'Richmond' is the
capital of the
Commonwealth of Virginia, in the
United States. Like all Virginia municipalities 'incorporated as' ''cities'', it is an
independent city and not part of any
county (
Richmond County is unrelated, and located more than 53 miles (85 km) away in the northeast region of the
state). Richmond is the center of the Richmond
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and the
Greater Richmond area. Surrounded by
Henrico and
Chesterfield Counties, the city is located at the intersections of
Interstate 95 and
Interstate 64 in central Virginia. As of 2006, the city's estimated population is 192,913, with a metro area population of approximately 1.2 million.
The site of Richmond, at the
fall line of the
James River in the
Piedmont region of
Virginia, was briefly settled by English settlers from
Jamestown in 1607, near the site of a significant native settlement. The present city of Richmond was founded in 1737. It became the capital of 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
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1779; the latter of which was written by
Thomas Jefferson in the city. During the
American Civil War, Richmond served as the capital of the
Confederate States of America, and many important civil war landmarks remain in the city today.
Richmond's economy is primarily driven by
law,
finance, and
government with several notable legal and banking firms, as well as federal, state, and local governmental agenices, located in the downtown area. Richmond is one of twelve cities in the United States to be home to a
Federal Reserve Bank. There are also nine
Fortune 500, and thirteen
Fortune 1000 companies, in the city. Richmond is also home to several smaller companies which contribute to its small town, friendly, southern atmosphere, such as
Ukrop's Super Market, a regional, family-owned chain of
supermarkets.
Residents of the city are commonly referred to as 'Richmonders', and they may refer to their city in everyday language as, 'RVA', 'RIC', (its
airport code or 'The 804' (its
area code).
History
Main articles: History of Richmond, Virginia
In 1606,
James I granted a
royal charter to the
Virginia Company of London to settle colonists in
North America.
[1] After the first permanent
English settlement was established in April, 1607, at
Jamestown,
Captain Christopher Newport and
Captain John Smith led explorers northwest up the
James River, and on
June 3,
1607, erected a cross on one of the small islands opposite the site of the present city. The first permanent settlement within the present limits of the city was made in 1609 in the district known as Rockett's.
[2] Before 1607, Indian tribes of the
Powhatan Confederacy had lived in the region. For centuries, the 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 itm ''"Shocquohocan,"'', or ''Shockoe''.
Later the same year, Captain Smith bought a tract of land on the east bank of the river from the Indians, about 3 miles (4.8 km) from the initial settlement. He named this tract, "Nonesuch," and attempted to establish a small garrison, which was later abandoned due to ongoing attacks by the Indians. In 1645, Fort Charles was erected at the falls of the James – the highest navigable point of the James River – as a frontier defense. New settlers moved in, and the community grew into a bustling trading post for furs, hides, and tobacco.
In 1673,
William Byrd I was granted lands on the James River that included the area around Falls that would become Richmond and already included small settlements. Byrd was a well-connected Indian trader in the area and established a fort on the site.
William Byrd II inherited his father's land in 1704, and in 1737 founded the town of Richmond at the Falls of the James and commissioned
Major William Mayo to lay out the original town grid. Byrd named the city Richmond after the town of
Richmond in England (a suburb of London) because the view of the James River was strikingly similar to the view of the
River Thames from Richmond, England, where he had spent time during his youth. The settlement was laid out in April, 1737, and was incorporated as a town in 1742.
Revolutionary War
Patrick Henry delivering his, "Liberty or Death," speech at
St. John's Church in Richmond, helping to ignite the American Revolution.
In 1775,
Patrick Henry delivered his famous, "
Give me Liberty or Give me Death," speech in
St. John's Church in Richmond that was crucial for deciding Virginia's (then the largest of the 13 colonies) participation in the
First Continental Congress and setting the course for revolution and independence.
Thomas Jefferson, who would soon write the
Declaration of Independence, and
George Washington, who would soon command the
Continental Army, were in attendance at this critical moment on the path to the
American Revolution.
[4]
On
April 18,
1780, as Virginia’s population moves further west, the state capital was moved from the colonial capital of
Williamsburg to Richmond, to provide a more centralized location for commerce, as well as to isolate the capital from British attack.
[5] In 1781, under the command of
Benedict Arnold, Richmond was burned by British troops causing Governor Thomas Jefferson to flee the city. Yet Richmond shortly recovered and, by 1782, Richmond was once again a thriving city.
[6]
In 1786, one of the most important and influential passages of legislation in American history was passed at the temporary state capital in Richmond, the
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Written by
Thomas Jefferson and sponsored by
James Madison, the statute was the basis for the separation of church and state, and led to
freedom of religion for all Americans as protected in the religion clause in the
U.S. Constitution's
First Amendment. Its importance is recognized annually by the President of The United States, with January 16 established as
National Religious Freedom Day.
