Head south from downtown Richmond on Interstate 95 and, yes, that big concrete office building does look like a pack of cigarettes with a few butts sticking out.
The Marlboro sign on Interstate 95, seen on May 29, stands in front of Altria Group’s Richmond Manufacturing Center where Marlboro cigarettes are made. Altria expects to complete plans for its “Optimize and Accelerate Initiative” in 12 to 18 months.
No surprise, because that low-lying factory just behind it is Altria Group’s Richmond Manufacturing Center, where the nation’s No. 1 cigarette brand, Marlboro, is made.
Some 1,700 Richmonders make some 76 billion cigarettes a year there. That’s way down from the days when the plant was built in 1973: 4 of 10 Americans smoked then; now it’s just a bit more than 1 in 10.
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Altria, meanwhile, is looking at other tobacco products that it feels will not be as dangerous to use — one, a nicotine pouch, is already made in Richmond.
— Dave Ress
RVA 100: 100 people, places, things that you should know about Richmond
RVA 100: The Marlboro sign
Head south from downtown Richmond on Interstate 95 and, yes, that big concrete office building does look like a pack of cigarettes with a few butts sticking out.
No surprise, because that low-lying factory just behind it is Altria Group’s Richmond Manufacturing Center, where the nation’s No. 1 cigarette brand, Marlboro, is made.
Some 1,700 Richmonders make some 76 billion cigarettes a year there. That’s way down from the days when the plant was built in 1973: 4 of 10 Americans smoked then; now it’s just a bit more than 1 in 10.
Altria, meanwhile, is looking at other tobacco products that it feels will not be as dangerous to use — one, a nicotine pouch, is already made in Richmond.
— Dave Ress
RVA 100: The Markel Building
No, that’s not a flying saucer that landed just west of Willow Lawn shopping center. It’s the Markel Building, commissioned in 1962 by the specialty insurer Markel and designed by Richmond architect Haigh Jamgochian.
That crinkly looking metal wrapping each floor is a 500-plus foot long chunk of aluminum and Jamgochian, reportedly inspired by a foil-wrapped baked potato, wielded the sledgehammer that created that distinctive texture.
It’s been deemed one of the 10 ugliest buildings in the world, but rather like Jamgochian (who only managed to get one other design built) and Markel — which got its start insuring jitneys and is now a $55 billion insurance and investment powerhouse that long ago moved its headquarters to suburban Glen Allen — it’s uniquely Richmond.
--Dave Ress
RVA 100: Justin Verlander
Before racking up nine All-Star selections, a Rookie of the Year award, three Cy Youngs, two World Series rings, two ERA titles and an MVP, Justin Verlander pitched for Goochland High School.
He played varsity all four years with the Bulldogs. After graduating from Goochland, the longtime Manakin-Sabot resident starred at Old Dominion in Norfolk, setting both school and Colonial Athletic Association career records for strikeouts.
Verlander was selected second overall by the Tigers in the 2004 MLB draft, leading Detroit to the American League pennant in 2006 and 2012. After nearly 12 full seasons in the Motor City, he was traded to Houston in 2017. He went on to win his first of two World Series that season.
Along with earning his third Cy Young Award in 2022, Verlander and the Astros won their second World Series together.
The New York Mets acquired Verlander in free agency prior to the 2023 season, but he was traded back to Houston that same season.
At age 41, he is still pitching for the Astros.
— Matt Kiewiet
RVA 100: CSX A-Line train bridge
Right above the James River, the CSX A-Line train bridge sits as one of the city’s most beautiful sights — one you’ve likely seen on a postcard or T-shirt representing the city.
The bridge is between the Boulevard Bridge and the Powhite Parkway. It was designed by John E. Greiner for the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad.
There was a need for a rail connection following the Civil War, which led to a single-track Belt Line that was a part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad.
In 1919, the double-track bridge structure was built over top of the James and has since served as an iconic sight for locals and travelers.
— Jackson Didlake
RVA 100: Murals
Richmond’s more than 100 murals range from thought-provoking to statement-making to just plain odd.
One of the first, a beauty queen on the wall of Sidewalk Cafe on West Main Street, was painted by Ed Trask in the 1990s. Then in 2012, mural painting exploded here after the first RVA Street Art Festival and the Richmond Mural Project, which led to the design of 100 murals in five years.
They have also drawn pushback as the city became “muralized.”
