R. Elliott Martin is proud to announce that a driving tour of sites associated with the nineteenth-century city of Manchester is currently under development! Stops include the Manchester Courthouse, Mayo’s Bridge, Ancarrow’s Landing (Site of the Manchester Docks), First African Church of Manchester, and the Maury and Mt. Olivet Cemetery.

Manchester’s industrial past will come alive as you explore over one hundred and forty years of the city’s history, from its founding in 1769 as part of the Byrd Estate, to its annexation in 1910 by the City of Richmond. Founding Fathers, Civil War soldiers, the Midlothian coal mines, the Richmond Slave Trail, and local citizens both prominent and obscure are all included on the tour. RVA’s ‘Sister City’ made substantial contributions to the history of central Virginia and the United States.

Currently the site of numerous breweries, restaurants, cafes, apartments and mixed use office buildings, Manchester has developed into one of Richmond’s most promising neighborhoods. This tour will help demonstrate all that it has to offer while focusing on the history of an area long known as ‘Richmond’s Little Sister.’

The tour is five miles long, and each stop will include audio, pictorial images, and written content for your exploration. It is recommended to spend approximately ten minutes at each location. To accommodate driving time, please allow two hours for the tour’s completion.

This site is under construction! Please check back in regularly for more updates. There will be a lot to come over the summer of 2025.