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Special Collections and Archives

Architectural Resources in Special Collections and Archives

Some of the most architecturally significant buildings of 19th and 20th century Richmond, Virginia are located on, or adjacent to, the campuses of Virginia Commonwealth University. Richmond's architectural history is one of the major areas of collection in Special Collections and Archives. Our focus has been documenting the architecture of what is known today as Richmond's Fan District and especially the buildings of VCU's Monroe Park Campus. Let us know if you have any questions or comments.

Architectural drawing of the VCU President's House, 1894.

Drawing of what is now the VCU President's House,

910 West Franklin Street, Richmond, Virginia.

Manuscripts

The architectural drawings of many of VCU's buildings on the Monroe Park Campus are housed in Special Collections and Archives. The collection has some late 19th/early 20th century images but most of the drawings date from the 1970s through the present. The VCU Master Site Plan collection documents the growth of the Monroe Park Campus and includes correspondence, reports, drawings and various plans dating primarily from the 1960s through today -- including the University's attempt in the 1980s to expand into the Oregon Hill neighborhood.

Other significant collections include: the Fan District Association Archives which includes copies of its "Fanfare" newsletter beginning with issues from 1964 and continuing through today and other materials; the Robert W. Stewart Papers include numerous drawings, slides, photographs, correspondence and other materials collected by Richmond architect and preservationist Robert W. Stewart (1937-1994); the James W. Allison Papers is a unique collection of materials dating primarily from the 1890s and includes architectural drawings and perspectives, correspondence, and other items documenting the building of 910 West Franklin Street, what is is now the VCU President's House; the Elizabeth Scott Bocock Papers include a variety of architectural plans of Richmond buildings collected by the Richmond preservationist; the Richard Lee Bland Collection of Richmond Memorabilia includes a variety of materials that Bland, a Richmond artist, has gathered, including some photographs, architectural drawings and a large amount of Richmond ephemera that may be of interest; the Richmond Renaissance Archives includes drawings, correspondence, reports, and other plans of projects dealing with the redevelopment of downtown Richmond (1980-through the present); and the Richmond Planning and Design Collaborative Archives is a large collection of architectural drawings and other materials of a local architecture firm. Three other collections worth noting were compiled by VCU graduate students in the course of their studies and include materials on Richmond art glass, wallpaper, and African American church buildings.

Virginia Heritage Site -- Virginia Heritage is a consolidated database of finding aids to manuscript and archival collections and provides information about historical materials that document Virginia history. It searches the finding aids or guides to collections found in most of Virginia's repositories including VCU's Special Collections and Archives. For researchers interested in using primary source materials and documents on topics related to Richmond and Virginia history, begin with this source. Two excellent examples are finding aids from the Library of Virginia that include a wealth of information about Richmond architecture - the Guide to the Richmond (Va.), Bureau of Permits and Inspections, Building permit architectural blueprints and specifications, 1907-1949 and the Guide to the Richmond (Va.) Office of the City Engineer, Architectural drawings, plans, and plats, 1809-1975.

Images

The VCU Photograph Collection includes numerous photographs of buildings, events, and individuals of the Monroe Park Campus (1920s-) with many off campus images of Richmond. There is a growing collection of Virginia maps and prints collection that dates primarily from the 19th century and focuses on Richmond. Special Collections and Archives also houses a number of published works that feature historical images of Richmond including published materials featuring specific Richmond photographers. Most of these books feature images of the city's architecture.

Rarely Seen Richmond: Early 20th Century Richmond As Through Vintage Postcards -- Richmond Postcard Collection includes scanned images of over 600 postcards of Richmond buildings and scenes dating primarily from 1900-1930.

A second image database maintained by Special Collections and Archives is Through the Lens of Time: Images of African Americans from the Cook Collection. Online researchers can search nearly 300 nineteenth and early twentieth century images of African Americans from the Valentine Museum's Cook Collection of Photographs. Many of these images show both rural and urban architecture from the central Virginia area.

Published and Unpublished Works

Special Collections and Archives houses a large collection of books, periodicals, and other published and unpublished works on Richmond's history and culture, including its architecture. The list below is a partial list of titles related to the study of architecture and history in Richmond.

