St. John's Church (Photo courtesy Richmond Region Tourism)
I’ve worn many hats in my day, including the blue wool kepi of a private in Company “D” of the 98th New York Infantry Regiment at Fort Harrison National Battlefield Park outside Richmond; the brimmed plug of Tredegar Ironworks rolling mill foreman Henry Carter Osterbind, for The Valentine’s “Working People of Richmond” exhibition; and a three-cornered Colonial cover for the “Liberty or Death” reenactment at St. John’s Church. But you don’t need to dress up in period attire to join my tour of Richmond’s most historic sites.
Early Americana
William Randolph III’s father built Wilton House for him around 1753 to preside over a 2,000-acre tobacco plantation. Tour the home and its collection of decorative arts Tuesday through Sunday. Rescued from demolition in 1933, the house was moved from outside Richmond to its present location along the James River in the West End. George Washington slept here, and guests received within the paneled chambers included Thomas Jefferson, the Marquis de Lafayette and, now, you. After your tour, head to Carytown to enjoy (weather permitting) the comfortable patio at The Daily Kitchen & Bar.
An interpreter at the American Civil War Museum (Photo courtesy Richmond Region Tourism)
Civil War Era
Located downtown along the James River is the new American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar. The Tredegar Iron Works (1837-1957) became a major Confederate munitions maker. Today, immersive new exhibition galleries track the Civil War by year using art, artifacts and dynamic audio visual programming. After the frock coats and muskets, what you’ll remember are the gazes from large-format images of those who witnessed these events. The adjacent Richmond National Battlefield Park provides an excellent introduction to the city’s other wartime sites at its visitor center.
The Story of Richmond
More than a museum, The Valentine offers a vivid and lively journey into the city’s intertwined stories. You must tour the incredible 1812 Wickham House and its ribbon-like stair and see Edmund Valentine’s sculpture studio. The special exhibition “#BallotBattle: Richmond’s Social Struggle for Suffrage” opened Nov. 21. Don’t miss the Valentine First Freedom Center and Monument located at 14th and Cary streets. It commemorates the founding principle of religious freedom.
The Byrd Theatre (Photo courtesy Byrd Theatre)
Golden Age of Film
Head back to Carytown to experience the Byrd Theatre for a second-run feature or special presentation, including film festivals and screenings of film classics. The neighborhood movie palace opened in 1928, and on Saturday nights, the mighty Wurlitzer organ rises with its keyboardist from beneath the stage for a pre-show concert. The Byrd is now owned and operated by the nonprofit Byrd Theatre Foundation. Using today’s sound and projection equipment — and new seats — it offers an escape into a world of its own.
Insider Tip: On a weekday, press “OD” on the Richmond City Hall (900 E. Broad St.elevator and take it to the 19th floor Observation Deck for stunning panoramic citywide views, which unfortunately lack explanatory plaques.
A demonstration at Meadow Farm (Photo courtesy Meadow Farm)
FIRST-TIME VISITOR
A Glimpse of the Past at Meadow Farm
Pulling into Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park in Glen Allen, I was greeted with the happy chatter of children enjoying the playground and couples walking their dogs. Continue down the paved drive and you arrive at Meadow Farm Museum, a living-history site that offers a glimpse into 19th-century farm life, complete with a menagerie of animals.
A hiking trail branches through the surrounding woods, but the centerpiece of Meadow Farm is the 1810 farmhouse, which is open for tours noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, March to November (Saturdays and Sundays only in December and February; closed in January). Visit the farmhouse’s neighboring orientation center first, as it provides the foundation to the home’s significance through information, artifacts and a short video. The farm was owned by seven generations of the Sheppard family, and I was surprised to learn of its role in Gabriel’s Rebellion, the failed slave uprising of 1800. Knowing the plot failed due to rain and leaked intel, I learned that it was two enslaved men owned by the Sheppards, Tom and Pharaoh, who informed Mosby Sheppard of the uprising. A historic log tobacco barn is also located on the grounds, the only surviving structure of its kind in Henrico County.
On select weekends, the museum offers demonstrations in the blacksmith forge, barn, farmhouse, pastures and kitchen. The pleasant atmosphere, woodland trail, farm animals and history are enough to warrant a return visit. —Nicole Cohen
