Featured Stories

Children (all white) playing on a playground enclosed by brick walls.

Belle Bryan Day Nursery and the Richmond Women’s Christian Association

All mothers work. But the title of “working mother” is now associated with contemporary history, tied to women’s employment. But mothers have always worked outside the home, especially mothers from poor households. Here in Richmond, major industries thrived on the exploitation of largely women workforces, both Black and white.

Jewish Family Services

Explore the history of the Jewish faith here in Richmond and one of the premiere service organizations that grew out of this community.

Building is on fire with flame coming out of it. People are escaping through the windows. More people are on the ground in front of the fire having already escaped. It reads below the picture

1811 Richmond Theater Fire

Richmond Theater Fire in 1811 that killed 72 people including the governor of Virginia.

Three men in white suits and two children at the dedication of the Bill

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson: Richmond History Maker

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson – a dancer, a philanthropist, a star, a Richmonder. 

Picture of a young white woman in a white shirt looking to the side. Her brown hair is pulled away from her face.

Mary Munford: Richmond History Maker

Mary Munford once wrote to a friend: “Education has been my deepest interest from my girlhood, beginning with an almost passionate desire for the best in education for myself, which was denied because it was not the custom for girls in my class to receive a college education at that time. This interest has grown with my growth and strengthened with each succeeding year in my life.”

Handbill announcing a party to celebrate the torch coming through Richmond on the night of June 21, 1996.

Richmond and the Olympic Torch

Are you surprised that Richmond has an Olympic history? It does! In 1996, the Olympic torch passed through and even spent the night here, on its way to Atlanta. 

Portrait of a young James Monroe.

James Monroe and the “Era of Good Feelings”

Monroe, in his 1817 inaugural address, declared that “discord does not belong in our system.” He then claimed that his main goal as president would be to foster “harmony among Americans.” He believed this harmony depended on the extinction of all political parties.

Older gentleman standing and helping a young woman, a man and two older women in wheelchairs play bingo.

Bingo!

For much of the 20th century, Virginia has had some of the strictest anti-gambling laws in the country.

A group of people around the Lee Monument that is covered by a veil.

Monument Avenue: Robert. E. Lee Monument

It took nearly twenty years to erect a monument to Robert E. Lee in Richmond, and it came down in less than two.