46 Facts About Richmond Virginia

1.

Richmond Virginia was incorporated in 1742 and has been an independent city since 1871.

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2.

Site of Richmond Virginia had been an important village of the Powhatan Confederacy, and was briefly settled by English colonists from Jamestown from 1609 to 1611.

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3.

Richmond Virginia's economy is primarily driven by law, finance, and government, with federal, state, and local governmental agencies, as well as notable legal and banking firms in the downtown area.

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4.

The latter motive proved to be in vain, and in 1781, under the command of Benedict Arnold, Richmond was burned by British troops, causing Governor Thomas Jefferson to flee as the Virginia militia, led by Sampson Mathews, defended the city.

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5.

Richmond Virginia recovered quickly from the war, and by 1782 was a thriving city.

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6.

Three years later, in March 1865, Richmond Virginia became indefensible after nearby Petersburg and several remaining rail supply lines to the south and southwest were broken.

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7.

Richmond Virginia surrendered his remaining approximately 10, 000 troops at Appomattox Court House, meeting Grant the following morning at the McLean Home.

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8.

Richmond Virginia emerged a decade after the smoldering rubble of the Civil War to resume its position as an economic powerhouse, with iron front buildings and massive brick factories.

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9.

Canal traffic peaked in the 1860s and slowly gave way to railroads, allowing Richmond Virginia to become a major railroad crossroads, eventually including the site of the world's first triple railroad crossing.

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10.

In May 1914 Richmond Virginia became the headquarters of the Fifth District of the Federal Reserve Bank.

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11.

Richmond Virginia city is surrounded by Henrico county which has a population of about 334, 000.

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12.

Richmond Virginia experienced a spike in overall crime, in particular the city's murder rate, during the 1980s, 1990s, and the early 2000s.

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13.

In 2008, Richmond Virginia had fallen to 49th on a Morgan Quitno Press ranking of the most dangerous cities in the United States and the city had recorded the lowest homicide rate since 1971.

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14.

In recent years, as in many other American cities, Richmond Virginia has witnessed a slight rise in homicides though violent crime and other forms of crime remain below the national average.

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15.

On February 5, 1845, Second Presbyterian Church of Richmond Virginia 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 Virginia.

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16.

Seminaries in Richmond include: the school of theology at Virginia Union University; a Presbyterian seminary, Union Presbyterian Seminary, and the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.

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17.

Bishops that sit in Richmond include those of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia; the Richmond Area of the United Methodist Church (Virginia Annual Conference), the nation's second-largest and one of the oldest.

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18.

Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond Virginia was canonically erected by Pope Pius VII on July 11, 1820.

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19.

Since the 1960s Richmond Virginia has been a prominent hub for advertising agencies and advertising related businesses.

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20.

One of the most notable Richmond Virginia-based agencies is The Martin Agency, founded in 1965 and currently employing 500 people.

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21.

Richmond Virginia's revitalized downtown includes the Canal Walk, a new Greater Richmond Virginia Convention Center, and expansion on both VCU campuses.

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22.

Additionally, Richmond Virginia is gaining attention from the film and television industry, with several high-profile films shot in the metro region in the past few years, including the major motion picture Lincoln which led to Daniel Day-Lewis's third Oscar, Killing Kennedy with Rob Lowe, airing on the National Geographic Channel and Turn, starring Jamie Bell and airing on AMC.

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23.

Richmond Virginia was the main filming location for the PBS drama series Mercy Street, which premiered in Winter 2016.

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24.

Nearby on Broad Street is the Science Museum of Richmond Virginia, housed in the neoclassical former 1919 Broad Street Union Station.

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25.

Richmond Virginia is home to museums and battlefields of the American Civil War.

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26.

Musicians of note associated with Richmond Virginia include Jason Mraz, Jimmy Dean, Agents of Good Roots, Aimee Mann, Alabama Thunderpussy, Avail, Broadside, Carbon Leaf, Cracker, D'Angelo, Denali, Down to Nothing, Engine Down, Four Walls Falling, Iron Reagan, Lamb of God, Lil Ugly Mane, Lucy Dacus, Municipal Waste, Nickelus F, River City High, Sparklehorse, Strike Anywhere, Chris Brown, Eric Stanley, and Fighting Gravity.

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27.

Richmond Virginia is home of GWAR, a heavy metal art collective based in a Scott's Addition warehouse.

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28.

Richmond Virginia is home to many significant structures, including some designed by notable architects.

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29.

In spite of this, Richmond Virginia contains many historically significant buildings and districts.

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30.

Many buildings on the University of Richmond Virginia campus, including Jeter Hall and Ryland Hall, were designed by Ralph Adams Cram, most famous for his Princeton University Chapel and the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine.

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31.

Richmond Virginia is home to several notable instances of various styles of modernism.

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32.

The W G Harris residence in Richmond was designed by famed early modern architect and member of the Harvard Five, Landis Gores.

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33.

The majority of these districts are listed in the Richmond Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places ("NRHP").

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34.

Richmond Virginia has been recognized in recent years for being a "foodie city", particularly for its modern renditions of traditional Southern cuisine.

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35.

Richmond Virginia is where, in 1935, canned beer was made commercially available for the first time.

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36.

Richmond Virginia is not home to any major league professional sports teams, but since 2013, the Washington Commanders of the National Football League have held their summer training camp in the city.

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37.

In 2018 the Richmond Virginia Kickers left the USL to become founders in Division 3 Soccer.

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38.

The Richmond Virginia Raceway has hosted NASCAR Cup Series races since 1953, as well as the Capital City 400 from 1962 - 1980.

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39.

In 2015, Richmond Virginia hosted the 2015 UCI Road World Championships, which had cyclists from 76 countries and an economic impact on the Greater Richmond Virginia Region estimated to be $158.

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40.

Richmond Virginia's government changed in 2004 from a council-manager form of government with a mayor elected by and from the council to an at-large, popularly elected mayor.

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41.

City of Richmond Virginia operates 28 elementary schools, nine middle schools, and eight high schools, serving a total student population of 24, 000 students.

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42.

Richmond Virginia enjoys a low power FM Station, WRIR, which features all volunteer community supported radio at all hours.

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43.

Richmond Virginia International is served by ten passenger and four cargo airlines with over 200 daily flights providing non-stop service to major destination markets and connecting flights to destinations worldwide.

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44.

Richmond Virginia is a major hub for intercity bus company Greyhound Lines, with its terminal at 2910 N Boulevard.

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45.

Each station receives regular service from north of Richmond including Washington, D C, Philadelphia, and New York.

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46.

Richmond Virginia, based in Richmond, is one of the nation's largest producers of energy, serving retail energy customers in nine states.

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