On this episode, the senior pastor at Richmond Hill, The Rev Ben Campbell talks about the history of the community. Founded in 1987, Richmond Hill is an ecumenical Christian fellowship and residential community in Richmond’s historic Church Hill. It is housed in the former Sisters of the Visitation of Monte Maria monastery.  The location has been spiritually significant for thousands of years.

Campbell is also the author of the great book Richmond’s Unhealed History.  It is available where ever you buy books or at Richmond Hill.

The view of the Shockoe Valley from Richmond Hills garden

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Ed Ayers, the President and a History Professor at the University of Richmond is the guest. He discusses some of the complexities of emancipation, what emancipation means in a practical terms, and post Civil War Richmond.  He also discusses why many consider him an internet pioneer in the fields of the humanities.

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On this Episode of History Replays Today, Ajena Cason Rogers, The Supervisory Park Ranger at the Maggie L Walker National Historic Site discusses the life of Maggie Walker.

Walker is best know as the first black woman to charter a bank in the US,* but she is much more than that.  Her mother was a former enslaved woman and her father was a Confederate yet she becomes a nationally know figure who rocked the boat of Jim Crow and pushed her community forward.

Visit the Maggie L Walker National Historic Site in Historic Jackson Ward at 600 N Second St.

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Lee Graves, known as the RVA Beer Guy tells History Replays Today about the history of brewing beer in the Richmond area.  Richmond is going through a huge boon in local brewing but beer has been in the area since the first English explorers came in 1607. The conversation follows beer from its 19th century brewing culture that was heavily populated by the German immigrants, through prohibition and up to the present day.

Lee Graves writes a column in the Richmond-Times Dispatch and is the author of the book Richmond Beer, A History of Brewing in the River City.

Find out more about Lee Graves or follow him on Twitter @rvabeerguy

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On this Episode David Voelkel talks about the 1812 John Wickham House, who its occupants were, about 19th century living in general, and his approach to history in general.  David Voelkel is the Director of Collections and the Elise H. Wright Curator of General Collections at The Valentine.  To hear more about The Valentine listen to episode featuring the museum’s director Bill Martin.

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Ashley Luskey, Park Ranger at the Richmond National Battlefield Parks talks about the under belly of Richmond during the Civil War.  Becoming the Capitol of the Confederacy brings massive change.  The rise in population and social fluctuations brings about prostitution, drunkenness, murder, opportunists, and even cross dressing.  Luskey does many tours including on this topic and will be one of the historians leading tours about the Civil War 150th battles in the area like New Market Heights between 9/27/14-9/30/14.  More information can be found at  http://www.nps.gov/rich/planyourvisit/fortharrison150th.htm

Bryce Van Stavern, the Supervisor of White House Operations at the Museum of the Confederacy discusses the use of balloons for reconnaissance during the American Civil War on this episode.  It can be said this was the first United States Air Force and they flew just outside of Richmond.

Dale Wheary is the Curator and Director of Maymont Mansion.  She talks about the history of Maymont and James and Sallie Dooley who left their house and estate Richmond.

There was so much interesting information in this conversation with Wheary that it will be released as a 2 part episode.  This first episode is mostly about the Dooleys and the and the second is mostly about Maymont as a park.  The people and their land is so connected that the topics are only loosely assigned to each episode.  The second part will be released on May 1, 2014.

Thank you to Maymont for all three of these images.

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Shockoe Hill Cemetery and the History Pug

The graves of John and Polly Marshall

Jeffry Burden, who is on the Board of Directors for the Friends of Shockoe Hill Cemetery and is its president tell History Replays Today, The Richmond History Podcast about the first municipal cemetery not affiliated with a church in Richmond.  The cemetery on the north side of RVA, is the final resting place of some amazing Richmonders including John Marshall (the subject of the last episode) and his wife, Elizabeth Van Lew the Union spy, Peter Francisco, the “Giant of the Revolution”, and many Richmonders associated with Edgar Allen Poe.

Elizabeth Van Lew’s grave

Help support or find out more about the Friends of Shockoe Hill Cemetery here.

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Joh Marshall by Henry Inman, 1832

John Marshall House at 818 E Marshall St, Richmond, Va c. 1900

Which Richmonder do you think has had the largest influence on the United States Government?  It may be  short list but at the top of that list, or at least near the top, has got to be John Marshall.  On this episode Bobbie LeViness, Site Coordination of The John Marshall House at 818 E Marshall St discusses Marshall’s life.

Marshall built the house at 818 E Marshall St in 1790  and lived there until his death in 1835.  Since the early 1900’s Preservation Virginia has owned the house and now runs it as a museum to the man who built it.

Marshall’s amazing life includes being an officer in the Continental Army and he was the first person, and still one of only a few, to serve in all 3 branches of the federal government.  He is best know as the third confirmed Chief Justice of the United State.  He is the longest serving and is known as the “Great Chief Justice”.

You are encouraged to visit the John Marshall House which closes during some of the colder months but reopens on Feb 28, 2014 and is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

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The Byrd Theater in 1953, for The Byrd Collection

Correction! In my introduction I mention that Its A Wonderful Life is playing Dec 24, 2013 and Dec 25, 2013.  I incorrectly said the times for Dec 25 are 7:15 and 9:30.  The correct time is 7:15 and 9:45.  For more info about times click here.

Todd A. Schall-Vess, General Manager of The Byrd Theater, in Carytown talks about the 85 year history of the theater.  It opened on Dec 24, 1928.  Schall-Vess discusses the opening of the theater, The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, the natural spring built into the theater,  and much more.  The Byrd is the oldest operating movie theater in Richmond. The photo to the left and below are from opening day of The Byrd in 1928.

Information about going to The Byrd can be found here http://byrdtheatre.com/

The Byrd is a staple in Carytown and has been there since before Carytown was called Carytown and even before that stretch of Cary St was called Cary St.  Information on how to support The Byrd can be found  at http://www.byrdtheatrefoundation.org/

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The Hippodrome Theater as it looked when it opened in 1913. The original building burns. The fire is covered in the podcast. Photo from Richmond Times-Distpatch

Ben Anderson, Park Guide for the National Park Service has done intensive research on Richmond’s most famous historic black theater, the Hippodrome.  Anderson has a conversation with host Jeff Majer, about the theater in Jackson Ward.  The theater is celebrating its 100th birthday and the conversation covers almost all 100 years.

The Hippodrome Theater as of 9/14/13, photo by Jeff Majer

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Mark Greenough, Tour Supervisor and Historian at the Virginia State Capitol talks about the early days of the building.  Many folks know that Thomas Jefferson designed the Virginia State Capitol, but the story is far more complicated and dramatic then a founding father dabbling in architecture.

The conversation addresses why the capital of Virginia was moved from Williamsburg to Richmond, why Thomas Jefferson designed the building, why it is where it is, what RVA was like as a young capital and much more.

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This is a conversation about Richmonder, Edgar Allan Poe with Chris Semtner, the curator of the Poe Museum in Richmond, VA.  In the conversation Poe becomes a human and not the caricature that most people know as Poe.

Semtner is also a great painter.  His works can be found on http://csemtner.com/