Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the
capital of the
Commonwealth of
Virginia, in the
United States of America. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as
cities, it is an
independent city, not part of any
county (
Richmond County is unrelated, and located more than 85 kilometers (53 miles) distant in a different region of the
state). Richmond is located on the
fall line of the
James River in the
Piedmont region of
Virginia and is at the center of the Richmond
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and the
Greater Richmond Area.
Common colloquialisms for the city are:
RVA,
The 804 (its
area code), and
RIC (its
airport code).
In
1607,
King James I granted a
royal charter to the
Virginia Company of London to settle colonists in
North America. After the first permanent
English settlement was established later that year at
Jamestown,
Captain Christopher Newport and
Captain John Smith set sail ten days after landing at Jamestown, traveling northwest up Powhatan's River (now known as the
James River) to Powhatan Hill. The first expedition consisted of 120 men from Jamestown, and made the first attempt to settle at the Falls of the James, located between the 14th Street Bridge in modern downtown Richmond and the Pony Pasture (a recreational area along the banks of the river south of the City of Richmond). The settlement was made at this location as it is the highest navigable site along the James River.
Revolutionary War
In
1775,
Patrick Henry delivered his famous "
Give me Liberty or Give me Death" speech in St. John's Church in Richmond.
In
1780, Virginia's state capital was moved from
Williamsburg to Richmond. In
1781, under the command of
Benedict Arnold, Richmond was burned by British troops. Yet Richmond shortly recovered, and, in May
1782, was incorporated as a town "to be styled the City of Richmond." Richmond was incorporated as a city in
1842.
Civil War
 |
Shells of the buildings of Richmond, silhouetted against a dark sky after the destruction by Confederates, 1865. |
The aversion to the slave trade was growing by the mid-nineteenth century, and in
1848, Henry "Box" Brown made history by having himself nailed into a small box and shipped from Richmond to
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, escaping slavery to the land of freedom.
At the outbreak of the
American Civil War in
1861, the strategic location of the Tredegar Iron Works was one of the primary factors in the decision to make Richmond the
Capital of the Confederacy. From this arsenal came the 723 tons of armor plating that covered the
CSS Virginia, the world's first
ironclad used in war, as well as much of the Confederates' heavy ordnance machinery. In
1861,
Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as
President of the
Confederate States of America. One month later Davis placed Richmond under martial law. Two months after Davis' inauguration, the Confederate army fired on
Fort Sumter in
Charleston, South Carolina, and the Civil War had begun. The Seven Days Battle followed in June of 1862. Four years later on
April 3 1865 Ulysses S. Grant and the Union Army captured Richmond, one week later,
Robert E. Lee's retreating
Army of Northern Virginia surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House symbolically ending the war. In
1865, on
Evacuation Sunday, large parts of the city were destroyed in a fire set by retreating Confederate soldiers.
Monument Avenue was laid out in
1887, with a series of monuments at various intersections honoring the city's Confederate heroes. Included (east to west) were
J.E.B. Stuart,
Robert E. Lee,
Jefferson Davis,
Stonewall Jackson, and
Matthew F. Maury. Richmond is the final resting place of both Stuart and Davis (see
Hollywood Cemetery).
[[Image:Post245.jpg|300px|right|thumb|An historic postcard showing electric trolley-powered streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, where {{Frank J. Sprague}}successfully demonstrated his new system on the hills in {{1888}}. The intersectionshown is at 8th & Broad Streets.]]Richmond had the first successful electrically-powered
trolley system in the United States. Designed by electric power pioneer
Frank J. Sprague, the trolley system opened its first line in January,
1888. Richmond's hills, long a transportation obstacle, were considered an ideal proving ground. The new technology soon replaced horse-powered
streetcars.
Twentieth Century
By the beginning of the Twentieth Century, the city's population had reached 85,050 in 5 square miles, making it the most densely populated city in the Southern US.
In
1903, African-American businesswoman and financier
Maggie L. Walker chartered St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, and served as its first president, as well asthe first female bank president in the United States. Today, the bank is called the Consolidated Bank and Trust Company, and it is the oldest surviving African-American bank in the U.S.
In
1910, the former city of
Manchester was consolidated with the city of Richmond. In
1914, the city annexed the Barton Heights, Ginter Park, and Highland Park areas of
Henrico County.In
1914, Richmond became the headquarters of the
Fifth District of the Federal Reserve Bank. In
1919, at the end of
World War I,
Philip Morris was established in the city. The Fan district also began to develop during the
1920s.
