Fulton Gas Works Site Development Plan for the - Virginia ...

Fulton Gas Works Site Development Plan 

for the National Slavery Museum 

in Richmond, Virginia 

Jeff Eastman 

Virginia Commonwealth University 

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs 

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Program 

May 2008

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Fulton Gas Works Site Development Plan 

for the National Slavery Museum 

in Richmond, Virginia 

Prepared for the City of Richmond 

Department of Community Development 

Jeff Eastman 

Virginia Commonwealth University 

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs 

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Program 

May 2008

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Acknowledgements 

The Fulton Gas Works Site Development Plan could not have been completed in five 

months without the generous support and insight of the following people: 

• Reverend Delores McQuinn, City of Richmond Councilwoman to the 7 th District 

• Jeannie Welliver and Lisbeth Coker in the City of Richmond Department of 

Economic Development 

• Bob Howard, Deputy Director of the City of Richmond Department of Public 

Utilities 

• Jane Ferrara, Director, City of Richmond Department of Real Estate Services 

• David Herring, Interim Director of A.C.O.R.N., the Association to Conserve Old 

Richmond Neighborhoods 

• Tom Stiles, Skyshots Aerial Photography 

• Bob Strohm, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the 

Virginia Historical Society 

• Mort Gulak, Brooke Hardin and Ivan Suen, my panel members 

Thanks to all of you for opening doors for me and pointing me in the right direction when 

I strayed. 

My friends and family, especially Meg, also deserve special thanks for supporting my 

decision to return to school and putting up with my ceaseless talk about urban planning 

issues. I owe you all a debt of gratitude.

Contents of the Plan 

Executive Summary 1 

Introduction 3 

• Purpose of the Plan 3 

• Justification for Proposed Use 3 

• Site Location 5 

Part 1. Assessment of Existing Conditions and Development Potential 7 

1.1 Existing Land Use 7 

1.2 Site Description 8 

1.3 History 9 

1.3.1 Fulton Gas Works 10 

1.3.2 Fulton Neighborhood 12 

1.3.3 C&O Tunnel Collapse 14 

1.4 Environmental Conditions 15 

1.4.1 Floodplain 15 

1.4.2 Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area 17 

1.4.3 Contamination From Former Use 19 

1.4.4 Combined Sewage Overflow From Gillies Creek 21 

1.5 Building Conditions 23 

1.6 Zoning 30 

1.7 Related Plans and Surrounding Influences 32 

1.7.1 1960s RRHA Fulton Bottom Plan 32 

1.7.2 City of Richmond Master Plan 2000-2020 32 

1.7.3 Rocketts Landing 34 

1.7.4 City of Richmond Public Marina 35 

1.7.5 Virginia Capital Trail 36 

1.7.6 Market Analysis and Mixed-Use Development Plan 38 

1.8 Circulation 39 

1.8.1 Traffic Rates 2001-2006 40 

1.8.2 Route 5 Relocation 40 

1.8.3 Traffic Impact Analyses for Route 5 Developments 42 

1.8.4 GRTC Route and Expansion Plans 43 

1.9 Summary of Existing Conditions and Development Potential 44 

1.9.1 Assets 44 

1.9.2 Liabilities 44 

Part 2. Plan for the Development of the Study Area 45 

2.1 Vision: National Slavery Museum 45 

2.2 Development Guidelines 46 

2.3 Design Guidelines 46 

2.4 Site Plan 47 

2.5 Implementation 49 

Reference List 61 

Appendix

List of Tables and Charts 

Table 1. Fulton Gas Works site Parcel Acreage and Ownership 8 

Table 2. Annual Average Daily Traffic for Roads Near the Fulton Gas Works Site 40 

Chart 1. Timeline of Slavery Museum Site Development 60 

List of Figures 

Figure 1. Location of the Fulton Gas Works Site in the City of Richmond 5 

Figure 2. Boundaries of the Fulton Gas Works Site 6 

Figure 3. Topography of the Gas Works Site and Surrounding Area 6 

Figure 4. Existing Land Use on the Fulton Gas Works Site 7 

Figure 5. Fulton Gas Works Site Parcel Ownership 8 

Figure 6. 1935 Map of the Fulton Gas Works Site 11 

Figure 7. 1905 Sanborn Map of Fulton Neighborhood in Relation to the Gas Works 13 

Figure 8. Parcels Owned by CSX Showing Route to Tunnel Collapse 14 

Figure 9. Location of the Fulton Gas Works Site in the 100-Year Floodplain 16 

Figure 10. Location of the Fulton Gas Works Site in the 500-Year Floodplain 16 

Figure 11. Location of the Fulton Gas Works Site in a Chesapeake Bay Pres. Area 18 

Figure 12. Potentially Contaminated Area of the Fulton Gas Works Site 20 

Figure 13. One of Seven Combined Sewer Overflow Points Into Gillies Creek 21 

Figure 14. Location of Combined Sewer Overflows Into Gillies Creek 22 

Figure 15. Newton’s Bus Service Building on the Fulton Gas Works Site 24 

Figure 16. Gasometer at the Fulton Gas Works Site 24 

Figure 17. The Top of the Gasometer 25 

Figure 18. Building Containing the Office, Blacksmith Shop, and Machine Shop 26 

Figure 19. Building Containing the Office, Blacksmith Shop, and Machine Shop 26 

Figure 20. Building Containing the Boiler House, Compressor, and Exhauster House 27 

Figure 21. Building Containing the Boiler House, Compressor, and Exhauster House 27 

Figure 22. The Retort House on the Gas Works Site 28 

Figure 23. The Retort House on the Gas Works Site 28 

Figure 24. The Steam Generating Plant on the Gas Works Site 29 

Figure 25. The Steam Generating Plant on the Gas Works Site 30 

Figure 26. Fulton Gas Works Site Current Zoning 31 

Figure 27. City of Richmond Master Plan 2000-2020 Land Use Map 34 

Figure 28. Architect’s Rendering of Rocketts Landing Master Plan 35 

Figure 29. Conceptual Rendering of the Proposed City of Richmond Public Marina 36 

Figure 30. Location of the Gas Works Site in Relation to the Virginia Capital Trail 37 

Figure 31. Circulation Around Fulton Gas Works Site 39 

Figure 32. Fulton Gas Works Site in Relation to the Proposed Route 5 Relocation 41 

Figure 33. Conceptual Site Arrangement for National Slavery Museum 47 

Figure 34. Detailed Site Plan for the National Slavery Museum 48 

Figure 35. Rendering of the Slavery Museum Building with a Green Roof 54 

Figure 36. Open Pier Construction at the Virginia Eye Institute 55 

Figure 37. Rendering of the Slavery Museum Building with a Stepped Profile 56 

Figure 38. The Winfree Cottage 58

Executive Summary 

The Fulton Gas Works Site Development Plan was prepared as a guide for developing the 

site to be the home of the United States National Slavery Museum. 

The Fulton Gas Works site is composed of ten separate parcels owned by five entities, 

totaling 19.1 acres. The largest parcel is the former location of the Fulton Gas Works, an 

industrial site that dates to 1856 where coal was converted to gas to light Richmond’s 

streets and buildings. 

The site is located just southeast of downtown Richmond, Virginia, and sits between the 

long established downtown and the exciting new developments occurring along the 

James River. There is a rich history in this area that includes Native American settlement 

and the founding of the City. The area also played an important part in the Civil War, 

with Chimborazo Hospital located on the hill above the site and the Confederate Naval 

Yard along the river below. Slaves were brought into and taken out of Richmond by way 

of the Port of Rocketts, also located along the river below the Gas Works site. 

There are several factors that kept this strategically situated site from being developed 

over the last several decades. The first is the probable contamination from its former use. 

The process of converting coal into gas creates by-products that are environmental 

contaminants and are believed to have been disposed of on site. Another drawback is that 

the site is entirely located in the 100 and 500-year floodplains due to its proximity to the 

James River and Gillies Creek. For these same reasons, the site is located in a 

Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area, which also places some restrictions on the manner in 

which the site can be developed. Lastly, Gillies Creek, which forms the southern 

boundary of the study area, is a combined sewer overflow for the City, which means that 

in a heavy rain, raw sewage from homes and businesses may be diverted into the creek 

and released into the James River. 

Despite these restrictions, there are many positive aspects that make the site appealing for 

development. The Fulton Gas Works site is well situated along a highly visible location 

on a gateway road into the city, and if the proposed relocation of Route 5 occurs, along 

with the large scale developments being constructed further south on Route 5, this will 

lead to increased traffic and visibility for the site. Another positive in developing the site 

is that utilities are already present, which will cut down on development time and 

expense. Several of the existing buildings, though currently in a deteriorated state, are 

candidates for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, which would allow for 

the use of tax credits while lending an important historical significance to the Slavery 

Museum. 

Perhaps the most important positive is the site’s proximity to downtown Richmond, the 

James River, and exciting new developments like Rocketts Landing, the Virginia Capital 

Trail, and the proposed public marina. Indeed, it is the proximity to these developments 

as well as the rich history of site and surrounding area that led to the proposal to use the 

site as the home of the National Slavery Museum. 