Master's Thesis and Dissertations:

Allen, Mary Lee Link. "Thomas U. Walter's Greek Revival Church in Richmond, Virginia." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1978. This thesis discusses Walter's First Baptist Church building, now owned by VCU.
Barrett, Anne Rachelle. "The Consul Smith Palladio at Virginia Commonwealth University and the American Renaissance." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2006.
Barnett, Elizabeth. "Johnson. John Clarke (1766-1844): Richmond Architect and Industrialist." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2001.
Bradshaw, Rachel M. "Tiffany Windows in Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2001.
Carr, Laura G. "Creating the Kent-Valentine House: A History of Change, 1845-1995." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1995.
Carr, Karen Marie. "The Hancock-Wirt-Caskie House, Richmond, Virginia, 1808-1809: An Examination of the Patronage and Style." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1994.
Ramin, Saadat. Jefferson, Palladio, Euhemerism, and the Virginia State Capitol. M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1994.
Carter, Victoria Katsuko., "Gustav Stickley’s Hapke-Geiger House and Noland & Baskervill’s Hunton House: Richmond Architecture ca. 1915." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2005. Hunton House is located on the 800 block of West Franklin Street.
Case, Keisha. "Alexander Parris in Richmond: 1810-1812." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2004.
Culhane, Kerri Elizabeth. "`The Fifth Avenue of Richmond': The Development of the 800 and 900 Blocks of West Franklin Street, Richmond, Virginia, 1855-1925." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1997. This thesis is one of the most important works for researchers interested in the architecture of VCU, the Fan District, and late 19th and early 20th Richmond. The text of the thesis can be also be accessed from this site.
Fedorko, Elizabeth Holcombe. "Art Deco Architecture in Richmond." M.A. Thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1987.
Foster, Heather. "Wallpaper in Richmond, Virginia, 1785-1908." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2000.
Frazer, Susan Hume. "D. Wiley Anderson, Virginia Architect (1864-1940)." Dissertation, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2001.
Gales, Melinda D. "African-American Baptist Churches in Hanover County, Virginia, 1865-1900." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1999. A manuscript collection associated with the research of this collection includes materials on African American churches in Richmond as well.
Horner, Susan G. "The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Richmond, Virginia, 1903-06: An Example of the American Renaissance." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2000.
Hubenthal, John. "Four Firebacks." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1985. John Hubenthal's thesis investigates four cast-iron firebacks on the ground floor of VCU's McAdams House at 914 West Franklin Street.
Jacobe, Stephanie. "Albert Lawrence West (1825-1892): From Master Builders to Architectural Professionals: Two Hundred and Fifty Years of Architecture in Virginia." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2001.
Jurgens, Karri. "The Hancock-Wirt-Caskie House, Richmond, 1808-1809." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2001.
McLean, Ann Hunter. "Unveiling the Lost Cause: A Study of Monuments to the Civil War Memory in Richmond, Virginia and Vicinity." M.A. Thesis, University of Virginia, 1998.
Nguyen-Weaver, Jonathan Matthew, "American Renaissance Stained Glass of the 800 and 900 blocks of West Franklin Street, Richmond, Virginia". M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2002.
Novelli, Christopher Vincent. "William C. Noland and Residential Design on Richmond's West Franklin Street." M.A. thesis, University of Virginia, 1996.
Richardson, Selden. " `Architect of the City': Wilfred Emory Cutshaw (1838-1907) and Municipal Architecture in Richmond." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1996.
Schmelzer, Erika June."The American Encaustic Tiling Company (1875-1937) and Art Tiles in the West Franklin Street Historic District, Richmond, Virginia." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2003.
Steele, Karen Dallison. "The Egyptian Building: A Study." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1979. VCU's Egyptian Building was built in 1845 for the newly established Medical College of Virginia.
Wilbanks, Korene G. (Korene Greta Olson). "Robert Mills and the Brockenbrough House, Richmond, Virginia, 1817-1822 ." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1999.
Zimmerman, Melissa. "The Allison House, Richmond, Virginia, 1894-1896: Light Fixtures and Original Wall Finishes." M.A. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1997. Melissa Zimmerman's thesis focused on what is now the VCU President's House, 910 West Franklin Street.

Published works:

The Art of Architecture in Downtown Richmond, 1798-1989. Richmond, Va.: 1989. An exhibition of architectural drawings on view at Second Presbyterian Church on the occasion of its dedication.
Berman, Myron. Richmond's Jewry, 1769-1976: Shabbat in Shockoe. Charlottesville: Published for the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, 1979.
Bonis, Ray. Jodi Koste and Curtis Lyons. Virginia Commonwealth University. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2006.
Broad Street Old and Historic District, Richmond, Virginia: Guidelines and Standards. Preface, John G. Zehmer, Jr. Richmond, Va.: Historic Richmond Foundation, 1986.
Brownell, Charles E., Calder Loth, William M.S. Rasumssen, and Richard Guy Wilson. The Making of Virginia Architecture. Richmond: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, distributed by University Press of Virginia, 1992.
Bondurant, Agnes M. Poe's Richmond. Richmond: Garrett & Massie, Inc., 1942.
Calcutt, Rebecca Barbour. Richmond's Wartime Hospitals. Gretna: Pelican Publishing Co., 2005.
Carneal, Drew St. J. Richmond's Fan District. Richmond: Historic Richmond Foundation, 1996.
Cheek, Richard. Old Richmond Today. Richmond: The Council of Historic Richmond Foundation, 1988.
Chesson, Michael B. Richmond After the War, 1865-1890. Richmond: Virginia State Library, 1981.
Christian, W. Asbury. Richmond, Her Past and Present. Reprint Spartanburg: The Reprint Co., 1973; originally published Richmond: 1912.
City of Richmond Commission of Architectural Review. Old and Historic District of Richmond, Virginia: Handbook and Design Review Guidelines. Richmond: City of Richmond Department of Community Development, 2006.
Clinger, David M. The Ghosts and Glories of Monroe Park: A Sesquicentennial History. Richmond: Dietz Press, 1998.
Crumley, Marguerite, and John G. Zehmer. Church Hill: The St. John's Church Historic District. Richmond: The Council of Historic Richmond Foundation, 1991.
Dabney, Virginius. Virginia Commonwealth University: A Sesquicentennial History. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1987.
Dabney, Virginius. Richmond: The Story of a City. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1990 (revised and expanded edition, orginally published in 1976.)
Davis, Veronica A. Here I Lay My Burdens Down: A History of the Black Cemeteries of Richmond, Virginia. Richmond: Dietz Press, 2003.
Dementi, Elisabeth, ed. Celebrate Richmond. Richmond: Dietz Press, 1999.
Dew, Charles B. Ironmaker to the Confederacy: Joseph R. Anderson and the Tredegar Iron Works. Richmond: Library of Virginia, 1999.
Driggs, Sarah Shields, Richard Guy Wilson, and Robert P. Winthrop. Richmond's Monument Avenue. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2001.
Driggs, Sarah Shields and John L. Orrock. Save Outdoor Sculpture!: A Survey of Sculpture in Virginia. Richmond: Virginia Department of Historic Resources, 1996.
Duke, Maurice and Daniel P. Jordan, eds. A Richmond Reader, 1733-1983. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1983.
Dulaney, Paul S. The Architecture of Historic Richmond. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1976.
Edwards, Kathy, Esme Howard and Toni Prawl. Monument Avenue: History and Architecture. Washington, DC: Historic American Buildings Survey, 1992.
Frazer, Susan Hume. The Architecture of William Lawrence Bottomley. New York: Acanthus Press, 2007.
Fuller-Seeley, Kathryn. Celebrate Richmond Theater. Compiled and edited by Elisabeth Dementi, Wayne Dementi; written by Kathryn Fuller-Seeley. Richmond, Va: Dietz Press, 2002.
Furgurson, Ernest B. Ashes of Glory: Richmond at War. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996.
George, Linda. Decorative Arts on VCU's West Franklin Street. Richmond, Va.: Dept. Of Art History, School of the Arts, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2002.
George, Lynne Ann. An Illustrated History of Forest Hill Park. Richmond: Friends of Forest Hill Park, 1999.
Green, Bryan Clark, Calder Loth, and William M.S. Rasmussen. Lost Virginia: Vanished Architecture of the Old Dominion. Charlottesville, Va.: Howell Press, 2001.
