled after those in Europe during the 17th century. The College at Henricus
2686-503: The 25th Corps of the United States Colored Troops , accepted Richmond's surrender from the mayor and a group of leading citizens who did not evacuate. Union troops eventually contained the fires, but about 25% of the city's buildings were destroyed. On April 3, President Abraham Lincoln visited Grant at Petersburg and took a launch up the James River to Richmond on April 4. While Davis attempted to organize
2765-705: The Carver and Newtowne West neighborhoods are demographically similar to neighboring Jackson Ward .Carver has seen some gentrification due to its proximity to VCU. The affluent area between the Boulevard , Main Street, Broad Street, and VCU, known as the Fan , is home to Monument Avenue , an outstanding collection of Victorian architecture , and many students. West of the Boulevard is the Museum District, which contains
2844-614: The Confederacy's best troops and commanders. The Union army made Richmond a main target in the campaigns of 1862 and 1864–65. In late June and early July 1862, Union General-in-Chief George B. McClellan threatened but failed to take Richmond in the Seven Days Battles of the Peninsula campaign . Three years later, Richmond became indefensible in March 1865 after nearby Petersburg fell and several remaining rail supply lines to
2923-461: The Confederate attack on Fort Sumter , the Virginia legislature voted to secede from the United States and join the newly created Confederate States of America on April 17, 1861. The action became official in May, after the Confederacy promised to move its national capital to Richmond from Montgomery, Alabama . Richmond held local, state and national Confederate government offices, hospitals,
3002-697: The Confederate government in Danville , Lincoln met Confederate Assistant Secretary of War John A. Campbell , handing him a note inviting Virginia's state legislature to end their rebellion. After Campbell spun the note to Confederate legislators as a possible end to the Emancipation Proclamation , Lincoln rescinded his offer and ordered General Weitzel to prevent the state legislature from meeting. On April 6, Union forces killed, wounded, or captured 8,000 Confederate troops at Sayler's Creek , southwest of Petersburg. The Confederate Army continued
3081-600: The North. Nonetheless, the James Falls area saw more White settlement in the late 1600s and early 1700s. In early 1737, planter William Byrd II commissioned Major William Mayo to lay out the original town grid, completed in April. Byrd named the city after the English town of Richmond near (and now part of) London, because the view of the James River's bend at the fall line reminded him of his home at Richmond Hill on
3160-442: The Richmond area. Downtown Richmond averages 84 days of nighttime frost annually. Nighttime frost is more common in areas north and west of Downtown and less common south and east of downtown. From 1981 to 2010, the average first temperature at or below freezing was on October 30 and the average last one on April 10. See or edit raw graph data . Richmond's population is approximately 226,000. As an independent city, Richmond
3239-542: The Richmond—Petersburg MSA 's population was 1,258,251. Richmond is located 21.69 mi (34.91 km) north of Petersburg, Virginia , 66.1 mi (106.4 km) southeast of Charlottesville, Virginia , 79.24 mi (127.52 km) northwest of Norfolk, Virginia , 96.87 mi (155.90 km) south of Washington, D.C. , and 138.72 mi (223.25 km) northeast of Raleigh, North Carolina . Richmond's original street grid, laid out in 1737, included
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3318-524: The South and the country. By 1850, Richmond was connected by the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad to Port Walthall , where ships carrying over 200 tons of cargo could connect to Baltimore or Philadelphia . Passenger liners could reach Norfolk, Virginia , through the Hampton Roads harbor. In the 19th century, Richmond was connected to the North by the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad , later replaced by CSXT . The railroad also
3397-506: The affluent and middle-class suburban Westover Hills, Forest Hill, Southampton, Stratford Hills, Oxford, Huguenot Hills, Hobby Hill, and Woodland Heights to the impoverished Manchester and Blackwell areas, the Hillside Court housing projects, and the ailing Jefferson Davis Highway commercial corridor. Other Southside neighborhoods include Fawnbrook, Broad Rock, Cherry Gardens, Cullenwood, and Beaufont Hills. Much of Southside developed
3476-466: The area between what are now Broad, 17th, and 25th Streets and the James River. Modern Downtown Richmond is slightly farther west, on the slopes of Shockoe Hill. Nearby neighborhoods include Shockoe Bottom , the historically significant and low-lying area between Shockoe Hill and Church Hill , and Monroe Ward, which contains the Jefferson Hotel . Richmond's East End includes neighborhoods like
