Richmond, Virginia
It’s cold and windy outside. The thermometers suggest it’s a somewhat cool freezing with added (or subtracted) wind chill. Stepping outside for the day wasn’t a great idea. It is cold. Damn cold and the wind chill is only making things worse. Luckily the inside of the car is warm. The sun’s out, so that’s something! Matt and I are headed for Richmond, VA.
As usual, I am following in the footsteps of Matt’s parents who tend to find the interesting things to do and I follow some months behind. It also means Matt gets to do most things twice. Some of the plans for the day are scrapped. Anything outside isn’t a great idea so we decide on concentrating the day around the Capitol Building, home of Virginia’s government.
It is a good drive down the I-95. A little of the US countryside in winter. Everything is yellow. Actually, there’s not much to see. The usual mix of McDonalds, trucks and occaisional state police cruisers.
We arrive in Richmond and park up near Virginia St. The walk to the Capitol Building takes us down Carey St and up 9th. The hill hoves into view. The Virginia Capitol Building started a trend for the neo-Classical design as seen by the Washington DC Capitol Building and the White House.
Thomas Jefferson selected the site for the building and was a co-architect along with Charles-Louis Clérisseau. Started in 1795, the Building was ready for use in 1792. At the end of the Civil War Confederate troops were ordered to destroy much of Richmond but the Capitol Building survived and when tragedy struck in 1870 when the 2nd floor courtroom collapsed from large numbers a major internal reconstruction was carried out.
In the last few years the Capitol Building has served two major purposes. It is a tourist centre and still a working government home. The State of Virginia still runs from the Capitol Building. Visitors now enter from the base of the hill in a new, underground entrance area. It is free to visit and tourists can view the original rooms, where a statue of Robert E Lee stands as a reminder of his agreement to take control of the Confederate Army. Busts of numerous Confederate generals and former governors are housed around these older rooms while the life size statue of George Washington stands in the entrance hall. Visitors can also watch the modern senate in action.
Taking a stroll around the outside of the Capitol Building shows more reminders of Richmond’s past. The large and ornate statue of George Washington stands alongside the obligatory statue of Stonewall Jackson, Harry Byrd and a reminder of the campaign for African-American students to be integrated into all schools.
Lunch was taken at the Capital Ale House on E Main St. As with many of the more enjoyable places we’ve eaten lately the staff were excellent, recommending good local beer for the tourist (ie me). The food was first rate as well. It’s not often I’d eat a sausage sandwich in the US but it was a good one.
After lunch and a quick trip to Starbucks and These FourWalls (elaborate, ornate and expensive furniture store on the corner of 14th and Carey) it was a driving tour of Richmond. Garish colours mixed in areas and the double drive around as we got our barings for driving down Monument Avenue.
Monument Avenue has a number of statues along it’s route. Every few blocks great Confederate generals are remembered (yep, another statue of Stonewall Jackson) but at the end, and in a great amount of controversy, Arthur Ashe is remembered.
Links:
Richmond VA – State Capitol Building Visitors Info
Capital Ale House