Hibbs, Henry H. A History of the Richmond Professional Institute: From its Beginning in 1917 to Its Consolidation with the Medical College of Virginia in 1968 to form Virginia Commonwealth University. Richmond: Whittet and Shepperson, 1973.
Kimball, Fiske. The Capitol of Virginia: A Landmark of American Architecture. With a new Introduction by Charles Brownell and An Essay On the Capitol Model by F. Carey Howlett. Richmond: Library of Virginia, 2002.
Kimball, Gregg D. American City, Southern Place: A Cultural History of Antebellum Richmond. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2000.
Kollatz, Harry. True Richmond Stories: Historical Tales from Virginia’s Capital. Charleston: History Press, 2007.
Koplin, Bruce. Art Deco in Richmond. Richmond, Va.: Virginia Commonwealth University, 1975. Exhibition catalog of an exhibit held at VCU's Anderson Gallery.
Lee, Richard M. General Lee's City: An Illustrated Guide to the Historic Sites of Confederate Richmond. McLean: EPM Publications, 1987.
Little, John Peyton. History of Richmond. Richmond. Dietz Printing Co., 1933.; Reprint from Southern Literary Messenger, 1851.
Logan, Jenna. Inventory of the Architectural Drawings in the Collections of the Valentine Richmond History Center. Richmond, Va. The Valentine Museum, 2002.
Longest, George C. Genius in the Garden: Charles F. Gillette and Landscape Architeture in Virginia. Richmond: Virginia State Library and Archives, 1992.
Loth, Calder. The Virginia Landmarks Register. Charlottesville: Published for the Virginia Dept. of Historic Resources by the University Press of Virginia, 1999.
Lounsbury, Carl. The Courthouses of Early Virginia: An Architectural History. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2005.
Lounsbury, Carl. An Illustrated Glossary of Early Southern Architecture and Landscape. With editorial assistance by Vanessa E. Patrick; prepared at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Charlottesville, Va: University Press of Virginia, 1999.
MacDonald, Edgar. James Branch Cabell and Richmond-In-Virginia. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1993.
Marcellus Wright, Cox, and Cilimberg, Richmond, Va.: Marcellus Wright Cox and Climberg, 1979.
McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Knopf, 1984. This guide to houses across the country includes many examples of Richmond houses including several on W. Franklin Street.
McKenney, Carlton Norris. Rails in Richmond. Glendale: Interurban Press, 1986. An excellent book on the history of streetcars in Richmond.
Mitchell, Mary H. Hollywood Cemetery: The History of A Southern Shrine. Richmond: Virginia State Library, 1985.
Mordecai, Samuel. Richmond in By-Gone Days. Richmond: Dietz Press, 1946, Reprint, original Richmond: 1856.
Morrison, Andrew, ed. City on the James: Richmond, Virginia: The Chamber of Commerce Book. Richmond: Geo. W. Engelhardt, 1893. This is one of several "booster" books on Richmond published during the late 19th and early 20th century that may be helpful to researchers. Special Collections and Archives has a large collection of these publications.
Munford, Robert Beverley, Richmond Homes and Memories. Richmond: Garrett and Massie, incorporated, c1936.
O'Neal, William Bainter. Architecture in Virginia; An Official Guide to Four Centuries of Building in the Old Dominion. New York: Published for the Virginia Museum by Walker, 1968.
O'Neal, William Bainter. The Work of William Lawrence Bottomley in Richmond. William B. O’Neal and Christopher Weeks; foreword by Jaquelin T. Robertson; selected photographs by Richard Cheek. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1985.
Olena, Ben F. Hummelstown Brownstone. Millersville, Pa.: B. Olena , 2003. This book documents the work of the Hummelstown, Pennsylvania firm - much of their brownstone can be seen in buildings on W. Franklin Street.
Pember, Phoebe Yates. A Southern Woman's Story. New York: G. W. Carleston & Co., 1879.
Peters, John O. Virginia’s Historic Courthouses. John O. and Margaret T. Peters; photographs by John O. Peters. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1995.
Pierce, Don. One Hundred Years at the Jefferson: Richmond's Grand Hotel, A History. Richmond, Va. Page One Inc., 1995.
Poindexter, G. W. An Illustrated History of Joseph Bryan Park. Richmond: Friends of Bryan Park, 2003.
