6AM City In-house

Civil War battlefield land to be preserved

Civil War battlefield protected by conservation easement
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The New Market Line was made up of earthen fortifications. | Photo provided by Capital Region Land Conservancy
Another 49 acres of Civil War battlefield land will now be preserved for public access and historical interpretation, this time at New Market Heights Battlefield.

The Capital Region Land Conservancy announced the purchase, which was made possible by a combination of grants from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation and the National Park Service. The land had been included on Preservation Virginia’s 2021 list of the commonwealth’s most endangered historic places.

The Battle of Chaffin’s Farm and New Market Heights was fought in September 1864 in Henrico County. It was part of Ulysses S. Grant’s strategy of simultaneous attacks north and south of the James and a key victory in the midst of the siege of Petersburg.

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From left to right: Medal of Honor recipients Christian Fleetwood, James H. Harris, and Alexander Kelly.

Photos via Library of Congress


Critical to the ultimate success of the campaign was the role of the United States Colored Troops, who led the attack by charging New Market Heights, suffering heavy losses. For their valor, 14 Black soldiers received the Medal of Honor. Around six months later, USCT soldiers in the 22nd regiment were among the first foot soldiers to enter Richmond.

CRLC’s purchase includes a nearly 800-ft segment of the original earthen fortifications — also known as the New Market Line — that were the site of the entrenched fighting.

In the future, the VA Dept. of Historic Resources will hold a conservation easement on the property to preserve the cultural and historical landscape.
Woodfin

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Wednesday, Jan. 11
  • Dominion Energy Jazz Café | Wednesday, Jan. 11 | 6-8 p.m. | VMFA, 200 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Richmond | Free | The Kofi Shepsu Trio will play classic standards, modern tunes, and original compositions in the atrium.
  • Night of 1,000 Laughs | Wednesday, Jan. 11 | 7:30-9 p.m. | Firehouse Theatre, 1609 W. Broad St., Richmond | $8 | A comedy show featuring stand-up, sketch, and improv performances.
Thursday, Jan. 12
  • MLiT Presents: 19th Century Women | Thursday, Jan. 12 | 6-8 p.m. | Black History Museum & Cultural Center, 122 W. Leigh St., Richmond | Free | Reserve your space to learn about Anna Murray Douglass, Maggie Walker, and Mary Lumpkin through crafts and guest speakers.
  • The Bellrow Show Show | Thursday, Jan. 12 | 7-11 p.m. | Gallery5, 200 W. Marshall St., Richmond | $10 | Get your laughs in at this local comedy show hosted by Sophia Belletti and Jack Gerow.
Friday, Jan. 13
Saturday, Jan. 14
  • What Dreams are Made of: 2000s Dance Party | Saturday, Jan. 14 | 8 p.m. | The Broadberry, 2729 W. Broad St., Richmond | $15 | Bop along to early aughts hits from Jesse McCartney, Hannah Montana, Selena Gomez, Ali & AJ, and more.
  • Butcher Brown with the Richmond Symphony | Saturday, Jan. 14 | 8-10 p.m. | Carpenter Theatre at Dominion Energy Center, 600 E. Grace St., Richmond | $15-$85 | A fusion of funk, hip-hop, rap, rock, and soul with the local progressive jazz master.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS
Children's Hospital Foundation

What’s your best pickup line?
Best pickup line image
Do you think you have the best local pickup line? | Graphic by 6AM City
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we’ve got love on the brain.

To usher in the month of love, we want to hear the best pickup lines in the city. The pickup line must include the name of our beloved city, something that our city is known for, or a local landmark. It can be so sweet that it almost gives us a cavity.

We’ll use these pickup lines for something fun soon — keep your (heart) eyes peeled. 😍

So, let’s hear it…
DROP YOUR BEST LINE

Weather
  • 51º | Cloudy | 8% chance of rain
Opening
  • Torchy’s Tacos is opening its Short Pump location today. Crazy for queso? The first 100 customers in line for the 10 a.m. opening will get a free order of the green chile queso every day for a year. The national taco chain is slated to open a Carytown location Feb. 1. 🌮 (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Coming Soon
  • The Veil Brewing Co. is expanding its Scott’s Addition footprint with a new taproom at 1509 Belleville St. The location, planned for a spring opening, will have a patio, event space, and an in-house food concept called Nokoribi with a Japanese pub-inspired menu. 🍺
Civic
  • Early voting has started in the 4th District special election to replace the late Congressman Donald McEachin. Voters can cast their ballots early through Saturday, Feb. 18. Read more about the special election, which will take place Tuesday, Feb. 21. 🗳 (VPM)
Drink
  • Alchemy Coffee has updated customers that it might not have to close. The coffee shop — which was going to close at the end of the month — could be taken over by Brambly Park owner Bobby Kruger. ☕️
Development
  • A new apartment complex could be coming to Forest Hill Avenue where a Bank of America branch once operated. Daniil Kleyman and the Dodson Development Group want to build a three-story, mixed-use building after razing the old bank, which closed in 2021. 🏠 (Richmond BizSense)
Cause
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday, Jan. 16. The city is hosting a day of service and remembrance at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center (122 W. Leigh St.) starting at 9 a.m. You can also check out volunteering opportunities at HandsOn Greater Richmond.
Learn
  • If one of your New Year’s resolutions includes learning a new language — now’s your time to shine. Babbel is offering 55% off subscriptions for a limited time. How does it work? Short, 10-minute lessons (designed by real language teachers) will make you conversational in as little as three weeks of consistent practice. First step: Pick a language. 🌏 *
Finance
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6AM City In-house

Here’s your sign

Asked: What are standout signs in Richmond, VA?
RICtoday_RichmondSigns_Arbys
For now, the Arby’s cowboy hat sign is still up even though the building has been razed. | Photo by RICtoday
The old Arby’s at 5900 W. Broad St. is no more — it’s been razed to make room for a new Wawa. The plans have been in the works since 2019, but for a long time Richmonders didn’t know the fate of the recognizable neon cowboy hat sign in front of the establishment.

According to Richmond BizSense, it looks like the sign is destined for removal. The news has us reflecting on River City signage — the old, the new, and the neon.

We want to know: What is your favorite Richmond sign?

We can think of some of our favorites, from the Hotel John Marshall rooftop sign to the Famous Foods of Virginia marker — more on that history here.

Click the button below to let us know your favorite sign — or which one you want to know more about — and you could be featured in a future article.
SIGNS TO SEE
6AM City In-house
THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Robin.

Editor’s pick: If you want to get ahead on the sign story, check out our roundup of Richmond-area LOVEworks. ❤️

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Editorial: Robin Schwartzkopf, Josh Kranzberg, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.
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