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Today’s Forecast

83º | 8% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 5:55 a.m. | Sunset 8:17 p.m.
 

Remembering Museum District history

The history of Richmond’s Museum District
The VMFA from the sidewalk. A "Storied Strings" banner hangs from the side of the museum building.
The Museum District is named, in part, for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, which opened in 1936. | Photo by RICtoday
How well do you know the Museum District? The story of the iconic neighborhood connects the days of Richmond’s post-Civil War reconstruction all the way to new small businesses like Paix and the Texas Inn.

Though neighborhood boundaries are always up for debate, official city maps show the Museum District as the chunk of the city bordered by Broad and Ellwood at its north and south and Arthur Ashe Boulevard and I-195 to its east and west. This area has also been referred to as “West of the Boulevard.”

The region, like the rest of Richmond, was first occupied by Algonquin-speaking people. Tuckahoe — the area of Richmond and Henrico west of the Museum District — is an Algonquin word.

RICtoday_EnglishVillage_MuseumDistrict

The Museum District’s English Village is on the National Register of Historic Places.

By the 19th century, the area was mostly farmland. The Robinson House, which is now part of the VMFA’s campus, was the original farmhouse.

Much like the streetcar suburbs of the Northside, the Museum District’s residential development exploded with the introduction of public transportation. Lines for both horse-drawn and steam-powered carriages were extended in 1887 to reach what is now Mulberry Street, just east of Arthur Ashe Boulevard.

The city officially annexed much of the area in 1906. By this time, electric streetcars had become a cornerstone of Richmond’s infrastructure, allowing residents to live farther away from where they worked. One resident recalled that “everyone’s father rode the streetcar to work.”

RICtoday_MonumentComparison_Streetcar

Museum District roadways like the intersection of Monument and Sheppard, were hotspots for early public transportation.

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Historic photo via Cook Photograph Collection. 0945/PHC0047. The Valentine, Richmond, Virginia

The 1920s saw a huge construction boom around the city, and a number of the residences still in use in both the Museum District and the Fan cropped up around this time.

The museums from which the neighborhood takes its name arrived in the following decades. The VMFA opened in 1936, and the Virginia Historical Society, now known as the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, moved in in 1959.

The Museum District was officially designated as a Federal and State Historic District in 1993. In 2019, its western edge was officially renamed as Arthur Ashe Boulevard.
Asked

What was the original name for the building now occupied by the Virginia Museum of History and Culture?
A. The Boulevard Building
B. Battle Abbey
C. The Sauer Tower
D. VMFA Offices
Take a guess
 
Events
Tuesday, May 21
  • Yarn Yippee! | Tuesday, May 21 | 3-4:30 p.m. | RPL Main Branch, 101 E. Franklin St., Richmond | Free | Meet new people, socialize, and learn from fellow yarn-lovers at this monthly meeting
  • Birthday Dinner Bike Ride | Tuesday, May 21 | 6-9 p.m. | Pedal Power RVA, 1904 Staples Mill Rd., Richmond | Cost of purchase | Join a casual bike ride, then hit TBT El Gallo for tacos and live music.
Wednesday, May 22
Thursday, May 23
  • Smash Into Pieces | Thursday, May 23 | 6 p.m. | Richmond Music Hall, 623 E. Main St., Richmond | $20 | Rock out with the Swedish group along with openers VERSUS ME and Half Past Dead.
  • 64 Derby: Richmond Ivy vs. Charlottesville Blues FC | Thursday, May 23 | 7-9 p.m. | City Stadium, 3201 Maplewood Ave., Richmond | $9-$12 | Snag tickets to see the Richmond Ivy vs. the Charlottesville Blues in the first-ever 64 Derby.*
Friday, May 24
  • Cody Christian Band | Friday, May 24 | 8 p.m. | Dogwood Dell, 600 S. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Richmond | Free | Get ready for a night of energetic country to kick off the city’s Festival of Arts.
  • Prabir Trio with Paint It On and Shera Shi | Friday, May 24 | 9 p.m. | The Camel, 1621 W. Broad St., Richmond | $10 | Doors open at 8 for this locally-based bill.
Saturday, May 25
  • Legends on Grace: River City Spotlight | Saturday, May 25 | 8-10 p.m. | Dominion Energy Center, 600 E. Grace St. Ste. 400, Richmond | $42-$52 | To close out this season of Legends on Grace, local icons Deau Eyes + Cassidy Snider are coming together for an intimate performance, including a look into their songwriting process.*
Monday, May 27
  • Free Admission for Active-Duty Military and Veterans This Memorial Day | Monday, May 27 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Virginia Museum of History & Culture, 428 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Richmond | Free | Active-duty military and veterans can enjoy free access to the Virginia Museum of History & Culture on Monday, May 27, including the museum’s latest exhibition, “Julia Child: A Recipe for Life."*
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
Try This