Prasertwaitaya, Leila. Untangling the Arabesque: Islamic Design Elements in the Monroe Park Campus [of VCU] . Richmond, Va.: Dept. of Art History, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2007.
Ray, Tom. A Checklist of Architectural Books in the Special Collections of the Library of Virginia. Richmond, Va: 2001.
Richardson, Selden. Built by Blacks: African American Architecture and Neighborhoods in Richmond, Virginia. Richmond, Va. : Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods, 2007.
Ryan, David D. Cornbread and Maggots--Cloak and Dagger: Union Prisoners and Spies in Civil War Richmond. Richmond: Dietz Press, 1994.
Ryan, David D. Lewis Ginter's Richmond. Richmond: Whittet & Shepperson, 1991.
Salmon, John S. A Guide Book to Virginia's Historical Markers. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1994.
Salmon, John S. Researching Your Historic Virginia Property. Richmond, Va.: Virginia Dept. of Historic Resources, 2000. A valuble work that many researchers should start with when beginning to research a building in the Richmond area.
Scott, Mary Wingfield. Old Houses of Richmond. Richmond: Valentine Museum, 1941.
Scott, Mary Wingfield. Old Richmond Neighborhoods. Richmond: Valentine Museum, 1950.
Silver, Christopher. Twentieth-Century Richmond: Planning, Politics, and Race. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1984.
Takagi, Midori. Rearing Wolves to Our Own Destruction: Slavery in Richmond, Virginia, 1782-1865. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1999.
Thomas E. Stagg (firm). Thomas E. Stagg, Manufacturer of Sash, Blinds, Doors and Lumber: Vest-Pocket Price Current: Adopted January, 1898. Milwaukee, Wis.: Swain & Tate Co., Printers, 1898. This is an example of the many late 19th and early 20th century house building catalogs that are housed in Special Collections and Archives. The Stagg firm was located in Richmond.
Tyler-McGraw, Marie. At the Falls: Richmond, Virginia and Its People. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1994.
Walford, J. Binford. Selections from the work of J. Binford Walford, Architect, Successor to Charles M. Robinson, Architects. Richmond [New York, Architectural Catalog Co.] 1936.
Walthall, Ernest Taylor. Hidden Things Brought to Light. Richmond: Press of the Dietz Printing Co., 1933.
Ward, Harry M. and Harold E. Greer, Jr. Richmond During the Revolution, 1775-83. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1977.
Weddell, Alexander Wilbourne. Richmond Virginia in Old Prints, 1737 – 1887. Richmond: Johnson Publishing, 1932.
Weisiger, Benjamin B. Old Manchester & Its Environs, 1769-1910. Richmond: B.B. Weisiger, 1993.
Wells, John E., and Robert E. Dalton. The Virginia Architects, 1835-1955: A Biographical Dictionary. Richmond: New South Architectural Press, 1997.
White, Ralph R. Seeing the Scars of Slavery in the Natural Environment: An Interpretive Guide to the Manchester Slave Trail along the James River in Richmond. Richmond: James River Park System, 2002.
Whiting, Sarah. A Guide to Historic Richmond: A Sampler of Historic Buildings and Sites in Central Richmond, VA. Richmond: Historic Richmond Foundation, 2001.
Wislon, Richard Guy. Buildings of Virginia: Tidewater and Piedmont. Oxford University Press, 2002. This comprehensive study of Virginia architecture includes a large section on Richmond buildings by architectural historians including Sarah Shields Driggs, Thomas Tyler Potterfield, Jr., William M.S. Rasmussen, Selden Richardson, and Edwin Slipek, Jr.
Winthrop, Robert P. Architecture in Downtown Richmond. Richmond: Historic Richmond Foundation, 1982.
Winthrop, Robert P. Richmond’s Architecture. Richmond, Va.: The Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1981.
Winthrop, Robert P. The Jackson Ward Historic District. Photos. by John Zehmer; text by Robert P. Winthrop. Richmond: Dept. of Planning and Community Development, 1978.
Winthrop, Robert P. Cast and Wrought: The Architectural Metalwork of Richmond, Virginia. Robert P. Winthrop; with photographs by Katherine Wetzel and a foreword by Margot Gayle. Richmond, Va.: Valentine Museum, 1980.
Wittkofski, J. Mark. Theses and Dissertations Relevant to Virginia Archaeology, Architecture, and Material Culture. Richmond, Va.: Virginia Dept. of Historic Resources, 1991.

