by Amanda A Ashley

Created on: March 01, 2009   Last Updated: March 06, 2009

Church Hill is famous for many historical things, including the very popular speech from Patrick Henry, where he said "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death".

That's not the only thing that makes Church Hill a special place. Church Hill is a place with so much history, and it has become one of the treasures of Virginia.

The Church Hill, which is also called St. Johns Church Historic District once held the total amount of the original plot of land that was first Richmond. The city has since expanded quite a bit.

When you think of Church Hill, probably the first thing that comes to your mind is the famous St. John's Episcopal Church, and it's beautiful steeple. The amazing church was built in 1741, and has been a major landmark for the area ever since. The church, in fact, is the reason for the name of the region, Church Hill.

Another famous site in Church Hill is Chimborazo Park. This famous and beautiful park was the site of the largest American Civil War Hospital, and now has an 8 foot replica of the statue of liberty there as well. It was built in 1874, and is now the hangout location for many VCU students who want to relax after their classes. It also offers a nice view of the city, and is basically a clear area without too many trees.

The history of Church Hill also contains a bit of tragedy. On October 2nd, in 1925 a railroad track tunnel collapsed under Church Hill, and completely covering up a work train, and flat cars. Some after this occurred, the tunnel was filled in. There have since been efforts to remove the buried train, and have it displayed at the Virginia Historical Society. Although this hasn't happened yet, you can still see the bricked in entrance to the tunnel on 18th street. It will make for quite a historical visit.

Some other places of interest, while visiting Church Hill, include The Soldiers and Sailors Monument, the Woodward House, the Superior Warehouse, and the WRVA building, which is an 18,000 square foot building. The building was built for one of the cities first radio stations, but is now home to a business called Childsavers.

As you can see, Church Hill is not lacking in it's great history, and is a great place to live or visit, because you can learn a lot from the areas amazing history. So, if you live in Richmond, you have something to be proud of. If you don't live there, it would be a wonderful place to visit.

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