3555-663: The areas around the Regency Mall. More affluent areas include Glen Allen, Short Pump, and the areas of Tuckahoe away from Regency Mall, all north and northwest of the city. The University of Richmond and the Country Club of Virginia are located on this side of town near the Richmond-Henrico border. The portion of the city south of the James River is known as the Southside. Southside neighborhoods range from
3634-462: The arming of the colony, and he was named the first Governor of Virginia. During the American Revolutionary War , in January 1781, General Benedict Arnold , the traitor who was then serving on the British side, quartered his troops in the church when Richmond was occupied. The church serves an active congregation and ministries, and also receives tourists as a historic site. George Wythe ,
3713-431: The capital was later moved from Jamestown. Blair became the rector of Bruton Parish Church there. Exact locations of the church buildings at Varina are unknown. A third or fourth church building was built a few miles east of Varina Farms on a plantation known as "Curles" , some twenty miles east of the present city of Richmond, in the current Varina District of Henrico County. The only relic of that church still surviving
3792-588: The city itself had declined to less than 200,000. On November 2, 2004, former Virginia governor L. Douglas Wilder was elected as the city's first directly elected mayor in over 60 years. Most of the statues honoring Confederate leaders such as the Robert E. Lee monument on Monument Avenue were removed during or after the George Floyd protests on June 2020 following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek M. Chauvin . The city removed
3871-468: The city that night by train. Confederate officials burned documents and troops burned tobacco and other warehouses to deny the Union any spoils. In the early morning of April 3, Confederate troops exploded the city's gunpowder magazine, killing several paupers in a temporary Almshouse and a man on 2nd St. The concussion shattered windows all over the city. Later that day, General Godfrey Weitzel , commander of
3950-431: The downtown area suffered extensive flood damage after the remnants of Hurricane Gaston dumped up to 12 in (300 mm) of rain. Damaging storms occur mainly from snow and freezing rain in winter, and from hurricanes, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms in other seasons. Damage can come from wind, flooding, rain, or a combination of the three. Tornadoes are infrequent, but some notable ones have been observed in
4029-475: The end of the 19th century when the new streetcar system made it possible for people to live on the city's outskirts and commute downtown. Other prominent Northside neighborhoods include Azalea, Barton Heights, Bellevue, Chamberlayne, Ginter Park, Highland Park, and Rosedale. Farther west is the affluent, suburban West End . Windsor Farms is among its best-known sections. The West End also includes middle- to low-income neighborhoods, such as Laurel, Farmington, and
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#17327835513294108-408: The fall line to the ocean-faring ships below. The canal boatmen legacy is represented by the figure in the center of the city flag. Because of the canal and the hydropower the falls generated, Richmond emerged as an important industrial center after the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). It became home to some of the largest manufacturing facilities, including iron works and flour mills, in
4187-751: The first European settlement in Central Virginia was established at Henricus , where the Falling Creek empties into the James River. In 1619, early Virginia Company settlers established the Falling Creek Ironworks there. Decades of conflicts between the Powhatan and the settlers followed, including the Battle of Bloody Run , fought near Richmond in 1656, after tensions arose from an influx of Manahoacs and Nahyssans from
4266-452: The first law professor in the United States, a delegate to the Continental Congress and signatory of the Declaration of Independence , is buried in the churchyard. Elizabeth Arnold Poe , mother of author Edgar Allan Poe , is buried in the churchyard. Her exact burial spot is unknown, but a memorial marks the general area. There is a gift shop located within the churchyard from which regular guided tours depart. These tours take place inside
4345-536: The former city of Manchester consolidated with Richmond, and in 1914 the city annexed Barton Heights, Ginter Park, and Highland Park in Henrico County . In May 1914, Richmond became the headquarters of the Fifth District of the Federal Reserve Bank . Several major performing arts venues were constructed during the 1920s, including what are now the Landmark Theatre, Byrd Theatre, and Carpenter Theatre. The city's first radio station, WRVA , began broadcasting in 1925. WTVR-TV (CBS 6), Richmond's first television station,
4424-477: The last Confederate statue, honoring Confederate General General A. P. Hill , on December 12, 2022. The only statue remaining on Monument Avenue is of Arthur Ashe, the pioneering Black tennis player. The Bill "Bojangles" Robinson monument in Jackson Ward was untouched during the protests and remained in place. Richmond is located at 37°32′N 77°28′W / 37.533°N 77.467°W / 37.533; -77.467 (37.538, −77.462). According to
