The Byrd was
built at a cost of $900,000 in 1928 ($12.4 million today, adjusted for
inflation) and began its tenure showing silent movies with in-house sound
added.&nbsp; Admission was 25 cents for
matinees and 50 cents for evening shows.&nbsp;
The original Wurlitzer organ is still in partial operation and occupies four
rooms on the 4th floor above the stage.&nbsp; This all acoustic sound system, devoid of
electronics, features a harp (not in operation), a marimba, grand piano and a
xylophone all operated from the organ’s keyboard controls.

The Byrd
also displays various forms of art in the form of paintings and murals that
depict Greek mythology.&nbsp; It was
originally built with two sound systems, a Vitaphone and the Wurlitzer and a
Dolby sound system was added in 2006.&nbsp; In
the main auditorium a massive, 18-foot, 2.5 ton Czech chandelier hangs above
the heads of theatre goers.&nbsp; The Byrd
also originally had a central vacuum system and a natural spring that supplied
water for the theatre’s air conditioning system. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In 2007 the
venerable theatre was acquired by the Byrd Theatre Foundation and restoration
efforts have been on going since.&nbsp; It now
shows second run movies at discounted prices as well as Saturday Family
Classics such as The Wizard of Oz, E.T., and The Sandlot.&nbsp; The Foundation has plans to add various
cultural, educational and community events in the future.&nbsp;

The Byrd's large chandelier lowered for cleaning.

The Byrd's Mighty Wurlitzer Organ's keyboard.

Byrd Theatre soon after it opened in 1929

New road paved in front of Byrd Theatre soon after it was completed

William Byrd II, the namesake of the theatre

The Byrd's official website with photos, history, and show times.

Website

The Byrd's Facebook page with event info and comments.

More Info

A 3-minute video tour of the Byrd during the Richmond International Film Festival.

Video

Built in 1928 as one of the area’s grand movie palaces, the Byrd Theatre is still used for what it was originally intended, the showing of movies on a daily basis in a palatial atmosphere.  Named for one of the founders of Richmond, William Byrd II, the theatre showed its first movie on Christmas Eve of 1928 and as been doing so almost continuously ever since.  Designed by Richmond architect, Fred Bishop, the Byrd features a vintage Wurlitzer Theatre Organ, Italian and Turkish marble, gilded archways and eleven crystal chandeliers.  It was designated a Virginia Historic Landmark in 1978 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

Byrd Theatre

This driving tour of Richmond, Virginia includes stops at buildings and landmarks that offer numerous examples of unique architecture. Starting at Agecroft Hall and the Carillon, and ending at John's Church, this tour includes architectural styles ranging from to Tudor, to Victorian Gothic, to Egyptian Revival. Also included is the Virginia State Capitol, designed by Thomas Jefferson in the late 1700s.

Agecroft Hall, home to the
Langley and Dauntesey families in Lancashire, England (not far from the town of
Manchester), &nbsp;was occupied by members of both families for over 300
years. The hall underwent many stages of remodeling and expansion throughout the years, with the most extreme additions taking place at the command of William Dauntesey in the mid-16th century. By the end of that century, the hall was a&nbsp;20-room mansion that even included a private chapel. Once Ann Langley married Dauntesey just prior to 1570, the home remained under Dauntesey ownership until 1811. After that point, all subsequent owners simply took the Dauntesey name, as was customary.The latter half of the 19th century brought much deterioration to the hall. &nbsp;Coal mining near the home and the placement of railroad tracks close to the property led to damage of the hall, and later attempts to modernize the structure after a bad fire&nbsp;caused its further destruction.&nbsp;It then sat unoccupied from 1904 to1925 when it
was put up for auction.

It was
purchased by Thomas C. Williams, Jr., an&nbsp;entrepreneur&nbsp;who sought to recreate the English estate in the "fashionable" Windsor Farms neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia.&nbsp; The mansion was
carefully disassembled, crated and shipped to the U.S. in 1925.&nbsp; While not rebuilt to the exact specifications
of the original, the reconstruction was completed in 1928.&nbsp; Mr. Williams, sadly, died the next year, and
the estate was tended to by his wife until, as Williams wished, it opened as a
house museum in 1969.

The hall
contains over 4,000 historical artifacts from both Tudor England and late 19th- to&nbsp;early 20th-century America.&nbsp; The collection consists primarily of
furnishings, textiles, documents, and ceramics.&nbsp;
Agecroft also hosts its annual Richmond Shakespeare Festival every
summer in which one can view a play by the bard under the stars.&nbsp; It also features an educational center that
offers programs such as Voyage to Virginia and Life on the Manor.&nbsp; Finally, the hall contains a gift shop that
offers gifts and books that focus on British history, especially the Tudor
Era.&nbsp;

This Elizabethan home, built during the latter portion of the 15th century, once stood on the banks of the River Irwell in Lancashire, England. For hundreds of years it belonged to the Langley and Dauntesey families, until it was bought, dismantled, and shipped to the United States in the mid-1920s by businessman T.C. Williams Jr. Once in the States, the home was relocated to the banks of the James River, named after one of England's many medieval rulers.  It is now a house museum that reveals what daily life was like for a wealthy, landed gentry living in Tudor England.  

Agecroft Hall and Gardens

Formed in 1923,&nbsp;The American Battle Monuments Commission sought to create memorials to commemorate the lives lost in the first World War. Richmond was selected as Virginia's place of remembrance because it is the state capitol.&nbsp;Work on the structure began in 1928 and was not completed until early 1932 as the construction was being funded by both private and public organizations.&nbsp; The Carillion is a&nbsp;200-foot tall&nbsp;Georgian Revival&nbsp;bell tower. The architects sought to create a somber building as they knew it would be a memorial for fallen soldiers. The top of the building holds a 44 foot hight bell loft. This loft contains 53 bells which each play different notes. Originally, the tower held 65 bells but only played 53 notes; the top 12 bells in pitch had duplicates so they would produce a richer sound. The Carillon was restored in the 1970s and the bells with duplicates were replaced with sturdier bells so there was no longer a need for duplication.&nbsp; The tower sits in Byrd park and continues to be used for events and memorials. The lobby of the Carillon is currently a museum that functions as a memorial for the first World War. After the second World War, the city of Richmond included a Nativity each Christmas.&nbsp;

The Carillon, Virginia's War Memorial for World War I, was erected by the Commonwealth of Virginia to commemorate those who served. Designed by noted Boston architect Ralph Adams Cram, it is an interpretation of the Italian campanile in Georgian classicism. A commission was formed about 1922 to study a design and a site but public campaigns altered the initial proposal and delayed construction until 1931. The tower was completed and dedicated on 15 October 1932. The Carillon reaches a height of 240 feet and its bells were originally intended to ring out patriotic concerts.

The Carillon

In 1886
James Dooley purchased a former dairy farm that would eventually be transformed
into Maymont.&nbsp; Construction on the estate
began in 1890 and was completed by 1893.&nbsp;
During the next 30 years the Dooleys filled the mansion with works of
art and furnishings from around the globe.&nbsp;
Sallie also spent numerous days planning, supervising, and maintaining
the estate’s extensive gardens and landscapes along with a staff of 20.&nbsp; The results were a magnificent Victorian
mansion and gardens that the Dooleys and their guests enjoyed until James died
in 1922 and Sallie followed him in 1925.

The couple
left behind no children or heirs and as a result the land was not parceled out
and none of their belongings were sold off.&nbsp;
Thus, Maymont is a perfect example of a Gilded Age estate that has
largely been untouched since the time it was built.&nbsp; Upon the death of Sallie, the estate was bequeathed
to the city of Richmond and opened as a public park and museum in 1926.

