Historic Richmond

William Fox Elementary
2026-05-21 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Thursday, May 21, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Address – 2300 Hanover Ave, the Fan Historic District

Originally built in 1911, William Fox Elementary was designed by Charles M Robinson and sits on an entire city block in the center of the Fan District. It is a two-story brick and stone building, mostly vernacular in style with some Arts and Crafts influence, topped by a cupola. In 2022 the building suffered a devastating fire, resulting in an outpouring of community support to preserve the building. The school reopened for the 2025-2026 year. Join us for a tour and discussion of the recently renovated school with Quin Evans, the local architecture firm that worked on this project.

This is a Richmond Public School property; please note alcohol will not be served.

Parking: Street parking is available in the Fan.

Sold Out

Our 2026 Quoit Club season is generously sponsored by:

Monumental Church Spring Open House
2026-05-14 16:00 - 19:00
You’re invited to a Monumental Celebration!

Spring Open HouseThursday, May 14 | 4:00–7:00 p.m.Monumental Church (1224 E. Broad St.)

Please join us for a spring open house celebrating Monumental Church and showcasing our recent grant‑funded improvements.

With support from two generous grants, Historic Richmond has completed two high‑priority projects at the site: a comprehensive interior lighting initiative funded by the Virginia 250 Preservation Fund, and a new signage and interpretation project supported by the Commonwealth History Fund at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

This event is free and open to the public, with drinks and light bites provided.

Registration is encouraged.

Register Now

Historic Garden Week – Church Hill Tour
2026-04-22 10:00 - 16:00
Church Hill, Richmond’s oldest neighborhood, is a vibrant testament to the city’s rich history and architectural legacy. Steeped in Revolutionary War significance, it is home to St. John’s Church, where Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech in 1775. As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, Church Hill stands as a living monument to the nation’s origins. The neighborhood is renowned for its well-preserved architecture, with historic homes and churches offering a glimpse into the past. Tourgoers will appreciate both the walking tour and the area’s preservation efforts.

Tickets Here

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Tickets

$55/person in advance

$65/person day-of

Visit gcvirginia.org to purchase tickets.

Tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Explore additional Wednesday tour activities on our Instagram @council_of_historicrichmond

Thank you to our generous sponsors: Arborscapes, Ashby’s Inc., Classic Party Rentals, Cross Creek Nursery and Landscaping, Everyday Gourmet, FastSigns, Friends of Historic Richmond, Ginger & Tim Hampton, Tyler Finney -Heron’s Point Wealth Partners, Janet Brown Interiors, Lane Homes & Remodeling, Meadows Farms, NORTH of the JAMES, RE/MAX Commonwealth, RTD Homes, Strange’s, u-fab interiors, and Ultimate Pools

The Council of Historic Richmond hosts the Wednesday Richmond tour during Historic Garden Week, in partnership with the Garden Club of Virginia and four Richmond-area garden clubs. Council is a women’s volunteer auxiliary group that supports Historic Richmond’s mission of preservation and neighborhood revitalization.

Creating Historic Church Hill Spring Lecture
2026-04-21 17:30 - 19:30
“Much to make them linger”: Creating Historic Church Hill

Tuesday, April 21, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Address – (Monumental Church) 1224 E Broad St, Richmond, VA 23219

Join us at Monumental Church with Blake McDonald, architectural historian, as he shares the unique architecture of Richmond’s oldest neighborhood ahead of this year’s Historic Garden Week tour of Church Hill co-hosted by the Council of Historic Richmond and the Garden Club of Virginia. Church Hill, renowned for its well-preserved architecture, has long charmed locals and visitors alike. This lecture explores nearly three centuries of Church Hill’s history, from the 1737 Byrd Plan through Historic Richmond’s innovative mid-20th century Pilot Block project.

Click Here to Register!

Historic Richmond’s 2026 Programming is generously presented by:

Private Home
2026-04-16 18:00 - 20:00
Thursday, April 16, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Join us for a tour of a private Hampton Gardens residence, a rare historic cottage in Richmond’s West End. Dating to the mid-19th century, this one-story, Italianate dwelling features a low hip roof, S-curve brackets supporting deep eaves, 11 foot ceilings and historic outbuildings. An 1881 deed shows the cottage on a 99 acre farm named “Sharon”, owned by the Williams family, several of whom were instrumental in the founding of the University of Richmond’s law school. Today, the residence sits among the stately Colonial Revival homes of a Westhampton neighborhood developed by businessman Abram L McClellan in the early 20th century.

Tickets: This event is for members only.

Memberships are sold out!

Our 2026 Quoit Club season is generously sponsored by:

Richmond: Preserving a Legacy – Virtual Lecture
2025-11-13 12:00 - 13:00
Richmond: Preserving a Legacy — Securing Richmond’s Irreplaceable Historic Architecture for Enlightenment, Enjoyment, and Use

Virtual Lecture with Calder Loth, Architectural Historian

Thursday, November 13, 2025

Premiere: 12:00 pm

Register Here

*Registrants will receive lecture link in their confirmation e-mail.

Join us for a virtual lecture with Calder Loth, architectural historian, as he takes us on a visual walk through Richmond’s architectural landscape. With decades of expertise and a deep passion for preservation, Loth will highlight many of the city’s most iconic structures, as well as hidden gems, and explore the historic districts and preservation tools that help shape our sense of place. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover how Richmond’s historic structures continue to tell their stories and serve their communities for generations to come.

90th Anniversary Gala
2025-10-17 18:30 - 22:30
Historic Richmond’s 90th Anniversary Gala

Friday, October 17, 2025 from 6:30-10:30 pm

The Hippodrome Theater in historic Jackson Ward (528 N 2nd St)

Click Here for Tickets. (SOLD OUT)

Join us in celebrating 90 years with a celebration at the Hippodrome Theater! This event will feature cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and interactive food stations followed by live music and dancing.

Since 1935, Historic Richmond has been at the heart of our city’s most transformative moments, dedicated to preserving the unique historic places that define Richmond’s character. As we reach this milestone, we invite you to reflect on our 90 years of transformation through preservation.

Attire: Festive Formal

Architecture is Art Home Tour
2025-10-16 16:30 - 19:30
Architecture is Art Home Tour in historic Woodland Heights

Thursday, October 16, 2025

4:30 or 6:00 PM

Private Residence in Woodland Heights (Address provided to registered guests)

Purchase Tickets for the 4:30 PM tour here. (SOLD OUT)

Purchase Tickets for the 6:00 PM tour here. (SOLD OUT)

Join Historic Richmond as we tour one remarkable home in Richmond’s historic Woodland Heights neighborhood where architecture and art converge in the hands of two preservation and design experts.

This 1895 raised cottage is the long-term project of Mimi Sadler and Camden Whitehead, founders of Sadler & Whitehead Architects. Using Virginia’s historic rehabilitation tax credits, they spent a decade restoring and reimagining a home that seamlessly blends past and present with art and architecture. Intact original spaces retain their 19th-century charm, while salvaged materials, clean lines, and warm wood finishes define the much-altered rear of the house. Filling the house is their impressive collection of local art and furniture. The result is a deeply personal, artful expression of adaptive reuse — where every detail reflects the couple’s belief that contemporary design and historic preservation can go hand-in-hand.

Guests will reserve a tour time below and are invited to stay afterward for drinks, light bites, and conversation in the garden. There’s no better place to spend a fall afternoon than in one of Richmond’s historic neighborhoods!

Registrants will receive the address and additional details in your ticket confirmation email. To ensure the best experience for all our guests, we kindly ask that you attend the tour time selected at the time of booking.

2025 Golden Hammer Awards
2025-10-15 17:30 - 19:30 | The Byrd Theatre, 2908 W Cary St, Richmond, VA 23221, Richmond, Virginia, 23219
2025 Golden Hammer Awards

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm

The Byrd Theatre (2908 W Cary St.)

Tickets: $35 each

Click Here for Tickets.

Since 2000, the Golden Hammer Awards have honored excellence in neighborhood revitalization projects throughout Greater Richmond. Recognizing professionals and community members improving our neighborhoods through restoration, adaptive reuse, new construction, placemaking, and historic preservation.

Questions? Reach out to info@historicrichmond.com, we are happy to assist.

Sponsors:

Celebrate the City Restaurant Day
2025-10-14 18:00 - 20:00
Celebrate the City!

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

The Junior Board of Historic Richmond is hosting Celebrate the City Restaurant Day in partnership with our local restaurants and businesses. We invite our community members to dine out at participating restaurants on Tuesday of Preservation Week in support of Historic Richmond’s 90th Anniversary.

As one of the early voices for adaptive reuse in the city, Historic Richmond created this event to showcase how historic preservation and adaptive reuse support neighborhood revitalization and contribute to Richmond’s unique sense of place. We are celebrating restaurants of all kinds – restaurants in historic buildings and neighborhoods, beloved longtime institutions, and places contributing to the story and character of their communities today.

Please check back here to find a list of participating restaurants.

If you are interested in being a participating restaurant, please email Jennie Joyce, Director of Community Outreach, at jjoyce@historicrichmond.com or 804-643-7407.

Participating Restaurants:

1870 Restaurant and Bar

Bar Solita

Beaucoup

Daisy’s at Tredegar

Grisette

Jardin

New York Deli

Scoop

Station 2

Tarrant’s

The Hofheimer

The Tobacco Company Restaurant

Pump House
2025-09-18 17:30 - 19:30
(Please note that this is a slightly earlier time than our typical events)

Address – 1708 Pump House Dr

A stunning example of the Gothic Revival style, the Byrd Park Pump House served as the Richmond city waterworks from 1883 until 1924. Richmond’s City Engineer Colonel Wilfred Emory Cutshaw, designed the building as a social venue as well as a waterworks, including an open-air dance hall on the second floor above the equipment room. The building closed in 1924, and its machinery was sold off for scrap metal before the outbreak of World War II.

The structure has deteriorated over the years, narrowly escaping demolition in the 1950s. More recently, Historic Richmond has been pursuing the rehabilitation and sustainable stewardship of this gorgeous cultural landmark in partnership with the City of Richmond and The Friends of the Pump House. Come tour this Gothic Revival masterpiece and learn more about ongoing projects and how you can help!

Tickets: Join us for the Quoit Club season! Or click below to purchase a single ticket.

RSVP: Reminder, we no longer ask members to RSVP!

Sold Out!

Hancock Wirt Caskie House
2025-08-21 18:00 - 20:00
Address – 2 N 5th Street

Join us for our annual private residence tour! Built in 1808-1809 by Michael Hancock, the Federal design was influenced by architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, and is the last remaining house with a demi-octagonal bay façade. The interior shines with marble trim, brightly painted ornamental friezes, and hand painted wallpaper.

William Wirt purchased the house in 1816 and lived there until he became the U.S. Attorney General under James Monroe and sold it Benjamin Tate, a former mayor of Richmond. It was then purchased by William Palmer, where his daughter, Emma Palmer Caskie was its steward until her death. Over 40 years ago, Aubrey “Bunky” Bowles III and his wife Jane began restoring the house. It is now owned by their son and daughter-in-law, Southall and Katherine Bowles. Notably, it is Richmond’s last surviving 19th century homes still used as a residence in Monroe Ward.

Tickets: This event is for members only. Please click below to purchase a membership.

RSVP: Reminder, we no longer ask members to RSVP!

Mutual on Main
2025-07-17 18:00 - 20:00
Address – 909 E Main St.

Constructed in 1904 as office space for the Mutual Assurance Society, the Mutual Building was designed by Clinton & Russell, a prominent New York architectural firm. Originally lower, the top four terra cotta-clad floors were added nearly a decade after it was first built. A 2024 Golden Hammer Award winning adaptive reuse project has transformed this stunning high-rise office building into luxury apartments.

Join us as the Mutual on Main project team walks us through this beautiful office-to-housing conversion. Significant collaboration was required between the contractor and the design team to address the challenges of the Metropolitan Floor System, a challenge that has stymied other adaptive reuse projects in town. We hope that this will be one of many similar transformations in the future, as we fight to reinvigorate our beautiful historic downtown!

Tickets: Join us for the Quoit Club season! Or click below to purchase a single ticket.

RSVP: Reminder, we no longer ask members to RSVP!

Shockoe Institute
2025-06-12 18:00 - 20:00
Address – 1500 E Main Street

Join us for a sneak preview of the Shockoe Institute’s transformative undertaking – a 12,300-square-foot learning center within Richmond’s iconic Main Street Station.

Shockoe Institute is one piece of the larger Shockoe Project, an ambitious effort to develop a comprehensive heritage destination for recognizing and interpreting the story of Shockoe’s role in the American slave trade in the years prior to the Civil War. While completion of the project as a whole, including additional components like the National Slavery Museum, the African Burial Ground, and the National Memorial, is not expected until 2037, the Shockoe Institute is currently scheduled to open in Summer 2025.

Within this space, Shockoe Institute will provide visitors with an immersive educational experience that delves into Richmond’s pivotal role in the domestic slave trade and serves as a gateway to an adjacent memorial campus. The Institute’s goal is to create a richly documented evidence-based emotionally impactful journey designed to promote deeper understanding of the relationship between the facts of our shared history and today’s societal challenges.

Tickets: Join us for the Quoit Club season! Or click below to purchase a single ticket.

RSVP: Reminder, we no longer ask members to RSVP!

Monroe Park LGBTQ+ Walking Tour
2025-05-15 18:00 - 20:00
Tour begins in Monroe Park (W Main Street and Laurel, across from the Altria Theater)

Join us as we explore some of Virginia’s earliest sites of LGBTQ+ activism in and around Monroe Park with Blake McDonald, architectural historian at the Department of Historic Resources. This walking tour will include the former homes of Lewis Ginter and John Pope, Hunter Stagg, and Mary Dallas Street, and the first two locations of the Fan Free Clinic. Please note that this tour will be visiting different site that last year but there is no need to have attended last years tour.

Tickets: Join us for the Quoit Club season! Or click below to purchase a single ticket.

RSVP: Reminder, we no longer ask you to RSVP!

IMPORTANT NOTES: We will start at the fountain in the center of Monroe Park. We will depart for the walking portion at 6:15.

This walking tour is about a mile, please wear comfortable shoes! Take note of uneven sidewalks as you tour, and dress for the weather! Hats, water bottles, etc. are encouraged. Any additional precautions taken due to weather will be sent via email.

Food will NOT be provided prior to the walking tour, water bottles will be available. Following the tour, we will gather for food and drinks.

PHONES: Please make sure your phones are CHARGED and consider bringing earbuds, as our tour guide will be dialing in to a shared conference call. A dial in number and code will be provided at check in.

Adam Craig House
2025-04-17 17:30 - 19:30
(Please note that this is a slightly earlier time than our typical events)

Address – 1812 E Grace St, Shockoe Valley Historic District

In honor of our 90th anniversary, join us as we tour the first house that was saved by Historic Richmond in 1935. Built in 1785, the Adam Craig House is one of the oldest houses in Richmond. A wood frame, Greek Revival house that predates the street grid and is set at a 45 degree angle. Adam Craig, the builder, was the clerk of Richmond’s Husting’s Court, Henrico County Court, and the General Court. His daughter, Jane Stith Craig, was the subject of Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, “To Helen.”

By 1935, the house was in poor condition and described by Mary Wingfield Scott as “innocent of electricity and plumbing.” Miss Scott led a group of preservationists to save the house, they formed the William Byrd Branch of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (Historic Richmond’s predecessor), purchased the house for $500 and began making repairs. The house is now used as office space for Macfarlane Partners, a real estate development company specializing in renovations of historic properties for commercial and residential use.

Tickets: This event is for members only. Please click below to purchase a membership.

RSVP: Reminder, we no longer ask members to RSVP!

PRESERVATION AS PLANNING
2025-03-27 18:00 - 20:00
REGISTER HERE