Also during the
1920s, several entertainment venues developed that remain today. The city's first
radio station,
WRVA, first began broadcasting in
1925. The Mosque (now called the
Landmark Theater) also opened in
1925. The Byrd Theater and Loew's Theater (now the
Carpenter Center) opened in 1928.
Modern city development
Between
1963 and
1965, there was a huge, "downtown boom," that led to the construction of more than 700 buildings in the city. In
1968,
Virginia Commonwealth University was created by the merger of the
Medical College of Virginia with the
Richmond Professional Institute.
In
1984, the city completed the Diamond ballpark, a new home for the
Richmond Braves, a AAA baseball team in the
Atlanta Braves minor league system, replacing the old Parker Field. In
1985, Sixth Street Marketplace, a downtown shopping district, opened. Sixth Street Marketplace was closed and demolished in 2004-2005.
A multi-million dollar floodwall was completed in
1995, in order to protect the city and the Shockoe Bottom businesses from the rising waters of the James River. This very same flood wall is thought to have contributed to the severe flooding of the Shockoe Bottom area of downtown Richmond in August of 2004.
Also during
1995, a statue of Richmond native and tennis star
Arthur Ashe was added amid controversy to the famed series of statues of Confederate heroes of the Civil War on
Monument Avenue.
Recent renovations included the rebuilt
James River and Kanawha Canal and Haxall Canal, now designed as a Canal Walk. The riverfront project has brought this 1.25-mile corridor back to life, with trendy loft apartments, restaurants, shops and hotels winding along the Canal Walk, along with canal boat cruises and walking tours. The
National Park Service's Richmond Civil War Visitor Center, in the
Tredegar Iron Works, brought three floors of exhibits and artifacts, films, a bookstore, picnic areas and more. The Cordish Company also began construction of Riverside on the James, a power plant development project with shopping and entertainment venues.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 162.0
km² (62.5
mi²). 155.6 km² (60.1 mi²) of it is land and 6.4 km² (2.5 mi²) of it (3.96%) is water. The city is located in the
Piedmont region of
Virginia, at the highest navigable point of the James River. The Piedmont region is categorized by relatively low, rolling hills, and lies between the low, sea level
tidewater region and the
Blue Ridge mountains. Significant bodies of water in the region include the
Chickahominy River, the
James River, and the
Appomattox River.
The
Richmond-Petersburg Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the
46th largest in the United States, includes the independent cities of Richmond,
Colonial Heights,
Hopewell, and
Petersburg, as well as the counties of
Amelia,
Caroline,
Charles City,
Chesterfield,
Cumberland,
Dinwiddie,
Goochland,
Hanover,
Henrico,
King and Queen,
King William,
Louisa,
New Kent,
Powhatan,
Prince George, and
Sussex. As of July 2004, the total population of the Richmond—Petersburg
MSA was 1,154,317.
Richmond is located within 200
miles of several major cities, including
Newport News, Virginia (62 miles),
Hampton, Virginia (73 miles),
Portsmouth, Virginia (77 miles),
Norfolk, Virginia (77 miles),
Chesapeake, Virginia (87 miles),
Alexandria, Virginia (91 miles),
Washington DC (96 miles),
Virginia Beach, Virginia (96 miles),
Baltimore, Maryland (129 miles),
Durham, North Carolina (132 miles),
Roanoke, Virginia (137 miles),
Raleigh, North Carolina (137 miles),
Dover, Delaware (154 miles),
Greensboro, North Carolina (166 miles), and
Winston-Salem, North Carolina (183 miles).
Cityscape
The city is made up of a number of neighborhoods, including the
Fan district,
Oregon Hill, Shockoe Bottom, the
West End,
Northside, and
Church Hill – site of Patrick Henry's famous speech.
Most of the roads in the downtown area are arranged in a regular grid arrangement, with alternating one way streets. Several major roads lead outward from the city, and are actually former Indian trails, leading to other towns and sites in
Virginia. For example,
Three Chopt Road, was so named as it was an Indian trail marked by three chops on trees near the trail. The major highways leading into the city of Richmond area
I-64 and
I-95.
I-195 forms an "inner loop" around the downtown and fan districts of the city, and
I-295, combined with the
Chippenham Parkway forms an "outer loop", or bypass, around the metropolitan area.
