This is a local attraction that can easily be missed. It is located right off of a highway entrance…read moreramp and on the Historic Slave Trail. The grounds are well maintained and kept. It is opposite of the side that the Lumpkin Slave Jail is located. You can take an underpass to walk freely between the two sites. This was the first designated burial spot for the city's enslaved and free residents of African ancestry, dating back to as late as 1799. This one and a half acres was considered poor quality and had no other use but the cemetery. It was also the site of public hangings. Other names the site has been known as Potter's Field, were Burying-ground for Coloured persons, Grave Yard for Free People of Color" and Grave Yard for For Slaves You will find a memorial obelisk here with a plaque dedicating the cemetery. Their is also a spot with a couple of information placards that look likes a spot that people hold rituals and leave sacrifices/personal effects. The vast majority of the grounds is low cut green space. Additionally, there is a vacant and decrepit building there. I do not know what it was prior, but it looks historical. This is a nice place to visit. I would not consider it a long stop, so I would probably couple it with a visit to the old Lumpkin Slave Jail and other nearby attractions to maximize your time.

Be on the look out because this landmark is easy to miss.This plaque is located on a bridge that…read moregoes over a park. Attached to the plaque is a rope going over the bridge and at the end of the rope is a noose. The area below was closed due to construction at the time of my visit. I apologize for no further information.

This monument in Richmond's Meadow Park is dedicated to the First Regiment of Virginia Infantry…read more There are inscriptions on all four sides but the light wasn't great to capture more than one of them and the soldier on top. On one side, "Erected to the imperishable memory of the valiant fallen of the First Regiment of Virginia Infantry who through seven American wars endured hardships with patience, met defeat with constant courage, did not vaunt their victories and steadfastly kept the faith with God and their country." Of course, Monument Avenue has others but this one is not on Monument Avenue and it's interesting. [Review 11981 overall, 1764 of 2019.]

This is a beautiful chapel. The museum guide was anxious at first glance. He warmed up after we…read morecommented on the architecture and the stained glass. He gleefully began sharing information, brochures and offered great insights on the Solider's Home. The furnishings were in amazing shape. Reminded me of my visits to Colonial Williamsburg. I am glad that it has been restored. It serves as a reminder of our nation's history. ****Union Shields are included in the central chancel stain glass windows. The museum guide took an effort to share that the Union ShIelds appeared in the Confederate Chapel as a clear indication of the reconciliation that took place in the post-civil war period in which the Solider's home built. He also noted that "Blue and Grey" reunions had taken place in the Confederate Chapel on numerous occasions. It is s perfect time in our country's current climate to visit this historical site and realize that in the mid-1880s, Union and Confederates soliders (and their direct descendants) let go of the past and embraced the United States of America. Funds from both Northern and Southern veterans helped build the Solider's home. Great tour, beautiful historical treasure. Wonderful Facts about the post-Civil War climate. Go see it!!!

What a hidden treasure! I just happened to find this during a visit to Richmond a few weeks ago,…read moreand it was well worth popping into - this chapel doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside is a fascinating tabletop display showing how that entire area was a hospital complex for Civil War veterans from both sides, along with a photobook (yes, an actual book of old photos) showing what it looked like way back when. The security guard was super kind and she let me walk around for as long as I wanted, so you can go all the way up to the pulpit and get up close to the stained glass windows showing different battles and groups of vets, and how they came together in the decades after the war to help those who needed assistance. Isn't that a message worth preserving?

Almost my entire family is buried here and i can remember coming with my grandfather to put flowers…read moreon our families graves. He is now buried here, and I don't care what it looks like. All this place does is bring back good memories, and I hope that this memorial park continues to stay open so that one day my grandkids can come see me and my family. Thank you for consistently helping bring back good memories.

My father and grandparents , neighbors, and friends are laid to rest here. This park used to be…read morekept very pristine, now the grass is knee deep the statues are covered in bird crap, and algae and don't appear to have been power washed in years. Floors in the mausoleum areas that are open are covered in bird crap. The wooden planks between the sidewalks are sticking up and are trip and fall hazards and need to be removed or replaced. The fountain in the pond is no longer working and is covered in algae as well . There are large spots of dead grass over graves as well as sunken graves that's should have been filled again once the caskets have settled and grass then planted . Its April the 9th and there are still Christmas flowers on graves that are usually removed by the grounds keepers but it is obvious they no longer have a grounds keeper on staff. I've been going to this cemetery for 30+ years and this is the worst that it has ever looked! I used to want to buried here with family but I think I'll save my money and be cremated at least someone will dust off my urn from time to time and I won't be charged a perpetual care fee for keeping up with grounds that look like no one cares. My Mother and Grandmother used to work at Southlawn and the grounds were always well taken care of and grass mowed on a weekly basis. Its my understanding that they have been bought by a company that cares nothing about the grounds that they only care about money. Don't buy a plot here for your loved ones unless you can't find one anywhere else they no longer care about the looks of this place and only want your money!

At Chickahominy Bluff on the morning of June 26, 1862 more than 20,000 Confederate soldiers…read moregathered to prepare their advance across the Chickahominy River. General Robert E. Lee, seated on his horse nearby, was watching and listening for the movement beyond the river that would signal the opening of his offensive east of Richmond known as the Seven Days Battles. This site also contains the several remains of Confederate earthworks built to defend the city of Richmond.

