Richmond, Virginia: Beautiful and Historic Franklin Street (Original Recording‪)‬

Richmond, VA, is one of the oldest cities in Virginia, and it has been the state capital since the late 1700s. Franklin Street has long been one of the city’s most important—and most beautiful—streets. This is where many industrialists—including the tobacco merchants—built their homes.

We’re starting at the grandest and most historic hotel in town, the Jefferson Hotel. Built by one of Richmond’s wealthiest tobacco merchants, the Jefferson has stood for over 100 years and has catered to the famous, the infamous—and a few alligators!

On this tour we’re discussing the many architectural styles that you’ll find all over the city, and we'll talk about the people who lived here - the owners and the servants. We’ll end our tour at the Virginia State Capitol—the building designed by Thomas Jefferson and the site that has witnessed so much history from the Revolutionary War through the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement and on to the social movements of the 21st century.