Photography

Arlington National Cemetery illustrates the evolution of the Virginia cemetery from a potter's field during the Civil War to the most prestigious military cemetery in the United States.

The cemetery contains such significant monuments and sites as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Rough Rider Monument, the mast of the USS Maine, the Confederate Monument, and Freedman's Village. Today not only can one visit the graves of Supreme Court justices, George Washington Parke Custis, Pres. William Taft and Nellie Taft, and Pres. John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, but one can also see the burial places of generals and admirals, Medal of Honor recipients, doctors and nurses, land and space explorers, inventors, and soldiers.

In the history of the steam locomotive Roanoke Machine Works played a key part. Take a look at this important economic center of the New South.

Roanoke Shops has been an indispensable part of the Roanoke Valley and the ""Magic City"" for more than 125 years. Founded in 1881 as an independent company, Roanoke Machine Works built new locomotives and cars for the Shenandoah Valley and Norfolk & Western Railroads. Situated between the picturesque Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains, the facility caused an economic boom in the nearby village of Big Lick and the surrounding area. By 1891, Big Lick had become Roanoke and had emerged as one of the most important economic centers in the New South. Today, Roanoke Shops employs skilled craftsmen who provide the highest-quality overhauls and repairs to diesel locomotives. This book takes a look into its history, particularly at production during that exciting and enchanting era of the steam locomotive.

The deadrise and cross-planked bottom style of boatbuilding started on Chesapeake Bay in the 1880s, when builders of wooden boats began to shift away from constructing vessels out of logs and into using planks to create hulls with a V-shaped bottom. Marine historian Howard I. Chapelle says that the style started in the North and Deep South (on the Gulf of Mexico)—but was not popular in those areas—before coming to Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay’s choppy, shoal water conditions were ideal for a shoal draft, V-bottom style of boat. The availability of good wood, a dynamic cottage industry that grew, and diverse inshore fisheries that supported a bay-wide fleet all encouraged demand for various sizes of wooden deadrise boats on the bay. Over time, the hull style became so popular that in 1985, the State of Maryland named the deadrise and cross-planked sailing skipjack as Maryland’s state boat, and Virginia’s legislature named the motor-powered classic deadrise style as the state boat of Virginia. 

Through the images and stories of the people who built it, discover the fascinating history of a railway established to fuel the nations' appetite for coal and that grew into so much more.

For a century, the Norfolk and Western Railway operated as one of the greatest transportation companies in the southeastern United States. From developing the coal fields of West Virginia to accommodating passengers aboard its famous Powhaten Arrow and Pocahontas lines, the N&W was the last major railroad to abandon the steam engine. The story of the N&W is a story about people-a story of the tens of thousands of people who worked in the shops and aboard the trains, sold the tickets and moved the freight, laid the track and managed corporate affairs. Images of Rail: Norfolk and Western Railway celebrates that heritage through the lens of some 200 archival photographs.

From images of the muscular Class J steam locomotive to the lone agent of the rural depot, these photographs have been harvested from the N&W's files at the Virginia Museum of Transportation. The archival material provides the reader the rare opportunity to rummage through the N&W's attic. See the engine crews at the turn of the last century, the shop gangs, freight agents, roundhouses, stations, and iron horses of a bygone age. With views of the rugged and, at times, dangerous days of railroading in the late 1800s to the rise of the N&W as a member of America's corporate elite, these pictures convey the railway's storied history.

Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the city of Charlottesville thrives amidst numerous tangible reminders of an incredibly rich history.

Founded in 1762, the heart of early Charlottesville was the stage for some of the most important figures in early American history, including Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. Growing side by side with Jefferson's University of Virginia, Charlottesville developed into a bustling community whose businesses, families, and celebrations were well documented in photographs beginning in the 1880s. The collection of images reproduced in Images of America: Charlottesville tells the story of the creation, growth, hardship, transformation, and success of a city beloved by residents and visitors alike.

In many ways, the story of bondage in Virginia is the story of the state itself...