[7]
The
Virginia State Capitol building, designed by
Thomas Jefferson and
Charles-Louis Clérisseau, was completed in 1788. It is the second-oldest US statehouse in continuous use (Maryland's is the oldest) and was the first US government building built in the
neo-classical Roman style of architecture, setting the trend for other state houses and the federal government buildings (including the
White House and
The Capitol) in
Washington, DC. The state capitol is one of thirteen in the
United States without a dome and underwent a complete renovation which was completed in May 2007.
[8]
After the revolutionary war, Richmond emerged an important industrial center and crossroads of transportation and commerce.
George Washington proposed and received the support of the Virginia legislature for the establishment of the
James River and Kanawha Canal, the first
canal system to be established in the U.S. The canal allowed goods and services coming up the James River to be navigated around the falls at Richmond and connect Richmond and the eastern part of Virginia with the west. As a result Richmond became home to some of the largest manufacturing facilities in the country, including iron works and flour mills, the largest facilities of their kind in the south. Canal traffic peaked in the 1860s and slowly gave way to railroads, allowing Richmond to become a major railroad crossroads, eventually including the site of the world's first triple railroad crossing.
[9] The Canal officially ceased operations in the 1880s, although portions of the canal have been preserved and rebuilt by 1998–1999, spurring tourism and economic development along the old canal route in downtown Richmond.
[10]
Civil War and Reconstruction
Shells of the buildings of Richmond, silhouetted against a dark sky after the destruction by Confederates fleeing advancing Union forces, 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 abolitionists in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, escaping slavery.
[11]
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.
[12] 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 ordinance machinery.
[13] In February, 1861,
Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as
President of the
Confederate States of America in
Montgomery, Alabama, the first Confederate capital. In the early morning of
April 12,
1861, the Confederate army fired on
Fort Sumter in
Charleston, South Carolina, and the Civil War had begun. On
April 17,
1861, Virginia seceded from the United States and joined the Confederate States, and soon thereafter the Confederate government moved its capital to Richmond.
[14]
The Seven Days Battle, in which Union General McClellan threatened Richmond and came very near but ultimately failed to take the city, followed in late June and early July of 1862. Three years later on
April 3,
1865,
Ulysses S. Grant and the Union Army captured Richmond, and the state capital was then relocated to
Danville. Six days later,
Robert E. Lee's retreating
Army of Northern Virginia surrendered to Grant at
Appomattox Court House, symbolically ending the war. On
April 2,
1865, about 25% of the city's buildings were destroyed in a fire set by retreating Confederate soldiers. Union soldiers put out the fires as they entered the city.
A 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 intersection shown is at 8th & Broad Streets.
After the Civil War, Richmond entered a phase of recovery and reconstruction.
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)
J.E.B. Stuart,
Robert E. Lee,
Jefferson Davis,
Stonewall Jackson, and
Matthew F. Maury.
[15] Richmond's
Hollywood Cemetery is the final resting place of both Stuart and Davis.
Contributing to Richmond's industrial reconstruction was the first successful electrically-powered
trolley system in the United States, the
Richmond Union Passenger Railway. Designed by electric power pioneer
Frank J. Sprague, the trolley system opened its first line in 1888, and electric streetcar lines rapidly spread to other cities.
[16] Sprague's system used an overhead wire and trolley pole to collect current, with electric motors on the car's truck's.
[17]
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 United States.
[18]
In 1903, African-American businesswoman and financier
Maggie L. Walker chartered St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, and served as its first president, as well as the 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. The Governor's School in Richmond City is also dedicated to her name.
[19]
In 1910, the former city of
Manchester was consolidated with the city of Richmond, and in 1914, the city annexed the Barton Heights, Ginter Park, and Highland Park areas of
Henrico County.
[20]
In May of 1914, Richmond became the headquarters of the
Fifth District of the Federal Reserve Bank. It was selected due to the city's geographic location, its importance as a commercial and financial center, its transportation and communications facilities, as well as Virginia's leading regional role in the banking business. The bank was originally located near the federal courts downtown and moved to a new headquarters building near the Capitol in 1922, and finally to its present location overlooking the James River in 1978.
[21] Richmond's business and industrial development continued throughout the decade, and in 1929,
Philip Morris, which began as a British company about 100 years earlier, opened its first US factory in the city. Richmond was chosen because the town's rich tobacco history.
[22]
Richmond entered the broadcasting era in late 1925 when
WRVA, originally known as the ''Edgeworth Tobacco Station'' and owned by Larus & Brothers, went on the air. The white ballad singers and black gospel quartets that were popular on the radio at the time were often urban and sometimes even professional men. At the time, Richmond was particularly self-conscious with its southern roots, and such music was seen as culturally inferior.
[23]
The Landmark Theater, originally known as The Mosque, adjacent to Monroe Park.
Several performing arts venues were constructed during the 1920s. In 1926, The Mosque (now called the
Landmark Theater) was constructed by the
Shriners as their Acca Temple Shrine, and since then, many of America's greatest entertainers have appeared on its stage beneath its towering minarets and desert murals.
[24] Loew's Theater was built in 1927, and was described as, "the ultimate in 1920s movie palace fantasy design." It later suffered a decline in popularity as the movie-going population moved to the suburbs, but was restored during the 1980s and renamed as the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts.