Fulton Gas Works 

Site Development Plan 1

The Fulton Gas Works Site Development Plan includes a thorough analysis of existing 

conditions such as land use, building conditions, zoning, and circulation, with special 

attention paid to the history and environmental conditions of the site as well as the area’s 

related plans and surrounding influences. 

Building upon the site’s assets and minimizing the liabilities led to the formulation of a 

number of development and design guidelines, listed below, that will guide the 

preparation and use of the site as the Slavery Museum. 

The following guidelines will dictate how the site is developed. 

• The ten parcels must be combined under single ownership, and the site must be 

rezoned “Institutional”. 

• The environmental contamination of the site will need to be remediated. 

• The site will need 200,000 square feet of space for the museum, and another 164,092 

square feet for parking. 

• The site will need vehicular access off Williamsburg Avenue and Peebles Street. 

The following guidelines will dictate the design of the site. 

• The Slavery Museum buildings will be prominent on the site when viewed from both 

Williamsburg Avenue and the James River. 

• The site shall be developed in a way that minimizes negative impact on the 

environment through pervious paving, green roof technology, bio-retention swales, 

and green spaces. 

• The new buildings will need to be constructed above the level of the floodplain to 

promote views of the river but to heights that respect the viewshed of Church Hill 

and Chimborazo Hill. 

• The site will feature the Spirit of Freedom Exhibit Garden and trail along Gillies 

Creek. 

• The site will be the permanent home of the Winfree Cottage. 

• The gasometer shall hold a slave ship replica and will act as a vista upon entering the 

site. 

• The site will connect to the public marina, Virginia Capital Trail, and the Richmond 

Slave Trail. 

The benefits of having the National Slavery Museum locate in Richmond are 

immeasurable. Beyond the pure dollars and cents of what the museum may bring to the 

City and region, the Slavery Museum offers all visitors, whether Richmonders, 

Virginians, Americans, or foreign tourists the chance to fully understand this regrettable 

though significant portion of our country’s past. Furthermore, the museum can help heal 

the divisions that still plague this City nearly a century and a half after slavery was 

abolished. 



Introduction 

Purpose of the Plan 

The Fulton Gas Works Site Development Plan is the product of five months of detailed 

research, interviews, and brainstorming. More accurately, though, it represents the 

culmination of two years of graduate study in urban planning. Creation of this plan was 

the primary assignment for URSP 762, Planning Studio II, the capstone course in 

Virginia Commonwealth University’s Master of Urban and Regional Planning program. 

The following members of the Studio Panel contributed to the development of this plan: 

• Dr. I-Shian (Ivan) Suen, Panel Chairperson and Primary Content Advisor 

Assistant Professor of Urban Studies and Planning, L. Douglas Wilder 

School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth 

University 

• Dr. Morton Gulak, Panel Member 

Associate Professor of Urban Studies and Planning, L. Douglas Wilder 

School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth 

University 

• Mr. Brooke Hardin, Panel Member 

Deputy Director, City of Richmond Department of Community 

Development 

Justification for the proposed use 

Richmond is forever linked to history as a participant in the transatlantic and interstate 

slave trade. It is critical to the understanding of American history to tell the story of this 

regrettable but nonetheless real era of our past. Richmond’s legacy as the slave trade 

capital of the United States has been a black eye in the past, but the time is ripe to 

confront this issue in a way that can heal the still lingering tensions. Just last spring 

Richmond unveiled a reconciliation statue that matches ones found in Liverpool, England 

and the Republic of Benin in Africa, other participants in the transatlantic slave trade. 

Liverpool has taken the opportunity to confront their past involvement in the slave trade 

by becoming the home of the International Slavery Museum, and Richmond, which 

played a primary role in the history of slavery in the United States, should not let this 

opportunity pass them by forever. 

The area near and including the Fulton Gas Works was actually considered several years 

ago for the location of the National Slavery Museum before it was eventually awarded to 

Fredericksburg, Virginia (Redmon and Krishnamurthy, 2001). The site of the museum 

would have been largely on City owned property close to the river, near where the 

Intermediate Terminal building is today, and would have included the Lehigh Cement 

Company parcel. The mission of the museum was to focus on the role of slavery from the 



time of the Nation’s founding in 1776 through the Emancipation Proclamation and Civil 

War. 

Unfortunately for Richmond, the Slavery Museum’s Board of Directors chose to locate 

the museum in Fredericksburg, on 39 acres of a 2,100 acre development along the 

Rappahannock River called Celebrate Virginia that would include a golf course and 

commercial areas. According to a 2001 Richmond Times-Dispatch article, the developer 

of the site, Larry Silver, donated the land to the museum (Redmon and Krishnamurthy). 

Councilwoman Delores McQuinn, whose district includes the Fulton Gas Works site, was 

on City Council at the time, and says that the Council went to great lengths to entice the 

Slavery Museum to locate in Richmond, even without seeing a feasibility study. Council 

offered millions of dollars to the museum’s board, and even went so far as to set aside 

money for the environmental remediation of the site. Councilwoman McQuinn feels now, 

as she did then, that Richmond is the proper home for the museum. 

Though Richmond City Council made efforts to secure the area around the Gas Works as 

the site of the museum, then City Councilman Sa’ad El-Amin had concerns that there was 

nothing else in the immediate area to keep museum visitors down there. That was true 

then, but in the years since the original proposal, there have been many positive 

developments in this area, including Rocketts Landing, which will bring both residential 

and commercial activity to this area of the City. At the Gas Works site, the Slavery 

Museum can connect to the City’s Slave Trail, adding a wealth of information to the 

moving experience of the trail. When combined with the City’s plans for a public marina 

and the completion of the Capital Trail, this area will be one of the City’s centers of 

recreation, and hopefully, tourism as well. 

Although the location of the National Slavery Museum was awarded to Fredericksburg, 

ground has yet to be broken, and recent newspaper articles report that slow fundraising 

results may further hinder plans to begin construction. The time is right for the museum 

to reassess their choice of location and consider a site that more closely ties the mission 

of the museum to its location. The powerful story that the museum will tell fits better in 

Richmond than it does in the middle of the woods outside of Fredericksburg. 



Site Location 

The study area consists of a group of parcels surrounding the former Fulton Gas Works 

located just southeast of downtown Richmond, Virginia (see Figure 1). The site is 

bounded by Gillies Creek on the south, Williamsburg Avenue on the east, and Main 

Street on the west (see Figure 2), and bisected by the raised railroad trestles of the CSX 

Transportation Company. Although there are ten parcels that make up the study area, for 

the purposes of this paper, the area will be referred to as the Fulton Gas Works site. 

Figure 1. Location of the Fulton Gas Works Site in the City of Richmond 

The Gas Works site and surrounding area are a geographic low point (see Figure 3), 

sitting at the bottom of Church, Chimborazo, and Fulton Hills, with the James River on 

the fourth side. These hills are home to the first neighborhoods of Richmond and are rich 

in history, architecture, and character. Downtown Richmond, including the State Capitol 

building, financial district, Shockoe Slip and Shockoe Bottom, is just over a mile away to 

the northwest. The Tobacco Row apartment buildings (old tobacco warehouses converted 

into hundreds of apartments in the last two decades) are located less than a mile away, 

and Shockoe Bottom is the City’s main entertainment destination. 



Figure 2. Boundaries of the Fulton Gas Works Site 

source: City of Richmond GIS 

Figure 3. Topography of the Gas Works Site and Surrounding Area 




Part 1. Assessment of Existing Conditions and 

Development Potential 

1.1 Existing Land Use 

All of the land in the study area is vacant at the present time (see Figure 4), with the 

exception of a parcel that is operated as a bus repair facility. Existing land use in the area 

surrounding the Gas Works site is presently mixed. Just north of the study area along 

Williamsburg Avenue sits a house that, according to City tax records, was built in 1780. 

The larger area of yellow in Figure 4 shows the residential neighborhood of Church Hill. 

Although there used to be a thriving neighborhood in the area around the Fulton Gas 

Works, the site is now mostly surrounded by small industrial operations and vacant land. 

However, due to its proximity to downtown and the river, this area is garnering increased 

interest from the development community. Much of that interest is driven by the Rocketts 

Landing development, which, when coupled with the plans for the public marina and 

Virginia Capital Trail, could make this a very attractive place to live, work, and play. 

Figure 4. Existing Land Use on the Fulton Gas Works Site 




1.2 Site Description 

Ten separate parcels comprise the study area, totaling 19.1 acres (see Figure 5 and Table 

1). The largest parcel, at 10.4 acres, is the physical site of the former Gas Works, owned 

by the City’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU). The next largest parcel is the 3.3 acre 

piece of land between the Gas Works and Gillies Creek that is owned by RRHA, the 

Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. The other eight parcels are all small, 

with no one parcel larger than 1.3 acres. Owners of these parcels include the CSX 

Transportation Company, the City’s Department of Parks and Recreation, and one parcel 

owned by Newton’s Bus Service. 