Since that
time Maymont has hosted thousands of visitors who enjoy tours of the mansion,
wandering through its gardens and observing animal life native to Virginia,
such as Black bears, foxes, bobcat, and bald eagles, in their wildlife
exhibits.&nbsp; Maymont also boasts a children’s
farm stocked with docile barnyard animals and offers summer camps, educational
opportunities, and numerous annual events.&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Maymont is a 100-acre Gilded Age estate that was built by Major James Dooley and his wife Sallie May in 1893.  The 12,000 square-foot, 33 room mansion is surrounded by numerous gardens, ponds, bridges, gates, gazebos, a nature and visitor center, various wildlife exhibits, an arboretum, and meandering walking paths.  It has been open to the public since 1926 and has remained largely intact since that time.  It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.  The grounds and gardens are open daily and the mansion offers guided tours every half-hour during normal operating hours.

Maymont

Founded in 1831, the Virginia Historical Society was one of the first such organizations in the United States. Its first president was was Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall. President James Madison later became the group's first honorary member. In the years leading up to the Civil War, the group built up a sizable collection despite having almost no funds other than membership dues and a small endowment. After the war's end in 1865, the society was inactive owing to lack of funding, disorganization, and lost artifacts. A publishing effort in 1870 intended to revitalize the group, but lost the society even more money. Prior to their first permanent residence in the Lee House beginning in 1893, the society's collections were housed in a variety of frequently changing locations. During the Civil War, the group lost many valuable items and most of their funding which had been invested in Confederate bonds. This first location had been home to Confederate General Robert E. Lee, whose family resided there during the Civil War. William Glover Stanard took charge of the group in 1893 and began publishing the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography later that year. A renewed focus on collection growth and genealogy helped the group to grow membership and funding. Renewed financial security allowed the group to add a fireproof annex to the Lee House in 1933 and eventually move into a larger space, another historic building called Battle Abbey (built in 1912), in 1946. The Battle Abbey had been operated by the Confederate Memorial Association, a failing historical group. It moved to its current location in 1959. The name of the location was changed to the Virginia Museum of History &amp; Culture in 2018. Today the museum offers a research library and expansive collections on the state's history which are now open to the public, not just the historical society's members. In addition to the many temporary exhibits, there are many permanent features at the museum: The Story of Virginia, All in Together, Landscapes of Virginia, and The Memorial Military Murals by Charles Hoffbauer. To become more accessible, the museum has also begun offering online resources like the HistoryConnects Distance Learning and Virginia History at Home programs.

The Virginia Museum of History & Culture is operated by the Virginia Historical Society. It is the only organization dedicated to collecting and preserving all of the state's history. It houses a large collection of nine million items dating from prehistoric times to today. These include manuscripts, business and organizational records, books, photographs, newspapers, maps, weapons, and furniture. The Society was established in 1831 and is the country's fourth oldest state historical society. It features permanent exhibits, including "The Story of Virginia," in which 500 artifacts and objects are displayed—the earliest of which dates back 16,000 years—and several traveling and changing exhibits. The Society also hosts lectures, classes, tours, social events, film series, and other activities for people of all ages. The Society also operates the Virginia House, which is an English manor house that was moved to Richmond in 1925.

Virginia Museum of History & Culture

Originally from Hanover County, Thomas and Eliza Talley left behind a large plantation and his law practice and moved to Richmond around 1830 in order to provide their daughter Susan Archer Talley with a better education. The Talleys began purchasing lots on the western end of Richmond, later becoming the Fan District, which eventually amassed to 25 acres. On this property, the Talleys constructed their two-story, vernacular Federal style farmhouse known as Talavera in 1838. Despite losing her hearing after a bout of scarlet fever as a child, Susan Archer Talley became an accomplished poet and artist. By the 1840s, her poems were featured in such publications as&nbsp;Southern Literary Messenger. Around this time, Susan befriended Rosalie Poe, Edgar Allan Poe’s sister, and became acquainted with Poe through her. During 1849, Poe became a frequent visitor to Talavera while in Richmond, and gave his last reading of “The Raven” in the front parlor of the home two weeks before his death.&nbsp;During the Civil War, the Talleys undoubtedly left Richmond since Robert E. Lee occupied the home and converted it into Battery #10. Susan, however, acted as a Confederate spy. She was caught and arrested by Union forces in 1862 and imprisoned in Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland. While imprisoned, she met and married a German Union soldier, Col. Von Weiss in 1863. The marriage produced one son and lasted only a short time before Susan sought a divorce. Susan continued to write poetry for the remainder of her life, passing away at the age of 95 on April 7, 1917.Talavera was sold during the 1870s and eventually came into the possession of Conrad Frederick Sauer. Sauer, a pharmacist by trade, founded the C.F. Sauer Company in 1887 which continues to manufacture food extracts and flavorings among other products. Sauer saved Talavera from demolition in 1904 when he purchased the home which became his private residence. For the next two decades, the Sauers resided in Talavera. The last 80 years of the 20th-Century witnessed Talavera undergo several preservation attempts, such as moving it from Broad Street to nearby Grace Street and its purchase and restoration in the 1970s by a group of preservationists. Today, Talavera remains privately owned and is not open to the public.Talavera is currently not a designated a Virginia Historic Landmark nor is it listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Constructed in 1838 by Thomas Talley, a local grocer and former plantation owner from Hanover County, the house known as Talavera became one of the first houses constructed in Richmond’s famous Fan District. Talley’s writer daughter Susan Archer Talley, later Weiss, became friends with Edgar Allan Poe, and entertained Poe at the house during the Summer of 1849. Poe allegedly gave his last reading of his poem “The Raven” in the front parlor of the home. Conrad Frederick Sauer, founder of the C.F. Sauer Company, became the next owner of the house and prevented it from being demolished. Since then, the house was moved from Broad Street to its current location on Grace Street and saved by preservationists in the 1970s. Talavera remains privately owned and is not open to the public.

Talavera

The Columbia House is a significant commercial, architectural, and educational landmark in Richmond, Virginia. It serves as a fine example of residential architecture from the city's early Federal period. It was built between 1817 and 1818 by Philip Haxall, who moved to Richmond in 1810 to manage the Columbia Flour Mills. Philip Haxall was a Petersburg native and a friend of Chief Justice John Marshall. He and his brother William bought the Columbian Mills from creditors of David Ross. The mill, which was established by Ross in the 1790s, had suffered financially from market fluctuations caused by the Embargo Act of 1807. Under Haxall, the mill again became successful as Richmond expanded its share of the flour market following the War of 1812. The growing prominence of Richmond during the early 19th Century was reflected in the popularity of stylish Federal-style architecture, such as this example here. Philip Haxall died in 1831. In 1834, the Haxall family sold the home to the Virginia Baptist Educational Society, who converted the home into the main academic building of Richmond College (now the University of Richmond). The seminary had formed in 1830 to prepare young men for entry into the Columbian College in Washington. By 1840, the seminary had grown large enough for the Education Society to transfer its responsibilities to the trustees of Richmond College. Around the time of its purchase, the house's refined architecture and the property's lush gardens were highly-praised in the August 22, 1834, issue of the Baptist Religious Herald. Since its acquisition by the Educational Society, the home continuously served as an academic building, with one exception. During the Civil War, the structure was briefly used to house a Confederate hospital and later as barracks for Union troops. When Richmond College reopened after the Civil War, the home was used as a residence for professors of the college. In 1914, the college moved to a new campus, though the Law School returned to Columbia in 1917. From 1917 to 1954, the house served as the university's School of Law until its move to a new facility on the Westhampton Campus. UR sold the building to the American Historical Foundation in 1983, which maintained its offices and a military museum there before selling Columbia in 2005. The Columbia House is rather unusual in design. It is distinguishable by its fanlight doorway. The doorway was originally located on its former Lombardy Street facade but now faces Grace Street. The exterior of the structure is symmetrical, but the interior is unconventional in that it is not of the typical center hall plan. Instead, the first floor houses a large reception or assembly hall, a stair hall, and an adjacent parlor and dining room. It also features a classroom wing, which was built onto the north wall in 1924. The home remains largely unchanged from its original appearance except from the 1924 relocation of the entrance (at which time the porch was also remodeled).

