Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 09/18/2008
NRHP Listing Date 11/26/2008
NRHP Reference Number 64501026
A historical background document, the Slave Trade as a Commercial Enterprise in Richmond MPD adds no specific buildings or sites to the Virginia Landmarks Register or National Register; it does, however, provide an overarching and thematic historical context on which to peg future listings of specialized individual historic resources that are associated with Richmond’s significant role in the slave trade from the late 18th century through the Civil War. That trade concentrated mostly in the city’s oldest commercial areas along the James River, much of which is located today within the existing Shockoe Valley and Tobacco Row, and Shockoe Slip historic districts. Among the specialized buildings, structures, and sites associated with the city’s slave trade were jails, offices, auction houses, and residences of slave dealers—most of which have now vanished, except as archaeological sites covered by later construction. This documentation will facilitate adding vitally important but under-represented parts of Richmond’s history to the state and national registers.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: July 7, 2021