Figure 5. Fulton Gas Works Site Parcel Ownership 


Table 1. Fulton Gas Works site Parcel Acreage and Ownership 

Parcel # Acreage Owner Name 

1 10.4 City Of Richmond Department of Public Utilities 

2 3.3 Richmond Redevelopment & Housing Authority 

3 1.3 City Of Richmond Department of Parks & Recreation 

4 1.2 Richmond Redevelopment & Housing Authority 

5 1.1 Newton’s Bus Service 

6 0.7 C S X Transportation 




10 0.2 City Of Richmond Department of Parks & Recreation 

19.1 




1.3 History 

There is a long history of human settlement in this area of the City. Indeed, this site and 

the surrounding area have played a prominent role in the history and development of 

Richmond. In his 1976 book Richmond, the Story of a City, author Virginius Dabney tells 

us that the valley between the hills and the river in this area (on both sides of Gillies 

Creek) was farmed by a group of Powhatan Indians under the leadership of Little 

Powhatan, son of Chief Powhatan. Gabriel Archer, the chronicler of an expedition of 

English explorers who traveled up the James River in 1607 with Christopher Newport, 

wrote of a “playne between the hill and river, whereon he [Little Powhatan] soes his 

wheate, beane, peaze, tobacco, pompions, gourdes, Hempe, flaxe, etc.” (Dabney, 1976). 

The study area, like the hill that stands to the southeast, is named for James Alexander 

Fulton, who built his home in 1800 where Powhatan Village once stood (Dabney, 1976). 

This area was key in the early development of Richmond because it marked the last 

navigable stretch of the James River before the fall line. The area along the James River 

just below the Gas Works site was known as the Port of Rocketts, where, in the 1700s, 

goods from the interior of Virginia were loaded on ocean-going ships, and vice versa. 

Later, this area was used to load another export, slaves, onto ships for transport further 

south. This area was also home to the Confederate Naval Shipyard, which is today 

commemorated by a stone marker at the corner of Main Street and Peebles Street. 

Church Hill and Chimborazo Hill, located north and east of the study area, respectively, 

are both City Old and Historic Districts and have each played important roles in the 

history of Richmond. From a vantage point on Church Hill, near the present day 

Confederate Sailors and Soldiers Monument in Libby Park, William Byrd II surveyed the 

bend of the James River and found it remarkably similar to the view from Richmondupon-Thames 

in England, and this is how the City got its name. Church Hill encompasses 

the original development of the City of Richmond, and is so named for St. Johns Church, 

where Patrick Henry proclaimed “Give me Liberty or Give me Death” (Kimmel, 1958). 

Chimborazo Hill, located adjacent to Church Hill to the southeast, was home to one of 

the largest Confederate hospitals during the Civil War. All structures dating from that 

period have vanished, but the site is now a museum operated by the National Park 

Service as part of the Richmond National Battlefield Parks and features interpretive 

displays on medical treatment during the war. 

Shortly after the end of the Civil War, President Lincoln and his son Tad traveled by boat 

to Richmond to view the damage firsthand. They disembarked at the Port of Rocketts and 

walked through the city to the Confederate White House. An April 4 th , 1865 article in the 

New York Times reports that Lincoln was guided through the city by many of the slaves 

his Emancipation Proclamation had freed: “The arrival of the President soon got noised 

abroad, and the colored population turned out in great force, and for a time blockaded the 

quarters of the President, cheering vociferously. It was to be expected, that a population 

that three days since were in slavery, should evince a strong desire to look upon the man 

whose edict had struck forever the manacles from their limbs”. It is the area’s history that 

makes it such an appropriate site for the Slavery Museum. 



1.3.1 Fulton Gas Works 

Richmond was one of the first cities in the United States to use gas as a source of light 

and heat. Even in those days, streetlights were used in order to decrease crime. On 

November 29, 1849, the City adopted an ordinance that created a “Committee on Light” 

which was tasked “to have constructed suitable works for the manufacture and 

distribution of carbureted hydrogen gas from bituminous coal for the purpose of 

illumination through the streets, lanes, and alleys of the city” (City of Richmond DPU, 

1935). 

The Committee on Light purchased two lots on Cary Street between Fifteenth and 

Sixteenth streets as the site of the gas works, and construction began soon thereafter. 

The gas works began operations in 1851, and use of gas caught on quickly, as the number 

of private users grew to 627 in the first year, and then 937 in the next year a 49% increase 

(City of Richmond DPU, 1935). At this point the gas was being used for the purposes of 

lighting interior spaces and streets. City officials soon realized that the plant they had 

built just two years prior would soon have to be enlarged to meet the growing demand, 

but unfortunately, the current site was not suitable for expansion. Thus, the Committee on 

Light recommended the purchase of new land near Rocketts Landing at the current site of 

the Gas Works. The 1935 annual report of the Department of Public Utilities (in 1919 the 

Committee on Light became a division of the Department of Public Utilities) posits “It 

seems possible that the extremely offensive odors which were produced by the purifying 

process then in use had something to do with this recommendation”. The current Gas 

Works site was purchased in 1853, and construction began immediately (see Figure 6). 

The new plant took over gas production for the city on October 5, 1856. 

The gas business continued to grow in the years following construction of the new Gas 

Works, but as the Civil War loomed, improvements were delayed, and the workforce was 

trimmed in order to free men up to fight for the Confederacy. To free up even more 

soldiers, it was suggested that “negroes be substituted for present employees”, and so it 

was that in 1862 the Committee on Light presented a resolution to City Council “to 

purchase as many negroes as in the opinion of the Chairman of the Committee and the 

Superintendent of the Gas Works may be advisable to secure labour for the gas works” 

(City of Richmond DPU, 1935). City Council approved the resolution and gave the 

Committee $30,000 to buy slaves to work in the Gas Works. The same buildings that 

these slaves worked in may house the National Slavery Museum. 

The fire set by retreating Confederate soldiers in Richmond on April 3, 1865 that 

destroyed so much of the city caused a complete shutdown of the gas system, but workers 

were asked to restore the works to service before long in order to improve security and 

also to facilitate nighttime reconstruction. 



Figure 6. 1935 Map of the Fulton Gas Works Site 

source: City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities 

In the years after the Civil War, the Gas Works continued to expand and add new 

services, all while surviving numerous floods that caused temporary setbacks. In the late 

19 th century, as electric light use became more widespread, use of gas was shifted from 

lighting to cooking and heating. The 1930 Annual Report from the Department of Public 

Utilities relates that the Nolde Brothers bakery installed a 73 foot traveling bake oven that 

could bake 4,000 pounds of bread per hour, using up to 4,000 cubic feet of gas an hour. 

Other large gas consumers include one who used gas in their meat-smoking operation, 

and another who used gas-fired kettles to make soap. (City of Richmond DPU, 1930). 

In the early 1950s, the Department of Public Utilities began to convert the system from 

manufactured gas to natural gas, and this began the slow decline for the Gas Works site. 

Natural gas burned hotter and more efficiently than manufactured gas did. Large concrete 

cradles were constructed on the gas works site to hold giant propane tanks. Natural gas 

was now being pumped into Richmond via pipeline from Greene County, and the gas 

works served only as a “peak use” source, mixing propane with air to lower the 

combustion efficiency down to the level of natural gas. This system worked fine until 

1972, when the flood from Hurricane Agnes dislodged the propane tanks from their 

cradles. Miraculously, none of the propane tanks floated away or exploded, but due to 

this problem the tanks were moved to less flood prone areas on the south side of the river, 

and the active use of the Gas Works site ended. 



1.3.2 Fulton Neighborhood 

During the same time that the city was buying the property to house the expanded Gas 

Works, homes were being built to the south of the site. In his 2007 book Built by Blacks: 

African American Architecture & Neighborhoods in Richmond, VA, local preservationist 

Seldon Richardson explains that “lots were for sale in what was known as the town of 

Fulton as early as 1853”. 

The Fulton neighborhood that emerged in the 1850s was originally a white neighborhood, 

but when the white families moved out in the late 1800s, the area became populated by 

former slaves and their families (Bass, 2007). These former slaves prospered in their new 

neighborhood, and established deep roots around churches and schools. Fulton was like 

many of today’s prized urban neighborhoods, built on the street grid with community 

commercial centers (see Figure 7). The Fulton neighborhood was the eastern stop on the 

City’s trolley line, and it naturally became the place where people coming in from the 

country would park to ride the trolley into downtown. The supermarkets, furniture stores, 

and movie theaters in Fulton served these early commuters as well as the rural 

community in eastern Henrico County. 

When the trolley stopped running and commuters chose to drive into the city themselves, 

the prosperity that had blessed Fulton declined. The rise of suburbs pulled more money 

out of the neighborhood that was by now a firmly established African American 

community, and the decline continued into the mid-20 th century. In the mid 1960s, City 

Council commissioned the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) to 

complete a study to see what could be done about the deteriorating situation in Fulton. 