Sweat + flow during hot yoga at Midtown Yoga

Try This: Sweat + flow during hot yoga at Midtown Yoga
Presented by a RICtoday Partner
Yoga students during a Midtown Yoga class.
Midtown Yoga creates an atmosphere where you can really focus on yourself and find your zen. | Photo by Jennifer Robertson
If Richmond summers aren’t toasty enough for you, then fear not – Midtown Yoga’s got you covered.

This brand-new studio is bringing hot yoga to Carytown — across from Montana Gold Bread Co. and next to Publix, Midtown Yoga provides a unique (and colorful) yoga experience perfect for finding your zen and working up a sweat.

What we tried:

The studio itself features colorful lights and a modern playlist to set the tone. Midtown offers classes in six styles of yoga, and their signature vinyasa classes keep you flowing through poses in the 105-degree heat. Pro tip: Make sure to hydrate before, after, and during your class.

City Editor David made it through a 45-minute class in one piece, and, full disclosure, he can’t even touch his toes.
What not to miss
News Notes
Outdoors
  • Richmond, meet Dock Street Park. The riverside property will join the James River Park System on Satuday, June 15. It comes as a result of a collaborative effort between The Conservation Fund, Capital Region Land Conservancy, Friends of James River Park, and the city to protect the “view that named Richmond.”
Biz
  • A virtual reality arcade will be opening soon at Regency. Pelagos VR will offer games in three formats — virtual escape rooms, treadmill-like stations, and a digital arena. (Richmond BizSense)
Traffic
  • The intersection of Libby and Cary will be closed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m until this Thursday, May 23. Crews will be pouring concrete and installing new junction boxes at the intersection.
Edu
  • The Richmond School Board voted last week to appoint Garrett Sawyer as representative for the 4th District. Sawyer, himself an RPS graduate, will be sworn in this week. His first meeting will be Monday, June 3. (South Richmond News)
Development
  • Dominion Energy has received state approval to employ new battery storage technologies at three sites around the Richmond area. Nationwide, battery storage is expected to double this year, and these small projects will act as pilots for Dominion as it plans for the future. (VPM)
Sports
  • St. Chris sophomore Victor Olesen set a new Virginia high school record in the pole vault at a recent home meet, clearing 17 feet, 7 inches. The previous state record of 17-6 was set in 1992 by future Olympic medalist Lawrence “LoJo“ Johnson. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
 
Arts

🎨 Find a new talent this summer

VisArts summer classes begin June 10
A clay studio in VisArts
Classes will be held in one of the many studio workshops in the VisArts facility. | Photo by RICtoday
The Richmond Visual Arts Center’s summer classes begin on Monday, June 10. Registration for most classes is still open.

Classes are available for aspiring artists ages 5 and up. Subjects include clay, filmmaking, writing, painting, printmaking, and animation. Many run through the end of the summer.

Tuition for most courses is between $150 and $300, but financial aid is available for all classes. Aid operates on a sliding scale based on income and number of dependents.

Classes that have already filled up have wait lists.
The Buy
Pet accessories. Have the prettiest pooch at the park with these themed prints for summer thanks to Covey Collection.
 
The Wrap
 
David Lefkowitz.png

Today’s edition by:
David
From the editor
I spent this past Saturday in Charlottesville for my sister’s graduation — congrats, Ella. As a W&M grad, the Hoos are definitively not my team, but I still have to respect their innovations in the realm of banana consumption.
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