Church Hill
Encyclopedia
Church Hill, also known as the St. John's Church Historic District, is an Old and Historic District in Richmond, Virginia
. This district encompasses the original land plat of the city of Richmond. Church Hill is the eastern terminus of Broad Street
, a major east-west thoroughfare
in the Richmond Metropolitan Area, and one of the longest, which carries U.S. Route 250
. The name Church Hill is often used to describe both the specific historic district and the larger general area in the East End
encompassing other neighborhoods such as Union Hill
, Chimborazo, Fairmount
, Peter Paul, Woodville, etc.
gave his "Give me liberty or give me death" speech in St. John's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia. It is also known for Chimborazo Park
, where the largest American Civil War
Hospital was located.
On Friday, October 2, 1925, a 4,000-foot Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad single track tunnel built during Reconstruction collapsed under Church Hill. The Church Hill Tunnel
collapse occurred during refurbishment works, killing 3 or 4 and engulfing a work train in complete with a 4-4-0
engine #231 and 10 flat cars. The tunnel was closed and filled-in after the collapse. In the July 2006, a coalition of officials and historical groups made plans to remove the buried engine. If recovered, it would be displayed at the Virginia Historical Society
in Richmond. Some borings were made into the tunnel from above for examination by camera. Only murky water was found, whereupon further work was delayed by city permitting issues. The bricked-in entrance of the collapsed tunnel can still be seen at the south east end of the alley just north of Marshall Street, on 18th Street.
Douglas Wilder
, the first African American
to have been elected
governor
of a U.S. state
1, was born and raised in Church Hill.
was established in 1956 out of concern for "saving and enhancing the setting for St. John's Church." In 1957, encouraged in large part by Historic Richmond, City Council created a historic district ordinance while simultaneously adopting the St. John's Church Old and Historic District. The preservation of Church Hill marked the formal beginning of the preservation movement in Richmond.
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. This district encompasses the original land plat of the city of Richmond. Church Hill is the eastern terminus of Broad Street
Broad Street (Richmond, Virginia)
Broad Street is a 15-mile long road located in the independent city of Richmond, Virginia and adjacent Henrico County. Broad Street is significant to Richmond due to the many commercial establishments that have been built along it throughout Richmond's history...
, a major east-west thoroughfare
Thoroughfare
A thoroughfare is a place of transportation intended to connect one location to another. Highways, roads, and trails are examples of thoroughfares used by a variety of general traffic. On land a thoroughfare may refer to anything from a rough trail to multi-lane highway with grade separated...
in the Richmond Metropolitan Area, and one of the longest, which carries U.S. Route 250
U.S. Route 250
U.S. Route 250 is a route of the United States Numbered Highway System, and is a spur of U.S. Route 50. It currently runs for from Sandusky, Ohio to Richmond, Virginia. It passes through the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. It goes through the cities of Richmond, Virginia,...
. The name Church Hill is often used to describe both the specific historic district and the larger general area in the East End
East End (Richmond, Virginia)
The East End of Richmond, Virginia is the quadrant of the City of Richmond, Virginia, and more loosely the Richmond metropolitan area, east of the downtown.-Geographic boundaries:...
encompassing other neighborhoods such as Union Hill
Union Hill
Union Hill is the name of several places in the United States:Communities*Union Hill, Alabama*Union Hill, California*Union Hill, Illinois*Union Hill, Kansas City, Missouri - a redeveloping neighborhood*Union Hill, Minnesota...
, Chimborazo, Fairmount
Fairmount, Richmond
Originally a trolley car suburb in the years just before the dawn of the 20th century, the Fairmount neighborhood in Church Hill, Richmond, Virginia, is located just north of Union Hill. Much of the neighborhood was developed from the 1890s to the 1920s, and its buildings largely reflect Queen...
, Peter Paul, Woodville, etc.