Richmond's 15th Street was known as Wall Street in antebellum times, and like its New York counterpart, it was a center of commerce. But the business done here was unspeakable and the scene heart wrenching. With over sixty-nine slave dealers and auction houses, the Wall Street area saw tens of millions of dollars and countless human lives change hands, fueling the southern economy. Local historian and author Jack Trammell traces the history of the city's slave trade, from the origins of African slavery in Virginia to its destruction at the end of the Civil War. Stories of seedy slave speculators and corrupt traders are placed alongside detailed accounts of the economic, political and cultural impact of a system representing the most immense, concentrated human suffering in our nation's history.

Remembering Lynchburg and Central Virginia--a collection of writings by local writer and journalist Darrell Laurant--unearths the various layers of history that have shaped Lynchburg and the surrounding area. From the shores and waters of the James River, which runs through Lynchburg, to Thomas Jefferson, who was a frequent visitor in Lynchburg and neighboring Bedford County, the history of the Lynchburg area speaks volumes to the inquisitive visitor or lifelong resident alike.

With an eye for history and a journalistic touch, Laurant revisits the characters and events that have made this section of the Old Dominion state a treasure trove of historical tales.

Author and former Miller & Rhoads Snow Queen Donna Strother Deekens recounts the amazing history of the Real Santa.

After the turn of the 20th century, young Bill Strother left the tobacco farms of North Carolina to make a living climbing buildings. He became known as the Human Spider, scaling countless structures across the nation. Yet this was just a prelude to his true calling as the Santa Claus at Richmond's famed Miller & Rhoads department store. As department stores everywhere reached their golden age, Strother became one of the most beloved and sought-after Santas in the nation.

Understanding the history of Alexandria, Virginia is key to the early history of the United States. This throrough overview examines its long and storied history, from former colonial tobacco port to vibrant modern community.

Alexandria has a long and storied past. Founded as a colonial tobacco port by English and Scottish merchants in 1749, the city prospered. It became the social and economic center of Northern Virginia and the upper Potomac region. When the nation's capital was established in 1791, Alexandria became a part of the District of Columbia. In 1833, a canal intended to increase tradeand revenue nearly bankrupted the city. By the time Alexandria retroceded to Virginia in 1847, it had lost its standing among maritime cities on the Eastern Seaboard. Notable residents have included politicians and military heroes, such as George Washington, Robert E. Lee, and Gerald R. Ford, as well as cultural icons Willard Scott and Jim Morrison. Today's Alexandria includes descendants of free and enslaved African Americans and the progeny of 18th- and 19th-century European immigrants who have joined with new Americans to create vibrant 21st-century communities.

Staunton, Virgina is a town of architectural beauty, a major economic and transportation hub, and renowned state facilities.

For over a century, Staunton has been known as the ""Queen City of the Shenandoah Valley,"" not only because of its economic and geographic location in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, but also because of the architectural beauty found in the city. Since the early 1800s, prominent architects and builders have left their mark on the hilly terrain of Staunton, resulting in a rich architectural fabric rarely found in small American towns. Once the largest community in the western part of Virginia, Staunton was located in the center of the state until the creation of West Virginia in 1862. The region was a major economic and transportation hub throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries and was home to an affluent mix of people and businesses with the resources available to build handsome buildings. Two of the earliest state facilities were built in Staunton--Western State Lunatic Asylum (later Western State Hospital) and the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind (VSDB). These find structures established a precedence in the city that the rest of the state clamored to follow.

Once the largest farm population center in what was then Fairfax County, Falls Church has slowly evolved over the past three centuries into the unique town it is today.

Fertile soil and abundant streams at former Native American cross trails provided ideal farmland to early settlers, and though the first known home was built in 1699, it wasn’t until 1875 that Falls Church was incorporated into a town, taking its name from the prominent 18th century Anglican church built at these old cross trails. The town has seen the coming of Revolutionary independence and a mere seven miles from downtown Washington, DC, Falls Church sat close enough to witness the nation's capital burn during the War of 1812, and was transformed by the effects of the Civil War. Since 1900, residents have experienced the growth of the post–World War II suburban ideal and felt the impact of the civil rights movement, ultimately developing Falls Church into a small town with established religious, educational, and civic institutions amidst urban sprawl.