Virginia State Highway 288 connects
I-64 and
I-95 in the southwest quadrant of the area to complete a staggered loop around the city with
I-295.
Ever since the first electric trolley was installed in 1888, Richmond
urban sprawl has been steadily expanding westward and southward. Development along
Monument Avenue and
Broad Street have led to the most affluent people moving farther and farther West, towards a part of the metro area known as the
West End.
Climate
Richmond has a mild climate with four distinct seasons.
Spring arrives in April with mild days and cool nights, and by late May, the temperature has warmed up considerably to herald warm summer days.
Summer temperatures can be unpleasantly hot, often topping 90 degrees with high humidity. July is the wettest month. Days stay warm to mild until October, when
hurricanes are less likely and
fall is marked by nights once again becoming very chilly.
Winters are mild, and December and January are the coolest months. Light snowfall can occur from the end of November through early March, but most snow falls in January. The largest snowstorm in recent history occurred on February 10-11,1983 when 17.7 inches fell at Richmond. The average yearly snowfall is 12 inches.
["Quick Data View Richmond." National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 1971-2000.]As of the
census of 2000, there were 197,790 people, 84,549 households, and 43,627 families residing in the city. A more recent census estimate indicates that the city's population has grown to 201,384. The
population density was 1,271.3/km² (3,292.6/mi²). There were 92,282 housing units at an average density of 593.1/km² (1,536.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 38.30%
White, 57.19%
African American, 0.24%
Native American, 1.25%
Asian, 0.08%
Pacific Islander, 1.49% from
other races, and 1.46% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 2.57% of the population.
There were 84,549 households out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.1% were
married couples living together, 20.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.4% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,121, and the median income for a family was $38,348. Males had a median income of $30,874 versus $25,880 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $20,337. About 17.1% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 32.9% of those under age 18 and 15.8% of those age 65 or over.Much of Richmond's political and social history was influenced by its high society origins. In the 1920s,
Ellen Glasgow and
James Branch Cabell wrote novels that included thinly veiled mocking of elite institutions like the
FFV, the Commonwealth Club, and the Richmond German
débutante dance. Even today, Richmonders speak of "Come-heres" (
carpetbaggers) versus "from-heres."
Historic development as a commercial center
Richmond's strategic location on the James River, built on undulating hills at the rocky fall line separating the
piedmont and
tidewater regions of
Virginia provided a natural site for the development of commerce. For centuries, the native peoples of the powerful
Powhatan tribe recognized the value of this site, rich in natural beauty. They knew it as a place to hunt, fish, play, and trade, and they called it
"Shocquohocan,", or
Shockoe.
The first
European explorers came in
1607, from the
Virginia Company of
London. They discovered a fragrant weed grown by the natives, and
tobacco became a lucrative commodity in the area. The trading post developed into a village, and by
1733 a town was laid out by
William Byrd II and
William Mayo. Its early buildings were clustered around the Farmers' Market, existing today at 17th Street.
Early trade grew rapidly, primarily in the agriculture sector, but also in the
slave trade. Slaves were imported to Richmond's Manchester docks from Africa, and were bought and sold at the same market.
To facilitate the transfer of cargo from the flat-bottomed
bateaux above the
fall line to the ocean-faring ships below,
George Washington helped design the
James River and Kanawha Canal in the 1700s to bypass Richmond's rapids. The canal was later superseded by rail in the 1800s, and the railroads were laid on the original canal towpaths. In the 1900s highways were constructed in the air over the same area.
Throughout these three centuries and three modes of transportation, downtown has always been a hub, with the Great Turning Basin for boats, the world's only triple crossing of rail lines, and the intersection of two major interstates. (See also
Transportation in Richmond, Virginia)
Industries that defined Richmond
Richmond emerged from the smoldering rubble of the
Civil War as an economic powerhouse, with iron front buildings and massive brick factories. Innovation of this era included the world's first cigarette-rolling machine and the world's first successful electric street car system.
Freed slaves and their descendants created a thriving
African-American business community, led by such influential people as
Maggie L. Walker and
John Mitchell, Jr. The city's historic
Jackson Ward became known as the "Wall Street of Black America."
