RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Richmond’s vibrant history is woven with the stories of its Black monuments and historical sites, each one holding a piece of the city’s rich cultural legacy.
In the heart of Richmond lies an array of Black history waiting to be explored, and each monument tells a story of resilience and triumph.
Step back in time with 8News, as we share a journey through Richmond’s Black history monuments and sites.
Historical Monuments
Maggie L. Walker Monument
Maggie Lena Walker Memorial Plaza — West Broad Street and North Adams Street
This monument is a 10-foot-tall statue honoring the late Maggie L. Walker (1864-1934) for her contributions to advancements in civil rights, educational opportunities, economic empowerment and leadership for African Americans during the Jim Crow era. The significance of this monument is that its location is in the heart of Jackson Ward, once known as “Black Wall Street” and “the Harlem of the South.”
Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson Monument
Bojangles Triangle Park (Bill Robinson Square) — West Leigh Street and Adams Street
This monument is in honor of Jackson Ward’s very own Bill “Bojangles” Robinson (1878-1949), who became famous for acting, tap dancing, entertaining and philanthropic work. At the intersection where his statue now sits, he once paid thousands of dollars to install a traffic light after witnessing a child almost get hit by a car.
Arthur Ashe Monument
Monument Avenue and Roseneath Road
This monument honors the Richmond-born and raised professional tennis player Arthur Ashe (1943-1993), who happened to be the first and only Black man to win single titles at Wimbledon, The U.S. Open and the Australian Open. The monument is situated at the intersection of Monument Avenue and Roseneath Road.
Henry ‘Box’ Brown Monument
Riverfront Canal Walk — Dock Street and South 15th Street
This monument, which sits on the Canal Walk in Richmond, honors Henry “Box” Brown (1816-1897), who was a former slave who mailed himself to freedom. What is unique about his story is that Brown escaped slavery in Virginia by getting inside of a wooden crate to mail himself to abolitionists in Pennsylvania.
Slavery Reconciliation Statue
1486 East Main Street
The Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue is a 15-foot statue that represents the reconciliation of building new relationships based on forgiveness and honesty.
Historical Sites
Hippodrome Theatre
528 N 2nd Street
The Hippodrome Theatre Opened in 1914 and became a prominent source for entertainment in the African American community during the early 19th century. The Hippodrome is located on Jackson Ward’s 2nd Street, once referred to as “The Deuce.” This theatre once held performances from some of the most prolific entertainers of the Harlem Renaissance era, including Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, Louis Armstrong, James Brown and more.
First African Baptist Church
310 College Street
First African Baptist Church’s roots are traced back all the way to 1780, and was established by freedmen and slaves in 1841. The organization of this church led to the development of other African American churches in Richmond. First African Baptist Church is now operating from the Richmond’s Northside, but the building and historical marker of the original building downtown is still preserved.
Shockoe Bottom & Shockoe Hill African Burial Grounds
1554 East Broad St. and 1205 North 5th Street
Located in the neighborhoods of Shockoe Bottom and Shockoe Hill, these cemeteries were Richmond’s first burial grounds for African American people. There have been many plans for the city to build over this site, but in 2022, the site received a historical highway marker as a contributing property in Richmond.
Lumpkin’s Slave Jail
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
Lumpkins Jail was a slave jail and holding facility known as “the Devil’s half acre.” The building has been demolished, but the preservation site sits a few blocks away from the Virginia Capitol Building. Slave traders from over five dozen firms would use this “jail” to confine slaves before selling them.
Richmond Slave Trail
1200 Brander Street
The Richmond Slave Trail is a self-guided walking trail that acknowledges the history of the buying and selling of people who were taken from Africa and enslaved in Virginia. Most of the enslaved Africans were then taken from Virginia, mainly from Richmond, to other locations in America. The trail takes you through the slave markets in Richmond, the Reconciliation statue, Lumpkin’s Jail and the Shockoe African Burial Grounds.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)
Virginia Union University
1500 N Lombardy Street
Virginia Union University (VUU) was founded in 1865 to provide newly-freed African Americans with educational opportunities. VUU housed the first academic library at a historically Black college and university (HBCU), while many southern states were still impacted from the Civil War. One of the buildings used in 1867 for the Colver Institute was the former Lumpkin’s Jail. However, VUU still remains a prominent HBCU that embraces the history of the African Diaspora.
Virginia State University
1 Hayden Street, Chesterfield
Virginia State University (VSU), founded in 1882, is a university with over 130 years of illustrious history. VSU first opened its doors in 1883, as the first fully state-funded four year institution of higher learning for African Americans in the United States. Beginning with only 126 students, 33 acres, a library with only 200 books and a budget of $20,000, VSU has grown to be one of the leading HBCUs in Virginia.
Museums
Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site
600 N. 2nd Street
Maggie Lena Walker was a notable bank president, newspaper editor and economic leader who dedicated her life to be a resource to African Americans during the Jim Crow era. Walker’s home in Jackson Ward has been preserved and protected as a historic site that shows her life and the legacy of her work. Tours of Walkers home are offered by the National Park Service Rangers.
Black History Museum and Cultural Center of the Arts
122 West Leigh Street
The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia (BHMVA) was established in 1981, but opened its doors to the public in 1991, focusing on the rich culture of African American history in the state of Virginia. The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Black History Tribute Murals in Richmond
Take the time to explore the many murals depicting prominent figured in Black history across Richmond. There are many murals in the Richmond and in the central Virginia region honoring the legacies of African American heroes.