A fascinating collection of rare and vintage images documents the evolution of Virginia Beach throughout the twentieth century.

Virginia Beach: Jewel Resort of the Atlantic, takes us back in time to the days when the sparkling resort strip of Virginia Beach drew crowds by the train-full. This new book takes readers back to the days when there were only summer cottages and inns at Virginia Beach. In days gone by, sea breezes and incomparable landscapes created the backdrop for excursionists, and the wild country of Back Bay, Croatan, Sandbridge, and Fort Story was untouched. We follow the development of the resort as it changed to include grand hotels, clubs, nightlife, and watersports. Readers are invited to take a walk on the boardwalk of yesteryear and follow Virginia Beach through World War II and the big band era, to the fabulous fifties and the 1960s, when Virginia Beach formally incorporated as a city.

A collection of rare and vintage images documents the fascinating history of Russell County from 1786 to present.

Russell County was formed in 1786 from a portion of Washington County. It was named for Col. William Russell, who assisted in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. Early settlers, who were mostly English and Scotch-Irish, endured geographic isolation as they shaped the ways of life, attitudes, products, legends, and realities that would ultimately usher Russell County into the information age of the 21st century. In 1774, Daniel Boone led the defense of the Clinch River settlements during Dunmore's War, the war between the colony of Virginia and the Shawnee and Mingo Indians. The Virginia-led attack was designed to remove the last obstacle to colonial conquest of the area. By 1858, Russell County had been reduced from 3,000 square miles to 483 square miles. Other counties formed from all or part of Russell were Lee, Tazewell, Scott, and Buchanan. A portion of what is now West Virginia was within the original boundaries of Russell County. The county seat, Lebanon, is a vibrant destination for industry and technology.

Local author Kristin Thrower Stowe guides a series of expeditions through the River City's past.

Best known as the capital of the Confederacy, Richmond's history encompasses much more than the Civil War. Visit the state capitol, designed by Thomas Jefferson and tour Shockoe Bottom, one of the city's oldest neighborhoods. Follow the route that enslaved people took from the ships to the auction block on the Richmond Slave Trail. Go back to Gilded Age Richmond at the Jefferson Hotel and learn the history of the statues that once lined the famed Monument Avenue. See less-visited sites like the Maggie Walker Home and the Black History Museum in the historically African American Jackson Ward neighborhood.

Explore the fascinating history of Lynchburg, Virginia with more than 200 vintage photographs and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

In the spring of 1757, the Lynch brothers established a ferry across the James Riverto transport settlers on their way to the Ohio Valley. Within a decade, the settlement clustered around the ferry house became known as Lynchburg.

For a century, the city was regarded as one of the most important transportation centers in the Upper South, although its real fortune lay in tobacco. After the Civil War, Lynchburg evolved into a manufacturing center with a broadly based economy. As it marks its 250th anniversary, Lynchburg has become a focus for higher education and tourism in Central Virginia.

From the development of the modern camera to the current digital revolution, this photographic record of Lynchburg and the surrounding counties' growth is rich, varied, and traces their transformation almost from their birth to the present day.

The Christmas season is a time for traditions and, in Richmond, one particular custom reigned supreme: a family outing to Miller & Rhoadsdepartment store.

A Christmas outing to Miller & Rhoadsdepartment store revealed thousands of smiling faces waiting to enter the kingdom of Santaland- an enchanted world marked by glittering snow and intricate train displays.

From visits to area hospitals to a young man who demanded only a box of raisins, former Snow QueenDonna Strother Deekens shares her touching and humorous holiday memories from her twenty years in the gown. Kids from one to ninety-two will enjoy reminiscing with characters like the elves, Bruce the Spruceand, of course, Miller & Rhoads'legendary real Santa. Discover behind-the-scenes drama and learn firsthand what it was like to partake in this unforgettable event.