4503-464: The most densely populated city in the Southern United States . In the 1900 Census, Richmond's population was 62.1% white and 37.9% black. Freed slaves and their descendants created a thriving African-American business community, and the city's historic Jackson Ward became known as the "Wall Street of Black America." In 1903, African-American businesswoman and financier Maggie L. Walker chartered St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, served as its president, and
4582-628: The north and west of Downtown are in Hardiness Zone 7a. Temperatures seldom fall below 0 °F (−18 °C), with the most recent subzero reading on January 7, 2018, when the temperature reached −3 °F (−19 °C). The July daily mean temperature is 79.3 °F (26.3 °C), and high temperatures reach or exceed 90 °F (32 °C) approximately 43 days a year; 100 °F (38 °C) temperatures are not uncommon but do not occur every year. Extremes in temperature have ranged from −12 °F (−24 °C) on January 19, 1940, to 107 °F (42 °C) on August 6, 1918. The record cold maximum
4661-444: The northern side, orienting the church towards the south, to which end the altar was moved. Over one hundred frame churches similar to this existed in Virginia before the American Revolution, of which only four are still standing. One of these is the Old Chapel Church in Franklin County, Virginia The Virginia colonial legislative assembly, the House of Burgesses , was dismissed by the royal governor due to tensions that led up to
4740-561: The perceived need to raise a militia to resist encroachments on civil rights by the British Government under King George III . Patrick Henry , a delegate from Hanover County , rose in support of such a militia and, with his fiery speech (concluding with the words " Give me liberty or give me death !"), swayed the vote. Under a Resolution offered by Richard Henry Lee, the House of Burgesses on May 15, 1776 resolved that "the delegates appointed to represent this colony in General Congress be instructed to propose to that respectable body to declare
4819-461: The rapidly gentrifying Church Hill , home to St. John's Church , poorer areas like Fulton , Union Hill, and Fairmont, and public housing projects like Mosby Court , Whitcomb Court, Fairfield Court, and Creighton Court closer to Interstate 64 . The area between Belvidere Street, Interstate 195 , Interstate 95 , and the river, which includes Virginia Commonwealth University , is socioeconomically and architecturally diverse. North of Broad Street,
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#17327835513294898-450: The south and southwest were broken. On March 25, Confederate General John B. Gordon 's desperate attack on Fort Stedman , east of Petersburg, failed. On April 1, Union Cavalry General Philip Sheridan , assigned to interdict the Southside Railroad, met brigades commanded by Southern General George Pickett at the Five Forks Junction, defeated them, took thousands of prisoners, and advised Union General-in-Chief Ulysses S. Grant to order
4977-404: The southwest, Chesterfield to the south, Varina to the southeast, Sandston to the east, Glen Allen to the north and west, Short Pump to the west, and Mechanicsville to the northeast. Richmond was an important village in the Powhatan Confederacy and was briefly settled by English colonists from Jamestown from 1609 to 1611. Founded in 1737, it replaced Williamsburg as the capital of
5056-409: The statue of African American Richmond native and tennis star Arthur Ashe to the series of statues of Confederate figures on Monument Avenue . After several months of controversy, Ashe's bronze statue was finally completed on July 10, 1996. By the beginning of the 21st century, the population of the greater Richmond metropolitan area had reached approximately 1,100,000, although the population of
5135-399: The statue was again vandalized, and was moved to an undisclosed location to avoid further damage. This Virginia -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a sculpture in the United States is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( / ˈ r ɪ tʃ m ə n d / RITCH -mənd )
5214-466: The united Colonies free and independent states." It is notable that the Second Virginia Convention authorized Baptist chaplains to minister to soldiers, an important early step toward freedom of religion in what became the Commonwealth of Virginia . Baptists and Methodists had been influential in Virginia during and following the Great Awakening , and many of the common people had already become affiliated with Baptist and Methodist congregations. After
5293-404: The upper James River and provide a water route across the Appalachian Mountains to the Kanawha River , which flows westward into the Ohio River and converges with the Mississippi River , George Washington helped design the James River and Kanawha Canal . The canal started in Westham and cut east to Richmond, facilitating the transfer of cargo from flat-bottomed James River bateaux above