[25] In 1928, the
Byrd Theater was built by local
architect Fred Bishop on Westhampton Avenue (now called Cary Street) in a residential area of the city. To this day, the Byrd remains in operation as one of the last of the great movie palaces of the 1920s and 1930s.
[26]
In his autobiography, ''"The Moon's A Balloon"''. Academy award winning actor
David Niven described how he was on a trip from New York to Florida in the late 1930s when he decided to spend the night at Richmond's famous
Jefferson Hotel, located in downtown Richmond. Niven stated that as he was signing the guest registry at the Jefferson, his eyes snapped open with amazement when he noticed a full sized alligator swimming in a small pool located six feet from the reception desk.
[27] Alligators at The Jefferson would become world famous, and the last alligator living in the marble pools of the Jefferson's Palm Court, named Old Pompey, remained there until he died in 1948.
[28]
Between 1963 and 1965, there was a, "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.
[29] In 1970, Richmond's borders expanded by an additional 27 square miles (69 km²) on the south. After several years of court cases in which
Chesterfield County fought annexation, more than 47,000 people who once were Chesterfield County residents found themselves in the city’s perimeters on
January 1,
1970.
[30]
Between the 1984 and 1985 seasons, the city completed construction of the Diamond, a new
baseball stadium for the
Richmond Braves, a AAA baseball team in the
Atlanta Braves minor league system. The park opened on
April 17,
1985, replacing the old Parker Field, which previously occupied the same site.
[31] Also in 1985, Richmond saw the opening of
6th Street Marketplace, a downtown festival marketplace, which was envisioned as a solution to the downtown areas urban erosion. The project ultimately failed, and the shopping center was closed and demolished in 2004.
[32]
A multi-million dollar flood wall was completed in 1995, in order to protect the city and the Shockoe Bottom businesses from the rising waters of the James River. After the flood wall was completed, the River District businesses grew rapidly, and today the area is home to much of Richmond's entertainment, dining and nightlife activity.
[33]
In 1996, a reminder of Richmond's Confederate history arose amid controversy involved in placing a statue of
African American Richmond native and
tennis star
Arthur Ashe to the famed series of statues of Confederate heroes of the Civil War on
Monument Avenue.
[34] After several months of controversy, the bronze statue of Ashe was finally completed on Monument Avenue on
July 3,
1996.
[35]
Twenty-first century
Richmond entered the twenty-first century in the process of undergoing several redevelopment initiatives. The city completed a
$52 million restoration of the
James River and Kanawha Canals, as well as the Haxall Canal, in 1999, which included a Canal Walk, designed to attract businesses such as restaurants and nightclubs to the area. The riverfront project has brought the 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.
Riverfront development continued in April 2003 with the start of construction of Riverside on the James, a 720,000 square foot (66,890 sq m) residential and office complex near Brown's Island between 10th and 12th Streets downtown. The project, costing $90 million, was completed in July 2005, and is expected to attract even more commercial development to the downtown area.
[36]
On
September 19,
2003, despite
Hurricane Isabel's sustained winds of 40–60 mph (64–96 km/h) the day before, as well as major power outages in the area, the city saw the opening of its first open air shopping center,
Stony Point Fashion Park. The 690,000 square foot (64,103 sq m) center is located off of Stony Point Parkway just south of the James River, and saw the arrival of 45 new stores to the area, including
Sak's Fifth Avenue, Galyen's Sporting Goods, and
Dillard's.
[37] Short Pump Town Center, a similar shopping center, opened later in the fall in the nearby suburb of
Short Pump.
The next year, in September 2004,
Tropical Storm Gaston swept through the area, bringing with it intense rain, causing severe flooding in the Shockoe Bottom business district, as well as major electrical outages throughout the metropolitan area.
[38]
Geography and climate
Geography
Richmond-Petersburg area
Richmond is located at (37.538346, -77.461507). According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 62.5
mi² (162.0
km²). 60.1 mi² (155.6 km²) of it is land and 2.5 mi² (6.4 km²) 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
James River, the
Appomattox River, and the
Chickahominy River.
The
Richmond-Petersburg Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the
43rd largest in the United States, includes the independent cities of Richmond,
Colonial Heights,
Hopewell, and
Petersburg, as well as the counties of
Charles City,
Chesterfield,
Dinwiddie,
Goochland,
Hanover,
Henrico,
New Kent,
Powhatan, and
Prince George.
[39] As of
July 1,
2005, the total population of the Richmond—Petersburg
MSA is 1,194,008.
[40]
Cityscape
Richmond is comprised of seven major geographical areas, centered around
downtown. To the east of downtown is the East End, to the west is the Central, further west are the
West End and the Southwest, to the south is the Southside, and to the north is the
Northside.