Twentieth-century residents of Williamsburg have witnessed dramatic changes in their community. First, before World War II, was the re-creation of the Historic Area-the fulfillment of a vision seen by a clergyman and financed by John D. Rockefeller Jr. In recent decades there has been an ongoing burst of construction to accommodate the influx of visitors and newcomers. Once an almost forgotten, out-of-the-way place, Williamsburg has become a thriving city and one of America's most popular tourist destinations. With photographs from the archives of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and local newspapers, Williamsburg presents a record of building activity and the restoration that returned the city to the eighteenth century and made its streets into pathways to the past. Included are the transformations of the city's two principal institutions, the College of William and Mary and Eastern State Hospital, as well as a photographic curtain call for Paul Green's outdoor drama The Common Glory. The people who have participated in making Williamsburg a vibrant, modern community and the famous visitors who have celebrated its heritage are highlighted in this fitting tribute to an American landmark.

For over two centuries, Arlington County has been a steadfast center for government institutions and a vibrant part of the Washington, D.C., community.

Many notable figures made their home in the area, like Supreme Court chief justice Warren Burger, General George Blood 'n' Guts Patton and a beauty queen who almost married crooner Dean Martin. The drama of Virginia's first school integration unfolded in Arlington beginning in the late 1950s. In the 1960s, two motorcycle gangs clashed in public at a suburban shopping center. Local author, historian and Our Man in Arlington Charlie Clark uncovers the vivid, and hidden, history of a capital community.

A fascinating history of Suffolk's heroic African-American community. A must-have for African-American and Virginia history enthusiasts.

After the Civil War, African-Americans throughout Suffolk and Nansemond County fought against injustice by demanding equality before the law, the right to vote, and equal access to schools, employment, and professions. Because of their tolerance and sense of fortitude, they were able to own land and businesses and to establish churches, schools, and social organizations that paved the way for generations to come.

Suffolkis a result of the many contributions made by countless pioneers in education, business, religion, social organizations, and community leadership. In this volume, Suffolk native and archivist Annette Montgomery shares timeless, evocative images and passages for all to enjoy.

A collection of old, treasured photographs provide a glimpse of Galax's first 50 years and of its citizens, their lives, homes, stores, and activities.

In 1903, the Grayson Real Estate Company was formed, land was purchased, and the community of Galax became a reality. The advantage of having the Norfolk and Western Railroad passing through town gave the young southern community the opportunity to grow and expand during the 20th century. Located on a high valley-like plateau in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, its downtown district is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. The town is surrounded by rolling swells of grassy hills and well-kept farms, while the Chestnut Creek meanders slowly through the heart of the town with the New River and the Blue Ridge Parkway nearby. A collection of old, treasured photographs provide a glimpse of the town's first 50 years and of its citizens, their lives, homes, stores, and activities.

Loudoun County, one of Virginia's most charming areas, is truly a picturesque region, balanced with sweeping pastoral landscapes along the Potomac and many lovely small towns and villages.

Over the past several hundred years, this county has enjoyed an ethnic-rich past, meaning that many diverse cultures—the American Indian, European, and African—have called this place home. These different civilizations have left an indelible mark on Loudoun County's character and architectural appearance, from traditional churches and shops to the more ornate and lavish homes scattered across the countryside. Fortunately, many of these buildings still stand, serving as fitting reminders to these different people's struggles and lives. In this volume of over 200 photographs, many never before published, you will experience the Loudoun County of yesteryear—a time when wagons and early automobiles competed for space on the same dusty highways, when homes and schools were made of cobblestone and wood framing, and when life seemed, overall, slower and less complicated. This book takes us on a wonderful journey through the county's major towns, such as Leesburg, Hamilton, Hillsboro, Lovettsville, Middleburg, Purcellville, and Round Hill, and to the smaller villages, such as Waterford, Broad Run Farms, and Taylorstown. From the turn of the twentieth century to more contemporary times, you will see your home county as you have never seen it before or as you remembered it as a child.

Previously known as "Rocktown,'? Harrisonburg was renamed for early settler Thomas Harrison, who deeded 2.5 acres of his 12,000 for the construction of a courthouse.

The town of Harrisonburg was recognized by the Virginia House of Delegates in 1780 as the seat of the newly-formed Rockingham County. Always looking forward, the town fathers proclaimed a grand industrial future for the town, and Harrisonburg was incorporated as an independent city in 1916. By the mid-20th century, planned growth, urban renewal, and nearby Interstate 81 had transformed the small town into a metropolis. The remarkable photographs reproduced in Harrisonburgoffer glimpse of the city's growth from a crossroads trading post to the host of an interstate clover leaf.

Be it Moonshine or Country Music, Franklin County has something for everyone and a story to entertain anyone

In the fall of 1785, the Virginia General Assembly voted to create a new county in the southwestern part of the state. The new county, named after Benjamin Franklin, was formed from parts of Bedford and Henry Counties. In January 1786, the first court in Franklin County convened and the county government was established. Native sons who have risen to national prominence include African American educator Booker T. Washington and the only Confederate commander to lead an attack on Washington, DC, during the Civil War, Gen. Jubal A. Early. With an area of 712 square miles, the county includes the communities of Ferrum, Endicott, Sontag, Glade Hill, Snow Creek, Henry, Penhook, Union Hall, Burnt Chimney, Callaway, Wirtz, Redwood, Scruggs, Sydnorsville, and the town of Boones Mill. The county seat of Rocky Mount was incorporated after Rocky Mount and another village, Mount Pleasant, combined in 1873. Having acquired the title of the ""Moonshine Capital of the World"" during Prohibition, Franklin County is also the eastern anchor of Virginia's music heritage trail, ""the Crooked Road.""

Using rarely seen images to illustrate the most interesting features of the city, this book showcases the events that molded Petersburg's history.

Petersburg is one of Virginia’s oldest cities. The story begins with a frontier boundary that also allowed trade with the Native Americans. Located on the banks of the Appomattox River, Petersburg’s deepwater harbor was a depot for all supplies going south. In 1830, the first train tracks leading into North Carolina were located here.

Petersburg became the largest transportation hub in the state. Best known for its contribution to the tobacco industry, by the 20th century it was also a leader in numerous other businesses, some so big they were featured at the 1939 World’s Fair. Today, it is a city that has its own special reputation and works extremely hard to maintain it. A history lovers’ gem, there are 12 districts and 44 properties on both the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.

Known as the birthplace of black capitalism, Richmond had one of the largest black business districts in America at the turn of the 20th century.

Richmond, Virginia boasts a proud legacy of achievement among its African-American residents. Medical pioneers, civil rights activists, education leaders, and enterprising bankers are listed among the city's African-American sons and daughters. As individuals these men and women made their mark not only on Richmond's, but also the nation's, history. As a community, they have endured centuries of change and worked together for the common good. In their determined faces and in unforgettable scenes of the past, we celebrate and pay tribute to their history.

Now for the first time, Petersburg's history is shown through the photographs of William E. Lum Jr.-the city's predominant photographer, c. 1925-1950. Lum's photography illustrates the social, business, and personal lives of Petersburg's citizens. His first published collection, these images hold crisp detail from the eras of the Great Depression and World War II, including Camp Lee, Virginia State College, the merchants on North Sycamore Street, carnivals, and football games-to name a few.

By the middle of the 20th century, Suffolk had seen many changes. Railroads gave way to highways, and grand old hotels were replaced with motels. Yet within these pages the old Suffolk endures, depicted in the views and paintings of a vivid collection of postcards.

130 years after its opening, the once small agricultural college has become Virginia's largest university- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

When Charles Minor opened the doors of his new land-grant institution in late 1872, there were only 29 students, 3 faculty members, and a single building in the town of Blacksburg, Virginia. From the humble beginning of donated livestock, seeds, machinery, and books, the university now known as Virginia Tech has emerged as a leading research university that is consistently ranked among the nation's best colleges. In addition to housing some of the top engineering and business schools, the university also has a tremendous athletic program that continually produces many of the nation's top ranked athletes. The Campus History Series: Virginia Tech illustrates the university's evolution through over 200 archival photographs, including rare and fun bites of campus history, such as the old cadet rat parades, the first ring dance, the Highty-Tighties, the Huckleberry, and even the evolution of the school's mascot, the Hokie Bird.

