Richmond was founded in 1607 by Christopher Newport and Captain John Smith of Jamestown fame. William Byrd II named the city after the Thames River in Richmond, England. Patrick Henry lit the fires of revolution when he delivered his "…give me liberty or give me death…" speech at St. John's Church in 1775.
Richmond replaced Williamsburg as capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1780. The State Capitol building, designed by Thomas Jefferson, is one of the most visited sites in the city and is home to the world famous Houdoun statue of George Washington, possibly the most valuable piece of marble sculpture in America.
Richmond was also capital of the Confederate States of America from 1861 until 1865. After the Civil War, Richmond became a thriving city, especially for black entrepreneurs. The downtown neighborhoods of Court End and Jackson Ward continue to tell the stories of struggle and triumph.
However, Richmond does not live entirely in the past. It’s a city of constant change, and there’s never been a more exciting time to visit. The newly opened Riverfront Canal Walk allows visitors easy access to the only metropolitan whitewater river in the U.S. The 32-acre riverfront development meanders along a 1.25-mile stretch of the historic James River.
George Washington’s original canal design takes visitors from the historic Tredegar Iron Works to Shockoe Slip, a renovated warehouse district that has been converted to a popular entertainment, shopping and dining nightspot. A few blocks over is Shockoe Bottom with its 300-year-old, open-air Farmer’s Market set among all-new shops, eateries and nightclubs.
A short walk from the re-born Shockoe Bottom is the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, housed in Richmond’s oldest standing structure. For a broader view of Richmond’s long and diverse history, visit The Valentine Museum, with its exhibitions of clothes, documents and rare photographs.
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