The Columbia House, also known as the Philip Haxall House, is a historic home that was constructed between 1817 and 1818. This two-story, three bay Federal-style brick dwelling is one of about ten outstanding examples from this architectural period. After its sale in 1834, it was used as the main academic building of Richmond College. From 1917 until 1954, the structure housed the T.C. Williams School of Law of the University of Richmond. The Columbia house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Registry in 1982.

Columbia (Philip Haxall House)

The first Catholic Cathedral in Richmond, Virginia was constructed on 800 East Grace Street in 1834. At the time, Richmond had a modest population of only 16,000 people. In 1867, following the Civil War, the growing population prompted Bishop John McGill to purchase property in the far west end of the town. A lack of funds, however, prevented further action. In 1884, a substantial monetary contribution from entrepreneur Thomas Fortune Ryan and his wife, the philanthropist Ida Mary Ryan, allowed work to proceed on the project. The funds permitted the purchase of additional property on the block and for construction to begin. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, built from 1903 to 1905, would allow local worshipers to attend services without crossing the James River. This is the only cathedral at the time whose development is known to be entirely financed by the exclusive munificence of a single family. The consecration ceremonies, held on Thanksgiving Day in 1906, were attended by numerous eminent Catholic dignitaries from across the country. The Ryans chose Joseph Hubert McGuire as the church architect. The cathedral and its accompanying structures—which include cloisters, diocesan gardens, and the episcopal residences—span the entirety of the block. Architecturally, it is considered to be the the finest example of ecclesiastical Italian Renaissance Revival style in the State of Virginia. The exterior is constructed from local granite and limestone from Indiana. The roofing is composed of ceramic tiles and is topped with a 188-foot-wide copper-jacketed dome. Of particular note are the fireproof tiles that line the underside of the pediment—the work of the Spanish builder Rafael Guastavino. Two towers flank the basilica, rising 90 feet into the air. Contemporary accounts reflect the quality of McGuire's work. Thomas Ryan so admired the design, he agreed to provide additional funds to construct the ornate edifice. Additionally, Mrs. Ryan donated the interior furnishings, also designed by McGuire. Since its consecration, several changes to the interior have been made, including the addition of the Limoges stained-glass windows visible today. The 61-bell Cathedral Carillon, manufactured by Van Bergen Foundries, Inc., was installed in 1995. Shortly after the consecration ceremonies, one Protestant laymen stated of the impressive cathedral: <blockquote>Not alone as a church will the Cathedral of the Sacred&nbsp; Heart be a power, for its beauty and artistic conception will stimulate and encourage the love of beauty of all buildings, whether secular or or[sic] churchly. The Cathedral will give Richmond an unchallenged precedence...and will further serve to make Richmond the capital and metropolis of this and adjoining States.1 </blockquote>Today, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart continues to serve the community as the Mother Church of the Diocese of Richmond and as a local parish for its congregation. It is a Virginia Historic Landmark (designated 1981), listed on the National Register of Historic Places (listed 1982), and is a contributing property to the Monroe Park Historic District (designated 1984).

The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond, Virginia is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond. Consecrated in 1906, this is the only cathedral at the time whose construction is known to be entirely financed by the exclusive patronage of a single family. This cathedral is considered to be Virginia's finest ecclesiastical example of Italian Renaissance Revival style. Today, it continues to serve the Richmond parish as a place of worship, community, and ministry.

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart

The land on which Linden Row now sits was once intended to become the site of an early state penitentiary. Owning that parcel of land, Thomas Rutherfoord understood its future residential value and offered the state twelve acres further west down the James River on which to construct the penitentiary. Rutherfoord’s brother-in-law Parson Blair came into possession of this tract of land, located between Grace and Franklin Streets and First and Second Streets, and eventually sold the eastern lots along Franklin Street to Charles Ellis and John Allan in 1816. Ellis busied himself with the creation of a beautiful formal garden that became famous for its rose bushes and jasmine and linden trees.&nbsp;Five years ealier, Allan and his wife Frances began fostering an orphaned child named Edgar Poe, bestowing upon him the middle name of Allan. Shortly after the purchase of the Franklin Street lots, the Allans traveled to England where they spent the next five years. After returning to Richmond in 1820, the Allans moved in with Charles Ellis. It was during this time that Poe spent a significant amount of time in the formal gardens on Franklin Street which he called Ellison, courting and likely proposing to his first fiancé Elmira Royston. Scholars have long speculated that Ellis’ formal garden served as the inspiration for Poe’s enchanted garden in his poem “To Helen.”In 1839, a business partner of Charles Ellis, Fleming James, purchased the lot on which the formal garden was located. Eight years later, James constructed the first five rowhouses in 1847 and the sons of Thomas Rutherfoord, Samuel and Alexander, constructed the remaining five rowhouses in 1853. James first named his five rowhouses Linden Square, after the linden trees that grew in the Ellis garden, and with the addition of the subsequent five houses, the block became known as Linden Row. All identically designed in the popular Greek Revival style of the era, each house is three-stories tall, constructed of red brick, and rests upon an English basement. Each house possesses a one-story, one-bay entrance porch with fluted Doric columns. The influence of the British urban terrace concept can be seen in the design of Linden Row.This row of beautiful homes became a highly sought-after location in Richmond. Prior to the Civil War and afterwards, the two westernmost houses served as D. Lee Powell’s school, the Southern Female Institute from 1853 to 1865. A second girls’ school operated out of Linden Row from 1856 to 1866, the famous Mrs. Pegram’s School. Other notable residents of Linden Row included Dr. William H. Scott, Major Robert Stiles, Mary Johnston, and several other prominent families. During the Civil War, Virginia Pegram’s three sons served in the Confederate Army and her private residence became a social gathering place for her children, Confederate military leaders, and other Richmond socialites during that time. After the war, a third girls’ school opened in Linden Row operated by Miss Virginia Randolph Ellett. Virginia Ellett’s school remained in business from 1895-1906 and educated many prominent women. The Langhorne sisters, Irene and Nancy, were two of such Ellett pupils: Irene becoming the famous “Gibson Girl” and Nancy later became the first female member of the British House of Commons. The Virginia Ellett school later became affiliated with the Episcopal Church and is now known as St. Catherine’s School for Girls.&nbsp;Unfortunately, during the early 1920s, two of Linden Row’s townhomes were demolished to make room for the Medical Arts Building, now the Linden Towers. Thirty years later, prominent local historian and Franklin Street resident Mary Wingfield Scott purchased the remaining rowhouses and began preserving the buildings. In 1980, Scott donated Linden Row to the Historic Richmond Foundation under the condition that the historic integrity of the property will be maintained. Scott passed away in 1983, and two years later the property was purchased and converted into a 70-room inn. The newly renovated Linden Row Inn opened in 1988 and continues to operate as a high-end, full-service inn in downtown Richmond. During the renovation, the formal gardens were also restored. The namesake linden trees also remain on property for guests to appreciate. Linden Row is one of the nation’s finest surviving examples of Greek Revival style rowhouse architecture.&nbsp;Linden Row was designated a Virginia Landmark on July 6, 1971 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 23, 1971.

