Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-12
THEN A SMALL CITY.
A Description Of Richmond as Il APP
pared Seventy Years ago.
now 1T IrrarssnD BROOKE.
A Place of Natural beauty and With
Nrny Commercial fdvnnta2es-
Notes OF Thpt Day on other Nir-
Efnia Towns.


southern man and woman TO whom the
capital city Of tho old Dominion VAS IA
miliar before that sreat struggle; out
Richmond. IS she was In the time o.
Washington and jefferson and their kind
rs enc lay when ire nircteenth century
llcssomed fo,t1--is. OF course, roInem-
bered by mono OF the present generation
Very little accurate history is left to us
REGARDING the city on the James before
$50; 50. when a reliable. terse account
is presented &. finds many interested
resaers.
ss,h vii 10 the case with 81, follow
Ing aGtiolo. 1t being taken from "Broohe's
Cazsticef." printed in Whitehall England.
about 1876, ana which contains otiei
hiy,oricsl mention o. almost every city,
tow. hamlet, county. river state, coun-
try. ana mountain on Tire face Of the
earth. o. they were from is9 Ga IN44. The
boob had orieinaly abou. ~ cen hundred
Wages BONA IN elf, but many OF the
l.ayes Of tne writer's volume have been
torn out during its life of seventy years.
THE RICHMOND or THAT DAY.
Tho sketches ave arranged alphabetical
~ and urder the head OF r." appears
the following description eve copy YER
ba,irn) OF Richmond as she looked TO Mr..
brooke about seventy years ago:
RICHMOND city and metropolis OF
Virginia situated IN the county OF i.n-
rico on the north aide OF me James rN.t6
al the tormlr alton Of the falls about lvo
miles above he termination OF lie Ilysi,
Lon. H. q ", La 81, 80 N ~ mics
\ Of Petersburg md ia niles W OF :.
from the city OF Washington; there are
about 10 houses. ~ v hich proDdbl!
nc than 800 are brick generally COW
cred with slate thu rest Of wooc. Inc
buildings IN Richmond are gencra'ly pialH'
without much display o. architecture
taste or reference 10 other objects thfa
OIlfy; to this remark. there are, now
ever. some exec, tons. had the MODE! OF
the Cap.ty bsen '8raled ~ us eNecu-
1lgn IL would be he finest building IN
the United States. rs propo1 lions are
perfectly correct. and its plan chaste;
aid even as ~ Is when seen from ~
vance. az Is often the case, y seems 20
Tie In lreatcr grandeur and beauty De
fore the svectator The public square,
o. which tho Capitol stands. contains
ABOUT eight acres ara mas been improved
by enclosing IN sub'iantiai IRON renee
,.aGy other Improvements nave been de-
signed ana in part executed, which WI p
cOinr leted yin .ender II place ~ great
BEAUTY. Near the Capitol stands the gov
and cos's building. The Pr shytcrians
lDiaoopaliaus. BHpusts. and Methoclsts,
faye ea9n two .lnceS or worship, the
Friends. Roman Cait ylics. and jews one
with most interest ny the traveller IS
vailed the Monumental cnurcA. now an
l,pisoopslian place % worship erected on
the site OF tle Tnt qtrc. which, on the
3ilh OF December. Isl. was consumed by
nre. and IN which the Governor Of Viz
giIia. @. " Smith Esq, and u other
persons. MAN. Of o.. n highly respectable,
persisted. The Monument, when com
plttsd, VII commemorate this mournful
orqf,. A new Theatre has be- erected
sun .only spacious for the purposes for
who q - intended. There are also
peia,s ptiary, on Armory Iancas-
terrain school-hoJ :, an Orphan Asylum,
"a Ecc-.horse, aLf q va u0bic though
sHsr Public library. and a Museum in
ElchrnCr'i. befiaes q nun Der ~ buildings,
connected with CONNER "a and m0nuf lc-
lures s'ch ae three Banking houses two
inErarce eilccs, four Tobacco ware
house. = SUGAR refinery. two Rolling
nHi sr'ul-g Mile. Sail meuufactory, and
four very valuable Flour-Mills.
BECAME THE STATE CAPITAL.
TIE town OF Pichnor4 was established
~ IN Sct Of the General assembly Of
VirFin!a IN The year lli2. aud the seat
% Efysrnment for TIE State was removed
frrA Williamsburg In 1880 at which rfriOd
the pOpuini!.n may be cCnisctured "a 500
perrcns. "a The year 1872 the number
The suburbs rs are Immediately connected
with g. may fairly Le rated az 16 70 IS 0C0
q majority beirg white persons. this
rapid Increase 81 DO, -iotion Cuing the
Ia. forty two wears ci8y be in part
syciibsd TO the transfer of the seat OF
government with It's attendant advan-
tares. but "a the lumber OF C6lcers con-
nected with the state government Is not
cor ilerable, art tho courts Of higher
jurisdiction which Tor a Few years sat Ia
1he capitol have since been branched out
IN such mGruel that their sessions are
held IA other piaces-pther causes mus,
be sought for 10 account for tho whole
effect prorUced IA the period first men,
ticned CO." very fruitful country hOrl ~
Ing on the James river above it's falls,
VAS Varti5ily and imperfecty cultivated.
and tss imporsibilty o. obtaining a naVi-
cation through the rapids Immediately
above Rlclucnd I'D deprived the inhabi-
f1nts OF g. lfee use of the river for the
Incorporation OF the products OF the
state. In so year 49, tho canal was so
IA completed that ail difficulty cf pass
Ing the rapids were removed. and
gradually since that time tho navlgn don
has been successfully used FOR 25) miles
above Richmond, passing the range Of the
Iiue Ridge TO the foot OF The Alieshany
mountain. IRE tolls OF James River
Company, enoruad a correct view Of the
growirs Importance OF the county IN the
years. via.
ltfs ..sssssss' sss.''s's' 's'''''s's.sse LOT o5