The yard surrounding St. John’s church became Richmond’s first official burial ground when the church was constructed here in 1741. Richmond’s founder, William Byrd II, had donated the two highest lots in the city for its location “on the Hill called Indian Town” (now Church Hill). As a part of the colony’s Anglican establishment, St. John’s […]

Welcome to the Richmond Cemeteries project, coordinated by Dr. Ryan K. Smith in the History Department at Virginia Commonwealth University. This project highlights central Virginia’s notable burying grounds and offers a portal for research and self-guided tours. The region’s dramatic history, from colonial settlements and slavery, to Revolution and Civil War, to postwar emancipation and industrialization, can be seen here. […]