Images of America: Richmond: A Historic Walking Tour guides readers through one of the earliest cities in the United States.

The book offers stories about settlers and Native Americans, our Founding Fathers, and even famous celebrities such as Elvis Presley, who made a visit to the Jefferson Hotel. Presented in this book are several walking tours, including one through Capitol Square, home to the Thomas Jefferson-designed state capitol; a stroll down Monument Avenue, one of the first streets to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places; and even a ramble through Hollywood Cemetery, the picturesque 19th-century resting spot for many celebrated historical figures.

With roots in Native American, African and European cooking traditions, Brunswick stew developed in colonial- and Federal-era Virginia, when squirrel was a necessary ingredient.

By the nineteenth century, the mouthwatering delicacy had become an important part of politicking, celebrating and family gatherings. At the same time, it spread beyond Virginia, following barbecue culture into the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky. Drawing on historical and contemporary sources, author, award-winning barbecue cook and Brunswick stew expert Joe Haynes entertains with barbecue stew history, legend and lore, complete with authentic recipes.

George Washington was first and foremost a Virginian. Born in the state's Tidewater region, he was reared near Fredericksburg and took up residence at Mount Vernon along the Potomac River.

As a young surveyor, he worked in Virginia's backcountry. He began his military career as a Virginia militia officer on the colony's frontier. The majority of his widespread landholdings were in his native state, and his entrepreneurial endeavors ranged from the swamplands of the Southeast to the upper Potomac River Valley. Historian John Maass explores the numerous sites all over the Commonwealth associated with Washington and demonstrates their lasting importance.

A collection of hidden tales that explore George Washington's home base of Northern Virginia.

Had General George Washington lived anywhere other than Mount Vernon, Virginia, Washington, D.C., might not exist. In this exciting collection of hidden tales from Northern Virginia, author Charles Mills highlights the important role that this region played in our nation's history from colonial to modern times. Read about the Rebel blockade of the Potomac River, the imprisonment of German POWs at super-secret Fort Hunt during World War II and the building of the Pentagon on the same site and in the same configuration as Civil War, era Fort Runyon. Meet Annandale's "bunny man," who inspired one of the country's wildest and scariest urban legends; learn about the slaves in Alexandria's notorious slave pens; and witness suffragists being dragged from the White House lawn and imprisoned in the Occoquan workhouse. Mills masterfully relates these and other colorful tales of the people and events that left their imprints on Northern Virginia and the nation.

From the Siege of Petersburg to the struggle for civil rights, the history of Petersburg's African American community is detailed in this volume.

The city of Petersburg has distinguished itself as a special place for African American history. African Americans in Petersburg have overcome racial and political obstacles placed in their paths. The city was the site of one of the largest free black populations in the South leading up to the Civil War, and more black soldiers participated in the Siege of Petersburg than in any other Civil War engagement. The city is the location of First Baptist Church, the nation's oldest black church; has produced trailblazers in political life, including Virginia's first black mayor; and is the site of the famous Halifax Triangle, a thriving black business district. This diverse and poignant collection of photographs reveals a heritage rich in entrepreneurial spirit, devotion to church life, and unshakable courage in the struggle for civil rights.

Beautiful in all seasons, Winchester is breathtaking in spring with its apple blossoms and lacy dogwoods, but the town is not only beautiful; it's also historically significant.

Known first as Frederick Town, Winchester was the first English town west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This ancient place has been prized by everyone from the earliest indigenous peoples to the Europeans and Americans who fought over it. At the north end of the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester has stood sentinel over the rest of the valley as an important strategic center during wartime. This is the town where George Washington got his military and political start and built Fort Loudoun during the French and Indian War, and during the turbulent times of the Civil War, Winchester changed hands more than 70 times. Many of this city's sons and daughters, such as explorer Admiral Richard E. Byrd and country singer Patsy Cline, have achieved the world's respect. This book is filled with the story of Winchester from an early frontier town to the thriving small city it is today.