Law and finance have long been driving forces in the economy. Because the city is home to both a
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and a
Federal Reserve Bank, as well as offices for international firms such as
Hunton & Williams LLP,
McGuireWoods LLP,
CapitalOne, and numerous other banks and brokerages, Richmond was cited as having minimal evidence of being a
Global city.
[Taylor, P.J. "The GaWC Inventory of World Cities." Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network. Accessed on May 31, 2006.]Since the 1960s Richmond has been a prominent hub for advertising agencies and advertising related businesses, including
The Martin Agency. As a result of local advertising agency support,
VCU's graduate advertising school (VCU AdCenter) is consistently ranked the #1 advertising graduate program in the country.
Business rankings
In
2005,
Forbes ranked the Richmond area as the #14 Best Place for Business and Careers, primarily due to its highly educated labor force and relatively low business costs. Other areas of the economy that have developed recently in the city include pharmaceuticals, insurance, advertising, biotechnology, education, tourism health services, or semi-conductors. In 2006, Forbes also named Richmond as the sixth best city in which to find employment among the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the nation [
1].
The Richmond Metro area is also the home of eight
Fortune 500 companies (soon to be nine with the announced relocation of Connecticut based MeadWestvaco to Richmond), including electric utility
Dominion Resources; consumer electronics retailer
Circuit City, which also spun off the used car retailer
CarMax, now a separate
Fortune 500 company;
Performance Food Group;
LandAmerica Financial Group;
Owens & Minor; and the
Brink's Company, a security services outfit.
Genworth Financial, the former
insurance arm of
GE, also has its headquarters here, and is also a member of the Fortune 500. Only five metro areas in the US have more Fortune 500 headquarters than the Richmond area.
Fortune 500 Companies and other large corporations
Other
Fortune 500 companies, while not headquartered in the area, do have a major presence here. These include
Wachovia Securities headquarters (a subsidiary of
Charlotte, North Carolina based Wachovia Corporation),
SunTrust Banks Incorporated (based in
Atlanta, Georgia), credit card agency
Capital One Financial Corporation (officially based in
McLean, Virginia, but founded in Richmond with its largest campus and most employees in the Richmond area), and the medical and pharmaceutical
McKesson Corporation (based in
San Francisco, California).
Philip Morris USA (a division of
Altria Group), one of the world's largest
food,
beverage, and
tobacco companies, maintains their corporate headquarters in
Henrico County just outside the city, and has several other facilities in the area.
Universal Corporation, also in the
tobacco industry, has its corporate headquarters here as well. Capital One and Phillip Morris USA are two of the largest private Richmond-area employers.
DuPont also maintains a production facility known as the Spruance Plant, and Qimonda, formerly
Infineon Technologies has a facility located at
Elko Tract (a former
WWII airfield and
ghost town) near
Richmond International Airport, and produces DRAM computer memory in the area.
Richmond is also home to the rapidly developing
Virginia BioTechnology Research Park, which opened in 1995 as an incubator facility for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Located adjacent to the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus of
Virginia Commonwealth University, the park currently has more than 575,000 square feet (53,000 m²) of research, laboratory and office space for a diverse tenant mix of companies, research institutes, government laboratories and non-profit organizations. The
United Network for Organ Sharing, which maintains the nation's
organ transplant waiting list, occupies one building in the park.
Philip Morris USA also recently announced their plans to build a $350 million research and development facility in the park as well. Once fully developed in the next five to 10 years, park officials expect the site to employ roughly 3,000 scientists, technicians and engineers. Philip Morris will add roughly 600 employees once it opens in 2007.
Richmond is also the home of the
Ukrop's Super Market, a regional, family-owned chain of
supermarkets, known for its remarkable customer service and friendly employees, as well as its sponsorship of community events, such as the
Monument Avenue 10K, Easter on Parade, and the Ukrop's Christmas Parade. The Ukrop family has also been criticized by some for various conservative political actions, such as causing the ban on both
GWAR playing concerts in Richmond and
Howard Stern's show being syndicated on local radio. Despite their conservative stance on many issues, the Ukrop family are strong contributors to Democratic Party candidates.
Recent economic developments
In recent years, Richmond has been reviving its downtown environment. Recent downtown initiatives include the canal walk, the new Greater Richmond Convention Center, the proposed Virginia Performing Arts Center, expansion on both VCU campuses, and a proposed new baseball stadium for the AAA Class Richmond Braves.
In February,
2006,
MeadWestvaco announced that they would move from
Stamford, Connecticut to Richmond in
2008.