[41]
Downtown Richmond contains two major neighborhoods:
Shockoe Bottom, adjacent to the river, and
Jackson Ward, a historic neighborhood rich in
African American history and once called, "The Wall Street of Black America." To the east of downtown, in Richmond's East End, are the oldest parts of the city. There are two neighborhoods here:
Church Hill, home to
St. John's Church, where Patrick Henry made his famous speech, and
Fulton, to the southeast of Church Hill. On the opposite side of downtown is the Central area, the geographic and social heart of the city. The area is architecturally diverse and culturally rich, with a number of museums and other attractions. Two of Richmond's institutions of higher education,
Virginia Commonwealth University and
Virginia Union University, make their home in this area. There are various neighborhoods in the Central area: the
Fan, the Museum District,
Carytown, Randolph, Newtone-West, and
Oregon Hill.
Further to the west of Central, is the
West End. The West End is a more suburban and affluent environment, and a bit more isolated than the downtown core. There are three major neighborhoods in the West End: Westhampton, Windsor Farms, and Sauer's Gardens. The
University of Richmond can also be found here. On the other side of the river is the Southwest, once a rural area but fast developing a strong retail and business presence. The major neighborhoods in the Southwest include Southhampton, Stratford Hills, Oxford, Huguenot Farms, and Hobby Hill.
Neighborhoods in the city's Southside area include
Manchester, Woodland Heights, Westover Hills, Fawnbrook, Broad Rock, Cherry Gardens, Cullenwood, and Beaufont Hills. The other side of the city, the Northside, began to develop at the end of the 19th century when the new streetcar system made it possible for people to live on the outskirts of town and still commute to jobs downtown. Several neighborhoods developed here: Ginter Park, Bellevue, Highland Park, Azalea and Chamberlayne among others.
Climate
Richmond has a
humid subtropical climate with moderate changes of seasons.
Spring arrives in March 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 °F with high humidity. On average, July is the warmest month of the year, with the maximum average precipitation. Days stay warm to mild until October, and
Fall is marked by nights once again becoming cooler. Winter is usually mild in Richmond, with the coldest days featuring lows in the mid-upper 20s and highs in the mid 40s. The highest temperature ever recorded was 107 °F in 1918, and the lowest temperature ever recorded was -12 °F in 1940. On average, the coolest month of the year is January.
[42] Snow usually falls each winter, averaging 12 inches per season.
[43]
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures |
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec High °F | 81 | 83 | 94 | 96 | 100 | 104 | 105 | 107 | 103 | 99 | 86 | 81 |
|---|
| Norm High °F | 45 | 49 | 58 | 69 | 76 | 84 | 88 | 86 | 70 | 69 | 60 | 50 |
|---|
| Norm Low °F | 28 | 30 | 37 | 45 | 55 | 63 | 68 | 67 | 60 | 47 | 38 | 31 |
|---|
| Rec Low °F | -12 | -10 | 11 | 19 | 31 | 40 | 51 | 39 | 35 | 21 | 10 | -2 |
|---|
| Precip (in) | 3.55 | 2.98 | 4.09 | 3.18 | 3.96 | 3.54 | 4.67 | 4.18 | 3.98 | 3.60 | 3.06 | 3.12 |
|---|
''Source: The Weather Channel |
Demographics
'City of Richmond
Population by year |
| 1790 | 3,761 |
| 1800 | 5,737 |
| 1810 | 9,735 |
| 1820 | 12,067 |
| 1830 | 16,060 |
| 1840 | 20,153 |
| 1850 | 27,570 |
| 1860 | 37,910 |
| 1870 | 51,038 |
| 1880 | 63,600 |
| 1890 | 81,388 |
| 1900 | 85,050 |
| 1910 | 127,628 |
| 1920 | 171,667 |
| 1930 | 182,929 |
| 1940 | 193,042 |
| 1950 | 230,310 |
| 1960 | 219,958 |
| 1970 | 249,621 |
| 1980 | 219,214 |
| 1990 | 203,056 |
| 2000 | 197,790 |
| 2006 | 192,913 |
As of the
census of 2000, there were 197,790 people, 84,549 households, and 43,627 families residing in the city. The estimated population for 2006 is 192,913.
[44][45] 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.
Economy
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.
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.
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. Innovations of this era included the world's first cigarette-rolling machine, invented by
James Albert Bonsack of
Roanoke in 1880/81, 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 (first woman to charter a bank in the U.S.) 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, Troutman Sanders LLP,
Williams Mullen,
CapitalOne,
Philip Morris USA, and numerous other banks and brokerages, Richmond was cited as having minimal evidence of being a
Global city.
[46]
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.
[47] Richmond is known as one of the most politically and socially conservative consumer markets in the country. Consequently, it is often used as a test-market for new consumer products to identify strengths and weaknesses that will appear in a national deployment.
Fortune 500 Companies and other large corporations
The greater Richmond area is home to nine
Fortune 500 companies, 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;
Brink's Company, a security services outfit;
Genworth Financial, the former
insurance arm of
GE and the recently relocated
MeadWestvaco, a leading global producer of packaging, coated and specialty papers, consumer and office products and specialty chemicals. Only five metro areas in the US have more Fortune 500 company headquarters than the Richmond area.
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-based
Wachovia Corporation),
SunTrust Banks Incorporated (based in
Atlanta), credit card agency
Capital One Financial Corporation (officially based in
McLean, Virginia, but founded in Richmond with its operations center and most employees in the Richmond area), the medical and pharmaceutical giant,
McKesson (based in
San Francisco).
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 closed-on-Sundays and no-alcohol-on-the-shelves policies. Ukrops is a high-profile sponsor of community events like the
Monument Avenue 10K, Easter on Parade, and the Ukrop's Christmas Parade.
Recent economic developments
In recent years, Richmond has been attempting to revive its downtown. Recent downtown initiatives include the Canal Walk, a new Greater Richmond Convention Center, and expansion on both
VCU campuses. Despite numerous controversies related to excessive employee salaries and wasteful spending of public tax money
[48], a new performing arts center,
Richmond CenterStage, will reportedly open in 2009.
[49] The complex will include a renovation of the Carpenter Center and construction of a new multipurpose hall, community playhouse, and arts education center in parts of the old Thalhimers department store.
[50] As planned by the Virginia Performing Arts Foundation (VAPAF), the publicly-funded arts center project now known as CenterStage has been mired in controversy, poor planning and questionable spending of money raised from a special citywide meals tax hike.
[51]
The center is set to receive $25 million in 'City of the Future' funds from Mayor Doug Wilder even though the current planners of CenterStage have yet to disclose annual administrative and operating expenses or initiate an artists endowment.
[52] There are also few representatives from the area's performing arts community in key positions of authority within the project, leading critics to speculate that CenterStage is more of a real estate deal designed to prop up a failing convention center expansion than a worthwhile arts venture.
[53] The city has entertained multiple proposals for a new baseball stadium for the AAA Class
Richmond Braves in recent years, but none has yet advanced beyond initial planning.
In February, 2006,
MeadWestvaco announced that they would move from
Stamford, Connecticut, to Richmond in 2008.
[54] The company is planning an 8-10 story office building downtown, near the
Federal Reserve building.
[55]
Arts and culture
Museums and art galleries
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.
[56] In addition to many art venues associated with the university, there are also several attractions nearby, including the
Library of Virginia, the Valentine Richmond History Center, the
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 second-run movies on a regular basis, and is popular among the college student population, particularly because of its low ticket price of
$1.99.
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 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, is in Court End along with the Davis Mansion, also known as the White House of the Confederacy; both today feature 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 a former slave trail along the river as well. The dome-like structure to commemorate the Centennial Exhibition of the American Civil War now serves as a cafeteria on the MCV Campus of VCU. The
National Park Service's Richmond Civil War Visitor Center, in the
Tredegar Iron Works, has three floors of exhibits and artifacts, films, a bookstore, picnic areas and more.
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, features many of his writings and other artifacts of his life, particularly when he lived in the city as a child, a student, and a successful writer. 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 home of former Confederate General Robert E. Lee still stands on Franklin Street in downtown Richmond.
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.
Dedicated in 1956, 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
Persian Gulf War. Located near Byrd Park is the famous
World War I Memorial Carillon, a 56 bell
carillon tower.
Performing arts
★
Richmond Ballet - Founded in 1957. Current artistic director is Stoner Winslet.
★
Richmond Symphony - Current music director is Mark Russell Smith.
★
Virginia Opera - The Official Opera Company of the Commonwealth of Virginia, founded in 1974. Current artistic director is
Peter Mark. Presents eight mainstage performances every year at the
Landmark Theater.
★
Barksdale Theatre- Founded in 1953, originally as the Hanover Tavern. Created the nation's first dinner theatre. The Barksdale was Virginia’s first performing arts organization to open its doors to integrated audiences. Continues today as The Hanover Tavern, in Hanover Virginia, Barksdale Theatre in Richmond, and also as Theatre IV at the Empire Theatre in Richmond.
★
S.P.A.R.C. - School Of The Performing Arts in the Richmond Community. SPARC was founded in 1981, and trained children to become "triple threats", meaning they were equally versed in singing, acting, and dancing. SPARC has become the largest community-based theater arts education program in Virginia and it offers classes to every age group, during the summer and through out the year.
★ Recently, the
Richmond Coliseum has drawn high-profile acts such as
Nine Inch Nails,
Tim McGraw and
Faith Hill,
My Chemical Romance and
Tool.
★
Richmond CenterStage, a new performing arts center planned to open in 'Downtown Richmond' in 2009. The complex will reportedly include a renovation of the Carpenter Center and construction of a new multipurpose hall, community playhouse, and arts education center in parts of the old Thalhimers department store.
Sports
Richmond does not have a major league professional sports teams. However, there are several minor league teams, and excellent extreme sports. The city's professional baseball team is the
Richmond Braves, a AAA
minor league baseball team (the farm team of the
Atlanta Braves). The Braves play at
The Diamond. The Richmond Lions, a
USA Rugby Division 2
rugby union team, play at Dorey Park. The
Richmond Kickers, a
United Soccer Leagues Second Division soccer team, play at the
University of Richmond Stadium.
The
Richmond Coliseum, a 13,000 plus seat multi-purpose arena in downtown Richmond, is the home of a large number of sporting events, concerts, festivals, and trade shows. The
Colonial Athletic Association has hosted its annual men's basketball tournament at the Coliseum since 1990. The Coliseum has played host as a
NCAA men's basketball tournament site and in 1994 played host to the women's basketball
Final Four. In December 2006, WWE's Armageddon Live Pay-Per-View was held at the Coliseum.
Th
Stuart C. Siegel Center, on the campus of
Virginia Commonwealth University in downtown Richmond, is the 7,500 plus seat home multi-purpose arena of the
Virginia Commonwealth University Rams. The area also plays host to concerts and local and state high school basketball games and tournaments as well as several high school graduations in the surrounding area.
The
Robins Center, is a 9,071-seat multi-purpose arena is home to the University of Richmond Spiders basketball.
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.
Colonial Downs is a horse racing track in New Kent, Virginia adjacent to Interstate 64, approximately 20 miles east of Richmond's city limits. The track plays host to the Virginia Derby each July.
Richmond has played host to the Xterra (off-road triathlon) East Championship since 2000. Mountain bikers and Triathletes alike revel in the incredible trail system of the James River Park. Each June the best off-road Triathletes in the world converge on Richmond for the Xterra East Regional Championship bringing with them the Xterra Triathlon festival, including, family events, athletic competitions, and a twilight concert.
Richmond is also the home of the
River City Rollergirls, a rookie league for the
Women's Flat Track Derby Association (
WFTDA),and of Richmond Lucha Libre,a popular local independent wrestling group.
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 (3 hectare), 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 (610 hectare).
Several parks are located along the James River, and the James River Parks System offers 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 (40 hectares)
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
Joseph Bryan Park Azalea Garden, 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
Kings Dominion to the north, and
Busch Gardens to the east, near
Williamsburg.
UK-based
Diggerland will soon begin construction of a construction-themed park planned to open in 2007.
[57]
Media
Main articles: Media in Richmond, Virginia
The ''
Richmond Times-Dispatch'' is the local daily
newspaper in Richmond (and the newspaper of record for the state) with a Sunday circulation of 215,000. ''
Style Weekly'' is an alternative weekly publication covering popular culture, arts, and entertainment. ''City Edition'' is a weekly news magazine distributed throughout Richmond that focuses on city government and civic life in the city. The ''Richmond Free Press'' and the ''Voice'' cover the news from a predominantly
African American perspective.
The free, full-color, glossy, independent magazine of Richmond,
RVA Magazine, focuses on newly developed and cutting edge art, music, and emerging cultural trends of the city. The only Hispanic magazine in the state
La Voz Hispana de Virginia and the Spanish newspaper Centro, distributed free to Greater Richmond provide significant cultural and news content in both English and Spanish.
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. WCVE is the local public radio affiliate.
AM 1140 WRVA is a talk radio station in Richmond. WRVA features a regular weekday special that includes syndicated hosts
Glenn Beck,
Rush Limbaugh,
Sean Hannity and
Michael Savage. "Coast to Coast with George Noory" encompasses the overnight hours. "Richmond's Morning News with Jimmy Barrett" is the morning show, and "The Mac Watson Show" is the afternoon show. Both of which feature regular news breaks by Fox News Radio, and regular traffic and weather reports. WRVA also features a weekend line-up with such names as
Kim Commando,
Matt Drudge and other hosts.
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.
[58] 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.
DirecTV and
Dish Network are also very popular as an alternative to cable television in Richmond.
Comcast also provides Broadband internet access. Other providers offer DSL service in Richmond including Verizon and Cavalier, who also offer land-line telephone services.
In popular culture
Richmond has been featured in various forms of
film,
television, and
writing. Numerous episodes of
The X-Files took place, in part, in and at largely-fictionalized locations in the city. The television show, ''
Doug,'' took place in a town called Bluffington, in which many places were based upon creator
Jim Jinkins's childhood growing up in Richmond. The
ABC drama
Line of Fire was set specifically in Richmond, with several shooting locations taking place throughout the city. Parts of the movies, ''
Hannibal'', ''
Hearts in Atlantis'', ''
The Contender,'' and the
HBO film, ''
Iron Jawed Angels'', were also filmed in Richmond. The
Hardcore punk band
GWAR was formed in Richmond, as well as the metal band
Lamb of God.
The elite and wealthy African-American
debutante character
Whitley Gilbert on the TV sitcom
A Different World (a spin off of the
Cosby Show), was from Richmond
[1]; the show's composer was
Stu Gardner, a
Virginia Union graduate. The 2007 comedy
Evan Almighty also features several scenes shot in Richmond.
My Dinner With Andre was filmed at the unrenovated Jefferson Hotel in the early 1980s. An HBO movie,
Finnigan Begin Again, was filmed in Richmond during the summer of 1984 and featured
Mary Tyler Moore. Richmond was also mentioned in "
The Shawshank Redemption," starting
Morgan Freeman and
Tim Robbins, when one prison inmate smelled his newly acquired cigarettes and commented, "Richmond, Virginia" in reference to his cigarettes coming from the
Phillip Morris plant in Richmond.