History
Church Hill is known as the site of Virginia's second revolutionary convention where Patrick HenryPatrick Henry
Patrick Henry was an orator and politician who led the movement for independence in Virginia in the 1770s. A Founding Father, he served as the first and sixth post-colonial Governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779 and subsequently, from 1784 to 1786...
gave his "Give me liberty or give me death" speech in St. John's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia. It is also known for Chimborazo Park
Chimborazo Park
Chimborazo Park is a park and historic land site in Richmond, Virginia, United States. Created in 1874, the park was the site of Chimborazo Hospital, one of the world's largest military hospitals.-Chimborazo Hospital:...
, where the largest American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Hospital was located.
On Friday, October 2, 1925, a 4,000-foot Chesapeake and Ohio
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...
railroad single track tunnel built during Reconstruction collapsed under Church Hill. The Church Hill Tunnel
Church Hill Tunnel
Church Hill Tunnel is an old Chesapeake and Ohio Railway tunnel extending for approximately 4,000 feet under the Church Hill section of Richmond, Virginia. Built in the early 1870s, in 1925, the tunnel collapsed on a work train killing four and trapping a steam locomotive and some flat cars...
collapse occurred during refurbishment works, killing 3 or 4 and engulfing a work train in complete with a 4-4-0
4-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
engine #231 and 10 flat cars. The tunnel was closed and filled-in after the collapse. In the July 2006, a coalition of officials and historical groups made plans to remove the buried engine. If recovered, it would be displayed at the Virginia Historical Society
Virginia Historical Society
The Virginia Historical Society , founded in 1831 as the Virginia Historical and Philosophical Society and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is a major repository, research, and teaching center for Virginia history...
in Richmond. Some borings were made into the tunnel from above for examination by camera. Only murky water was found, whereupon further work was delayed by city permitting issues. The bricked-in entrance of the collapsed tunnel can still be seen at the south east end of the alley just north of Marshall Street, on 18th Street.
Douglas Wilder
Douglas Wilder
Lawrence Douglas "Doug" Wilder is an American politician, the first African American to be elected as governor of Virginia, and the second to serve as governor of a U.S. state. Wilder served as the 66th Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1994. When earlier elected as Lieutenant Governor, he was...
, the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
to have been elected
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of a U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
1, was born and raised in Church Hill.
Preservation Efforts
The Church Hill neighborhood experienced serious physical decline during the 1950s, owing mostly to absentee landlords. The Historic Richmond FoundationHistoric Richmond Foundation
Historic Richmond Foundation was founded in 1956 by Mary Wingfield Scott in order to save the Church Hill area surrounding St. John's Church. It is an organization "dedicated to salvaging properties of historic or architectural value."-Preservation:...
was established in 1956 out of concern for "saving and enhancing the setting for St. John's Church." In 1957, encouraged in large part by Historic Richmond, City Council created a historic district ordinance while simultaneously adopting the St. John's Church Old and Historic District. The preservation of Church Hill marked the formal beginning of the preservation movement in Richmond.
Notable Structures, Monuments and Parks
- Adams-Taylor House
- Adams Double House
- Chimborazo ParkChimborazo ParkChimborazo Park is a park and historic land site in Richmond, Virginia, United States. Created in 1874, the park was the site of Chimborazo Hospital, one of the world's largest military hospitals.-Chimborazo Hospital:...
- Elmira Shelton House
- Libby Hill Park
- Pohlig Brothers Building
- Richmond Hill
- Soldiers and Sailors Monument
- St. John's Mews
- Superior Warehouse
- Woodward House
- WRVA BuildingWRVA BuildingThe WRVA Building is an building located at 200 N. 22nd St. in the historic Church Hill district of Richmond, Virginia. Designed by world-renowned architect Philip Johnson while he was at the architectural firm of Budina and Freeman, it was originally built to house WRVA , one of Virginia's first...
External links
- Church Hill People's News
- Church Hill on myspace.com
- Church Hill neighbors on Yahoo!Groups
- Church Hill Association
- Historicrichmond.com info about Church Hill
- St. John's Episcopal Church
- Richmond City Watch: Church Hill
- Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods (ACORN): Neighborhood Maps
- Richmond, Virginia, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary