RICHMOND, a town of the United States of North America, capital of Virginia, on the left bank of the James River, 130 miles S. by W. of Washington, and about the same distance above the entrance of Chesapeake Bay. The general appearance of the town is very picturesque, somewhat resembling that of Edinburgh. It is divided into two parts by the valley through which Shockoe Creek flows into James River, and is built for the most part on the hills on either side. The streets are regular and the houses substantial, some of them very handsome. The most conspicuous edifice is the Capitol, a Grecian building after the model of the Maison Carrée at Nismes, standing on the top of a hill in the midst of well-planted grounds about 8 acres in extent. It contains a statue of Washington by Houdon, considered the best likeness of that great man. At one corner of the Capitol grounds stands the City Hall, a fine Doric building; and not far off is the residence of the governor. Of the churches in the town, about 30 in number, many are handsome buildings. They belong to Baptists, Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, Quakers, Roman Catholics, &c. The educational establishments of the town include Richmond College, under the direction of the Baptists, with 6 professors and 167 students; the Virginia Baptist Theological Seminary, with 3 professors and 67 students; and the medical department of Hampden Sydney College, with 7 professors and 90 students. The last of these occupies a fine building in the Egyptian style. There are here, too, a historical and philosophical society,
numerous schools, a court-house, penitentiary, alms-house, armoury, and orphan hospital. Richmond has great natural advantages for manufacturing industry, from the great amount of water-power supplied by the river. The articles most generally produced are flour, tobacco, cotton and woolen fabrics, paper, machinery, hardware, cannon, nails, &c. James River flows over a bed of granite, and has inexhaustible quarries on its banks, not far from the town; while within a short distance there are extensive deposits of coal. The trade of the town is rapidly increasing. It is the terminus of several railways, and of the James River Canal, which extends up the river for 200 miles. Vessels drawing 10 feet can come up to the town, and those drawing 15 to within 3 miles. Tobacco, wheat, and flour are the principal articles exported. The shipping of the district, June 30, 1852, amounted in all to 3073 tons registered, and 6100 enrolled and licensed. In the year ending on that day there entered from foreign ports 35 vessels, tonnage 7120; and cleared 71, tonnage 22,803. The aggregate value of the goods imported by railway and canal into the town is more than £2,000,000. Richmond was founded in 1742, and became the capital of the state in 1779-80, but was then a small place, remarkable for nothing but the beauty of its scenery. Pop. (1800) 5737; (1820) 12,067; (1840) 20,153; (1850) 27,570, of which 17,643 were free, and 9927 slaves.