When I visited the Chickahominy Bluff Battlefield on Sept. 13, there really wasn't much left of…read morethis historic site. The "Chickahominy Bluff Battlefield" contains just a few mounds of earthworks and a short trail leading to an overlook and an NPS historical marker. There is NO visitor center located here. As I understand, Chickahominy Bluff was the site where Confederate General Robert E Lee, James Longstreet, and D H Hill awaited the arrival of "Stonewall" Jackson's division from the Shenandoah Valley, to launch the 7 Days offensive. The earthworks surrounding the bluff were constructed after the 7 Days battles and were used to defend the Confederate capital of Richmond from an enemy attack. Because of so little that happened here, it amazes me that the National Park Service wants to maintain this ground as part of Richmond National Battlefield Park. There WASN'T even a BATTLE THAT OCCURED HERE!!!!! Nonetheless, I give this site 4-stars since it's a great place for you to make a quick stop if you're interested in Civil War history or for you to have a picnic. If you're visiting a Civil War site around Richmond, the 'Chickahominy Bluff Battlefield' is a great place to stop when heading to the Gaine's Mill, Cold Harbor, or Malvern Hill Battlefields. *On Saturday December 27th, I got a chance to re-visit Chickahominy Bluff on my way to the Beaver Dam Creek and Malvern Hill battlefields. Chickahominy Bluff has NOT improved AT ALL since I first visited the site.*

Located in front of the James Monroe office building near downtown RIchmond, this marker denotes…read moresome of the earliest residents of the Virginia Colony. It reads, "Jews have participated in Virginia's social and economic life from the colony's beginnings. Kahal Kadosh Beth Shalome (Holy Congregation House of Peace) was founded in Richmond in 1789, when the Jewish community grew large enough to establish the first Jewish congregation in Virginia and the sixth oldest in the United States. Temporary sites housed Beth Shalome until a permanent synagogue was built nearby and dedicated on 15 Sept. 1822. The modest one-story brick structure was sold in 1891 and demolished in 1934. Beth Shalome merged with Richmond's Beth Ahabah congregation in 1898." [Review 11803 overall, 1585 of 2019.]

A sad story in the Civil War days, the Richmond fire that took place as the Union army captured the…read morecity. It took place shortly after President Jefferson Davis and his cabinet fled to the south. Much of the city was already abandoned by this time. The marker reads, "After midnight on 3 April 1865, Confederate soldiers set fire to several tobacco warehouses nearby on orders from Lt. Gen. Richard S. Ewell, as the army evacuated Richmond and marched west. Two distinct fires spread rapidly throughout the commercial and industrial sections of the capital. The core of the burned-out area, some 35 blocks, extended from the James River in some areas as far north as Capitol Square, and from 4th St. east to 16th St. Frightened citizens huddled in Capitol Square while looters rampaged and firefighters battled the fires. The Union army, which occupied the city early on 3 April, finally brought the fires under control in the afternoon." There are some excellent and distressing pictures here: https://www.citylab.com/equity/2014/04/what-richmond-looked-after-confederate-troops-set-it-fire/8811/ [Review 11979 overall, 1762 of 2019.]

This marker points out the history of the Falls of Richmond - the river rapids that made Richmond…read morewhat it is. There is also a fountain here in the intersection. The marker reads, "The Falls of the James River are the central physical fact of Richmond, having directly influenced its history through their effect upon Trade, Energy, Community and Nourishment." "Trade - As the Falls of the James are a natural barrier between the sea and the interior, the area immediately surrounding the Falls has for centuries been a center for trade. Before European settlement, the Powhatan and Monacan Indians exploited the lands around the Falls as a trading center for the entire region. With the arrival of Europeans, trade between the settlers and Indians flourished and the warehousing and export of tobacco grew in importance. Later, Richmond became a major transportation hub as a result of the construction of the James River and Kanawha Canal, built to by-pass the Falls. Transportation, hydro-power and nearby coal deposits made Richmond a center for the manufacture and trade of flour, wheat, tobacco and iron. Even today, Richmond's commercial and financial core overlooks the whitewater rapids of the Falls." "Energy - Though a barrier to navigation, the Falls were a boon to industry. Richmonders harnessed the water flow of the Falls to drive flour mills, iron plants, and paper mills, all major components of the city's manufacturing growth. Later, hydro power from the Falls was utilized to generate electricity which fed the industrial and residential needs of the community. This included the powering of Richmond's trolley system, the first in the world to successfully operate by electricity." "Community - The Falls and its environs have always provided the most basic physical requirements for settlement and community: food, water, energy, and transport. With the growth of trade and industry along the Falls, Richmond became a more culturally diverse community as immigrants from all parts of Europe followed English settlers to the region. African-American slaves provided much of the labor and many of the skills and crafts essential to the early growth of Richmond, and upon achieving their freedom, became a major factor in the culture and growth of the city. Richmond's selection as Virginia's capital and later as capital of the Confederacy can be traced to the city's growth along the river. While the livelihood of Richmond depends less today on the James, our community's mutual bond still begins at the Falls." "Nourishment - The Falls provided a wealth of vegetation, fish, wildlife and fresh water to nourish both Native Americans and early European settlers. By the early 1800's, hydro power from the Falls drove pumps which provided the City with its first municipal drinking water system. Today, the Falls of the James continue to provide Richmonders with spiritual nourishment, whether through contemplation of the natural beauty of the Falls or through the unique recreational opportunities available along the James: white water rafting, kayaking, canoeing, fishing and swimming." Check it out and you'll get a better understanding of Richmond. [Review 11802 overall, 1584 of 2019.]