American Architect and Building News - Special Collections and Archives recently acquired the following volumes of this important work: v.1 (1876),v.3 (1878:Jan.-June),v.5/6 (1879),v.11/12 (1882),v.23 (1888:Jan.-June), v.71 (1901:Jan.-March)-v.94 (1908:July-Dec.); Title change to American Architect - we have: v.95 (1909:Jan.-June)-v.98 (1910:July-Dec.),v.101 (1912)-v.102 (1912).

VCU Annual Architectural Symposium Abstracts -- This annual conference was begun in 1993 by Dr. Charles E. Brownell, the head of VCU's Architectural History Program. In the words of Dr. Brownell, the conference was created "to air valuable work by current and recent VCU graduate students, as well as important research by other members of the VCU family circle." For four years (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998) abstracts of the papers presented were published. Many of the 37 published abstracts focus on Richmond architecture. This site lists the titles of each abstract.

Other Resources

Freeman File -- An index to articles from the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Richmond News Leader covering the years 1920s-1980s.

Richmond Directories -- Special Collections and Archives has Richmond city directories for the following years:

Microfiche: 1819, The Richmond directory, register and almanac.. pub. by J. Maddox; 1850/51, Montague’s Richmond directory and business advertiser; 1852, The Richmond directory and business advertiser.. by W.L. Montague; 1855, Butters’ Richmond directory; 1856, The Richmond directory and business advertiser.. by M. Ellyson; 1858/59, Richmond business directory.. by E.M. Coffield & Co.; 1860, Directory for the city of Richmond.. by W.E. Ferslew.
Microfilm: 1882-1901.
Bound copies: 1872, 1892, 1908, 1913, 1936-1940, 1942, 1946-1949, 1951, 1953- 1993, 1995-1998, 2002-2005.

Graduate Student Papers-- For over ten years, Dr. Charles E. Brownell, head of VCU's Architectural History Program, has deposited copies of his graduate students' reports on architectural topics to Special Collections and Archives. The subjects of the papers include a variety of Richmond architecture history topics. Email Ray Bonis, Assistant Archivist, if you questions about the topics of these reports or about questions concerning architectural resources in Special Collections and Archives.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps from the Sanborn Map Company Archives, late 19th century to 1989 for Virginia are available on microfilm on the third floor of the library and online to researchers in the VCU Libraries.

Undergraduate Student Reports -- Copies of undergraduate student reports on specific buildings in Richmond are housed in SCA. These reports were compiled by students of Professor Buie Harwood, chair of VCU's Interior Design class. These reports include images of the building being studied, its history, information about the building patron and architect, a discussion of its architectural features, and other information. While a majority of the reports focus on buildings on West Franklin Street, other buildings in the Richmond area are also included.

Online Resources

The William J. Anderson House -- This web site explores the architectural elements of 1000 West Franklin Street, an example of the Richardsonian Free Style in Richmond. This site also includes information about the Richmond Stove Company (Anderson was president of the company) and William R. Mason (1848-1921), a Scottish born stone mason, whose work in Richmond is seen on many buildings on West Franklin Street.