Linden Row is a set of eight Greek Revival style rowhouses constructed between 1847 and 1853. Prior to the houses’ construction, Charles Ellis owned a formal garden on the property which became famous for its rose bushes and jasmine and linden trees. A young Edgar Allan Poe became a frequent visitor to the garden, where he courted his first fiancé Elmira Royster Shelton and took influence for his poem “To Helen.” By 1853, ten rowhouses were constructed by Fleming James and Samuel and Alexander Rutherfoord. These rowhouses later served as notable schools for girls’, producing famous pupils such as Irene and Nancy Langhorne. Mary Wingfield Scott purchased the remaining eight rowhouses in 1950, and gave the property to the Historic Richmond Foundation in 1980. In 1988, the rowhouses were restored and converted into a 70-room inn renamed the Linden Row Inn, and continues to be one of the nation’s finest surviving examples of Greek Revival style architecture. Linden Row was designated a Virginia Landmark on July 6, 1971 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 23, 1971.

Linden Row

The Jackson Ward district in Richmond Virginia was one of the largest and most economically successful and self-sustaining African American communities in the South. Jackson Ward was added to the list of National Historic Landmark Districts in 1976. The district was home to entrepreneurs like Maggie Lena Walker, the first African American woman to open a bank. It was also home to civil rights activists like Oliver Hill Sr. and Spottswood Robinson.  At the center of this community was the second street, otherwise known as “The Deuce" and home to many Black-owned businesses such as the Hippodrome Theater and Egglestone Hotel. The theater was originally built in 1914 as a project led by Walter Coulter, Amanda Thorpe, and Charles Somma. Somma helped build and operate numerous theaters in and around Richmond, including the Byrd Theater. He remained the primary owner of the Hippodrome until 1937 when the theater was purchased by Abe Lichtman.The theater reopened in 1947 following the fire of 1945. During these years, the theater hosted entertainers such as Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington. Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, James Brown and hometown favorite Billy “Bojangles” Robinson.The theater and other historic buildings such as the adjacent Taylor Mansion are owned by Ronald Stallings. Stallings inherited over one hundred pieces of Jackson Ward Property after his father's death including St. Luke Penny Bank and a few other more historically significant buildings in the community. Over the last three decades, Stallings has worked to restore and rebuild the district with several redevelopment projects including the $12 million investment in the Hippodrome.

Otherwise known as the "Hipp," this theater was the heart of the Second Street entertainment district known as "the Deuce." The Hippodrome theater was one of Richmond's premier theaters following its 1914 opening and evolved from a vaudeville theater to a movie theater in its early decades. It was also part of the Jackson Ward district in Richmond that earned the nickname "The Harlem of the South." The theater served African American patrons and provided a dignified space for Black performers in the era of segregation. Since its establishment, the "Hipp" has survived adversity including a 1945 fire and declining business that might have spelled the end of the historic building. Thanks to local community members and preservationists, the Hippodrome operates as a restaurant and a venue for live performances and private events.

The Hippodrome Theater

John Marshall was born in Fauquier County, Virginia on September 24, 1755. He studied for a brief time at The College of William and Mary and married Mary Willis Ambler, more commonly known as "Polly." The couple moved to Richmond together where John Marshall served in the Virginia House of Delegates. He was also elected to the House of Representatives and served as Secretary of State. On January 20, 1801, Marshall was nominated as Chief Justice and began serving in that capacity on February 4th, 1801. He was the fourth Chief Justice and today is known as "The Great Chief Justice" and "Definer of the Constitution" owing to his long tenure and important early Supreme Court decisions.&nbsp;Although John Marshall was a slave owner, his historical&nbsp;memory has not been as closely connected to the institution of slavery as other prominent Americans such as Thomas Jefferson.&nbsp;The legal scholar Paul Finkelman has offered a more critical analysis of Marshall, arguing that he repeatedly upheld the legality of slavery even while expressing his personal opposition to the practice of enslaving others. Finkleman's approach stands as an important corrective to the biographer Jean Edward Smith took great pains to avoid the topic of slavery in his biography of Marshall.&nbsp;Like Jefferson, Marshall's wealth derived from the labor of hundreds of enslaved persons that he owned throughout his life. Marshall did not make arrangements for his slaves to become free as other Virginians of the Founding generation. While Marshall gave his personal servant the option of freedom, the Chief Justice included provisions that made this offer untenable as Marshall's offer of freedom was contingent on the servant leaving the country--a reflection of Marshall's belief that free people of color could not and should not be permitted to remain in America.&nbsp;Some of these enslaved laborers lived and died at this plantation home in the city of Richmond but their existence has not yet become a focus of the interpretation of this home as has occurred at Monticello and other historic Virginia plantations.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Marshall has been remembered largely for his legal decisions and for expanding the power of the federal judiciary. His close friends and associates presented Marshall as possessing&nbsp;both a brilliant mind and a charming personality.&nbsp;The John Marshall house retains many of the features original to the 1790 construction. Federal characteristics and Neo-classical motifs can be found throughout the exterior of the building. A minor restoration was completed in 1976. The house contains furniture and&nbsp;memorabilia from the early 1800s, including many pieces that were owned by the Marshall family. Visitors to the home are also welcome to visit the gardens on the property.&nbsp; One of Marshall's close friends named a small academy for training teachers in honor of John Marshall. Today, that institute has grown into Marshall University and the campus includes a statue of John Marshall. Among Marshall's most important cases, Marbury vs. Madison stands out as it established the precedent that the Court could declare an act of Congress to be unconstitutional. This case established the principle of judicial review and established the federal courts as a branch of government that was both independent of and equal to the Executive and Legislative Branch.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The John Marshall House is located in the Historic Court End of Richmond. Built in 1790, John Marshall and his family lived in the home until his death in 1835. This historic home of the Supreme Court's most influential Chief Justice is open to the public as a Preservation Virginia historic site. Visitors to the home can enjoy guided tours and exhibits related to the influence of John Marshall and the historical significance of many of his court decisions. Visitors also have the opportunity to take a self-guided tour of the Justice Gallery, a rotating gallery space highlighting current judicial issues through exhibits and art.

Marshall was a slave owner and this home and its large estate operated similarly to large plantations, yet the website for the home makes no mention of slavery in contrast to the homes of other  Virginians of the Founding generation such as Jefferson and Washington.   For those who ask questions, however, the tour can include discussions about the enslaved women and men who lived at the home as well as John Marshall's legal decisions related to slavery. Visitors might also request information about Marshall's decisions related to the rights of indigenous peoples. 

The John Marshall House

Mann Valentine acquired his wealth from the production and sale of something called “meat juice” that was used as a health tonic in the 19th century. He used his acquired wealth to collect numerous historical artifacts and works of art, which he would later donate for the use of public education. The Valentine’s original home was the Wickham House and it has since moved and undergone numerous expansions and renovations throughout the years. Mann’s brother, Edward, served as the museum’s first president until his death in 1930. After Edward's death his collection of numerous sculptures, works of art and historical holdings was donated to the Valentine.The museum has both permanent and rotating exhibits. Its permanent exhibition is called “This is Richmond, Virginia,” and it explores the city’s history, culture and government.The Valentine also has a large collection of textiles and clothing. The museum owns over 30,000 textiles and garments. All of the items in the collection were either manufactured, purchased or used in the state of Virginia. The pieces in the collection range from haute couture items worn by notable Virginians to quilts and samplers made in Virginia during the 19th century. There are also contemporary textile and clothing pieces that have been made by local artist and designers. The museum is also home to the Valentine Store, a gift shop that focuses on selling locally made items. Two popular recurring events sponsored by the Valentine are its walking tour of Hollywood Cemetery and its Along the James Bike Tour. The museum was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969 and the Wickham House is listed as a National Historic Landmark.

