Down a long hallway in the basement of the Richmond Public Library, amidst countless turns, I found a signed copy of Virginius Dabney’s book Richmond: The Story of a City. The library was holding a sale of their private collection, and it was here that I discovered two of Dabney’s works, both focused in detail on Richmond and Virginia. Dabney, born in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1901 and passing away on December 28, 1995, was a teacher, journalist, editor, and writer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He authored thirteen books and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1948 for his outspoken criticism of segregation on buses and his advocacy for ending the poll tax.
My wife, daughter, and I live in a neighborhood near Church Hill, which initially drew me to the book on the shelf. Dabney’s early descriptions in the book are based on geographical locations, while his later descriptions are referenced by street names. The following excerpts highlight Dabney's observations of Richmond's east end neighborhoods, including Shockoe Bottom, Union Hill, Church Hill, Chimborazo, Oakwood, and Fulton.
Below are excerpts related to Church Hill, presented in chronological order from past to present.
Date: 1607
Location: The Falls on the James River.
Description: “Newport decided over the objection of the more aggressive Captain John Smith that this would be in expedient for the present. The placing of the cross, bearing the legend “Jacobus Rex, 1607,” with Newports name below, apparently signified that the men from beyond the sea were laying claim to the region in the name of King Jame. Three centuries later, a cross was erected on Gamble’s Hill at the foot of Richmond’s Fourth Street, to commemorate the event.” P.1
Date: 1607
Location: Powhatan Park, Fulton Hill.
Description: "En route upstream, the Englishman with their beards, curling hair and wide-brimmed hats, their doublets and hose, had been received in altogether friendly fashion by the natives. At Powhatan Village, consisting of twelve houses, “ pleasantly seated on a hill,” they were greeted hospitably by little Powhatan. The Village was on the site of today’s grass covered Powhatan Park on Fulton Hill in Richmond extreme eastern end. Gabriel Archer, chief chronicler of the expedition, speaks of “a playne” between the hill and river, “whereon he soes his wheate, beane, peaze, tobacco, pompions, gourdes, Hempe, flaxe, &c.” This plain must have been the site of today’s Fulton, which like Fulton Hill is named for Irish born James Alexander Fulton, who married Eliza Mayo about 1800 and built his bride beautiful “Mount Erin” where Powhatan Village once stood.
The Native American Village was further described as facing “three fertile isles,” near the opposite shore of the river. They have since disappeared in floods or been incorporated into the south bank.” P.2
Date: 1609
Location: The Falls & Powhatan Park, Fulton.
Description: “ The next year, when Smith was president of the Jamestown colony, he decided to make an attempt to establish a settlement at The Falls. Captain Francis West, brother of Lord De La Warr, was dispatched up river with 120 men and “sixe months victtewells.” Some months later Smith paid them a visit to see how the settlement was prospering. He was surprised, en route, to meet West returning to Jamestown, but proceeded upstream without requesting an explanation. Upon reaching the limits of the tidewater, he found that West had settled near the riverbank, where there was constant danger of floods, instead of higher up on Powhatan Hill.
Smith persuaded little Powhatan to sell him the village on the hilltop for some copper. He wished, among other things, to help protect the werowance, or chief, against the incursions of the Manacans. Little Powhatan had told him two years of war that these native Americans “came downe at the fall of the leafe and invaded his Countrye.” But Smith’s plan did not appeal to Captain West’s Englishmen, Who for some reason resented his intervention. It was apparently part of the internal bickering and squabbling that went on among the Jamestown settlers.” P.4
Date: 1609-1610
Location: The Falls
Description: Most likely after John Smith left for England, “West brought his and entire force back to Jamestown, thus terminating, for the time being, all efforts to settle The Falls. P.4
Date: 1656
Location: Chimborazo Park
Description: “All was relatively serene at the falls for about a decade, when some six or seven hundred Native Americans suddenly appeared. Variously described as Iroquois’s from New York-known as Ricaherian in Virginia-or members of the Siouan tribe from the upper Rappahannock, they began taking possession of extensive tracts of land. Colonel Edward Hill of Shirley, Speaker of the House of Burgesse, was put in command of English warriors and several groups of friendly Native Americans, including Pamunkeys under famous Chief Totopotomoi. When efforts at peaceful persuasion failed to dislodge the intruders, Colonel Hill moved to the attack near Richmond’s present day Chimborazo Park.
