About Richmond
Richmond, the capital of Virginia, is among America’s oldest cities. Patrick Henry, a U.S. Founding Father, famously declared “Give me liberty or give me death” at its St. John's Church, leading to the Revolutionary War. The White House of the Confederacy, the Confederate States Army headquarters during the Civil War, is now a museum in Court End, a neighborhood known for Federal-style mansions. While it was incorporated in 1741, Richmond has been an independent city since 1871. As of the 2010 census, the population was 104,114, in 2014, the population was estimated to be 117,853. Several of the city's large general museums are located near the Boulevard. On Boulevard proper are the Virginia Historical Society and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, lending their name to what is sometimes called the Museum District. The city operates one of the oldest municipal park systems in the country. The park system began when the city council voted in 1851 to acquire 7.5 acres (30,000 m2), now known as Monroe Park. Richmond has hot and humid summers and generally cool winters.