After much debate between the residents of Fulton, City officials, and the RRHA, Fulton, 

like so many inner-city neighborhoods across the country during the urban renewal 

fervor, fell victim to the bulldozer. The last structure remaining in the former bustling 

neighborhood fell in the early 1980s. With the exception of a suburban residential 

development, a city park, and a few industrial buildings, nothing has materialized where 

the neighborhood once stood. That this neighborhood became the home of freed slaves 

lends more credence to the historical significance of the area as the site of the Slavery 

Museum. 



Figure 7. 1905 Sanborn Map of Fulton Neighborhood in Relation to the Gas Works 

source: VCU Libraries Digital Archive of Sanborn Maps 



1.3.3 C&O Tunnel Collapse 

Two slender parcels in the study area running north-south (see Figure 8) are currently 

owned by the CSX Transportation Company and are a grim reminder of a tunnel collapse 

that occurred in Richmond in 1925. The tunnel, built in 1873 by the Chesapeake and 

Ohio (C&O) Railway Company (CSX absorbed C&O in 1987), ran underneath Church 

Hill just to the north of the Gas Works, and continued underneath Jefferson Park. By 

1925 the tunnel needed to be widened to accommodate larger trains. On October 2, 1925, 

during the course of the widening, a 100 to 200 foot stretch of the tunnel under Jefferson 

Park collapsed. Three men were killed that day, and the tunnel was later filled with sand 

and sealed at both ends. The tracks leading into the tunnel were later removed, yet CSX 

still retains ownership of the land. 

Figure 8. Parcels Owned by CSX Showing Route to Tunnel Collapse 




1.4 Environmental Conditions 

1.4.1 Floodplain 

In the past 100 years, floods have caused more loss of life and property damage in the 

Unites States than any other type of natural disaster (Daniels and Daniels, 2003). 

Richmond has not been immune to flooding, and the entire Fulton Gas Works study area 

is located in the 100 and 500-year floodplains due to its proximity to the James River and 

Gillies Creek (see Figures 9 and 10). As such, any development that occurs on this site 

must be in compliance with City of Richmond Municipal Code Chapter 50, Article II 

[Floodplain Management]. The delineation of floodplain districts has been prepared for 

the City by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and was most recently 

updated in July of 1998. The boundaries of the floodplain districts have been established 

on flood insurance rate maps, or FIRMS, also prepared by FEMA. 

There are three types of floodplain districts: floodway districts, flood fringe districts, and 

approximate floodplain districts. Floodway districts are those where the deepest and most 

frequent flood flows are conducted, while flood fringe districts are those that would be 

lightly inundated by a 100-year flood. 

Generally, development of the land in a floodplain requires a building permit and/or a 

land disturbing activity permit, and the development would have to be in strict 

compliance with the applicable sections of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building 

Code. The development could not adversely affect the capacity of the floodway or 

watercourse. If any alteration or relocation of the waterway were to occur, approval 

would need to be obtained from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Additionally, no new 

residential construction will be allowed without provision of adequate vehicular access to 

the site prior to and during a 100-year flood. 



Figure 9. Location of the Fulton Gas Works Site in the 100-Year Floodplain 


Figure 10. Location of the Fulton Gas Works Site in the 500-Year Floodplain 




1.4.2 Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area 

The Gas Works site is also located in a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area, with the main 

portion in a Resource Management Area, and the land along Gillies Creek in a Resource 

Protection Area (see Figure 11). As such, any development that occurs on the study site 

must also abide by the regulations set forth in City of Richmond Municipal Code, 

Chapter 50, Article IV [Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas]. The Chesapeake Bay 

Preservation Act was adopted by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988, and is one 

portion of a multi-state initiative to confront issues of environmental degradation of the 

Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. 

The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act was designed to protect and improve the water 

quality of the Bay and its watershed by minimizing the effects of human activity on the 

land and tributaries that feed the Bay. The Act divides preservation areas into two 

designations: resource protection areas and resource management areas. The Act also 

allows the identification of intensely developed areas suitable for redevelopment. 

Intensely developed areas are those where heavy development has occurred and little of 

the natural environment remains. 

Resource protection areas are those that are adjacent to water bodies that have a perennial 

flow and intrinsic water quality due to the natural processes they perform. These areas 

form a buffer of not less than 100 feet along both sides of a designated water body. 

Resource protection areas also include those that are sensitive to impacts that may cause 

significant degradation to the quality of state waters. The Act recognizes that these lands 

are important to the removal or reduction of sediments, nutrients, and potentially toxic 

substances in runoff. Resource protection areas include tidal wetlands and tidal shores, 

among other designations. 

Resource management areas include land that could have a detrimental effect on water 

quality or the functionality of resource protection areas if improperly used or developed. 

Resource management areas also include land contiguous to the inland boundary of 

designated protection areas. These areas can take the form of floodplains, highly erodible 

soils including steep slopes, highly permeable soils, and non-tidal wetlands, among other 

designations. 

The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act requires that certain performance criteria be met, 

including: disturbing as little land as possible for the proposed development; preserving 

and/or providing indigenous vegetation to enhance retention of non-point source 

pollution and prevent runoff; minimize the amount of impervious cover on the proposed 

development; and contain a comprehensive stormwater management plan in compliance 

with the Virginia Stormwater Management Regulations. 



Figure 11. Location of the Fulton Gas Works Site in a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area 




1.4.3 Contamination From Former Use 

At the present time, the extent of environmental contamination on the Fulton Gas Works 

site from its former use is unknown. Scientific studies of the soil have not been 

performed on this site, but manufactured gas sites were common around the United 

States, and remediation of other such sites around the country can shed light on the types 

of contamination that are likely to be present. 

The Fulton Gas Works was a coal gasification plant, meaning that coal was converted 

into gas for later use. For about a hundred years, from the 1850s to the 1950s, 

manufactured gas was the primary source of energy for lighting and heating (Fischer, 

1999). At the peak of the industry, there were an estimated 10,000 manufactured gas 

plants (MGP) across North America and Europe. In other locations, like in Richmond, the 

availability of less expensive alternatives like natural gas and electricity led to the demise 

of the manufactured gas plant. Many of the MGP sites were used for delivery of these 

new types of energy, though others were dismantled and repurposed without 

consideration of the environmental impacts of the former use. Some estimates show that 

there are as many as 2,500 former MGP sites in the United States, and the cost of 

remediation could run between $25-75 billion (Fischer, 1999). 

In the coal gasification process, the distillation of bituminous coal in oxygen deficient 

containers called retorts produces gas. One of the by-products of the process is coke, a 

solid fuel that can be used for heating. The gases produced during the coal burning are 

condensed, removing tar, another by-product. The gas is then treated to remove ammonia 

and gaseous sulfur compounds, and after this stage it is sent through the station meter for 

measuring. The gas finally ended up in a large storage tank called a gasometer, where it 

would eventually be sent through gas mains for consumption by customers. 

It was not uncommon at MGP sites for the waste products from the manufacturing 

process to be disposed of on site by burial. The specific inputs and processing techniques 

used to create the gas dictate the volume, toxicity, and chemical composition of the 

contamination. A 1999 study by scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology reports 

that, generally, the waste products at MGP sites include: tars; oils; inorganic spent oxides 

(ferrocyanide); benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX); volatile organic 

compounds (VOCs); semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs); phenolics; polynuclear 

aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); cyanides; thiocynates; metals (Arsenic, copper, lead, 

nickel, and zinc); ammoniates; nitrates; sludges; ash; ammonia; lime wastes; and 

sulfates/sulfides. Coal tars are a particular problem, as they migrate down through the soil 

and often pool up in the bottom of aquifers, becoming a continual source of 

contamination. 

In 1987, under contract with the Environmental Protection Agency, scientists from the 

Research Triangle Institute investigated six manufactured gas sites on the east coast of 

the U.S., and one of the sites they visited was the Fulton Gas Works. During their visit, 

the scientists met with DPU employees, toured the site and its structures, and examined 

the site perimeter for wastes and dumping locations. As a result of their investigations, 



the group concluded that “the area between the gas plant and the creek (see Figure 12) 

shows substantial signs of being a dump area for the plant, with contaminated woodchips, 

ash, coke, firebricks, and tar present” (Harkins et. al., 1987). 

A 2005 summary of hindrances to development in this area by the City of Richmond 

Department of Economic Development noted that environmental contamination is 

probably not limited to just the Gas Works parcel. According to this summary, old 

documents indicate that there are waste trenches containing coal tars in the RRHA parcel 

north of Gillies Creek. In addition, the paper notes that creosote is likely present along 

the abandoned CSX railroad right-of-way. 

It is clear that thorough testing must be completed to gain a comprehensive understanding 

of the contamination at the site. Testing can be done any number of ways, and should 

include soil screening, soil sampling, and groundwater sampling. Remediation can take 

many forms, but will likely entail removal of contaminated soil for off-site treatment and 

replacement with uncontaminated soil. 