The fight took place in 1656 in the vicinity of a small stream which rose at the juncture of what is now Marshall and 31st St., in the cities east end, and ran southeasterly around the base of Chimborazo into Gillies Creek. In modern times, it has been enclosed in a culvert. The sanguinary encounter caused the little stream to be named “Bloody Run.” Chief Totopotomoi was killed with many of his braves, and numerous white settlers were slain.” P.5-6
Date: 1737
Location: Richmond and Church Hill
Descriptions: William Byrd II owned much of the land surrounding The Falls and did not want to give up his most profitable land for growing tobacco. However, this area was becoming more and more settled and was an area of commerce with Native Americans. The House of Burgesses wanted 50 acres of land on the north side of the river to establish a town from Byrd, but it was very difficult for him to give it up, even with compensation. “ Byrd finally had to bow to the inevitable. Four years elapsed, following the entry in Byrd’s diary, before Major Mayo laid off the town. By 1737 when he did so, taverns had been opened at what are now 23rd and Main and 23rd and Cary Street, and Byrd had established a ferry. These, with his store and warehouses, combined to form the nucleolus for the lively settlement that soon came into being.
Much of the area laid out by Mayo was along the river, at the foot of what is now Church Hill, but it extended to the crest of that elevation. Lot No. 97 and 98 were donated by Byrd for “The Church,” soon to be erected and later to be named St. John’s. It superseded “The Falls Chapel,” which had been in existence since 1717 and whose location is not known.
Byrd named the new town Richmond because its situation and surroundings reminded him of Richmond on the teams. As delineated by Mayo, it’s extended from what is now 17th St., first Street in his plan, to today’s 25th St., then known as ninth. The cross streets were designated by letters. The one nearest the river, now Carrie, was D St., Maine was E, Franklin was F, Grace was G, and Broad was H.” P. 13
"Facsimile of the first map of Richmond from Richmond: her past and present by W. Ashbury Christian. The original was made by Colonel William Byrd II in 1737. Between Lot B and the James River, at the bottom of the map, was D St., now Cary Street. Just west of Lot a, and at right angles to the river, was fifth Street, now 17th. Then came second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth streets. Lots 97 and 98 were given to the city by Byrd for the Henrico parish church, later named Saint John’s." P.14
Date: 1739
Location: St. John’s Church 2401 East Broad Street
Description: “ construction of a house of worship was one of the first concerns of those living in and near Richmond. The vestry of Curl’s Church, in Henrico County some miles below Richmond, of which the reverend William Stith, the historian, was rector, considered this matter in 1737. At that time, a site on or near the property of Thomas Williamson near Brook Road was preferred. The vestry voted in 1739 to build the church there, on land owned by William Byrd II. However, Byrd advised that “ there are so many roads already thro that land that the damage to me would be too great to have another of a mile cut thro it.” He urged that they accept from him two lots in what is now the Church Hill section of Richmond. The vestry agreed, and arranged for Richard Randolph to construct the building. This house of worship was completed in 1741. Much smaller than it was in subsequent years, and with the pulpit in the eastern end, it was known until about 1828 as “the Church,” “the Upper Church,” “the Richmond Hill Church,” and “the Old Church.” The structure was enlarged in 1772 by adding 40 feet to its length and 40 more feet on the north side, with galleries on both sides. The tower was built about 1830.” P.14-15
Date: 1738-1739
Location: Nineteenth and Twentieth Streets on Main
Description: “Of special interest was the coming in 1738 of 25 year old Jacob Ege, a Württemberger, who purchased land on lower Main Street. About 1739 he is believed to have built the small stone dwelling between 19th and 20th St. on Main, known today as the old Stone House. Rocks from the river were apparently used in the construction of this, the oldest building still standing in Richmond. The letters “J.R” over the entrance were supposed for many years to have signified “Jacobus Rex” or “King James,” and if so the structure would have been built in or before 1688, the year when King James II Of England was dethroned. But there are strong reasons for believing that the old stone house does not date from the 17th century, so the initials must have some entirely different meaning. Reports that Washington, Jefferson and Madison visited or lodged in the house are apparently without foundation.” P.15
Date: 1742
Location: Richmond
Description: “With Richmond formally laid out, it remained for the General Assembly to pass an act of incorporation. This was done in 1742. The town had only 250 inhabitants and covered only 1/5 of a square mile, but it’s situation at the head of navigation augured well for steady growth and development.”
Dabney, V. (1976). Richmond: The story of a city. Doubleday.