Designed by Thomas Jefferson and in operation since 1788, this is the oldest state capitol in the United States and even predates the United States Capitol in Washington. The capitol building is the 8th home of Virginia's government which began in the colonial era with the establishment of the House of Burgesses in 1619. This building also served as the Capitol of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Capitol Square includes monuments and statues honoring Virginians such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, John Marshall, Stonewall Jackson. Newer statues honor leaders of the Civil Rights Movement such as Barbara Johns.
Located in the shadow of the former Confederate Capitol, the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial commemorated the long movement that led to the desegregation of Virginia's schools. The memorial was opened in July 2008. It features eighteen statues of leaders in the civil rights movement, including high school student Barbara Johns. At the age of 16, Barbara Johns lead a high school walkout to protest the inequality of segregated schools.
Constructed between 1886 and 1894, this High Victorian Gothic building served as Richmond's City Hall from 1894-1971. It replaced the earlier City Hall and Courthouse buildings on the same site (1816-1875) after the original hall's gallery collapsed. After an architectural competition, internationally noted Detroit architect Elijah Myers' design was chosen for the building. Today, the first floor is open to visitors, while the upper floors house offices leased by Historic Richmond.
Richmond’s famous Monumental Church came into existence out of tragedy. The night of December 26, 1811, the Richmond Theatre caught fire during a theatrical performance. In all, the death toll reached 72 and included the Virginia Governor George William Smith and his wife. Richmond’s civic leaders decided to honor the deceased by erecting both a monument and a church at the location of the former theater. In 1812, the committee chose a design put forth by Roger Mills. Mills, once a student of Thomas Jefferson and draftsman for Benjamin Henry Latrobe at the time, is considered by many as the first American-born professional architect. Mills’ design combined both monument and church within a single structure, being one of the country’s earliest and most distinct examples of the burgeoning Greek Revival architecture. Notable congregants of the Monument Church were Notable members were Supreme Court Justice John Marshall, John Wickham, and John and Frances Allan, foster parents of Edgar Allan Poe. The Monumental Church survived the Civil War and continued to serve an active congregation until its de-consecration in 1965. In 1983, Historic Richmond purchased the church and has worked to restore and rehabilitate the building and surrounding property. The Monumental Church was designated a Virginia Landmark on November 5, 1968, added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 16, 1968, and designated a National Historic Landmark on November 11, 1971.
Richmond's First African Baptist Church traces its roots back to 1780 when enslaved people attended services with their owners. In 1841, white members of the First Baptist Church sold the original church building to its approximately 1,000 African members, both free and enslaved, for $65,000. The original building was replaced in 1876 with a building that is now the Randolph Minor Hall at Virginia Commonwealth University. The current First African Baptist Church is located at 2700 Hanes Ave in northern Richmond.
Egyptian Revival architecture is quite uncommon in the US, but Richmond’s Medical College of Virginia boasts its own Egyptian Building. Although the style chosen for this structure may seem bizarre at first, there is a perfectly logical reason behind it. When the Medical Department at Virginia Commonwealth University decided that they needed a space created for the specific purpose of medical education, architecture Thomas Somerville Stewart proposed using the Egyptian architectural style, arguing that the origins of medicine could be traced back to ancient Egypt. Specifically, he was referring to the famous Egyptian physician Imhotep, the first healer recorded in written History.
Constructed in 1818, what became known as the White House of the Confederacy began as a sophisticated Neoclassical style private residence constructed by Robert Mills. The City of Richmond later acquired the house and leased it to the Confederate government as the executive mansion for President Jefferson Davis. After the war, the house served as military headquarters and then a public schoolhouse. In 1896, the Confederate Memorial Literary Society saved the house from demolition and opened the Museum of the Confederacy, becoming the nation’s premiere repository for Confederate artifacts. Throughout the 20th-Century, the museum outgrew the house and a new, contemporary museum building was constructed next door to host the majority of the exhibits. In 2013, the Museum of the Confederacy merged with the American Civil War Center at Tredegar and formed the new American Civil War Museum. The goal of the new museum is to offer a wider interpretation of the war from all sides. In late Summer of 2018, the Museum of the Confederacy closed its doors in preparation for its move to the new consolidated museum at Historic Tredegar. The American Civil War Museum is set to open in 2019. The Confederate White House is remains open to the public for daily tours. The White House of the Confederacy was designated a National Historic Landmark on December 19, 1960, designated a Virginia Landmark on October 15, 1966, and added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.
The Valentine, Richmond’s oldest private museum, was created in 1898 with funding, art, and artifacts donated by Mann Valentine II after his death in 1892. In addition to exhibition spaces, a Federal period mansion known as the Wickham House can be found at the museum. This house gives a glimpse into what life was like for a wealthy 19th century Richmond family. The Valentine also manages the First Freedom Center at the corner of S 14th Street and E Cary Street, the same location where Virginia's General Assembly met in the American Revolution. The First Freedom Center includes a monument and exhibits dedicated to the history of religious freedom.
The John Marshall House is located in the Historic Court End of Richmond. Built in 1790, John Marshall and his family lived in the home until his death in 1835. This historic home of the Supreme Court's most influential Chief Justice is open to the public as a Preservation Virginia historic site. Visitors to the home can enjoy guided tours and exhibits related to the influence of John Marshall and the historical significance of many of his court decisions. Visitors also have the opportunity to take a self-guided tour of the Justice Gallery, a rotating gallery space highlighting current judicial issues through exhibits and art. Marshall was a slave owner and this home and its large estate operated similarly to large plantations, yet the website for the home makes no mention of slavery in contrast to the homes of other Virginians of the Founding generation such as Jefferson and Washington. For those who ask questions, however, the tour can include discussions about the enslaved women and men who lived at the home as well as John Marshall's legal decisions related to slavery. Visitors might also request information about Marshall's decisions related to the rights of indigenous peoples.
Created by the General Assembly in 1823 to establish a place where the growing collection of books and records could be stored and preserved, the Library of Virginia houses the most comprehensive collection of materials on Virginia government, history, and culture available anywhere. The collections, which include maps, manuscripts, and photographs, illustrate the rich and varied past of the commonwealth, documenting the lives of Virginians whose deeds are known to all, as well as those of ordinary citizens whose accomplishments are the foundation of our heritage. The Library, which attracts researchers from around the country and world, also publishes books, offers educational programming, and other events such as lectures and book signings.
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an author during the 19th-century known for his ominously themed poems and short stories. He was adopted by John and Frances Allan and grew up in Richmond, VA; he moved away a few times during his life, but he always returned. A century after Poe's mysterious death, Dr. George Edward Barksdale, who was an enthusiast of Poe, petitioned Virginia Governor Thomas Stanley in 1954 to erect a monument for the late author. After gaining approval, Barksdale hired Pennsylvania sculptor Charles Rudy to create a statue of Poe. The statue was placed in Capitol Square near the Bell Tower on January of 1958; it was unveiled and dedicated on October 7, 1959, which was the 110th anniversary of Poe’s death.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This walking tour starts at the Virginia State Capitol and makes a small loop that includes museums dedicated to the antebellum and Confederate history of the city as well as monuments that commemorate civil rights leaders. Highlights of the tour include the Old City Hall, several historic churches, the John Marshall House, the Library of Virginia, and Richmond's statue of Edgar Allen Poe.