The Valentine, Richmond’s oldest private museum, was created in 1898 with funding, art, and artifacts donated by Mann Valentine II after his death in 1892. In addition to exhibition spaces, a Federal period mansion known as the Wickham House can be found at the museum. This house gives a glimpse into what life was like for a wealthy 19th century Richmond family. The Valentine also manages the First Freedom Center at the corner of S 14th Street and E Cary Street, the same location where Virginia's General Assembly met in the American Revolution. The First Freedom Center includes a monument and exhibits dedicated to the history of religious freedom. 

The Valentine

Jefferson Davis was born in Kentucky and later raised in Mississippi. He attended Transylvania College in Kentucky and shortly thereafter joined the Military Academy at West Point in New York in 1824. After West Point, Davis was under the command of Colonel Zachary Taylor, later 12thPresident of the United States, in 1835. Davis married Taylor’s daughter Sarah Knox Taylor against her father’s wishes. The newlyweds came down with malaria three months after the wedding and Sarah Davis succumbed to the disease. Devastated, Davis moved to Davis Bend, Mississippi afterward and lived alone for eight years while tending his cotton plantation.In 1847, after the Mexican-American War during which Davis excelled as a commander, he declined a Brigadier General position in favor of taking a Senator’s seat in Mississippi. On January 21, 1861, Davis resigned as Senator while the state was seceding from the Union. One month after his resignation, Davis was appointed as the provisional President of the Confederacy for a six-year term. Davis’ appointment was a compromise among the Confederate leaders and a compromise for Davis, he sought a military command position. Davis first led the new Confederate government in a wood-framed house in Montgomery, Alabama from February to August of 1861. When the Confederate government relocated its capital to Richmond, Virginia during that year, a new executive mansion would have to be found.&nbsp;Situated on the crest of a hill overlooking the Shockoe Valley sat a stately Neoclassical house. Completed in 1818 by Robert Mills, architect of the nearby Monumental Church and a previous draftsman for White House architect James Hoban, the two-story, gray stucco house was constructed for Dr. John Brockenborough. Known as the Brockenborough Mansion, the house became one of the finest examples of Classical Revival architecture in Richmond. The Brockenborough family possessed the house until 1844, after which it was sold multiple times and gained a third story which shifted its appearance to the current Victorian-era Italianate. The City of Richmond came into ownership of the Brockenborough House and subsequently leased it to the Confederate government for its executive mansion.&nbsp;On August 1, 1861, Jefferson Davis, his pregnant wife Varina, and their three children moved into the Confederate White House. During the course of the war, the Davises welcomed the birth of two children and suffered the loss of one while living in the White House. After the fall of Richmond on April 2, 1865, Davis was forced to flee to south into the Lower Confederacy, his family fled south the month prior. He was captured by Union soldiers in Irwinville, Georgia on May 10, 1865 and served two years in prison at Fort Monroe, Virginia, refusing any pardon for his crimes so that he might return to the Mississippi Senate. Jefferson Davis lived the rest of his life quietly in Mississippi and published a large book in 1881 called&nbsp;The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government.The end of the Civil War resulted in the controversial Reconstruction of the South. During this time, occupying federal troops used the Confederate White House as headquarters for Military District No. 1. Reconstruction in Virginia lasted only five years, and at the end the federal government returned the house to Richmond in 1870. For the next twenty-three years, the house served as one of Richmond’s first public schools, Richmond Center School. Then in 1890, the city announced its plan to demolish the house in order to construct a more modern school. During that same year, the ladies of Richmond’s high society formed the Confederate Memorial Literary Society in order to save the Confederate White House. The Society acquired the house in 1893 and officially opened the Confederate Museum in 1896, becoming the nation’s premiere repository for Confederate artifacts.&nbsp;The Confederate Museum continued to thrive throughout the first half of the 20th-Century, though several major changes occurred to the museum during the second half of the century. In 1960, the house received a much-needed renovation and modernization, in addition to a name change to the Museum of the Confederacy. Due to the ever-increasing collections for the museum, a new building was constructed to serve as the new Museum of the Confederacy in 1976. Located next door to the house, this new contemporary building housed the museum’s exhibits while the house was closed for major renovations that returned the exterior appearance back to that of the mid-1800s. After twelve years of being closed to the public, the museum reopened the Confederate White House in June 1988. For the next 30 years, the Museum of the Confederacy operated out of the contemporary museum building and the white house. In 2013, the Museum of the Confederacy merged with the American Civil War Center at Tredegar and formed the new American Civil War Museum. The goal of the new museum is to offer a wider interpretation of the war from all sides. In late Summer of 2018, the Museum of the Confederacy closed its doors in preparation for its move to the new consolidated museum at Historic Tredegar. The American Civil War Museum is set to open in 2019. The Confederate White House is remains open to the public for daily tours.The White House of the Confederacy was designated a National Historic Landmark on December 19, 1960, designated a Virginia Landmark on October 15, 1966, and added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.

Constructed in 1818, what became known as the White House of the Confederacy began as a sophisticated Neoclassical style private residence constructed by Robert Mills. The City of Richmond later acquired the house and leased it to the Confederate government as the executive mansion for President Jefferson Davis. After the war, the house served as military headquarters and then a public schoolhouse. In 1896, the Confederate Memorial Literary Society saved the house from demolition and opened the Museum of the Confederacy, becoming the nation’s premiere repository for Confederate artifacts. Throughout the 20th-Century, the museum outgrew the house and a new, contemporary museum building was constructed next door to host the majority of the exhibits. In 2013, the Museum of the Confederacy merged with the American Civil War Center at Tredegar and formed the new American Civil War Museum. The goal of the new museum is to offer a wider interpretation of the war from all sides. In late Summer of 2018, the Museum of the Confederacy closed its doors in preparation for its move to the new consolidated museum at Historic Tredegar. The American Civil War Museum is set to open in 2019. The Confederate White House is remains open to the public for daily tours. The White House of the Confederacy was designated a National Historic Landmark on December 19, 1960, designated a Virginia Landmark on October 15, 1966, and added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.