Richmond’s murals rose hand in hand with the city’s breweries, restaurants and social media. They appear in tourism videos, help define neighborhoods and drive economic development. Most are on private buildings, paid for by the owner. Near VCU, a mural of a woman crouched in a glass jar is among the most famous.
This spring, Richmond was ranked the second best city in the U.S. for public art by the USAToday Best List.
--Eric Kolenich
RVA 100: The Jefferson Hotel
The historic Jefferson Hotel has welcomed thousands of visitors in its nearly 130 years of operations, including the likes of U.S. presidents, writers and celebrities such as the Rolling Stones, Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley.
Famous actor and dancer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was allegedly a waiter at The Jefferson Hotel in the early 1900s.
The 166-room luxury hotel, which was the brainchild of famous Richmonder and tobacco baron Lewis Ginter, opened its doors in 1895.
Its classic Spanish Baroque style, designed by one of the most notable New York architects, sets it apart from others in the city and state. It has been the backdrop for numerous movies, including the 1981 film “My Dinner with André.”
In 1901, a wire fire destroyed three-fifths of the hotel, and the marble statue of Thomas Jefferson sculpted by Edward Valentine was almost destroyed.
It also used to house full-size alligators in its marble pools in the front lobby. While the alligators are long gone, their legacy remains with bronze alligator motifs throughout the hotel.
The Jefferson remains a popular Richmond destination to celebrate holidays and dining with Christmas, Easter and Mother’s Day brunch selling out months in advance.
— Em Holter
RVA 100: Richmond Kickers
Established in 1993, the Richmond Kickers are the longest continuously run professional soccer club in the country and a cornerstone of RVA’s sports scene.
The Kickers compete at historic City Stadium and annually place among the highest attendance numbers in USL League One, with an average of roughly 4,000 fans in a stadium situated to hold 6,000 for home games.
The club has two primary groups of supporters — the River City Red Army and Scuffletown Social Club — traditionally filling Section O in the southwest corner of the stadium, from whence red smoke drifts and drums emanate.
The Kickers in 2018 were purchased by majority owners 22 Holdings, LLC, led by CEO and former player Rob Ukrop, from Richmond Kickers Youth Soccer Club, which maintains a minority stake in the club.
— Zach Joachim
RVA 100: Maymont
One of Richmond’s most popular and picturesque spots is Maymont, a Victorian estate set on 100 rolling acres above the James River. Maymont serves as a park, museum, environmental center and more.
Maymont was created in the Gilded Age by James and Sallie Dooley, who lived there from 1893 until 1925. In their will, the Dooleys left their estate to the city of Richmond to use as a museum and public park.
Maymont began showing signs of severe disrepair around the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. In 1975, the nonprofit Maymont Foundation was established to partner with the city and raise funds for annual expenses and capital improvements.
Maymont now offers a public park to Richmond including Japanese Gardens, Italian Gardens and an arboretum. The Maymont Mansion now serves as a museum with 33 rooms that the Dooleys decorated with furnishings from around the world, including the famous Swan Bed.
Maymont also offers the Robins Nature Center, which houses river otters, a 20-foot waterfall, aquariums, games and educational exhibits related to life along the James. The Maymont Farm is also home to goats, pigs and other animals for hands-on fun for children and adults.
Last year, roughly 800,000 visitors enjoyed Maymont’s exhibits, programming and parks. With a mix of history and modern-day attractions, Maymont is one of the most popular places in Richmond.
— Savannah Reger
RVA 100: Libby Hill
Libby Hill Park is one of three original parks in Richmond, located in Church Hill. The seven-acre park was designed by city engineer Wilfred Cutshaw.
Libby Hill is often known as for “The View that Named Richmond,” as the view of the James River closely resembles the view of Richmond on the Thames in England.
Originally called Marshall Square, the park became known as Libby Hill Park, named after prominent landowner Luther Libby’s house nearby.
Historically, the park was created to give Richmonders the chance to get healthy air in the 1850s, according to the Cultural Landscape Foundation.
Libby Hill Park has a great view of the city, as it’s located on a hill and also has an ornamental fountain. In 1969, it became a national historic landmark, along with St. John’s Church. It was previously home to the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Memorial statue, which was removed in 2022.
Libby Hill Park has views of the James River, the city skyline and several districts. It is a popular place for gatherings and events, making it a beautiful icon of Richmond.
— Savannah Reger
RVA 100: Doug Wilder
As we say in the news biz, L. Douglas Wilder has been good copy for more than five decades.
