Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
witnessedmorethantheirshareofhistory.TheBritishplunderedRichmondduringtheRe-
volutionary War, and as capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War, it was bitterly
contested.ManybuildingsweredestroyedbyfirewhenRichmondwasevacuatedasUnion
troops approached in 1865. Fortunately, the state capitol, a graceful 18th-century building
designed by Thomas Jefferson, survived, as did many other structures.
For a journey into the past, take a drive on Rte. 5, which begins near the capitol and
headstothesoutheast outofthecity.Beforelong,inCharles CityCounty,the20thcentury
seems to melt away, replaced by an agricultural landscape—corn, winter wheat, soybeans,
andcottonaretheprincipalcrops—thathasneithertrafficlightsnorlargetownstointerfere
with its idyllic calm. Weaving through this rural region, Rte. 5 leads to plantation houses
thatsit,oneafteranother,likeastringofpearlsalongthebanksoftheJamesRiver.Shirley,
the first of them, is located off Rte. 5 about 18 miles from Richmond.
TRAIL OF HISTORY
The Virginia Capital Trail is a paved recreational trail designed to connect the Wil-
liamsburg and Jamestown to Richmond, with plenty of interpretive signage along
the way detailing the 400 years of American history that have taken place along the
trail. Currently, about 15 miles of trail are open in four sections (from 0.5 miles to
7.5 miles) to users including cyclists, joggers, and walkers. Get more information at
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