Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

One of the most beautiful as well as historic cemeteries in the nation is Hollywood, situated on the north bank of the James River and within the corporate limits of Richmond. Its sleeping inhabitants number over forty-four thousand, of which 18,701 represent those soldiers of the Confederacy who were killed in the battles around Richmond […]

To the Virginia traveller in the quiet country neighbor-hoods of England there are no objects more appealing than the ancient parish churches, rising above the foliage of immemorial trees, and surrounded by the moss-covered tomb-stones of dead generations. They speak to him of a far-off age and they also recall his own era in the […]

The Eyptian Building of the Medical College of Virginia, located at Marshall and College Streets, is one of a large group of college and hospital buildings a short distance north and east of the Capitol Square. This building, completed in 1845, is regarded as the finest example of Egyptian architecture in America. It was designed […]

Many spots in Richmond bear the magic imprint of Edgar Allan Poe. We can visit the site of the theatre where his young, tragic mother trod the boards; of the hovel where she died in the arms of a kindly milliner; of the early home of the Allans where he spent his boyhood; their later […]

Shockoe Burying Ground is replete in interest because of its antiquity and of the many illustrious early Virginians who rest within its walls. The original plot was bought by the city in 1797, and additional acreage acquired in 1832 and 1850, when it was described as “city poor house, hospital, powder magazine, and new burying […]

The Archer House was built in 1815 by Edward Cunningham, an Irish gentleman. It was designed by Robert Mills, and stood at the corner of Sixth and Franklin Streets, occupying a quarter of a block. A few years later Mr. Cunningham sold the property to Dr. George Watson, of Ionia, Louisa County, and it was […]

This house, now occupied by the Valentine Museum, was erected in 1812 for John Wickham, Esquire, who selected Robert Mills as the architect. The walls are very thick, and the doors are made of mahogany with silver-plated knobs, locks and hinges. The exterior of the house is stately, its interior commodious, and the spiral stairway […]

The house was built in 1818 by Dr. John Brockenbrough, after plans by Robert Mills, and was occupied for many years by his family. Dr. Brockenbrough sold the house to James Morson, who added the top story and after a few years’ occupancy sold it to Honorable James A. Seddon, member of Congress, and later […]

Gadsby’s Tavern, in Alexandria, is steeped in the romance and history of colonial Virginia. It was the northern terminus of the King’s Highway – that much-traveled route from Williamsburg, the ancient capital of the Colony. The smaller of the two buildings knows as City Tavern fronts on Royal Street, and was built in 1752. In […]

Monumental Church was built on the site of the Richmond Theatre, which was burned in 1811. In the old theatre leading actors of the day-including Elizabeth Arnold Poe, who died in Richmond while she was a star in the Placides stock company-entertained the town and its visitors until December 26, 1811. On that night the […]