White House of the Confederacy

After Richmond was made the capitol in 1780, it was found that Richmond needed a permanent capitol building. Thomas Jefferson was the primary architect. He used the Maison Carree as the inspiration for the building, creating the first recreation of a classical temple on American soil. Construction began in 1785 and continued until it was functional until 1792. The Capitol building is notable because, unlike most of Jefferson's designs and many state buildings in America, it does not include a dome of any kind. This building also served as the Capitol of the Confederacy from 1861-1865. On April 27th, 1870 tragedy struck the Capitol. The original courtroom was on the second floor of the Capitol building and was a single level. As Richmond grew, they found it was necessary to create a galley above the courtroom floor for spectators. This construction was done hastily. On the morning of April 27th a large crowd had gathered to for a mayoral contestation. Without warning, the galley floor gave way falling into the center of the courtroom. The weight from the fall caused the courtroom floor to collapse onto the Hall of Delegates. Over 60 people were dead at the scene and 130 were wounded. Soon after the tragedy the public called for the Capitol to be demolished as it was unsafe. The building underwent serious renovations from 1870 to 1904. Two wings were added to the original building so there would be room for growth. In 2003 Virginia worked to restore the building and bring it up to modern building compliances. The grounds of the Capitol include several statues that continue to attract large numbers of visitors each year. In 1869, the largest of these&nbsp;monuments were completed--a number of monuments to Virginia's leading members of the Revolutionary and early national period. A statue of George Washington stands at&nbsp;the center of these statues, flanked smaller figures of Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Lewis, John Marshall, George Mason, and Thomas Nelson Jr. While these statues reflect the immediate post-war&nbsp;desire to memorialize Virginia's role within the founding of the nation, pro-Confederate sentiment returned to the forefront during the final years of Reconstruction.&nbsp;In 1875, a statue commemorating "Stonewall" Jackson was added to the grounds--an act that would have been unthinkable just ten years prior.&nbsp;&nbsp; The most recent additions further demonstrate the ways that historic commemoration reflects contemporary values and beliefs.&nbsp;In 2008, the state dedicated the&nbsp;Virginia Civil Rights Memorial. More recently,&nbsp;state leaders launched an effort to create a&nbsp;memorial related to the role of women within&nbsp;Virginia's&nbsp;history.&nbsp;

Designed by Thomas Jefferson and in operation since 1788, this is the oldest state capitol in the United States and even predates the United States Capitol in Washington. The capitol building is the 8th home of Virginia's government which began in the colonial era with the establishment of the House of Burgesses in 1619. This building also served as the Capitol of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Capitol Square includes monuments and statues honoring Virginians such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, John Marshall, Stonewall Jackson. Newer statues honor leaders of the Civil Rights Movement such as Barbara Johns.

Virginia State Capitol

History of the Site&nbsp;

The block now occupied by Old City
Hall once held three notable buildings: Governor Edmund Randolph's House, built
around 1800; the first City Hall, built in 1818; and the First Presbyterian
Church, built in 1853 and moved elsewhere in 1873. After a fatal collapse of
the gallery in the first City Hall in 1870, it and the Randolph House were both
demolished to make room for a new City Hall. Wilfred Cutshaw, Richmond's City
Engineer, led the project, holding a national architectural competition for the
design. Elijah E. Myers, designer of the State capitols of Michigan, Colorado,
Texas, and Idaho, as well as the Parliament Buildings of Rio de Janeiro, won,
and his plans were accepted in 1886.&nbsp;

The massive and elaborate High
Victorian Gothic building cost over a million dollars more than estimated to
construct. Supplying the project with materials required the construction of a
special railway along Broad Street. Nearly all the granite was quarried locally
from the James River, the stonework overseen by English immigrant James
Netherwood, who brought British steam-powered saws and polishing tools to the
job. Iron founder Asa Snyder was responsible for the fenestration in the
atrium, while Cutshaw served as the project contractor, hiring both
African-American and white locals for the labor. Unfortunately, there were
racial tensions between the workers, according to local news station WRIC (link
below), foreshadowing the slew of Jim Crow policies passed within the building
after its completion in 1894.



After the present City Hall was
constructed in 1970, Old City Hall was threatened with demolition. Through the
efforts of the Historic Richmond organization, the building was saved and
restored, designated a National Historic Landmark and included on the National
Register of Historic Places.

Constructed between 1886 and 1894, this High Victorian Gothic building served as Richmond's City Hall from 1894-1971. It replaced the earlier City Hall and Courthouse buildings on the same site (1816-1875) after the original hall's gallery collapsed. After an architectural competition, internationally noted Detroit architect Elijah Myers' design was chosen for the building. Today, the first floor is open to visitors, while the upper floors house offices leased by Historic Richmond.

Old City Hall, Richmond

Richmond’s famous Monumental Church came into existence out of tragedy. The site on which the church presently sits was once where the Richmond Theatre stood, a wood framed theatre building. The night of December 26, 1811 saw the Richmond Theatre welcome a full house to an evening performance. During the second act, however, stage scenery caught fire. The flames soon engulfed the wooden building and led to the death of 72 attendees, which included Virginia Governor George William Smith and his wife. The death toll would have been higher were it not for the rescue effort by Gilbert Hunt, an enslaved Blacksmith. The fire at the Richmond Theatre was so voracious that only ashes were left of those who perished inside the building.Richmond’s civic leaders decided to honor the deceased by erecting both a monument and a church at the location of the former theater. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall headed the committee that raised public funds for the project and commissioned the architectural design. In 1812, the committee chose a design put forth by Roger Mills. Mills, once a student of Thomas Jefferson and draftsman for Benjamin Henry Latrobe at the time, is considered by many as the first American-born professional architect. Mills’ design combined both monument and church within a single structure, being one of the country’s earliest and most distinct examples of Greek Revival architecture. Serving two purposes as a church and a memorial, the Monumental Church possesses distinct sections for each purpose: the gable front portico, with its square, memorial-like design, covers the monument honoring those lost in the fire; and the domed, octagonal center serves as the church. The octagonal body of Monumental Church is decorated with classical motifs as well as with funerary imagery. The capitals of the columns that stand on both sides of the pulpit feature upside-down torches – symbolizing the end of life, stars—symbolizing heaven, and drapery—symbolizing a burial shroud. Mills’ redesign of the church sanctuary, by shifting the congregation’s primary focus to the pulpit, initiated a new wave of religious architecture. The remains of those who perished in the fire are buried in a brick crypt below the sanctuary. When completed in 1814, the Monumental Church became the one of the most unique architectural designs in not only Virginia but in the United States. The church is now the only remaining among the four domed churches that Mills designed in the country.Most individuals who donated to the construction of the Monumental Church became members of the newly erected Episcopal&nbsp;church. Notable members were Supreme Court Justice John Marshall, John Wickham, and John and Frances Allan, foster parents of Edgar Allan Poe. The Allans donated $230 and subsequently owned pew #80. Poe spent his childhood Sundays in this pew, listening to biblical scriptures and sermons. Interestingly enough, Poe’s actress mother, Eliza Poe, gave her last performance in the Richmond Theatre in December 1811, two weeks before the theatre burned.The Monumental Church survived the Civil War and continued to serve an active congregation until its de-consecration in 1965. At that point, the church was donated to the Medical College of Virginia and used as the school’s interfaith chapel. In 1983, Historic Richmond purchased the church and has worked to restore and rehabilitate the building and surrounding property. The Monumental Church is available for weddings and by appointment.&nbsp;The Monumental Church was designated a Virginia Landmark on November 5, 1968, added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 16, 1968, and designated a National Historic Landmark on November 11, 1971.

Richmond’s famous Monumental Church came into existence out of tragedy. The night of December 26, 1811, the Richmond Theatre caught fire during a theatrical performance. In all, the death toll reached 72 and included the Virginia Governor George William Smith and his wife. Richmond’s civic leaders decided to honor the deceased by erecting both a monument and a church at the location of the former theater. In 1812, the committee chose a design put forth by Roger Mills. Mills, once a student of Thomas Jefferson and draftsman for Benjamin Henry Latrobe at the time, is considered by many as the first American-born professional architect. Mills’ design combined both monument and church within a single structure, being one of the country’s earliest and most distinct examples of the burgeoning Greek Revival architecture. Notable congregants of the Monument Church were Notable members were Supreme Court Justice John Marshall, John Wickham, and John and Frances Allan, foster parents of Edgar Allan Poe. The Monumental Church survived the Civil War and continued to serve an active congregation until its de-consecration in 1965. In 1983, Historic Richmond purchased the church and has worked to restore and rehabilitate the building and surrounding property. The Monumental Church was designated a Virginia Landmark on November 5, 1968, added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 16, 1968, and designated a National Historic Landmark on November 11, 1971.

Monumental Church

The board for Richmond's Medical College had been housed in the old Union Hotel in town and knew there was a strong desire and need for an official building to be the home for the city's medical college. To make this dream and reality, the college and city hired Ireland-born, Philadelphia-raised&nbsp;architect,&nbsp;Thomas Somerville Stewart. This was a convenient choice since Stewart was already in town having just completed the St. Paul church. The new building was called simply "College Building" when finished. After a while it became known as the "Old College Building."&nbsp;As the construction
was finished in 1845, medical students poured in to learn their skills. The
Egyptian Building did not only have medical lecture halls, but also a&nbsp;dissecting&nbsp;room
and an infirmary, as well as hospital beds. &nbsp;Although great efforts have been made to keep
its exterior as it was originally intended, the interior has been renovated
multiple times, since the building has been in continuous use since it first was
opened to students. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; In 1939, the building was restored in honor of an 1862 graduate of the college, Simon Baruch. The restoration included Egyptian revival architecture, which would give the building it's current name, the "Egyptian Building."

This five-story
building is made mainly of brick, cast iron, and stucco. The impression of both
solidity and height is achieved by a combination of the building’s walls, which
are thicker at the bottom than at the top, and the minimal diamond-paned windows.
Also relevant are the Egyptian Building’s columnns, each has a delicate palm-frond
pattern on its capital while its shaft represents bundles of reeds. 

The traditional Egyptian symbol of the Winged Sun, traditionally
associated with the divine, appears repeatedly in the cornices that cap the
pylons. Certain areas of the interior have maintained the Egyptian Revival
style, and hieroglyphics celebrating to the gods&nbsp;Amun&nbsp;and&nbsp;Aten decorate
the antechamber to the auditorium. Similarly, the floor tiles in that room portray
a scarab beetle. The building is still in use by the Medical College of Virginia (MCV), or as it's also known, as the VCU Medical Center, a branch of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).&nbsp;

Egyptian Revival architecture is quite uncommon in the US, but Richmond’s Medical College of Virginia boasts its own Egyptian Building. Although the style chosen for this structure may seem bizarre at first, there is a perfectly logical reason behind it. When the Medical Department at Virginia Commonwealth University decided that they needed a space created for the specific purpose of medical education, architecture Thomas Somerville Stewart proposed using the Egyptian architectural style, arguing that the origins of medicine could be traced back to ancient Egypt. Specifically, he was referring to the famous Egyptian physician Imhotep, the first healer recorded in written History.

Egyptian Building

Considered "America's Shakespeare," Poe is best known for his short stories and poetry. Edgar Allen Poe was born on January 19th, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts, but grew up in Richmond, Virginia. His parents, David and Elizabeth Arnold Poe, were actors with Mr. Placide's Theatre Company of Boston. Both died before Poe was three years old, and he and his younger sister Rosalie were taken in by separate Richmond families. Edgar grew up with foster parents John and Frances Valentine Allan and adopted their last name as part of his own. He was encouraged in his literary efforts by Jane Stith Craig Stanard, the mother of a schoolmate. In his first year at the University of Virginia in 1826, Poe and his foster father had an argument which led to his withdrawal from school. After moving to Boston, Poe published his first book called Tamerlane and Other Poems in 1827. Poe spent the next two years at the West Point Military Academy and in the army, publishing again in 1829. Afterwards, he moved to Baltimore and lived with his aunt, Maria Clemm. While there, he fell in love with his cousin Virginia Clemm and won a literary contest. In 1835, he moved back to Richmond for a job as assistant editor of the Southern Literary Messenger. His aunt and cousin accompanied him back to Richmond, marrying Virginia in 1836.The Southern Literary Messenger gained Poe a reputation as a critic, poet, and writer. One of his major works, a collection of suspenseful short stories entitled Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque, was published in the late 1830s, and by 1845, Poe was known as a literary sensation. Poe left the Messenger with the intention of publishing his own literary magazine, taking editorial work in Philadelphia and New York until Virginia's death in 1847. On his final visit to Richmond in 1849, Poe gave a lecture at the Exchange Hotel and visited his sister's foster family, his friends in the Talley family, and his teenage sweetheart, Elmira Royster Shelton, to whom he allegedly was engaged. Poe performed his last reading of his most famous poem, "The Raven," at the Talley's home on September 25, 1849. He died mysteriously in Baltimore on October 7, 1849.James Howard Whitty, an Edgar Allan Poe researcher and collector, met with fellow enthusiasts in 1906 to form Richmond's Poe Memorial Association. The group's goal was to create a monument to the author, but they found little public support. When the offices of the Southern Literary Messenger, the magazine that launched Poe's journalism career, were slated for demolition in 1915, the members of the Poe Memorial Association came together once again, requesting the building for a National Poe Museum. The Messenger building was nonetheless demolished for a street widening project which never actually happened, but Whitty saved much of the material for use elsewhere.At the same time, Archer and Annie Jones ran a colonial history museum at the Old Stone House. Historic in its own right, the Old Stone House is Richmond’s oldest building and its only surviving Colonial Era house. First documented in 1783 as being owned by Samuel Ege, a local flour inspector, recent dendrochronology has revealed that the house was constructed around 1754. The house passed through descendants of the Ege family until acquired by the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (now known as Preservation Virginia) in 1911, and subsequently leased to the Jones.After meeting with Whitty, Annie Jones decided to convert the lot behind the museum into a Poe memorial garden and shrine using the bricks and granite salvaged from the Southern Literary Messenger office. The Enchanted Garden incorporated specific plants mentioned in the author's works and plants propagated from the grave of Poe's mother and his foster father's garden. In the end, the Jones converted the colonial history museum into the Poe Shrine, restoring the Old Stone House in the process and incorporating materials from the Messenger building. Whitty's Poe collection became the core of the museum, with donations from other Poe collectors and relatives. The museum opened to the public on April 26, 1922, with early visitors including Gertrude Stein, H.P. Lovecraft, Henry Miller, and Salvador Dalí. Quickly outgrowing the Old Stone House, in the 1930s the Poe Museum expanded into three additional structures, including one containing the original staircase of Poe's childhood home. In 1970, a restoration project on the Old Stone House&nbsp;removed later additions in order to recreate the house’s Colonial era appearance. In 2012, Preservation Virginia officially donated the Old Stone House to the Poe Museum. The Old Stone House was designated a Virginia Landmark on October 16, 1973 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 14, 1973.&nbsp;Today, the museum holds the largest and most comprehensive collection of Edgar Allan Poe artifacts, memorabilia, and documents. These include original manuscripts, letters, personal possessions and clothing, daguerreotypes, and even a lock of Poe's hair.

The Poe Museum of Richmond, Virginia has been in operation since 1922 and was made possible by a sixteen-year effort of the Poe Memorial Association. Considered "America's Shakespeare," Poe is best known for his short stories and poetry; and established in 1906, the Poe Memorial Association sought to create a monument to the author. Sixteen years later in 1922, the Poe Museum opened to the public in Richmond’s oldest known home, the circa 1754 Old Stone House. Today, the museum holds the largest and most comprehensive collection of Edgar Allan Poe artifacts, memorabilia, and documents. The Old Stone House was designated a Virginia Landmark on October 16, 1973 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 14, 1973.

The Poe Museum

The Adam Craig House was probably built by its namesake around 1784 to 1787. It may be the second oldest surviving building in Richmond and the oldest frame structure. The house lot covers a quarter of a city block in the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood. The house is a 2-1/2 story, 5-bay wood frame building with a symmetrical front facade. The front portico with stately white columns is a later addition, as is a large, frame addition to the rear of the main block. Another notable feature of this historical gem is a two-story brick kitchen that replaced a frame cookhouse in 1815. The architect is unknown. The house stands at an angle instead of parallel to E. Grace or N. 19th Streets. This portion of the town followed an earlier street grid (from 1737) than what was plotted for the rest of downtown Richmond as seen today on this block (see the 1867 map attached). Adam Craig was born in 1760. He worked as a clerk in several local courts in Richmond and neighboring Henrico County after moving from Williamsburg (the former colonial capital) to Richmond (the later colonial capital) in 1782. Craig married Mary "Polly" Mallory, the daughter of William Mallory, in 1787. Adam Craig lived until 1808. In his will written in March 1808, Craig left his house "now occupied by" his family and lot in Richmond with its household goods to his wife, Mary, for her lifetime. He left substantial real estate holdings elsewhere in Virginia and Kentucky to other family members including a son, William M. One son, James, was a minor so not yet age 21 in 1808. One of the couple's daughters is said to have inspired Edgar Allen Poe to write the poem "To Helen." The nearby Poe Museum, a stone structure, is the oldest building in Richmond. Another daughter, Ann Craig, perished in a horrible fire that destroyed a packed theater in Richmond in 1811, killing the Governor and scores of others. Two of the Craig daughters married two brothers of the Claiborne family of Virginia. One daughter married Robert Stanard, Esquire, later a Judge of the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. The Adam Craig House was used as a local art center in the late 1930's/ early 1940's for its predominantly African-American community. It had been saved from decay and planned demolition in the mid-1930's by a group of Richmond citizens spearheaded by architectural historian Mary Wingfield Scott who bought the property. The group raised funds, renovated the house, and added gardens. The Craig House was then rented out to tenants. Scott (1895-1893) wrote two books about local antebellum housing in Richmond and was an advocate for adaptive reuse. Her citizens group formed the William Byrd branch of Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA). By 1947, the group owned three historic houses in Richmond. A local developer, Chalres Macfarlane, bought the Adam Craig House in 1998. The house has continued to be maintained as a private residence and is not open to the public. The mature yard trees, white picket fence, and brick sidewalks add to the home's charm.

Possibly the second-oldest home in Richmond, this historic home was constructed for the family of Adam Craig in the 1780s. At that time, Craig was a clerk in the local courts. Craig left the property - the house and lot where his family resides in Richmond - to his widow upon his death in 1808. One of Adam Craig's daughters has ties to the famous poet, Edgar Allen Poe, whose home is nearby. The Adam Craig House was saved from demolition and restored in the 1930s by a group of local citizens spearheaded by Mary Wingfield Scott, a local architectural historian. The group became a chapter of APVA and rented out the house. The house is privately owned.

Adam Craig House

Being the center of Henrico Parish, St. John’s Episcopal Church and its congregation stretches back to the very beginnings of Virginia in 1611, being an offshoot of the first church in Jamestown. Throughout the rest of the 1600s, Henrico Parish moved up the James River where it eventually settled in the newly founded settlement of Richmond. William Byrd II is credited with establishing Richmond with land he donated in 1733, and in 1740 he donated land for the construction of a church for Henrico Parish. Completed in 1741, St. John’s Episcopal Church is not only the oldest church in Richmond, it is the oldest wooden church in Virginia. The next 30 years witnessed the church grow and support the surrounding community, which came to be known as Church Hill. Not only did these early colonial churches act as houses of worship, they served as community meeting spaces.&nbsp;By the 1770s, political tension between the colonies and Great Britain grew rapidly. Because the situation deteriorated so severely in Virginia, the House of Burgesses, the colony’s legislative body, was dismissed by the royal governor. Not to be deterred, the Patriotic members of the Burgesses met as the First Virginia Convention in Williamsburg, but due to close proximity to the governor’s forces, the members vacated Williamsburg and reassembled in Richmond. In March 1775, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee, Peyton Randolph, and over 100 other prominent Virginians met in St. John’s Church to hold the Second Virginia Convention. It was during this meeting in the church that Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech, cementing the church in American history.St. John’s Church continued to thrive, surviving two domestic wars and the financial fluctuations of the 19th-Century. However, the urban flight and racial segregation of the mid-20th-Century greatly reduced the number of church members and residents within the Church Hill neighborhood. In the recent decades, St. John’s Church and its surrounding neighborhood have experienced a resurgence in prominence.&nbsp;There have been a few alterations made to St. John’s Church during its lifetime. The original 1741 building is found in the building’s southernmost section, oriented to the East in the tradition of the Anglican Church; and in 1773, construction of the nave changed the footprint of the church to its current footprint. Then, during the late 19th-Century, the current tower and steeple replaced an earlier version of each. The churchyard for St. John’s Church contains a small, brick building previously used as one of the first schoolhouses for African-American children in the city. The church’s giftshop is now housed in the old school building.St. John’s Church offered the first public burial ground in Richmond, and now spans an entire city block around the church. Several of Richmond’s and Virginia’s prominent citizens are buried here, such as George Wythe, the first law professor in the United States, delegate at the Continental Congress, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Of particular interest is one unmarked grave along the east wall of the churchyard. In 1811, Elizabeth “Eliza” Arnold Poe, actress mother to Edgar Allan Poe, died from consumption. Having been abandoned by her husband David Poe, Jr. in 1810, she relied on community assistance to support herself and her children. At that time, acting was still considered a dishonorable profession, but Eliza managed to find enough support and compassion from the Church Hill ladies that she was honored with a burial inside the St. John’s Church burial ground, albeit in an unmarked paupers grave. The young Edgar was taken in by wealthy Richmond family, the Allans, and lived nearby. It is undoubtable that Edgar visited his mother’s grave during his youth. In 1927, the Raven Society and the Poe Foundation placed a formal marker on Eliza’s gravesite.&nbsp;St. John’s Episcopal Church was designated a National Historic Landmark on January 20, 1961, designated a Virginia Landmark on June 2, 1970, and added to the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing member of the St. John’s Church Historic District on September 15, 1970.

Being the center of Henrico Parish, St. John’s Episcopal Church and its congregation stretches back to the very beginnings of Virginia in 1611, being an offshoot of the first church in Jamestown. William Byrd II is credited with establishing Richmond with land he donated in 1733, and in 1740 he donated land for the construction of a church for Henrico Parish. Completed in 1741, St. John’s Episcopal Church is not only the oldest church in Richmond, it is the oldest wooden church in Virginia. In March 1775, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee, Peyton Randolph, and over 100 other prominent Virginians met in St. John’s Church to hold the Second Virginia Convention. It was during this meeting in the church that Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech, cementing the church in American history. St. John’s Church continued to thrive, surviving two domestic wars and the financial fluctuations of the 19th-Century. However, the urban flight and racial segregation of the mid-20th-Century greatly reduced the number of church members and residents within the Church Hill neighborhood. In the recent decades, St. John’s Church and its surrounding neighborhood have experienced a resurgence in prominence. St. John’s Episcopal Church was designated a National Historic Landmark on January 20, 1961, designated a Virginia Landmark on June 2, 1970, and added to the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing member of the St. John’s Church Historic District on September 15, 1970.

Unique Architecture in Richmond, Virginia

Byrd Theatre

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information