Historic Richmond

Historic Richmond We are champions of Richmond’s past and passionate fans of its future. Richmond’s history isn’t the whole story. New chapters are written every day.
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Our mission is to shape the future of Richmond by preserving our diverse historic buildings, neighborhoods, and places, sparking revitalization, and championing our distinctive architectural legacy. The greatest cities in the world move forward and build on their heritage. Our great old buildings and homes belong to the opening pages of an epic that is still a work in progress. Future generations

will pick up where we leave off. We are not a museum or a government agency. Historic Richmond is an organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the foundation of what makes Richmond unique, beautiful and unlike any other city on the planet. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit that works to encourage preservation, rehabilitation and revitalization in the city. We collaborate with government, neighborhoods, businesses, organizations, foundations and individuals who share our passion for Richmond’s significant and historic structures and places. We consider it our job to educate and enlighten citizens about the cultural, aesthetic and economic value of Richmond’s unique built environment. We engage the community all year long through a regular flow of information and publications, public events, presentations and special tours. We believe Richmond is like no other city on Earth and we’re doing everything possible to keep it that way.

07/27/2026

🏆 Do you know a project that deserves to be recognized?

The 2026 Golden Hammer Awards celebrate the people and projects that are shaping the future of Greater Richmond through preservation, restoration, adaptive reuse, new construction, placemaking, and thoughtful design.

This year, we’re excited to introduce a new category: Best Design! (Best Interior and Best Vision)

Submit your nomination and help us celebrate the work preserving and enhancing Richmond’s built environment.

📅 Applications are due September 11, 2026.
🎉 Awards Ceremony: October 29, 2026
📍 Hardywood Park Craft Brewery – Richmond

🔗 Learn more and submit your application through the link in our bio.

06/11/2026

This Pride Month, we’re highlighting Babe’s, a longtime Carytown landmark and one of the oldest lesbian-owned bars in the nation. 🏳️‍🌈⭐️

Since 1978, Babe’s has served as an important gathering place for Richmond’s LGBTQ+ community and remains a significant part of our city’s history.

For more information about Richmond’s LGBTQ+ historic places, click the link in our bio.

05/28/2026

Our Quoit Club 2 took us to Fox Elementary! 🦊🏫

Opened in 1911 and designed by renowned architect Charles Morrison Robinson, William Fox Elementary has been a landmark in The Fan for more than a century. Beautifully restored after a fire in 2022, Fox remains an important part of the city’s history and future.

This Preservation Month, we’re looking back at some of our preservation success stories! 🏛️ From the 1935 rehab of the A...
05/21/2026

This Preservation Month, we’re looking back at some of our preservation success stories!

🏛️ From the 1935 rehab of the Adam Craig House to our ongoing efforts at the Byrd Park Pump House, we’re proud to champion Richmond’s distinctive architectural legacy.

We’re excited for what the future holds as we continue to help preserve the places that make our city unique.

05/07/2026

Join us for a Monumental Celebration! ✨

Celebrate the beauty and history of Monumental Church at our Spring Open House on Thursday, May 14 from 4:00–7:00 p.m.

Thanks to support from the Virginia 250 Preservation Fund and the Commonwealth History Fund at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Historic Richmond has completed exciting new improvements to the site, including a comprehensive interior lighting initiative and new interpretive signage.

Enjoy drinks, light bites, and an opportunity to experience one of Richmond’s most iconic landmarks in a new light.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged — click the link in our bio to register! ✨

04/14/2026

Step into nearly three centuries of Richmond history with us at Monumental Church. ✨

Join architectural historian Blake McDonald for “Much to Make Them Linger”: Creating Historic Church Hill as we explore the stories, architecture, and preservation efforts that shaped one of Richmond’s most beloved neighborhoods.

From the 1737 Byrd Plan to Historic Richmond’s groundbreaking Pilot Block project, discover what makes Church Hill so enduringly special.

📅 Tuesday, April 21
⏰ 5:30–7:30 p.m.
📍 Monumental Church

A perfect way to get inspired ahead of this year’s Historic Garden Week Wednesday tour of Church Hill. Don’t miss it!

🎟️ Register now through the link in bio.

A perfect spring preview! 🌿 Last week, Historic Richmond staff and Council members enjoyed a special pre–Historic Garden...
04/07/2026

A perfect spring preview! 🌿

Last week, Historic Richmond staff and Council members enjoyed a special pre–Historic Garden Week tour through beautiful Church Hill, taking in the history, architecture, and blooming landscapes that make this neighborhood so special.

Join us on Wednesday, April 22 for our Church Hill tour and experience it all for yourself!  

🎟️Click the link in bio for more info.

03/13/2026

Step into one of Richmond’s most historic neighborhoods. 🌿🏡

On April 22, experience Historic Garden Week in Church Hill—Richmond’s oldest neighborhood and a place deeply tied to the nation’s founding. From beautifully preserved homes to the historic St. John’s Church, where Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech in 1775, Church Hill offers a glimpse into the past at every corner.

As the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, this neighborhood stands as a living reminder of America’s origins.

Join us for a walking tour through stunning architecture, historic gardens, and the stories that shaped Richmond.

🎟️ Get your tickets through the link in bio.

For Women’s History Month, we honor Grace Evelyn Arents — a quiet force who transformed Richmond through faith, educatio...
03/05/2026

For Women’s History Month, we honor Grace Evelyn Arents — a quiet force who transformed Richmond through faith, education, housing, and public health.

Born in New York City in 1848, Arents moved to Richmond and became the favored niece and heir of to***co magnate Lewis Ginter. But rather than live publicly in wealth, she chose a life of private generosity — often giving anonymously and avoiding public recognition.

In Oregon Hill, she adopted Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church as her mission. She financed the construction of the Gothic Revival sanctuary (dedicated in 1903), built a public bathhouse, launched Richmond’s first free circulating library in 1899, created a sewing school and kindergarten, and established Saint Andrew’s School, which offered Richmond’s first free Kindergarten, first night classes, and first school for the deaf.

Her impact extended across neighborhoods. Arents and her partner, Mary Garland Smith, bequeathed their farm at Bloemendaal to become the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, a lasting gift to the city she loved.

Arents believed buildings should uplift communities. More than a century later, the spaces she created continue to serve Richmond — a powerful reminder that preservation is about people as much as place.

Address

4 E Main Street, Ste 1C
Richmond, VA
23219

Telephone

+18046437407

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