[O'Dell, Larry. "MeadWestvaco to Move Headquarters to Virginia." ABC News. February 15, 2006.]Annual cultural events and fairs
The city is home to several annual cultural events. As the
capital of the commonwealth of
Virginia, the state fair is held at the end of September at the state fairgrounds, located just outside of the city near the
Richmond International Raceway. In November, the Suntrust Richmond Marathon and 8K Race is held downtown, and the James River Writers Festival also takes place. During the month of December, the Grand Illumination takes place, in which the buildings of the downtown area light up for the
Christmas holiday season. This usually occurs on the same weekend as the Richmond Christmas Parade, which travels along Broad Street.
In April, the
Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K race is held, as well as the "Easter on Parade" street festival. The James River Film Festival also takes place during this month, and the
VCU French Film Festival is also becoming very popular, and features foreign films.
Other notable events during the year include the 2nd Street Festival and the Carytown Watermelon Festival. The monthly Artwalk takes place on the
first Friday of every month between September and June, in the downtown gallery district.
Richmond hosts the
National Folk Festival in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
Museums, galleries, and historical attractions
 |
The Jefferson Davis Monument, located at the intersection of Monument Avenue and Davis Avenue in Richmond. |
Richmond has a significant art community, and the
Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts is consistently ranked as one of the best in the nation. In addition to many art venues associated with the university, there are also several attractions nearby, including the Valentine Richmond History Center [
2],
Virginia Historical Society, the
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the
Richmond Symphony, and the
Richmond Ballet. The
Byrd Theatre in Carytown is a classical movie theater from the
1920s era that still features movies on a regular basis, and has become popular among the college student population, particularly due to its low ticket price of $2.00.
The
Science Museum of Virginia, is also located on Broad Street near the fan district. It is housed in the
neoclassical Union Station, designed by
Beaux-Arts-trained
John Russell Pope in
1919. Adjacent to the Science Museum is the Richmond Children's Museum, a fun-filled museum for children with many hands-on activities.
As the former Capital of the Confederate States of America, Richmond is home to many museums and battlefields of the
American Civil War. The
Museum of the Confederacy, located near the
Virginia State Capitol and the MCV Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University, once served as the White House of the Confederacy, and today features a wide variety of objects and material from the era. Near the riverfront is the
Tredegar Iron Works and Civil War Battlefields National Park Visitors Center. There is also a
Slave Trail along the river as well.
Other historical points of interest include St. John's Church, the site of
Patrick Henry's famous, "
Give me liberty or give me death" speech, and the
Edgar Allan Poe Museum, which features many of his writings and other things from his life, particularly when he lived in the city. The
John Marshall House, the home of the former
Chief Justice of the United States, is also located downtown and features many of his writings and objects from his life.
Hollywood Cemetery is also the burial grounds of two
U.S. Presidents as well as many other civil war officers and soldiers.
The city is also home to many monuments, most notably several along
Monument Avenue in the fan district. Other monuments of interest in the city include the
A.P. Hill monument, the
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson monument, the
Christopher Columbus monument, and the
Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument. The
Virginia War Memorial is also located on Belvedere near the riverfront, and is a monument to Virginians who died in battle in
World War II, the
Korean War, the
Vietnam War, and the
Iraq War. Located near Byrd Park is the famous
World War I Memorial Carillon, a 56 bell
carillion tower.
Richmond has sometimes been called a
City of Churches. Early dominant influences were the
Episcopalians and
Methodists, but congregations of many faiths and denominations are prevalent today.
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was penned in Richmond by
Thomas Jefferson.
Media
The local daily
newspaper in Richmond is the
Richmond Times-Dispatch. City Edition is a weekly news magazine distributed throughout Richmond that focuses on city government and civic life in the city. It is an issue-oriented and solution-centered publication with a focus on encouraging active participation in the community. The
Richmond Free Press covers the news from a predominantly
African American perspective. The full-color, glossy, independent magazine,
RVA Magazine, focuses on newly developed art, recent music, and emerging cultural trends of the city. The only Hispanic magazine in the state
La Voz Hispana de Virginia provides significant cultural and news content in both English and Spanish.
Comcast was formerly the only cable television provider for the Richmond area, until May
2006, when
Cavalier Telephone and TV began providing cable television services.
