Richmond, Virginia

[[1]] The Richmond Skyline

Richmond is the capital of Virginia, a state (officially the Commonwealth of Virginia) of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 197,790. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city, not part of any county. The City of Richmond is surrounded by Henrico and Chesterfield counties, located to the north and south of the city respectively. The Richmond metropolitan area includes the city and its two adjoining counties and an extensive area of central Virginia. Other jurisdictions in the Richmond metropolitan area include the nearby counties of Amelia, Caroline, Charles City, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hanover, King and Queen, King William, Louisa, New Kent, Powhatan, Prince George, and Sussex, and the independent cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell, and Petersburg as well as the town of Ashland in Hanover County. The metropolitan area attained a total population of 1,126,262 in 2003.

Trivia

• Richmond's official motto is "Sic Itur Ad Astra" (Such is the way to the Stars)
• Richmond's city-adopted slogan is "One City, our City"
• Richmond Metropolitan region's branding slogan is "Easy to Love"

Educational Institutions

Richmond is the home of the University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Union University and the Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education. Virginia State University is about 20 miles south of Richmond, in the suburb of Ettrick.

Significant Businesses and Non-Profits

• Philip Morris USA (a division of Altria Group) corporate headquarters
• Genworth Financial, the former insurance arm of GE
• home electronics retailer Circuit City
• United Network for Organ Sharing, the principal clearinghouse for organ transplants in the United States
• Capital One, a credit card agency, is a significant employer
• Brinks Company, famous for its financial and security responsibilites, has its world headquarters here.

'Other prominent Fortune 500 companies based in Richmond include:'

• Wachovia Securities
• Owens & Minor
• CarMax
• LandAmerica Financial Group
• Performance Food Group
• Dominion Resources

History

Richmond was first settled in 1607 by Christopher Newport and Captain John Smith, who navigated up the James River ten days after landing at Jamestown. The city was not known as "Richmond" until 1737, when it was laid out by Major William Mayo on on land donated by Colonel William Byrd II.

In 1775, Patrick Henry gave his famous "Give me Liberty or Give me Death" speech in St. John's Church at a meeting of the Second Continental Congress. Also in attendance at this meeting were Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.

Richmond became the capital of Virginia in 1780.

During the American Civil War, Richmond was the capital of the Confederate States of America. In April of 1865, Richmond was burned by a retreating Confederate Army and was returned to Northern control, becoming part of "Military District #1."

After the war, Richmond rebuilt, expanding largely to the west. Monument Avenue was laid out it 1887. Monument Avenue honors the city's Confederate heroes in a series of impressive monuments. In 1995, a controversial statue of Richmond native and tennis star Arthur Ashe was added to the series of statues on Monument Avenue.

Richmond had the first electrically-powered trolley system in the US. Designed by Frank Sprague, the trolley system opened its first line in January 1888. This accelerated Richmond's westward expansion.

Recent Richmond Events

On August 31, 2004, the Shockoe Bottom district was devastated by flooding brought on by torrential rains from the remnants of Tropical Storm Gaston. The storm lingered over the Richmond area, dumping nearly 12 inches (30 cm) of rain in the Shockoe Bottom watershed. A 20-block area, including most of Shockoe Bottom, was declared uninhabitable in the wake of the flood.

Neighborhoods of Richmond

Church Hill

The historic district of Church Hill encompasses the original land plat of the city of Richmond. There Patrick Henry gave his "Give me liberty or give me death" speech in Saint John's Church. Chimborazo Park occupies the site of the largest Civil War Hospital.

Jackson Ward

Jackson Ward is a historical black neighborhood that at one time was known as the "Harlem of the South. " A center for black commerce and entertainment, it was frequented by the likes of Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Lena Horne, Cab Calloway, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole and James Brown. During the construction of the Eisenhower Interstate highway system in the 1950's, Jackson Ward was split in two.

In the early 2000s, a the Greater Richmond Convention Center and Visitors Bureau was built downtown Richmond, spurring development of Jackson Ward with with cafes, restaurants, and the Hippodrome Theater.

North Side Neigborhoods

Richmond's North Side is home to many diverse neighborhoods, including Barton Heights, Bellevue, Ginter Park, Hermitage Rd, Highland Park, Sherwood Park, etc. These neighborhoods are made up of houses with a variety of architectural styles, which include Arts and Crafts Bungalows, Victorian, Romanesque Revival, and Queen Anne houses among other styles.

Shockoe Bottom

This area, just east of downtown along the James River, became a major nightlife, dining, and entertainment center in the last two decades of the 20th century.

Sites to See

Some popular tourist attractions include:

• Virginia State Capitol
• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
• Carytown shops / Byrd Theater
• Science Museum of Virginia, housed in the severe neoclassical Union Station, designed by Beaux-Arts-trained John Russell Pope, 1919
• Monument Avenue in the Fan district
• Museum of the Confederacy
• Richmond Children's Museum,
• Canal Walk
• Tredegar Iron Works
• Civil War Battlefields National Park Visitors Center
• the Slave Trail along the James River
• The Edgar Allen Poe Museum
• Byrd Park
• Maymont Park

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 162.0 km² (62.5 mi²). 155.6 km² (60.1 mi²) of it is land and 6.4 km² (2.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.96% water. The James River runs through Richmond.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 197,790 people, 84,549 households, and 43,627 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,271.3/km² (3,292.6/mi²). There are 92,282 housing units at an average density of 593.1/km² (1,536.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 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. 2.57% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 84,549 households out of which 23.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.1% are married couples living together, 20.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 48.4% are non-families. 37.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.21 and the average family size is 2.95.

In the city the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $31,121, and the median income for a family is $38,348. Males have a median income of $30,874 versus $25,880 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,337. 21.4% of the population and 17.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 32.9% are under the age of 18 and 15.8% are 65 or older.

Famous Richmonders

• Arthur Ashe, tennis star and social activist who is remembered with a memorial on Monument Avenue.
• Ellen Glasgow, a novelist who was born and lived there.
• Edgar Allan Poe, Author and poet, lived in Richmond for much of his early life.
• Tom Robbins, Author, studied art at Richmond Professional Institute (now VCU and worked for the Richmond Times Dispatch.
• Henry Creamer was an American Vaudeville song lyricist of the early 20th century.
• Aimee Mann a popular American rock guitarist, bass player, singer, and songwriter.
• Samuel Gravely,an African-American Officer who broke many racial barriers while serving in the U.S. Navy.

Professional Sports Teams

Richmond is also the home of the Richmond Braves, a minor league baseball team; the Richmond Kickers, a minor league soccer team; and the Richmond RiverDogs, a minor league ice hockey team.

Transportation

Richmond, Virginia is served by Richmond International Airport, which is located in nearby Sandston. Local transit is provided by the Greater Richmond Transit Company.

External Links

• City of Richmond
• Historic Richmond Region - Official Vistors Site - Richmond, Virginia
• Historic Richmond: St Johns
• Annotated Pictorial Guide to Richmond
• Neighborhoods
• Richmond region information from convention center website