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.
CNN personality and radio talk show host
Glenn Beck also brings his live tours to Richmond. During these times, he typically broadcasts his radio show from Richmond, and hosts his television show in popular spots in Richmond such as the Can-Can restaurant in
Carytown.
Mac Watson, afternoon radio personality at WRVA in Richmond has been known to substitute for Glenn Beck on his radio show on occasion, in which Watson jokingly likes to tout, "I sat in for the 3rd most listened to Radio Talk show host in the country!"
Richmond, Virginia is also the home of many musical acts, and has also been the center of controversy as far as some musical acts are concerned.
Avail is a popular
punk rock band whose roots in Richmond have inspired such songs as "Riot in Monroe," in reference to Monroe Park, and "Southbound 95," in reference to coming home from touring on Interstate 95.
GWAR, a popular shock rock/metal band has been banned from playing in the city due to their crude stage performance. They currently play in Richmond under the name RAWG (GWAR spelled backwards), in which they play their songs, but not in their trademark
paper-mache costumes.
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 and
St. John's 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 a historic church where
Stonewall Jackson attended and was the first
Gothic building and the first
gas-lit church to be built in Richmond.
[59] Due to the influx of German immigrants in the 1840s,
Saint Johns German Evangelical church was formed in 1843. Richmond is also home to a prominent Greek-American community. Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral held its first worship service in a rented room at 309 North 7th Street in 1917. The cathedral relocated to 30 Malvern Avenue in 1960 and is noted as the only Eastern Orthodox church in Richmond and home to the annual
Richmond Greek Festival.
The first Jewish congregation in Richmond was Kahal Kadosh Beth Shalom.
Beth Shalom 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 Shalom members worshipped in the first synagogue building in Virginia. They eventually merged with Congregation Beth Ababah, an offshoot of Beth Shalom. Today there is a diverse Jewish community. There are three Orthodox Synagogues,
Congregation Kol Emes, Keneseth Beth Israel, and Chabad of the Virginias
[60]. There is an Orthodox
Yeshivah K-12 school system known as Rudlin Torah academy, with two locations (the boys high school being located further east). There are two Conservative synagogues, Beth El and Or Atid. There are two Reform synagogues, Beth Ahabah and Or Ami. The largest synagogue,
Temple Beth El, is located in Henrico County. Along with such religious congregations, there are a variety of other Jewish charitable, educational and social service institutions, each serving the Jewish and general communities. These include the Weinstein Jewish Community Center, Jewish Family Services, Jewish Community Federation of Richmond and
Richmond Jewish Foundation.
Tikvat Israel Messianic Jewish Congregation is located on the corner of Boulevard and Grove Avenue in the Fan district. This building was originally constructed around 1915 as the home of Grace Baptist Church, which still exists today in another location. In the 1940's the building experienced a devastating fire. At that time a former synagogue purchased it and renovated it, naming itself Kenneset Beth Israel (the assembly of the house of Israel). Beth Israel remained here until the mid-1970's when they moved to their current location about five miles west on Patterson Avenue. Since then the building changed hands a few times, with no regular residences, until December, 1990, when Tikvat Israel moved in and later purchased it.
The main sanctuary seats approximately 500. At the front is the ark, which is the mainstay of all synagogues. The ark replicates the old ark of the Biblical period in which was contained the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. Today, the ark contains the sacred writings of the Jewish people, largely the Torah scrolls. The pews and most of the stained glass date to the Baptist period, but the large Star of David windows were added by Beth Israel later. The Hebrew above the ark means, "Know before whom you stand." Moving out of the main sanctuary, there is a small sanctuary, used for a variety of functions today. Next to the small sanctuary is the bookstore. Upstairs are largely classrooms for the children and Hebrew training and a library.
Downstairs is a very central place for the congregation. Its known as the Oneg area. Oneg means delight of the Sabbath because the Sabbath service is ended by eating. There are currently two kitchens in operation because Beth Israel as an Orthodox synagogue required the absolute separation of milk and meat products. The larger room is used for both Sabbath meals, a full lunch for this congregation, and holiday celebrations. In addition, this room is utilized to assist the Russian immigrants in Richmond. Tikvat Israel established a subsidiary organization, Russian Immigration Services, for this purpose. The services provided include a food bank, a Russian library, social service needs, legal services, English and citizenship classes.
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 seminary known as
Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.
Two bishops sit in Richmond, those of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia (the denomination's largest) and the
Catholic Diocese of Richmond, which encompasses all of central and southern Virginia and its
eastern shore. The Presbytery of the James -- Presbyterian Church (USA) -- also is based in the Richmond area.
There are five
masjids in the Greater Richmond area, accommodating the growing Muslim population. They are Islamic Center of Virginia (ICVA) in the south side, Islamic Society of Greater Richmond (ISGR) in the west end, Masjidullah in the north side, Masjid Bilal near downtown, and Masjid Ar-Rahman in the east end.