[Brockwell, Kent Jennings "The Other TV Option." Richmond.Com. May 23, 2006.] In the city and its northern suburban counties, Comcast is the successor to the franchise originally held by Continental Cablevision, then MediaOne, then AT&T Broadband, before Comcast acquired AT&T Broadband.
The metropolitan area is also served by a variety of television and radio stations, serving a wide variety of musical and other interests.
Radio ownership in Richmond is concentrated in four national companies: Clear Channel (WRVQ-FM, WTVR-FM,
WRXL-FM,
WBTJ-FM, WRNL-AM, WRVA-AM) Cox Radio (WKHK-FM, WKLR-FM,
WDYL-FM, WMXB-FM), Radio One (
WCDX-FM,
WKJS-FM,
WPZZ-FM), and Davidson Media (WLEE-AM, WVNZ-AM, WTOX-AM, WREJ-AM). A regional company, Main Line Broadcasting, owns WBBT-FM, WLFV-FM, and WWLB-FM, having purchased them in September 2005.
Richmond is also home to one of the largest
LPFM stations in the country -
WRIR Richmond Indie Radio. On the air since January 2005 and staffed completely with volunteers, it presents a mix of locally produced talk, NPR and Pacifica syndicated programs, and a wide variety of music.
The University of Richmond's student-run WDCE 90.1 FM also receives a strong following in the community.
Parks and outdoor recreation
The city operates one of the oldest municipal park systems in the country. The park system began when the city council voted in
1851 to acquire 7.5 acres, now known as Monroe Park. Today, Monroe Park sits adjacent to the
Virginia Commonwealth University campus and is one of more than 40 parks comprising a total of more than 1,500 acres (6.1 km²).
Several parks are located along the James River, and the James River Parks System bike trails, hiking and nature trails, and many scenic overlooks along the river's route through the city. The mountain bike trail system in James River and Forest Hill parks is considered by professional riders to be one of the best urban trail systems in the country. The trails are used as part of the Xterra East Championship course for both the running and mountain biking portions of the off-road triathlon.
There are also parks on two major islands in the river:
Belle Isle and Brown's Island. Belle Isle, at various former times a Powhatan fishing village, colonial-era horse race track, and Civil War prison camp, is the larger of the two, and contains many bike trails as well as a small cliff that is used for
rock climbing instruction. One can walk the island and still see many of the remains of the Civil War prison camp, such as an arms storage room and a gun emplacement that was used to quell prisoner riots. Brown's Island is a smaller island and a popular venue of a large number of free outdoor concerts and festivals in the
spring and
summer, such as the weekly Friday Cheers concert series or the James River Beer and Seafood Festival.
Two other major parks in the city are
Byrd Park and
Maymont, located near the fan district of Richmond. Byrd Park features a one mile running track, with exercise stops, a public
dog park, and a number of small lakes for small
boats, as well as two monuments and an amphitheatre. Prominently featured in the park is the
World War I Memorial Carillon, built in
1926 as a memorial to those that died in the war. Maymont, located adjacent to Byrd Park, is a 100 acre (400,000 m²)
Victorian estate with a
museum, formal
gardens, native wildlife exhibits, nature center,
carriage collection, and children's farm.
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is also located in the city.
Other parks in the city include Bryan Park (with its many azalea gardens), Forest Hill Park (former site of the Forest Hill Amusement Park), Chimborazo Park (site of the National Battlefield Headquarters), among others.
Several
theme parks are also located near the city, including
Paramount's King's Dominion to the north, and
Busch Gardens to the east, near
Williamsburg.
UK-based
Diggerland will soon begin construction on a construction-themed park planned to open in
2007.
Sports
Richmond does not have any major, professional sports teams. However, there are several minor league teams. The city is the home of the
Richmond Braves, a
minor league baseball team (the farm team of the
Atlanta Braves). The Braves play at
The Diamond. The
Richmond Kickers, a
United Soccer Leagues Second Division soccer team play at the
University of Richmond Stadium. The
Richmond Bandits are an AIFl team. On April 25, 2006, after losing the Richmond RiverDogs, the former UHL franchise to relocation. The
Richmond Renegades return to the city of Richmond in the Southern Professional Hockey League. The Renegades are owned by original Renegades owner from the ECHL franchise, Allan Harvie. The Renegades will begin play at the
Richmond Coliseum in the fall of 2006.