5372-405: The war, the Anglican Church was disestablished, and the Episcopal Church of the United States was organized. The Third Virginia Convention was held at St. John's Church on July 17, 1775 to organize the troops and the war effort of Virginia. George Washington of Fairfax had been appointed head of the American Army. The delegates acknowledged the debt to Patrick Henry, whose wisdom had already begun
5451-426: The war, thriving within a year of its burning. In 1786, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom , drafted by Thomas Jefferson, was enacted, separating church and state and advancing the legal principle for freedom of religion in the United States. In 1788, the Virginia State Capitol , designed by Jefferson and Charles-Louis Clérisseau in the Greek Revival style , was completed. To bypass Richmond's rapids on
5530-412: The year, most frequently in March and least in July. Hurricanes and tropical storms have been responsible for most flooding during the summer and early fall months. Hurricanes passing near Richmond have produced record rainfalls. In 1955, three hurricanes, including Hurricane Connie and Hurricane Diane , which brought heavy rains five days apart, produced record rainfall in a six-week period. In 2004,
5609-483: Was also the Speaker of the House of Burgesses . The Reverend Miles Selden was the rector of St. John's church at the time, and when the Convention assembled, he was chosen as Chaplain. Selden was popularly referred to as the "Patriot Parson." Among the 120 delegates were Thomas Jefferson and George Washington . Other notable delegates were Benjamin Harrison V , Thomas Mann Randolph , Richard Bland , Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee . Debate centered on
5688-710: Was also the first TV station south of Washington, D.C. Between 1963 and 1965, there was a "downtown boom" that led to the construction of more than 700 buildings. In 1968, Virginia Commonwealth University was created by the merger of the Medical College of Virginia and the Richmond Professional Institute . On January 1, 1970, Richmond's borders expanded south by 27 sq mi (70 km ) and its population increased by 47,000 after several years of court cases in which Chesterfield County unsuccessfully fought annexation. In 1995,
5767-478: Was captured on May 10 near Irwinville, Georgia and taken back to Virginia, where he was imprisoned two years at Fort Monroe until freed on bail. A decade after the Civil War, Richmond resumed its position as a major urban center of economic productivity with iron front buildings and massive brick factories. Canal traffic peaked in the 1860s, with railroads becoming the dominant shipping method. Richmond became
5846-532: Was formed in 1634 as one of the eight original shires of Virginia . The initial county seat was at Varina, which officially became a town in 1680. In those days before separation of church and state , the parish boundaries were the same as those of the county. Notable among Henrico Parish's leaders was the Reverend Dr. James Blair (1656–1743), who was named Commissary in the Virginia Colony for
5925-490: Was located. However, as time progressed relations between the Arrohattocs and English colonists declined, and by 1609 the tribe was unwilling to trade with the settlers. As the population began to dwindle, the tribe declined and was last mentioned in a 1610 report by the visiting William Strachey. By 1611 the tribe's Henrico town was found to be deserted when Sir Thomas Dale went to use the land to found Henricus. In 1611,
6004-489: Was moved to Byrd Park in 2016. The move was spearheaded by retired patrolman Glenwood W. Burley, and cost roughly $ 24,000. The plaque was updated from 28 names to 39, to account for 11 officers that died in the 1870 collapse of the Virginia State Capitol . Prior to its re-dedication that October, the statue was vandalized with spraypaint reading "Justice for Alton ." During the 2020 George Floyd protests ,
6083-507: Was the first black female bank president in the United States. Charles Thaddeus Russell was Richmond's first black architect, and he designed the bank's office. Today, the bank is called the Consolidated Bank and Trust Company and is the country's oldest surviving African-American bank. Another prominent African-American from this time was John Mitchell Jr. , a newspaper editor, civil rights activist, and politician. In 1910,
6162-656: Was to include education for the children of the Native Americans . It was at Henricus that colonists held Pocahontas captive; she was the daughter of Chief Powhatan , leader of the Powhatan Confederacy. During the year-long wait, the first rector of the church, Rev. Alexander Whitaker taught her about Christianity and helped her improve her fluency in English . She was baptized as "Rebecca". She married John Rolfe , who established Varina Farms ,
6241-560: Was used by some to escape slavery in the mid-19th century. In 1849, Henry "Box" Brown had himself nailed into a small box and shipped from Richmond to abolitionists in Philadelphia through Baltimore 's President Street Station on the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad , often used by the Underground Railroad to assist escaping disguised slaves reach the free state of Pennsylvania . Five days after
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