Manchester escaped extensive damage during the Civil War. When Richmond was evacuated on April 3rd, 1865, the town council for Manchester surrendered the town to Union authorities without incident. The town was in bad shape, but unlike Richmond, it remained under civilian control throughout the occupation and early reconstruction eras. In 1874, the Virginia General Assembly granted Manchester Independent City status, while allowing it to remain the county seat for Chesterfield County and retain the courthouse. The city census for that year revealed that it had a population of more than five thousand residents, with approximately three thousand whites and two thousand blacks.
ManchesterRVA 