Figure 12. Potentially Contaminated Area of the Fulton Gas Works Site 

source: courtesy Skyshots Aerial Photography 



1.4.4 Combined Sewage Overflow From Gillies Creek 

Gillies Creek, which has been made into a concrete channel, serves as the southern border 

of the study area, and contains a combined sewer overflow (see Figure 13). According to 

the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities website, a combined sewer overflow 

(CSO) is “a discharge of untreated storm and wastewater from a combined sewer into the 

environment” (2008). Current engineering standards are to construct separate systems for 

sewage and storm water, and in Richmond, no CSO’s have been built since the early 

1950s. Under normal conditions, a combined sewer moves wastewater from homes and 

businesses along with water from street drains to the wastewater treatment plant on the 

south side of the James River. However, during a period of heavy or extended rain in 

which the flow exceeds what the combined sewer can handle, excess flow is discharged 

into the James River by way of Gillies Creek. 

There are seven points along Gillies Creek where combined sewer overflow is discharged 

into the creek (see area highlighted in yellow on Figure 14). This discharge keeps 

sewerage from backing up into people’s homes, but in order to do that it releases 

untreated human and industrial waste, toxic materials, and debris into Gillies Creek, and 

eventually the James River, exposing people and downstream ecosystems to potentially 

hazardous bacteria and microorganisms. This not only pollutes the river, but it makes 

developing the land surrounding Gillies Creek a less attractive proposition. 

Figure 13. One of Seven Combined Sewer Overflow Points Into Gillies Creek 

source: photograph by the author 



In 1988 the City completed a study of the CSO program to see what improvements could 

be made. The result of this study was the Long Term Control Plan, or LTCP, which 

describes measures to be taken to improve the water quality in the James River by 

making modifications to the CSO. Two phases have already been completed, at a cost of 

$242 million, and these efforts have led to an increase in the water quality when 

measured by bacteriological standards (Greeley and Hansen, 2006). Phase III of the 

project calls for, among other improvements, the construction of new conveyance pipes 

that would reduce (but not remove) the combined sewage overflows into Gillies Creek to 

4 times a year. 

Figure 14. Location of Combined Sewer Overflows Into Gillies Creek 

source: City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities 



1.5 Building Conditions 

Building conditions on the Fulton Gas Works site were evaluated using criteria developed 

by Peter Dunbar and Associates (see Appendix for detailed description). Dunbar’s 

criterion has three ratings (sound, deteriorating, and dilapidated) for structures based on 

the number of deficiencies the structure possesses. There are only 6 structures in the 

entire study area: five on the former Fulton Gas Works site, and one that is being used by 

a bus repair company. 

According to City of Richmond tax records, the corrugated metal building used by 

Newton’s Bus Service (see Figure 15) was constructed in 1988. The building is 

considered one story tall, though it appears taller since it is built to accommodate 

commercial buses. Though the building is not significant architecturally, it is in sound 

condition. 

The gas works has not been used for decades, and although the site has been fenced off, 

vandals and natural deterioration have left their mark on the buildings. The five structures 

that remain on the site of the Gas Works (please refer back to Figure 5) are the 600,000 

cubic foot gasometer; the building containing the office, blacksmith shop and machine 

shop; the building containing the boiler house, compressor, and exhauster house; the 

retort house; and the steam generating plant located along Williamsburg Avenue. 

The gasometer (see Figure 16) was the device that held the gas after it was produced and 

before it got piped out to the customers. This is perhaps the most noticeable structure on 

the Gas Works site because it is several stories tall but its purpose remains a mystery to 

the observer. The gasometer worked like a collapsible cup that might be used on a 

camping trip. There are large cylindrical rings at the base of the structure (thus why the 

ground is raised below the gasometer) and a metal lid on top (see Figure 17). When 

enough gas was produced, one of the cylinders would rise out of the ground, and when 

the gasometer was full, the whole collapsible structure would rise up to the top of the 

steel frame. 

While the gasometer remains intact, it has not been used for decades, and its structural 

integrity is unknown. It does not appear to have suffered much degradation, however, a 

mechanical room underneath the gasometer has filled up with rainwater. The Dunbar 

criteria were not applied to this structure since it was not able to be viewed. 



Figure 15. Newton’s Bus Service Building on the Fulton Gas Works Site 

Figure 16. Gasometer at the Fulton Gas Works Site 





Figure 17. The Top of the Gasometer 


The remaining four buildings of the Gas Works are in deteriorated or dilapidated 

condition according to the Dunbar criteria. Natural deterioration and vandalism have left 

the buildings containing the office, blacksmith shop and machine shop; the boiler house, 

compressor, and exhauster house; and the retort house with enough deficiencies to 

qualify as dilapidated. The steam generator building is in slightly better condition than 

the rest of the buildings, and as such is in dilapidated condition. The distressed state of 

the buildings, however, should not detract from the possibility of reusing these buildings 

for the Slavery Museum. 

A preliminary analysis based on Department of Public Utilities maps and interviews with 

DPU staff indicate that several if not all of these buildings date to the founding of the Gas 

Works on this site in the 1850s. The architectural detail, though utilitarian, tells its own 

story in a way that new construction often lacks, and the fact that these buildings may 

date to a time when slavery still existed, and was in fact employed at this site, would 

make a strong connection to the proposed use. (see Figures 18 through 25). 



Figure 18. Building Containing the Office, Blacksmith Shop, and Machine Shop 


Figure 19. Building Containing the Office, Blacksmith Shop, and Machine Shop 




Figure 20. Building Containing the Boiler House, Compressor, and Exhauster House 


Figure 21. Building Containing the Boiler House, Compressor, and Exhauster House 




Figure 22. The Retort House on the Gas Works Site 


Figure 23. The Retort House on the Gas Works Site 




Figure 24. The Steam Generating Plant on the Gas Works Site 




Figure 25. The Steam Generating Plant on the Gas Works Site 


1.6 Zoning 

Currently, the study area is split between M-1, light industrial, and M-2, heavy industrial 

zoning (see Figure 26). The eastern portion of the study area, defined by the CSX parcels, 

Gillies Creek, and Williamsburg Avenue, is zoned M-1. According to the City of 

Richmond Zoning Ordinance, this type of zoning allows for “light industrial uses that 

manufacture, process, store and distribute goods and materials and are in general 

dependent upon raw materials refined elsewhere”. This includes manufacturing of food 

and beverages, metal and metal products, textiles, bedding, and fibers, wood and paper 

products, among other uses. This zoning classification has no front, side, or rear yard 

requirements, except where the lot abuts an alleyway or is across from a residential 

district. Screening is required in this zone for refuse areas, and there are other screening 

requirements if the lot abuts a residential property. Lastly, there is a height restriction of 

45 feet for any building in this zone. 



The rest of the study area is zoned M-2, heavy industrial. Heavy industrial zoning allows 

all uses that are permitted in M-1 plus all uses that are not permitted in any other district. 

There are a number of uses that are not permitted in M-2, including incinerating or 

dumping of garbage, manufacturing of ammonia, and outdoor shooting ranges. This 

zoning classification has no front, side, or rear yard requirements, except where the lot 

abuts an alleyway or is across from a residential district. Screening is required in this 

zone for refuse areas, and there are other screening requirements if the lot abuts a 

residential property. Lastly, there is a height restriction of 45 feet for any building in this 

zone. 

Neither of these zoning classifications is appropriate for the proposed use of the site, 

which should be zoned Institutional to support the location as the site of the National 

Slavery Museum. 

Figure 26. Fulton Gas Works Site Current Zoning 




1.7 Related Plans and Surrounding Influences 

1.7.1 1960s RRHA Fulton Bottom Plan 

In the 1960s, the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA), along with 

the Real Estate Research Corporation, conducted a study of the Fulton Bottom area to 

determine what could be done to improve the deteriorating Fulton neighborhood. The 

study area was defined as the area bounded generally by the James River, the city limits, 

and ground of a substantially higher elevation to the north, east and south. U.S. Route 60 

(Williamsburg Avenue) passes through the area, and at the time served as the main route 

from downtown Richmond to the Airport serving the city. 

Initially, this study was intended to act as a revitalization plan for the area, but in the end 

it proposed tearing down all of the existing buildings and starting anew. The study 

determined that no economic market existed for residential reuse in the Fulton Bottom 

Area, and given the deterioration of the area at that time, concluded that the most 

economic use for the majority of land in this area was industrial. To further support their 

conclusion that the neighborhood was not suitable for residential development, they noted 

that although the area does not have a history of flooding, the ground is low and has no 

attributes of view or outlook. They also said that because it had been a “slum” area for so 

long it “possesses an adverse reputation which could not be readily overcome by any 

attractive feature which could economically be offered in privately-developed housing at 

this location”. 