[61]
The
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was penned in Richmond by
Thomas Jefferson.
Government
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. Beginning with the November 2008 election Council terms will be lengthened to 4 years. The city council elects from among its members one member to serve as Council President and one to serve as Council Vice President. The city council meets at City Hall (900 E. Broad St., 2nd Floor) on the second and fourth Mondays of every month, except August.
As of January, 2007, the Richmond City Council consists of: William (Bill) J. Pantele, 2nd District, President of Council; Rev. Delores L. McQuinn, 7th District, Vice-President of Council; Bruce Tyler, 1st District; Chris A. Hilbert, 3rd District; Kathy C. Graziano, 4th District; E. Martin (Marty) Jewell, 5th District; Ellen F. Robertson, 6th District; Reva M. Trammell, 8th District; and Douglas Connor Jr., 9th District.
Richmond's government changed in 2004 from a
council-manager form of government to an at-large, popularly elected
Mayor. In a landslide election, incumbent mayor Rudy McCollum was defeated by
L. Douglas Wilder, who previously served
Virginia as the first elected
African American governor in the United States since
Reconstruction. The Mayor is not a part of the Richmond City Council.
Education
The city of Richmond operates 31 elementary schools, nine middle schools, and eight high schools, with a cosmopolitan student population of 25,000 students.
There are also many private, college preparatory schools in Richmond. Several of these, such as
St. Christopher's School,
St. Catherine's School,
Collegiate School and
The Steward School offer a full K-12 education. Other area prep schools include the
Benedictine High School, Trinity Episcopal School, and St. Gertrude High School. Richmond is also home to the
Maggie L. Walker Governor's School, an esteemed public regional magnet high school.
The Richmond area has many major institutions 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 (
Chesterfield County). In addition, there are several Technical Colleges in Richmond including, ITT Technical Institute, ECPI and Beta Tech.
Virginia State University is located about 20 miles south of Richmond, in the suburb of
Ettrick, just outside of
Petersburg, and
Randolph-Macon College is located about 15 miles north of Richmond, in the incorporated town of
Ashland.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Richmond's downtown Main Street Station in 1971.
The Greater Richmond area 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. Richmond International is now served by nine airlines with over 200 daily flights provide non-stop service to major destination markets and connecting flights to destinations worldwide. In 2004, the airport served approximately 2.5 million passengers. A record 3.3 million passengers used Richmond International Airport in 2006, a 13% increase over 2005.
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.
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. Other major highways passing through Richmond include U.S. Routes
1,
33,
60,
250,
301 and
360.
Utilities
View of the Richmond skyline at night, while crossing the Manchester Bridge.
in the Richmond Metro area is provided by Dominion Virginia Power. The company, based in Richmond, is 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).
[62]
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.
[63]
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 three
local exchange carriers:
Verizon is the
incumbent telephone company, and Cavalier Telephone and TV and
Comcast are the
competitive local exchange carriers.
Cable television and internet for the Richmond area is primarily provided by
Comcast.
Sister cities
Richmond has seven
sister cities, as designated by the Sister Cities International, Inc.:
[64]
★
Olsztyn (
Poland)
★
Richmond (
England)
★
Saitama, Saitama (
Japan)
★
Uijongbu (
South Korea)
★
Urawa (
Japan)
★
Windhoek (
Namibia)
★
Zhengzhou (
China)
See also
★
List of famous Richmonders
★
New South
References
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2. "Richmond, Virginia." ''Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition.'' Retrieved on July 9, 2007.
3. "Government & History of Richmond." ''City of Richmond.'' Retrieved on July 9, 2007.
4. Grafton, John. "The Declaration of Independence and Other Great Documents of American History: 1775-1864." '2000', Courier Dover Publications, pp. 1-4.
5. "April dates in Virginia history." ''Virginia Historical Society.'' Retrieved on July 11, 2007.
6. Morrissey, Brendan. "Yorktown 1781: The World Turned Upside Down." Published 1997, Osprey Publishing, pp. 14-16.
7. Peterson, Merrill D.; Vaughan, Robert C. "The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom: Its Evolution and Consequences in American History." Published 1988, Cambridge University Press. Retrieved on July 11, 2007.
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12. "Capital Cities of the Confederacy." ''Civil War Preservation Trust.'' Retrieved on July 11, 2007.
13. Time-Life Books. "The Blockade: Runners and Raiders." Published 1983, Time-Life, Inc. ISBN 0809447096
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15. Edwards, Kathy; Howard, Esme Joy; Prawl, Tony. "Monument Avenue: history and architecture." Published 1992, United States Department of the Interior.
16. Smil, Vaclav. "Creating the Twentieth Century: Technical Innovations of 1867-1914 and Their Lasting Impact." Published 2005, Oxford University Press, p. 94. ISBN 0195168747
17. Harwood, Jr., Herbert H. "Baltimore Streetcars: The Postwar Years." Published 2003, Johns Hopkins University Press, p. vii. ISBN 0801871905
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