National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC) -- To search the RLIN AMC file which includes all of NUCMC's online cataloging.

National Archives and Records Administration -- Information about the National Archives and NAIL, a searchable database that contains information about a wide variety of NARA's holdings across the country.

Library of Congress - American Memory Project -- The American Memory Project consists of primary source and archival materials relating to American culture and history. Among its collections are digital versions of Virginia, Especially Richmond in By-Gone Days by Samuel Mordecai (1786-1865), published in 1860 and Souvenir Views: Negro Enterprises & Residences, Richmond, Va. published in 1907. Souvenir Views has many rare images documenting Richmond's African American community.

Richmond National Register Travel Itinerary - This a comprehensive site for information about Richmond's architecture. The site was developed by the Richmond Department of Community Development's Planning and Preservation Division in conjunction with the National Park Service. VCU Libraries' Special Collections and Archives supplied many of the historic images used in this site.

Virginia Heritage Site -- Virginia Heritage is a consolidated database of finding aids to manuscript and archival collections and provides information about historical materials that document Virginia history. It searches the finding aids or guides to collections found in most of Virginia's repositories including the Library of Virginia, the Virginia Historical Society, and many of Virginia's colleges and universities. For researchers interested in using primary source materials and documents on topics related to Richmond and Virginia history, begin with this source. Two excellent examples are finding aids from the Library of Virginia that include a wealth of information about Richmond architecture - the Guide to the Richmond (Va.), Bureau of Permits and Inspections, Building permit architectural blueprints and specifications, 1907-1949 and the Guide to the Richmond (Va.) Office of the City Engineer, Architectural drawings, plans, and plats, 1809-1975.

Virginia History Listserve One of the most important online tools for those interested in Virginia history is the Library of Virginia's Virginia History Listserve -- an "electronic forum where researchers can learn more about the work of other scholars, inquire about the location of sources, debate issues, raise questions, and learn about current events in the field."

Library of Virginia's Multi-Catalog Search. Site includes links to the LVA's book and manuscript catalogs and their image databases. One of the most useful databases for the study of Richmond architecture is the Richmond Esthetic Survey/Historic Building Survey - An online search engine providing interactive access to maps, photographs, and detailed written survey reports documenting the architecture of central Richmond, Virginia, in 1965. Report, photograph, and map images are available online.

Richmond, Virginia History Internet Resources. This site was created by Special Collections and Archives and includes links to over 80 web sites focusing on some aspect of Richmond history -- includes links to Richmond area libraries, museums, and repositories.

Area Repositories

Researchers who live in the Richmond area have access to a large number of museums, libraries, and other repositories. Below is a short list of a few of the most important repositories that those interested in Richmond architecture should visit. A more complete list can be accessed from Richmond, Virginia History Internet Resources.

Richmond Public Library -- In addition to books and other publications on Richmond, their Richmond Subject Files collection is one of the first places a researcher should start on researching any Richmond history topic. This collection can be found at the library's main branch on Franklin Street at the first floor reference desk. These folders include newspaper clippings, photocopies of articles from periodicals, city reports, and other sources. Subjects range from individuals to topics such as city parks, schools, churches, numerous buildings and neighborhoods.

Valentine Museum -- Another important repository to visit is the Valentine Museum/Richmond History Center. In addition to their own Subject File collection, they have a very large and comprehensive photograph collection.

Library of Virginia -- As important as their collection of books and manuscripts are in researching Richmond and Virginia history, the Library of Virginia's web site has tremendous online resources for accessing their records.

Virginia Historical Society and the Department of Historic Resources -- Two distinct but very important repositories located next to each other just north of the Boulevard in Richmond.

University of Virginia's Alderman Library -- Though located in Charlottesville, donations of books and business and personal papers by many Richmonders for nearly two centuries makes this library a must for researching Richmond history.

Richmond Times-Dispatch -- For reprints of photographs or research on specific topics, the newspaper's "News Research Services" can be a helpful source of information. Their office can be reached at (804) 649-6224.

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