The
Richmond Coliseum is the home of a large number of concerts, festivals, and trade shows. The
Colonial Athletic Association of college basketball has also hosted its annual tournament at the coliseum since
1990, and the
1994 NCAA women's basketball
Final Four was held here.
Auto racing is also very popular in the area, and the
Richmond International Raceway also hosts two annual
NASCAR Nextel Cup races, the
Suntrust Indy Challenge, as well as the
Virginia State Fair and other community and sporting events.
Southside Speedway also sits just southwest of Richmond in Chesterfield County, and is a .33 mile oval short-track that features weekly stock car racing on Friday nights. Southside Speedway has acted as the breeding grounds for many past NASCAR legends including
Richard Petty,
Bobby Allison and
Darrell Waltrip, and claims to be the home track of current NASCAR superstar,
Denny Hamlin. Richmond was considered as one of the possible resting places for the future
NASCAR Hall of Fame, but was ultimately awarded to
Charlotte, North Carolina.
Religion
Richmond has several historic churches. Because of its early English colonial history from the early 1600s to 1776, Richmond has a number of prominent Anglican/Episcopal churches including
Monumental Church,
St. Paul's Episcopal Church of Richmond, Virginia and
Saint Johns Episcopal Church. Methodists and Baptists made up another section of early churches, and
First Baptist Church of Richmond was the first of these, established in
1780. In the
Reformed church tradition, the first Presbyterian Church in the City of Richmond was First Presbyterian church, organized on
June 18,
1812. On
February 5,
1845,
Second Presbyterian Church of Richmond was founded, which was an historic church where
Stonewall Jackson attended and was the first
Gothic building and the first
gas-lit church to be built in Richmond.
["History of Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond." Second Presbyterian Church.] Due to the influx of
German immigrants in the 1840s,
Saint Johns German Evangelical church was formed in 1843.
The first Jewish congregation in Richmond was
Kahal Kadosh Beth Shalome. Beth Shalome was the sixth in the United States and was the westernmost Jewish congregation in the United States at the time of its foundation. By 1822 K.K. Beth Shalome members worshipped in the first synagogue building in Virginia. They eventually merged with Congregation Beth Ababah, an offshoot of Beth Shalome. Today there is a diverse Jewish community.
There are several
seminaries in Richmond. Three of these have banded together to become the
Richmond Theological Consortium. This
consortium consists of a theology school at
Virginia Union University, a Presbyterian seminary called
Union PSCE , and a Baptist semiary known as
Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.
Government
 |
The Virginia Capitol Building, designed by Thomas Jefferson. Renovations to the building and grounds are currently underway. |
Richmond city government consists of a
city council with representatives from nine districts serving in a
legislative and oversight capacity, as well as a popularly elected, at-large
mayor serving as head of the
executive branch. Citizens in each of the nine districts elect one council representative each to serve a two-year term. The city council elects from among itself one member to serve as Vice-Mayor (Council President) and one to serve as Assistant Vice-Mayor (Council Vice President).
Richmond's government previously changed from a
council-manager form of government to an at-large, popularly elected
Mayor. During the election, mayor
Rudy McCollum was defeated by
L. Douglas Wilder, who previously served
Virginia as the first and only black
governor. In 2004, Virginia Commonwealth University named its School of Government and Public Affairs in honor of L. Douglas Wilder.
As of the November,
2004 election, the Richmond City Council consists of:
L. Douglas Wilder (
Mayor),
Manoli Loupassi (Vice Mayor, 1st District), Jacqueline M. "Jackie" Jackson (City Council Vice President, 8th District),
William J. Pantele (2nd District), Chris A. Hilbert (3rd District), Kathy A. Graziano (4th District), E. Martin "Marty" Jewell (5th District), Ellen F. Robertson (6th District),
Delores McQuinn (7th District), and
Eugene A. Mason, Jr. (9th District).
See also: List of mayors of Richmond, VirginiaEducation
The city of Richmond operates 31 elementary schools, nine middle schools, and eight high schools, with a cosmopolitan student population of 25,000 students. Here is a
listing of Richmond City Public Schools. The adjacent counties of
Henrico and
Chesterfield also have a large number of public schools.
There are also several schools of higher education, including the
University of Richmond (private),
Virginia Commonwealth University (public),
Virginia Union University (private) and the
Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education (private). Several community colleges are found in the metro area, including
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and
John Tyler Community College.