When contemplating potential new uses for the area, the study cited the good rail and 

water transportation available as well as the presence of all utilities. In fact, the study 

found that the only thing the area lacked to be suitable for heavy industry was a good 

highway link to the Interstate System, which was still being developed. It was proposed 

that most of the land should be set aside for industrial redevelopment, with the balance 

used for low-rent public housing. To make the site attractive to new industries, the study 

declared that all blighting influences had to be removed, and this is what led to the 

destruction of the African American Fulton neighborhood. 

1.7.2 City of Richmond Master Plan 2000-2020 

Approved by City Council on January 8, 2001, the City of Richmond Master Plan 2000- 

2020 is the current citywide Master Plan, setting policy and providing direction for public 

and private investment in the City. The Fulton Gas Works site is outside the boundaries 

of the current Downtown Master Plan for the City, approved by City Council in 2004, 

and is also outside the boundaries of the current revision to the Downtown Master Plan, 

which is still working its way through the approval process. 



In the current citywide Master Plan, the study area is wholly contained in the East 

Planning District. While the citywide Master Plan does not specifically mention the 

Fulton Gas Works site, it does recognize the general area around the site as being one of 

three concentrations of industrial-use land in the District, a use that, as recently 

explained, was made possible by the RRHA study of the 1960s. In describing the East 

Planning District, the citywide Master Plan states that “there is very little vacant and 

undeveloped land in the District, and what exists generally falls into three categories: 

1. Environmentally challenging land-usually steep slopes, floodplains, or former 

landfills or other industrial sites. 

2. Isolated parcels within neighborhoods, usually the result of demolition of 

unsafe structures over the period of several years. 

3. Land within designated Redevelopment Areas. 

The Fulton Gas Works site falls into the first and third categories. The Fulton 

Redevelopment Area, adopted in 1970 as a direct result of the RRHA plan, was designed 

to eliminate blight and deterioration through incremental property clearance and the 

establishment of a medium-density single family residential community. A significant 

portion of the Redevelopment Area remains undeveloped, and present plans for the area 

(much of which is now owned by RRHA) are intended to add to the existing stock of 

detached, single family residential housing units. 

The citywide Master Plan identifies several significant issues in the East Planning 

District, including the James River waterfront from Great Shiplock Park downstream to 

the City limits. This area, as the plan points out, includes vacated industrial land and the 

City’s Intermediate Terminal. While historically identified for industrial use, the plan 

acknowledges that this area may no longer be appropriate for these uses as interest in 

riverfront development has been gaining traction. To support that change, the land use 

map (see Figure 27) identifies the land between the James River and elevated CSX rail 

line on the Gas Works site as mixed-use in response to “the likelihood of continued 

departure of riverfront industries to be replaced by development catering to new 

residents, visitors and a variety of commercial opportunities”. The remaining portion of 

the Gas Works site is designated as industrial on the land use map. 

While not categorized as mixed use, the Slavery Museum fits into the Master Plan’s 

vision of the area as catering to residents and visitors. In order to support the proposed 

use of the Slavery Museum on the Gas Works site, the land use map will have to be 

updated to reflect the site as being appropriate for Institutional use. 



Figure 27. City of Richmond Master Plan 2000-2020 Land Use Map 

source: City of Richmond Master Plan 2000-2020 

1.7.3 Rocketts Landing 

Rocketts Landing is a large-scale, New Urbanism development on 54 acres straddling the 

border between the City of Richmond and Henrico County. The project includes reuse of 

existing buildings as well as construction of new structures for town homes, 

condominiums, office and retail space, with an estimated $500 million price tag. Phase I 

began in 2006, with the first residents moving in to their condos in 2007. When the dust 

clears a decade from now with the completion of Phase IV, Rocketts Landing will 

include 500,000 square feet of office space, 200,000 square feet of retail and 

entertainment space, 2,000 residential units, a hotel, a marina, and a mile-long riverfront 

park contiguous with the Virginia Capital Trail. 

This project is of particular significance to the future of the Fulton Gas Works site. If 

reality on the ground matches their plans, Rocketts Landing will eventually reach all the 

way to the south side of Gillies Creek (see Figure 28), abutting the Gas Works site. 

Rocketts Landing will have a transformative effect on this area, and will breathe life into 

a long dormant area of the city. Its mixed-use design will bring 24-hour vibrancy to the 

area, encouraging recreation and exploration in a way that will be supportive to locating 

the Slavery Museum on the Gas Works site. 



Figure 28. Architect’s Rendering of Rocketts Landing Master Plan 

source: WVS Companies LLC 

1.7.4 City of Richmond Public Marina 

City of Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder introduced an ordinance to City Council on 

November 12, 2007 that proposed the acquisition of 3111 Water Street, currently the site 

of the Lehigh Cement Company. The Mayor’s goal is to combine this parcel with the 

City’s adjacent Intermediate Terminal property (see Figure 29) to create a public marina 

and park in conjunction with the Virginia Capital Trail. In his fiscal year 2009 budget, 

Mayor Wilder has budgeted $6 million for this project, which would create public access 

to the river and a spot for riverside recreation. Preliminary plans indicate that the marina 

would contain 70 boat slips. 

The proposed location of the marina marks the last stretch of navigable waters before the 

falls of the James. At the Fulton area the channel is 200 feet wide and 17 feet deep. There 

is a 300 foot turning basin 18 feet deep opposite the upstream edge of the Fulton area. 

Gillies Creek runs through the center of the proposed project between the Intermediate 

Terminal and Lehigh Cement and empties into the James River opposite the turning 

basin. When combined with the riverfront park at Rocketts Landing, the public marina 

and park will create a large, continuous recreation area. The Fulton Gas Works site can 

be connected to these developments in order to draw some of the park’s visitors up to the 

Slavery Museum. 



Figure 29. Early Conceptual Rendering of the Proposed City of Richmond Public Marina 

source: City of Richmond Department of Economic Development 

1.7.5 Virginia Capital Trail 

The Virginia Capital Trail is a pedestrian and bicycle trail connecting Virginia’s colonial 

capital, Williamsburg, with it’s present day capital, Richmond, offering an alternative to 

vehicular travel while providing recreational opportunities. When completed, the trail 

will cross more than 50 miles of Virginia, roughly following the path of Scenic Route 5. 

The Trail is being financed in part with Federal funds administered by the Virginia 

Department of Transportation (VDOT), but also involves the cooperation of county and 

city governments, non-profit organizations, private companies, and volunteers. 

Construction on the Capital Trail began in 2005 and is being completed in phases, with 

several lengths already completed and in use. By 2012, all sections are expected to be 

completed and linked together. 

The western portion of the trail will pass through the Rocketts Landing development, 

through the proposed public marina and park at the Intermediate Terminal, past Great 

Shiplock park, past the Canal Walk in downtown Richmond, and terminate at the Capitol 

Building. Along the way from Williamsburg, the trail will provide links to a number of 

Virginia’s most historic sites, including Colonial Williamsburg, Historic Jamestowne and 

the Jamestown Settlement, Malvern Hill (one of the Richmond National Battlefield 

Parks), the James River Plantations, and the American Civil War Center at Historic 

Tredegar. 



An interview with Beth Weisbrod, Executive Director of the Virginia Capital Trail 

Foundation, indicated that when completed, the trail may see as many as 1,000,000 

visitors a year. The Gas Works site is less than two miles from the western terminus of 

the trail, and is situated between downtown Richmond and Rocketts Landing. When the 

public marina and park open up, this could be a very heavily traveled section of the 

Capital Trail. Creating a connection to the study area and siting the museum’s buildings 

and outdoor exhibits to maximize visibility from the river could draw users off the trail 

and up to the Slavery Museum. The Capital Trail will also connect the Slavery Museum 

to other historic sites, including the James River Plantations, which utilized slave labor 

and also exported slaves to Richmond to sell downriver, and the American Civil War 

Center at Historic Tredegar, a museum that tells the story of the Civil War through the 

eyes of Unionists, Confederates, and African Americans. 

Figure 30. Location of the Gas Works Site in Relation to the Virginia Capital Trail 

source: Virginia Department of Transportation 



1.7.6 Market Analysis and Mixed-Use Development Plan 

In the early 2000s, the City of Richmond released a Request for Proposals to perform a 

market feasibility analysis to assess the development potential for the Fulton Gas Works 

Site. The City selected THK Associates, Inc. and the Sterling Appraisal Group, both of 

Aurora, CO, to perform this analysis, which was submitted on November 5, 2002. The 

groups completed a market analysis for office, retail, hotel/lodging, and high density 

residential. They also assessed development feasibility based on a synthesis of supply and 

demand. An economic base analysis for the Richmond-Petersburg MSA was also 

performed. After completing these analyses, THK felt that a market existed for a highdensity 

mixed-use project including office, retail, and hotel/lodging space along with 

high-density residential (Conway, 2003). 

This analysis did not consider whether there was a “market” for a museum, as they were 

only looking at private, revenue generating uses. One reason for this is that the City was 

hoping to have a private company take on the cost of rehabilitating the site, but it is also 

important to note that market analyses do not always take a comprehensive view. Though 

the Slavery Museum does not fulfill a traditional “market” role, the argument can be 

made that in Richmond there is a very strong demand for the type of goods the Museum 

can deliver. 

