Did you know Edgar Allan Poe lived in Richmond?
Nah, just kidding. If you know us, you know we’re here for the deep cuts — and there’s plenty of interesting factoids to go around. We put together this list of some interesting facts about the River City.
Maybe you’ve lived here your whole life and know some of these — or maybe you’ll learn something new. Either way, test your knowledge with these 25 interesting facts.
1. In 1900, Richmond was the South’s most densely populated city. ~85,000 residents resided within a five-square-mile area.
2. Canned beer made its debut in Richmond. On Jan. 24, 1935, the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company delivered 2,000 cans of beer and cream ale to the 804.
3. Sibling actors Shirley MacLaine and Warren Beatty were both born in Richmond in the 1930s.
4. In 1888, Richmond became the first city to introduce a reliable electric streetcar system as part of its public transit infrastructure. Designed by Frank Julian Sprague, the Richmond Union Passenger Railway was the first practical system to be implemented after 74 attempts in other communities in North America and Europe.
5. Trolley service in Richmond ended in 1949 and rapid transit would not return to the city until 2018, when the Pulse opened.
6. The James is one of the longest rivers in the country that begins and ends in the same state.
7. There’s a network of tunnels underneath Capitol Square which connects state office buildings, VCU Health buildings, and the Executive Mansion. Built in the 1930s and closed after 9/11, the tunnels were used for utility lines, but pedestrians and workers also used the system to avoid rainy days or make deliveries.
8. The Triple Crossing (near the North side of the Mayo Bridge) is one of only two places in North America where three Class I railroads cross at different levels in the same spot. It’s also the namesake of a local brewery.
9. Although there have been staged photographs of three trains passing each other on the Triple Crossing, there’s no photographic evidence of a spontaneous moment. That we know of — if you’ve got the pics, we’d love to see ‘em.
10. The Wurlitzer Organ at The Byrd Theatre is one of about 40 surviving instruments from the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. It was installed when the theater was built in 1928.
11. From 2003-2009, the Highland Games & Celtic Festival brought the sport of ferret-legging to the River City. It’s an endurance test where contestants put ferrets down their pants and see who can last the longest.
12. Richmond’s flood wall has 19 gates, but there’s never been a situation where all of the gates have been closed.
13. The James River’s claim to fame is that is has the only Class IV white water rapids in a major US city. The classification is for long, difficult rapids which require complex maneuvering.
14. Several movies and television shows have been filmed in Richmond, including “Dopesick,” “Homeland,” and “Lincoln.” In “My Dinner with Andre,” the titular dinner was filmed in the ballroom of the Jefferson Hotel.
15. You probably know that Historic St. John’s Church was the site of Patrick Henry’s “Liberty or Death” speech, but the church was also the first public cemetery in the city.
16. Much of Richmond famously burned to the ground near the end of the Civil War, but did you know that was the second time it was razed? In 1781, Richmond was largely destroyed by British troops led by Benedict Arnold. Virginia’s state militia eventually pushed Arnold’s troops back to Portsmouth.
17. The 17th Street Market is one of America’s oldest public marketplaces. The Shockoe space has been in use as a farmers market since 1737.
18. The first female mayor of Richmond was Eleanor Parker Sheppard. She got her start in public service on the Ginter Park Elementary PTA, then became Richmond’s first female City Council rep. After her term as mayor, Sheppard would go on to serve on the House of Delegates.
19. The Richmond region is probably home to the nation’s first coal mine. Coal was first found at the Midlothian Mines in 1701, and extraction continued for over 200 years.
20. Scott’s Addition is named for General Winfield Scott. He inherited the land from his father-in-law, another name you might recognize: Colonel John Mayo.
21. The Richmond Planet, one of the country’s first Black-owned newspapers, was founded in 1882 by 13 formerly enslaved Richmonders. Its first editor was Edmund Archer Randolph, the first African American to graduate from Yale Law School.
22. The Carver neighborhood was once called Sheep Hill. Originally a working class community of mostly Jewish and German immigrants, the neighborhood earned its name from its proximity to the city’s livestock yards.
23. Speaking of sheep, did you know the VCU mascot has a first name? Rodney the Ram has represented VCU since it was Richmond Professional Institute. Rodney first showed up in 1963, replacing the former mascot, the Green Devil.
24. Throughout the 20th century, Jackson Ward was famous nationwide for its flourishing culture and strong economy, earning the nicknames “the Harlem of the South” and “Black Wall Street.”
25. You might know Lucy Dacus went to VCU for a while, but did you know Sam Beam of Iron & Wine, Steve West from Pavement, and Stefan Lessard of the Dave Matthew’s band did too?
Your turn. Think you can get one over on us? Let us know your favorite local trivia tidbit and you just might make it into the newsletter.