Virginia State University is located about 20 miles south of Richmond, in the suburb of
Ettrick, just outside
Petersburg.
Randolph-Macon College is located about 15 miles north of Richmond, in the incorporated town of
Ashland.
Transportation
 |
Richmond's downtown Main Street Station in 1971. |
Richmond is served by the
Richmond International Airport , located in nearby
Sandston, seven miles southeast of Richmond and within an hour drive of historic
Williamsburg, Virginia, RIC airport is served by seven airlines with non-stop flights to 21 destinations and connecting flights to destinations worldwide. In
2004, the airport served approximately 2.5 million passengers.
Intercity
bus service is provided by
Greyhound Lines. Local
transit and
paratransit bus service in Richmond,
Henrico, and
Chesterfield counties is provided by the
Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC). The GRTC, however, serves only small parts of the suburban counties. The far West End (Innsbrook and Short Pump) and almost all of Chesterfield County have no public transportation despite dense housing, retail, and office development. Recent statistics in the Richmond Times-Dispatch have shown that the vast majority of GRTC riders ride the bus because they do not own a car and have no other choice; automobile owners in Richmond find that due to the layout of the city and its roads, driving is always a far faster method of reaching one's destination than is walking or the sparse bus service.
Richmond also has two railroad stations served by
Amtrak. Each station receives regular service from north of Richmond from
Washington, DC,
Philadelphia, and
New York. The suburban
Staples Mill Road Station is located on a major north-south freight line and receives all service to and from all points south including,
Raleigh,
Durham,
Savannah,
Newport News,
Williamsburg and
Florida. The historic and recently renovated
Main Street Station near downtown Richmond only receives trains bound for
Newport News and
Williamsburg at this time, due to its track layout. As a result, the Staples Mill Road station receives more service overall.
Richmond also benefits from an excellent position in reference to the state's transportation network, lying at the junction of east-west
Interstate 64 and north-south
Interstate 95, two of the most heavily traveled highways in the state, as well as along several major rail lines.
Utilities
Electricity in the Richmond Metro area is provided by Dominion Virginia Power. The company, based in Richmond, one of the nation's largest producers of energy, serving retail energy customers in nine states. Electricity is provided in the Richmond area primarily by the
North Anna Nuclear Generating Station and
Surry Nuclear Generating Station, as well as a
coal-fired station in
Chester, Virginia. These three plants provide a total of 4,453
megawatts of power. Several other
natural gas plants provide extra power during times of peak demand. These include a facility in
Chester, in
Surry, and two plants in Richmond (Gravel Neck and Darbytown).
[Dominion Virginia Power Website.]Water is provided by the city's Department of Public Utilities, and is one of the largest water producers in
Virginia, with a modern plant that can treat up to 132 million gallons of water a day from the
James River.
[City of Richmond, Department of Public Utilities]Wastewater: The treatment plant and distribution system of water mains, pumping stations and storage facilities provide water to approximately 62,000 customers in the city. The facility also provides water to the surrounding area through wholesale contracts with
Henrico,
Chesterfield, and
Hanover counties. Overall, this results in a facility that provides water for approximately 500,000 people. There is also a wastewater treatment plant located on the south bank of the James River. This plant can treat up to 70 million gallons of water per day of sanitary sewage and stormwater before returning it to the river. The wastewater utility also operates and maintains 1,500 miles of sanitary sewer, pumping stations, 38 miles of intercepting sewer lines, and the Shockoe Retention Basin, a 44-million-gallon stormwater reservoir used during heavy rains.
Telephone service for the Richmond area is provided by two
local exchange carriers:
Verizon is the
incumbent telephone company, and Cavalier Telephone & TV is a
competitive local exchange carrier.
Richmond has six
sister cities, as designated by the Sister Cities International, Inc.:
[Sister Cities information obtained from the Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI)." Retrieved on August 1, 2006.]*
Richmond-upon-Thames (
England)
*
Saitama, Saitama (
Japan)
*
Uijongbu (
South Korea)
*
Urawa,
Aichi (
Japan)
*
Windhoek (
Namibia)
*
Zhengzhou (
China)
*
List of famous Richmonders*
List of mayors of Richmond, Virginia*
List of Richmond City Public Schools*
Official Government Website*
Greater Richmond Convention Center*
Richmond Chamber of Commerce*
very detailed demographic information on Richmond from the 2000 US Census]
