in Places & People

Rare Historical Photos Of Old Richmond, Virginia From Late 19th And Early 20th Century

10.2k Views 9 Comments

Richmond is the capital city of Virginia, founded in 1737, at the falls of the James River. It served as the capital of the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Richmond was a heavily industrialized and rapidly growing city in the mid-19th century. The city had a large number for woolen mills, tobacco and cotton warehouses, and iron factories. By the 1880s, the city had a population of over 60,000. Richmond was the first city that successfully made the first electrically powered trolley, which opened its first line in January 1888 and replaced the horsecars. By the early 20th century, Richmond had an extensive network of electric streetcars. In 1914, Richmond became the headquarters of the Fifth District of the Federal Reserve Bank. During the Great Depression, the economy of Richmond was disrupted, and the tobacco industry helped the city to recover.

Here below are some historical photos of old Richmond, Virginia, that capture street, roads, buildings, landmarks, and everyday life from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

#1 Edgar Allan Poe’s mother’s house, Richmond, 1930

Edgar Allan Poe's mother's house, Richmond, 1930

12 Points
Upvote Downvote

#2 Ruins of Richmond & Petersburg Railroad bridge, Richmond, Virginia, April 1865

Ruins of Richmond & Petersburg Railroad bridge, Richmond, Virginia, April 1865

9 Points
Upvote Downvote

#3 Main Street Station, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1905

Main Street Station, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1905

6 Points
Upvote Downvote

#4 Sixth Street Market, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1908

Sixth Street Market, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1908

6 Points
Upvote Downvote

#5 Ladies Hollywood Memorial Association, a monument to Confederate dead, Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1905

Ladies Hollywood Memorial Association, a monument to Confederate dead, Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1905

5 Points
Upvote Downvote

#7 Main Street west from Twelfth, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1912

Main Street west from Twelfth, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1912

5 Points
Upvote Downvote

#8 St. John’s Church and graveyard from street, Richmond, April-June 1865

St. John's Church and graveyard from street, Richmond, April-June 1865

5 Points
Upvote Downvote

#9 Japanese Palm Garden and Jefferson Hotel, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1905

Japanese Palm Garden and Jefferson Hotel, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1905

5 Points
Upvote Downvote

#11 Main Street from Eleventh, Richmond, Virginia, 1905

Main Street from Eleventh, Richmond, Virginia, 1905

5 Points
Upvote Downvote

#12 Chamber of Commerce building, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1906

Chamber of Commerce building, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1906

4 Points
Upvote Downvote

#13 Edgar Allan Poe’s mother’s house, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1930

Edgar Allan Poe's mother's house, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1930

4 Points
Upvote Downvote

#14 Negro freedmen by canal, a group of Contrabands at Haxall’s Mill, Richmond, June 9, 1865

Negro freedmen by canal, a group of Contrabands at Haxall's Mill, Richmond, June 9, 1865

3 Points
Upvote Downvote

#17 Main Street from Eleventh, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1905

Main Street from Eleventh, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1905

3 Points
Upvote Downvote

#19 Grace Street and Capitol Square east from 8th, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1907

Grace Street and Capitol Square east from 8th, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1907

2 Points
Upvote Downvote

#20 St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Ninth & Grace Streets, Richmond, Virginia circa 1900

St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Ninth & Grace Streets, Richmond, Virginia circa 1900

2 Points
Upvote Downvote

#22 Broad Street and Murphy’s Hotel, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1905

Broad Street and Murphy's Hotel, Richmond, Virginia, circa 1905

2 Points
Upvote Downvote

#23 The Old Stone House also-called ‘Washington’s headquarters,

The Old Stone House also-called 'Washington's headquarters,

2 Points
Upvote Downvote

#24 Crowd before headquarters of the U.S. Christian Commission, Richmond, Virginia, April 1865

Crowd before headquarters of the U.S. Christian Commission, Richmond, Virginia, April 1865

2 Points
Upvote Downvote

#25 Destroyed Richmond & Petersburg locomotive, Richmond, April 1865

Destroyed Richmond & Petersburg locomotive, Richmond, April 1865

2 Points
Upvote Downvote

#26 Federal soldier guarding Whitworth gun on wharf awaiting shipment, Richmond, Virginia, April 1865

Federal soldier guarding Whitworth gun on wharf awaiting shipment, Richmond, Virginia, April 1865

1 Point
Upvote Downvote

#27 Battered smokestack from C.S.S. ironclad ram Virginia No. 2, Richmond, Virginia, April 1865

Battered smokestack from C.S.S. ironclad ram Virginia No. 2, Richmond, Virginia, April 1865

1 Point
Upvote Downvote

#28 Ruins of Gallego Mills, Richmond, Virginia, April 1865

Ruins of Gallego Mills, Richmond, Virginia, April 1865

1 Point
Upvote Downvote

#30 A closeup of the young ladies shown in an earlier post of the Canal Bridge at Seventh Street in Richmond, Virginia, Spring 1865

A closeup of the young ladies shown in an earlier post of the Canal Bridge at Seventh Street in Richmond, Virginia, Spring 1865

1 Point
Upvote Downvote

#31 A burned district along the James River, Richmond, Virginia, April 1865

A burned district along the James River, Richmond, Virginia, April 1865

1 Point
Upvote Downvote

#32 Ruins of the State Arsenal at Richmond showing stacked and scattered ammunition, April 1865

Ruins of the State Arsenal at Richmond showing stacked and scattered ammunition, April 1865

1 Point
Upvote Downvote

#33 Children on Canal Bridge at the foot of Seventh Street in Richmond after the fall of the city, Spring 1865

Children on Canal Bridge at the foot of Seventh Street in Richmond after the fall of the city, Spring 1865

1 Point
Upvote Downvote

#34 Belle Isle railroad bridge from the south bank of the James River after the fall of Richmond, Spring 1865

Belle Isle railroad bridge from the south bank of the James River after the fall of Richmond, Spring 1865

1 Point
Upvote Downvote

#35 The E.J. Crane, watchmaker and jewelry store in Richmond, Virginia, 1899

The E.J. Crane, watchmaker and jewelry store in Richmond, Virginia, 1899

1 Point
Upvote Downvote

#36 Libby Prison, the infamous Confederate jail, Richmond, April 1865

Libby Prison, the infamous Confederate jail, Richmond, April 1865

0 Points
Upvote Downvote
Avatar of Aung Budhh

Written by Aung Budhh

Husband + Father + librarian + Poet + Traveler + Proud Buddhist. I love you with the breath, the smiles and the tears of all my life.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

9 Comments

  1. There are so many old classic photos, but it bugs me that it is nearly impossible to find any good photos of shockoe creek without having to go through old newspaper articles, and even those are grainy. The canal basin has a few solid photos, but the creek remains elusive.

    1
    Reply

      • The book nonesuch place gave the best description/history of the creek. I realize urban planning wasn’t as sophisticated as it is today, but imagine if that creek had remained open instead of becoming an open then closed sewer. After finishing the pipeline, paddle through shockoe creek all the way up to the Oliver Hill Courthouse, then turn west around the diamond to the bacons quarter branch.

        0
        Reply