Middleburg was established in 1787 by Leven Powell, one of Virginia's founding fathers.

Following a long decline after the Civil War, the arrival of foxhunting in 1904 gave the town an international reputation for breeding, showing, and racing Thoroughbred horses. Over the ensuing decades, Middleburg would undertake significant historic preservation, but the town would also be remarkable for its laissez-faire attitude toward the rich and famous. Movie stars and presidents were seduced not only by Middleburg's horses, hounds, and history, but also by its respect for the privacy of its more renowned residents and visitors. In Middleburg, photographs from the collections of local residents Howard Allen and Tyler Gore as well as from the National Sporting Library, the Library of Congress, and other sources were chosen to reflect the character and charm of this historic village.

Historic, haunted, chilling tales of the town of Richmond as told by one of Virginia's most respected paranormal investigators!

With over four hundred years of history, Richmond abounds with ghostly tales and ghastly deeds from the past. Step into the shadows and take a tour of thirteen of Richmond's most haunted sites. Visit Church Hill, home of the famous St. John's Church, and discover the events that led to the tragic tunnel collapse of 1925.

Discover the long-forgotten Civil Warhospitals of Shockoe Bottom, where hundreds of wounded soldiers met their end. Feel the icy chill at the bottom of a staircase where a young apprentice was murdered in cold blood by his jealous master in 1826.

These stories and more await as you discover the mysterious, tragic and terrifying events of Richmond's dark past.""

Roanoke, VIrginia is a town with a hidden haunted history and many unique and chilling tales are revealed here.

Roanoke, in the heart of southwestern Virginia, is one of the most haunted cities in the commonwealth. The Star City is brimming with eerie and unexplainable stories, such as the legendary ""Woman in Black,"" who appeared several times in 1902 but only to married men on their way home at night. There are also macabre stories in many of Roanoke's famous landmarks, such as the majestic Grandin Theatre, where a homeless family is said to have lived and the cries of their deceased children can still be heard. Travel beyond the realm of reality with author L.B. Taylor Jr. as he traces the history of Roanoke's most unique and chilling tales.

Thomas Jefferson developed the idea for the Virginia State Penitentiary and set the standard for the future of the American prison system. The prison endured severe overcrowding, three fires, an earthquake and numerous riots.

Vice President Aaron Burr was incarcerated there in 1807 as he awaited trial for treason. More than 240 prisoners were executed there by electric chair. At one time, the ACLU called it the "most shameful prison in America." The institution was plagued by racial injustice, eugenics experiments and the presence of children imprisoned among adults. Join author Dale Brumfield as he charts the 190-year history of the iconic prison.

For more than 175 years, the history of the University of Richmond has been linked to the history of the city of Richmond itself. These photographs tell the story of Richmond and a school founded by Virginia Baptists in 1830.

It is the story of two campus locations with one unique mascot - the Spider. In 1914, on the site of an old amusement park, Gothic buildings emerged representing the search for knowledge among spires, vistas, and cloistered gardens. From urban to pastoral settings, these photographs record transitory moments as well as an enduring commitment to the city and education.

The fourth president of the United States, James Madison, and his wife, Dolley, stamped their influence throughout Culpeper, Orange, Madison, and Rappahannock Counties with their plantation, Montpelier, and the enslaved men and women who supported them.

One of those enslaved men, Paul Jennings, whose sons later became Union soldiers during the Civil War, penned his memoir in 1865. The legacy of slavery undergirds the region, and its ravages are undeniably on the faces of minority residents. The Civil War also has a footprint throughout the region; one example is the Battle of Cedar Mountain where, more than 85 years later, the first regional high school for minority children was built. Celebrants include World War I veteran Newman Nighten Gibson, of the 370th Infantry; Nannie Helen Burroughs, who founded a school for African American girls in Washington, DC; and Edna Lewis, who became a master chef in New York in her 30s and later was honored by the US Postal Service on a forever stamp.