Wilder rose from Richmond’s segregated Church Hill to become the nation’s first elected Black governor in 1990. In 2005, he became Richmond’s first popularly elected mayor in 56 years.
After receiving a Bronze Star for his service in Korea, Wilder built a successful law practice before he achieved a series of historic political firsts. In 1969, he became Virginia’s first African American state senator since 1890.
With his 1985 election as lieutenant governor, he became the first African American elected statewide in the South since Reconstruction.
In January 1990, after U.S. Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. swore him in as governor, Wilder declared: “I am a son of Virginia.”
At 93, Wilder continues to make news, often taking issue with Virginia Commonwealth University President Michael Rao and Gov. Glenn Youngkin on his “Wilder Visions” blog.
— Andrew Cain
RVA 100: The Flying Squirrels
Professional baseball was played for generations in Richmond before the Flying Squirrels soared into town for the 2010 season. Nothing before was comparable in name, entertainment presentation, or impact.
With a heavy accent on the fans’ game experience, the Double-A franchise affiliated with the San Francisco Giants became a highly popular attraction for those who are serious fans of the sport, and those who enjoy a lively atmosphere with baseball as background.
The Flying Squirrels instantly became one of the leading draws in the minor leagues, regularly averaging more than 6,000 fans and uplifting the community 12 months a year with coat drives, reading programs, youth-league field renovations, and other contributions.
RVA 100: Richmond Coliseum
For nearly 50 years, the Richmond Coliseum at 601 E. Leigh St. stood as the city’s premier venue for sports, concerts and political rallies.
After opening its doors in 1971, the Coliseum served as the home of the VCU men’s basketball team for nearly 30 years and a part-time home for the ABA’s Virginia Squires until the league folded.
Perhaps the most dramatic Coliseum moment occurred during the 1994 Women’s NCAA Division I Basketball Championship, when North Carolina’s Charlotte Smith hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to defeat Louisiana Tech by a point.
Concerts at the Coliseum featured such legends as Aretha Franklin, Elvis, Prince, The Jackson 5, Van Halen, B.B. King, Bruce Springsteen and Cher.
The Coliseum’s final event was a Harlem Globetrotters show on Dec. 29, 2018, with the arena officially closing a couple of months later.
Demolition of the Richmond Coliseum is currently on pause, but could start in 2025.
— Thad Green
RVA 100: Hollywood Cemetery
Nestled alongside the rapids of the James River, Hollywood Cemetery is host to the graves of many noteworthy Virginians.
Former presidents James Monroe and John Tyler; Confederate President Jefferson Davis; former Gov. Lee Fitzhugh; and Confederate generals J.E.B. Stuart and George Pickett are all buried within the cemetery grounds. The Monument to Confederate War Dead — a 90-foot pyramid constructed of crudely hewn James River granite — pays tribute to the thousands of enlisted Confederate soldiers also buried at the site.
Named for its stand of holly trees, Hollywood Cemetery was laid out in 1848 by Scottish architect John Notman, known for designing park-like, romantic cemeteries.
In addition to its historical significance, Hollywood Cemetery is an excellent place to take an evening walk to enjoy autumn foliage and local wildlife, or to enjoy a morning sunrise over Belle Isle.
— Samuel B. Parker
RVA 100: Agecroft Hall
Richmonders can get a taste of Renaissance-era England at Agecroft Hall.
The Tudor-style manor, with exposed timber and a stone-style roof, was built in the late 1400s or early 1500s in Lancashire, England.
By the 20th century, it had fallen into disrepair. So Richmonder Thomas C. Williams Jr. bought it, had it disassembled and shipped to Richmond, where it was remodeled and rebuilt at 4305 Sulgrave Road in the Windsor Farms neighborhood, overlooking the James River.
Work finished in 1928, but Williams died a year later. The house opened to the public in 1969.
Visit the sunken garden, the trails and museum at 4305 Sulgrave Road. Adult tickets are $12. Or bring a tailgate chair, a picnic basket full of food and catch a Shakespearean play on the lawn during the Richmond Shakespeare Festival.
RVA 100: Arthur Ashe Jr.
A strong case can be made that Arthur Ashe Jr. is the premier athlete from the Richmond area.
Ashe, who died in 1993 at 49 after contracting HIV from a blood transfusion, transcended to national prominence as a tennis star.
He was an esteemed international figure in the sporting world for an extended period, becoming the first Black man to win Wimbledon (1975), the U.S. Open (1968) and the Australian Open (1970). He captured dozens of other professional tournament titles.
But Ashe, an alumnus of Maggie L Walker High School, was also an author and humanitarian. Arthur Ashe Stadium is the New York-based home of the U.S. Open, a multipurpose arena on Richmond’s Arthur Ashe Boulevard also bears his name, and a Monument Avenue statue honors him.
RVA 100: Bill's Barbecue
For more than 80 years, Bill’s Barbecue was an independent, Virginia barbecue chain that served vinegar-based pork barbecue sandwiches, homemade chocolate pies and freshly squeezed limeade.
The first Bill’s opened in Norfolk in 1930. The first Richmond location opened the following year at 3216 N. Boulevard. At its peak, there were 13 Richmond-area locations and nearly 125 employees.
In 2005, Rhoda Elliott, the company’s president and daughter of Bill’s longtime owner and operator, the late W.S. Richardson Sr., said “small independents are a dying breed.”
“We ought to be put on the endangered-species list. It is hard to fight the big corporations. They have so many resources that the small independents don’t have.”
She was right. In December 2012, the last three Richmond locations closed. Lines were 30 to 50 people deep as longtime customers waited for just one more limeade.
RVA 100: Byrd Theatre
The historic Byrd Theatre has been a film spot in Carytown for nearly a century.
The venue, known as “Richmond’s Movie Palace,” opened in 1928 when silent films were the popular entertainment. It was named after William Byrd II, the founder of Richmond.
The theater has 1,392 seats — 916 on the main level and 476 in the balconies. Hanging from the ceiling is a giant chandelier that features 500 colored lights that illuminate 5,000 crystals. It also has an organ, the Mighty Wurlitzer, which is still played ahead of shows on Saturdays.
In 1977, it was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register. The Byrd Theatre Foundation, a nonprofit, purchased the Byrd in 2007 and has since put the building under many renovations.
The Byrd’s programming has changed over the years from offering second-run films to offering a mix of classic movies and film festivals.
—Jackson Didlake
RVA 100: Capital One
The Capital One credit card in your wallet is a modern piece of Richmond history, but also helps pay for the region’s current economic vitality.
Capital One is the offspring of Richmond’s once-dominant banking industry, born in 1994 as the spinoff of Signet Banking Corp., itself the child of Bank of Virginia.
But the global financial services giant is also the Richmond region’s largest private employer, with a workforce of 13,000 housed primarily in its operations center on a sprawling West Creek campus in Goochland County, with offices in Chesterfield and Henrico counties.
Capital One is still led by one of its founders, Richard Fairbank, chairman and CEO of a company now headquartered in an office tower that overlooks the Capital Beltway at Tysons Corner in McLean.
—Michael Martz
RVA 100: The Carillon
“What is that?”
For those new to Richmond, the Virginia War Memorial Carillon rises like a distant beacon above its leafy Byrd Park neighborhood.
At home, the Carillon is a beloved landmark that stands in homage to 3,700 Virginians who died in World War I as part of the Allied Expeditionary Forces. Their names are not yet listed in stone but will be next year with the completion of a three-stage restoration of the state-owned historic landmark.
The 240-foot tower rose from a civic initiative that began a week after the Armistice ended the war on Nov. 11, 1918, and culminated in the memorial’s dedication in a public celebration attended by 15,000 people on Oct. 15, 1932. Now, the Carillon is poised for rededication with the same lofty goal of remembering the war dead.
—Michael Martz
RVA 100: Church Hill
In 1775, Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death!” speech at St. John’s Church in Church Hill, laying the groundwork for the area’s historic significance.
Founded in 1737, Church Hill is home to Richmond’s first church and is the city’s oldest surviving neighborhood.
In 1925, a train tunnel built during Reconstruction collapsed under Church Hill, killing three or four people. Former Gov. Doug Wilder was born and raised in Church Hill.
Church Hill has also experienced a significant demographic shift. In the late 1950s, the neighborhood experienced decline and subsequent white flight due to development and housing policies.
In the 1980s, the Historic Richmond Foundation began purchasing homes to resell to private homeowners for restoration. In 1997, the Church Hill Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In recent years, Church Hill has become one of Richmond’s most desirable neighborhoods with critically acclaimed restaurants such as The Roosevelt, ample parks and historic homes. Increased interest in Church Hill has translated into rising home prices with the median home price around $440,000, pushing out longtime residents who are most often people of color.
— Savannah Reger
RVA 100: Jackson Ward
For those who want to understand the complex history of Richmond, Jackson Ward is ground zero.
In the 1920s, Jackson Ward — bounded by north Belvidere and Third and East Broad streets and Interstate 95 — made a name for itself as a Black Wall Street. Since then, it has suffered from years of segregationist policy decisions, chief among them the 1954 decision to route a section of I-95 through the heart of the neighborhood.
Some 1,000 homes were removed to fit the highway, which now cuts the neighborhood in half, according to historian Benjamin Campbell.
The historically Black neighborhood sits on the northwest corner of Richmond’s bustling downtown. Its key landmarks include a colorful section of Broad Street, the Maggie L. Walker Memorial Plaza, a small business triangle dedicated to the civil rights leader; the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church; and the distinct Leigh Street Armory, which is now the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia.
— Luca Powell
RVA 100: The James River
At Richmond, Virginia’s backbone waterway passes its final falls and rapids to begin its more stately path to the Chesapeake Bay. You can spot bald eagles and ospreys circling overhead; herons stalk the shore.
Dropping 105 feet in elevation as it flows through Richmond, the river’s passage over rocks and dams creates class I, II, III and IV rapids — the last rated difficult because of their power, with standing waves; souse holes; and boiling eddies.
The James River Park System, whose 600 acres stretch along both shores from Huguenot Flatwater past Pony Pasture, Texas Beach, Reedy Creek, Belle Isle and Great Shiplock to Ancarrow’s Landing, is a Richmond favorite.
— Dave Ress
RVA 100: City Stadium
Whether it was football or fútbol, City Stadium has hosted its fair share of sporting events over the years.
The stadium was built in 1929 and is currently used at a capacity of 6,000 for the Richmond Kickers of USL League One and the Richmond Ivy of USL W League. Its full capacity sits at roughly 22,000.
The University of Richmond played football there up until 2009, and the venue adopted the name UR Stadium in 1983 until 2010 after the Spiders moved.
The stadium has also played host to a couple of Richmond-based minor league football teams in addition to a couple of other USL-based soccer teams. Additionally, it was previously the host of the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Tournament from 1995 to 1998.
RVA 100: Chimborazo Park
Chimborazo Park is laden with city history and lore while also letting park-goers experience all of Richmond.
Sitting on a bluff overlooking the James River, Chimborazo Park has 180-degree views showing the river and the Richmond skyline.
The modern park, which is home to such landmarks as a miniature replica Statue of Liberty and the Chimborazo Medical Museum, holds the Richmond National Battlefield Park headquarters.
The park in the 3200 block of East Broad Street was established in 1874 and carries the name of a volcano in Ecuador. During the Civil War, it was home to one of the world’s largest military hospitals with over 75,000 patients passing through its doors during the conflict.
After the war, the site was turned into a refugee camp for former slaves managed by the Freedmen’s Bureau. It was eventually purchased by Richmond’s Board of Aldermen for $35,000 to make way for the park.
— Sean Jones
RVA 100: Carytown
When in search of a fun day of shopping, dining and entertainment, Carytown is the hub for indie boutiques, flavorful food spots and more to satisfy a local’s or visitor’s experience.
Carytown was officially established in 1938, when the Cary Court shopping area opened as Richmond’s first strip mall. Cary Street, and the neighborhood of Carytown, got its name from Colonel Archibald Cary, an influential politician and landowner who lived on Ampthill Plantation in Chesterfield in the 1700s. On the plantation’s 14,000 acres, Cary owned hundreds of slaves, a ropery, a flour mill and an iron forge.
Now a bohemian district nestled in the heart of Richmond, Carytown is a “mile of style” offering various shopping, dining and entertainment venues, with a hyperfocus on small, locally owned businesses.
Featuring unique murals that brighten the buildings and alleyways throughout the district’s stretch of West Cary Street, Carytown is also home to the historic Byrd Theatre, a popular cinema named after the founder of the city and affectionately known as “Richmond’s Movie Palace.”
A 25-foot-tall Carytown sign is headed to the western entrance of the neighborhood. The diamond-like shaped sign will include green and gold coloring and read “Carytown, Richmond, Va., Est. 1938.”
— Kylee Toland
— Dave Ress
In this Series
RVA 100: 100 people, places, things that you should know about Richmond
Dave Ress
State Politics / Growth and Development Reporter
