The City of Richmond has a rich history, with a diverse landscape of historical buildings that shape the city skyline today. From areas dominated by skyscrapers like Downtown Richmond to neighborhoods like Jackson Ward containing buildings of deep cultural value, Richmond comprises a variety of buildings that showcase both the modernity of the city and, more importantly, the history of the city, the people who resided in it, and buildings they utilized in their lives.

The Virginia State Capitol was designed in 1788 by Thomas Jefferson and Charles-Louis Clérisseau following the decision made in 1780 to move the capital of Virginia from Williamsburg to Richmond. Jefferson built the Capitol based on Roman architectural styles from a temple Jefferson visited in France. The significance of this decision is that it was portrayed as an architectural “declaration of independence” from British architecture styles. In 1906, two additional wings were added to the original Capitol building, and in 2007 the underground extension with the visitor’s entrance was added. Today, people can tour the grounds and even go into the building and explore parts of it as well. The surrounding park, designed by a French architect in 1816, serves as a public gathering space. To access the Capitol grounds, guided tours are available by both walk-in and appointment to learn more about the history of Virginia’s government and details about the building itself.

Another notable historical building in Richmond is Agecroft Hall, located in the Windsor Farms neighborhood. This estate was originally built in Lancashire, England, but was deconstructed, put on boats, and shipped to the banks of the James River to be reconstructed in the Windsor Farms area in the 1920s. The building highly resembles the styles of manors popular in England in the 15th century but potentially could have been built much earlier. When the then-owners of Agecroft, one of whom would go on to found the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), reconstructed the manor in Richmond, they kept some features like the stone foundation and roof, stained glass windows, and interior paneling the same but changed the design of the entire building from a quadrangle to a different design and integrated Virginian architectural and historical features to Agecroft Hall. The terraces and landscaped gardens were designed by a French architect to match Hampton Court in England. Today, Agecroft Hall is a museum where visitors can see this historic English building blended with Virginian influences, and the Windsor Farms neighborhood mirrors the English-style architecture that Agecroft Hall also showcases.

Founded in 1867, Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church was important to the African-American residents of the Jackson Ward neighborhood. It is one of the oldest black churches in Richmond and is the only building left north of Duval Street after the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike was constructed right through the Jackson Ward area. Its continued existence is thanks to Cerelia Johnson, the secretary of the church in the 1950s, who was able to fight and save the church from being destroyed.

St. John’s Church and even our school, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School, are buildings that exemplify Richmond’s history. St. John’s Church is a famous building for both Virginian history and United States history as a whole. Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give me liberty, or give me death” speech in this church, which helped inspire insurrection against British rule in the colonies. Built in 1937 as one of Richmond’s two Black high schools, Maggie Walker High School was abandoned in 1990. It was later renovated and reopened in 2001 as the school it is today. While some buildings receive greater historical recognition, each contributes to Richmond’s rich narrative, from its founding 288 years ago to the present.

Information retrieved from Division of Capitol Police, WTTW, agecrofthall.org, and Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity