City of Richmond
 
The City of Richmond was founded by William Byrd II in 1733 beside the falls of the James River, the natural inland barrier to transatlantic maritime activity. It was named as the Capital of Virginia in 1780 and, following secession in 1861, was made the Capital of the Confederate States of America. Expanding steadily from its origins on Church Hill (the site of St. John’s Church), the City has grown to encompass the adjacent historic neighborhoods of Shockoe Slip, Shockoe Bottom, the Fan, Jackson Ward, Museum District, Carytown and many others that, even today, retain their own unique characteristics.

Richmond has a diverse population of about 200,000 people (the greater metropolitan area, which includes the counties of Henrico and Chesterfield, has a census of 1.1 million) and is a midsized city with a small town ambiance. The climate is temperate but varied enough to provide four distinct seasons.

The local economy is resilient, anchored by nine Fortune 500 companies (and thirteen Fortune 1000 companies), the VCU/MCV complex, the State Capital, and one of the nation’s twelve Federal Reserve Banks. The City is particularly noted for its law firms, financial institutions, and advertising agencies. Underscoring the current cycle of growth are the ongoing expansions of the Richmond International Airport, the Center for the Performing Arts, Richmond Convention Center, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
 
Culturally, the City is home to many fine museums including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Virginia Center for Architecture, the Museum of the Confederacy, the Valentine Richmond History Center, and the Science Museum of Virginia to name just a few. The City also boasts the Richmond Ballet, an active theater community, the Richmond Symphony, a variety of beautiful parks (Maymont, James River Park, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, and the Carillon), several major universities (the University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University and Union Theological Seminary), and a host of fine restaurants of great ethnic diversity. Famous sites include the Capitol building (designed by Thomas Jefferson), the statues along Monument Avenue, the White House of the Confederacy, Agecroft Hall, Wilton Plantation, the John Marshall House, and our own St. John’s Church. In addition to its many assets, the City is in an enviable geographic location and is within a 100 mile radius of Washington D.C., the Chesapeake Bay, the Shenandoah Valley, the Blue Ridge Mountains, Colonial Williamsburg, and the ancestral homes of five United States Presidents.