With the market analysis results in mind, City Council in 2004 unanimously approved a 

plan to develop the Fulton Gas Works site as a mixed-use development (Ress and 

Wermers, 2004). This was not the first proposal for the redevelopment of this site, but it 

was one of the most promising. East West Partners, of Midlothian, Virginia, was to join 

forces with the City as well as Brownfields Capital out of Denver, Colorado. The plan 

featured a complex cost, revenue, and liability sharing structure so that no one entity was 

fully responsible for the costs of cleanup or any future litigation in connection with the 

environmental condition (Ress, 2004). One complicating factor to the plan was that no 

one knew the extent of the environmental contamination, and thus the costs associated 

with cleanup. 

East West was to purchase the Gas Works site at a nominal cost, and also acquire the 

adjoining lots owned by RRHA. At the time, the City saw the proposal as a catalyst to 

jumpstart development in the east end of the City. Despite all the excitement over the 

proposal, the plan never materialized. The problem was not that preliminary testing of the 

soil revealed that the costs of cleanup were going to be prohibitive. Rather, the biggest 

hurdles to overcome were the ownership of the various parcels involved in the deal and 

the financing. 



1.8 Circulation 

The study area is bounded on the east by Williamsburg Avenue and on the west by East 

Main Street (see Figure 31). Nicholson Road to the south connects Main Street to 

Williamsburg Avenue, roughly forming a triangle. Peebles Street connects to Main Street 

in the northwest portion of the site and acts as an access road to the interior. Both Main 

Street and Williamsburg Avenue are classified in the 2000-2020 citywide Master Plan as 

minor arterial roadways, while Nicholson Road is classified as a collector street. 

Main Street becomes Scenic Route 5 as it leaves the City to the east, and connects 

Richmond to the James River Plantations and later Williamsburg and Jamestown. 

Williamsburg Avenue later becomes Williamsburg Road and then Route 60 as it heads to 

the east and roughly parallels Interstate 64, passing by Richmond International Airport, 

until it too reaches Williamsburg. Commuters coming in to the City from the east for 

work and entertainment use both Main Street and Williamsburg Avenue. 

The Fulton Gas Works site is not immediately accessible from any of the interstate 

highways. The closest highway to the site is the Downtown Expressway, Interstate 195. 

From the 9 th Street exit off Route 195, it is approximately 2 miles to the Gas Works site. 

If a visitor were flying into the airport, the trip to the Slavery Museum would be as 

simple as taking a left onto Williamsburg Road. The easiest way to provide future access 

to the Slavery Museum would be to add an interchange off Interstate 64 at Stony Run 

Parkway, which becomes Stony Run Road before terminating into Williamsburg Avenue 

just feet from the study area. This would create a 2.5-mile direct route to the museum. 

Figure 31. Circulation Around Fulton Gas Works Site 




1.8.1 Traffic Rates 2001-2006 

Table 2 (below) shows the Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) for Williamsburg 

Avenue and two stretches of Main Street (Route 5), taken from traffic count data 

compiled by the Virginia Department of Transportation. AADT is defined as the total 

annual traffic estimate divided by the number of days in the year. 

The table shows that the AADT has remained relatively stable over the six-year period 

2001-2006. There was a slight jump in the AADT on Williamsburg Avenue from 2001 to 

2002, but levels dropped back down slightly by 2005. Likewise, there was a slight 

increase on Rt. 5 from 2001 to 2002, but this jump subsided (in 2003 between the city 

line and Nicholson Street, and in 2005 between Williamsburg Road and Nicholson Street. 

These jumps and subsequent subsidence might be explained by a construction re-routing 

that sent vehicles onto Route 5, or perhaps an increase in traffic due to Rocketts Landing 

site preparation, though the true cause remains a mystery. 

Table 2. Annual Average Daily Traffic for Roads Near the Fulton Gas Works Site 

Route Start Point End Point 

Williamsburg 

Rd. 

Hatcher St. 

Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) 

Length 

(miles) 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 

RT 5 (Main 

St.) 0.74 9200 9500 9500 9500 9300 9300 

RT 5 

(Main St.) 

Williamsburg 

Rd. 

Nicholson 

St. 0.4 6700 6900 6900 6900 6700 6700 

RT 5 

Richmond 

(Main St.) Nicholson St. City Line 0.26 11000 12000 11000 11000 11000 11000 

source: Virginia Department of Transportation 

1.8.2 Route 5 Relocation 

There is currently a proposal being considered by the City’s Planning Commission for the 

relocation of a portion of Route 5 that will have a definite impact on the study site. The 

purposes of the proposal are to improve the traffic flow through this area, enhance safety 

for a range of transportation users, and support the Rocketts Landing development 

through road design (turning lanes, parking) and urban design elements (pedestrian scale 

street lights, landscaping). The project will be completed in three phases, and will include 

straightening a section of Route 5 to run parallel to the CSX railroad to a point where it 

intersects with Nicholson Street instead of swooping down towards the James River as it 

does now (see Figure 32). This intersection would be converted to a roundabout, as 

would the intersection of Williamsburg Avenue and Nicholson Street. 



Eventually, the portion of Nicholson Street between the Route 5 roundabout and the river 

would be closed to through traffic and would lead to a parking facility for the Rocketts 

Landing development, diverting all Route 5 traffic onto Williamsburg Avenue and 

presumably, most of the northbound traffic would continue towards the City and past the 

Gas Works site. Under current conditions, this would add thousands of daily trips to the 

stretch of Williamsburg Avenue between Main Street and Nicholson Street. 

It will be necessary for the Slavery Museum to add an entrance off of Williamsburg 

Avenue, and also important to site the buildings so that they are prominent when viewed 

from the road. The museum will not necessarily add much traffic to the road, but it can 

take advantage of the traffic volume passing by to increase its visibility. 

Figure 32. Fulton Gas Works Site in Relation to the Proposed Route 5 Relocation 

source: City of Richmond Department of Community Development 



1.8.3 Traffic Impact Analyses for Route 5 Developments 

Until recently, the southeastern portion of the City and neighboring Henrico County has 

remained largely rural and undeveloped. However, the emerging trend in this area has 

tended towards large, New Urbanism developments. These developments are capitalizing 

on the popularity of New Urbanism communities, but more importantly, the relative 

proximity of these sites to downtown Richmond. In addition to Rocketts Landing, which 

will eventually abut the Gas Works site, two additional large developments are in the 

planning in Henrico County. 

In 2004, the Cox Company conducted a Traffic Impact Analysis for Rocketts Landing to 

determine what effect the development would have on traffic in the area. Their study 

found that, when fully built out in 2010 (estimated), the development will add 13,938 

Average Daily Trips (ADT). The authors add that not all of these trips will impact the 

adjacent road network, as some will be internal. Due to the development’s location, 

nestled between the James River and Route 5, all non-internal traffic will have an impact 

on Route 5. 

Henrico County boasts two more New Urbanism developments in Tree Hill and Wilton 

on the James. Tree Hill sits on 531 acres of former farmland along Route 5 just a mile 

from the City limits. When completed, Tree Hill will contain approximately 2,770 

residences, a school, and a library along with an estimated 1,160,000 square fee of 

commercial space. A Traffic Impact Analysis completed by the development company 

estimates that, when fully completed in 2016, Tree Hill will generate an estimated 51,165 

Average Daily Trips (Gray Land and Development Company, 2008). 

Wilton on the James is the largest of the three projects, with a proposed 1,185 acres of 

residential and commercial development (HHHunt, 2008). Wilton is also the farthest 

development from the Gas Works site, but it will be connected to Route 5 by a road 

presently not constructed. Wilton is scheduled to be completely built out by 2018, and 

their Traffic Impact Analysis estimates that 35,744 Average Daily Trips will be generated 

by the development (Wilbur Smith Associates, 2005). 

All told, the estimates from these traffic impact analyses point to an additional 100,847 

average daily trips. It remains unclear at this point exactly how large an impact these 

three developments will have on the amount of traffic generated on Route 5 near the Gas 

Works site, but if even 3% of these trips involve using Route 5 to get into the city, this 

will be a more than 25% increase in the annual average daily traffic on Route 5. This will 

only add to the visibility of the Slavery Museum. 



1.8.4 GRTC Route and Expansion Plans 

GRTC, the Greater Richmond Transit Company, provides bus routes to the residents of 

the City of Richmond as well as Henrico and Chesterfield Counties. Bus service in this 

area of the City is sparse at the moment, but the #6 route runs along Williamsburg 

Avenue approximately every 20 minutes within operating hours, connecting east end 

residents to parts west. In its most recent Comprehensive Operations Analysis (COA), 

GRTC has identified the #6 route as one to be converted to a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) 

line (Hagin, 2008). 

The conceptual BRT line would run from The Shops at Willow Lawn in the near west 

end of the city to Main Street Station, and on to Rocketts Landing in the east end, just 

south of the Fulton Gas Works site. Planners for the transit company don’t know the 

exact circulation route yet, but these three anchors will remain. If the BRT line does not 

materialize, it is possible to add a stop on the regular #6 route in front of the Gas Works 

site, though that may require adding another bus to the route fleet because it already takes 

55 minutes to run from one end to the other. 

Tying the Slavery Museum into the bus service will be important for visitors and for 

museum staff as well. City residents without personal transportation will be able to access 

the site, and less parking may be necessary on site. 



1.9 Summary of Existing Conditions and Development Potential 

1.9.1 Assets 

• Proximity to downtown Richmond, the James River, and exciting new 

developments like Rocketts Landing, the Virginia Capital Trail, and the proposed 

public marina 

• Rich history of site and surrounding area 

• Highly visible location on a gateway road into the city 

• Relocation of Route 5, along with the large scale developments, will lead to 

increased traffic and visibility for the site 

• Utilities are already present on the site 

• Existing buildings are candidates for listing on the National Register of Historic 

Places, which would allow for the use of tax credits 

1.9.2 Liabilities 

• Environmental contamination from former use as manufactured gas plant 

• Varied ownership of parcels can be a hindrance to developing the site as a unit 

• Floodplain and Chesapeake Bay regulations can have a limiting factor on 

development plans 

• Combined sewage overflow in Gillies Creek can lead to potentially hazardous 

health situations 

• Residents of Church Hill are very vocal about development along the James River 

viewshed 

• Raised train trestles bisect the site 

• Current Zoning 

• Poor Interstate Access 



Part 2. Plan for the Development of the Study Area 

2.1 Vision: National Slavery Museum 

Development of the Fulton Gas Works site has been hindered in the past by its former use 

and location. Indeed, had these problems not been present, the site would have been 

redeveloped years ago due to its proximity to downtown Richmond. Sites this size, and so 

close to the central portion of a city are rare these days, and thus present a wonderful 

opportunity. 

Imagine a use for the Fulton Gas works site that preserves and promotes the deep historic 

roots of the area. Picture a development that complements the present day rebirth of the 

Fulton Bottom area, breathing additional life into a long forgotten area of town. Think of 

a use that draws tourists to Richmond from parts afar and builds on the City’s reputation 

as the home to world-class museums. Envision a use that symbolically heals not only the 

scars of the site’s former industrial use but also acts as a healing place for the wrongs 

committed by our nation’s forebears on African-Americans. 

The United States National Slavery Museum is the fulfillment of this vision. 

Museums, especially those that are based on history, fare best when they have a 

connection to their settings. Given the history of this area as one of the major ports of the 

downriver slave trade, and as a working site that purchased slaves during the Civil War to 

provide Richmond with gas service, it seems destined to tell the story of this regrettable 

era of our past. It was also this location, however, where President Lincoln arrived to 

symbolically reunite north and south at the end of the Civil War, and thus the site is also 

one of great celebration. 



2.2 Development Guidelines 

The following guidelines will dictate how the site is developed. 

• The ten parcels must be combined under single ownership, and the site must be 


• The environmental contamination of the site will need to be remediated. 

• The site will need 200,000 square feet of space for the museum, and another 164,092 


• The site will need vehicular access off Williamsburg Avenue and Peebles Street. 

2.3 Design Guidelines 

The following guidelines will dictate the design of the site. 

• The Slavery Museum buildings will be prominent on the site when viewed from both 


• The site shall be developed in a way that minimizes negative impact on the 



• The new buildings will need to be constructed above the level of the floodplain to 



• The site will feature the Spirit of Freedom Exhibit Garden and trail along Gillies 

Creek. 

• The site will be the permanent home of the Winfree Cottage. 

• The gasometer shall hold a slave ship replica and will act as a vista upon entering the 

site. 

• The site will connect to the public marina, Virginia Capital Trail, and the Richmond 

Slave Trail. 



2.4 Site Plan 

The development and design guidelines laid out in the previous section help inform how 

the site will be arranged. With the guidelines and other factors such as topography in 

mind, the first step in site planning is to determine generally where the uses go. Taking 

into consideration that there will be a new entrance to the museum off Williamsburg 

Avenue, and with the desire to reuse the existing buildings, the optimal position for the 

new museum building is to the north of the current buildings (see Figure 33). The 

position of the new entrance on Williamsburg Avenue is dictated by the topography of 

the site and the private ownership of the parcel located between the Gas Works site and 

the intersection of Main Street and Williamsburg Avenue. Therefore, the new entrance 

will be located between the museum buildings and the parking area. As mentioned in the 

guidelines, Gillies Creek is to be converted to its natural state and made to be an amenity 

to the site. Capitalizing on this, and keeping Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area 

restrictions in mind, the area along Gillies Creek is set aside for green space. The area 

between the railroad trestles and Main Street, which is currently wooded, is also slated 

for use as green space. This area, as well as the space alongside Gillies Creek, will be 

used as the location of the Spirit of Freedom Exhibit Garden and trail, and will act as a 

draw for users of the public marina and Capital Trail. 

Figure 33. Conceptual Site Arrangement for National Slavery Museum 




With the site’s uses generally laid out, a more detailed site plan emerges (see Figure 34). 

This diagram shows the location of the main museum building, connected to two of the 

rehabilitated original buildings. The new Slavery Museum building takes the shape of a 

triangle to evoke the triangular transatlantic slave trade. The gasometer has been moved 

into a position where it acts as a vista when the visitor enters the museum’s grounds. 

Parking is conveniently located across from the museum’s entrance, and a smaller lot for 

tour buses is located at the north end of the site. A vegetative swale is found next to the 

parking deck to capture and filter rainwater from the parking. Additional parking for staff 

is located under the new museum building. The Winfree Cottage is placed in open space 

on the grounds, returning the 1866 home to it natural settings. The walking path takes 

visitors through the Spirit of Freedom Exhibit Garden and trail, and connects across Main 

Street to the public marina and Capital Trail. The whole site is landscaped with 

indigenous vegetation, reducing erosion and enhancing the visual experience. 

Figure 34. Detailed Site Plan for the National Slavery Museum 




2.5 Implementation 

Implementation is broken down by individual development and design guidelines and is 

followed with a chart showing the timeline for the site’s development. 

The ten parcels must be combined under single ownership, and the site must be 


Before any other measures are taken to develop the Fulton Gas Works site, the ten 

separate parcels in the study area must be combined into one contiguous site, and the 

entire site must be rezoned to Institutional. The varied parcel ownership is one of the 

reasons why the mixed-use plan that was proposed a few years back did not materialize, 

and the current zoning does not match the intended use. 

Of the ten parcels in the study area, three are owned by departments of the City 

government, and another two are owned by the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing 

Authority, a quasi-governmental organization that has a working partnership with the 

City and will relinquish ownership of their land to the City if there are no legal obstacles. 

Four of the remaining five parcels are owned by the CSX Transportation Company and 

are considered surplus property. The City has already started negotiations with CSX for 

either the purchase or donation of the land. The last parcel is owned by Newton’s Bus 

Service and is still in use. While CSX might consider donating the land to the Slavery 

Museum, it is likely that Newton’s will either have to be bought or be a part of a land 

swap for another piece of City owned land. 

In order to rezone the site to Institutional, which is the proper zoning for museums, the 

Slavery Museum will have to file a rezoning application, turn in their master plan for the 

site’s development, and pay the fee of $3652. The total fee is calculated by the base price 

of $825 plus an additional $110/acre (the site is 25.7 acres, and the corresponding fee is 

$2827). The museum must meet with Land Use Planning staff from the City’s 

Department of Community Development to review their master plan, and from there the 

rezoning request will be reviewed by the City’s Law Department, who will schedule a 

hearing for the application by the City’s Planning Commission. The Planning 

Commission will hear the proposal and will forward a recommendation on to City 

Council. If City Council approves the plan, an ordinance will be passed and the site will 

be rezoned. There are no height restrictions in sites zoned Institutional, except for where 

the zoning district abuts the road or an alleyway, and lot coverage cannot exceed 50% of 

the size of the lot. 



The environmental contamination of the site will need to be remediated. 

As mentioned in the existing conditions, the extent of environmental contamination from 

the site’s former use as a manufactured gas plant is unknown. Cleaning up sites like this 

can be prohibitively expensive, and it is common for municipalities who own such sites 

to sell the land at a nominal price to a private firm that would take on the cost of the 

cleanup as well as the any future liability. This would also be attractive to the City 

because it would mean that a private developer was putting the site on the tax rolls. 

However, as the Gas Works operated as a City government agency, the City may want to 

take responsibility for the contamination that it created in the past and pay for the 

remediation itself. 

Before any construction may begin, the entire site must be evaluated through scientific 

testing to determine the extent of the contamination. Once the extent of the contamination 

is known, a comprehensive plan to remediate the site must be drawn up. The magnitude 

of the remediation plan can be tailored to the future use of the site. For example, if the 

site was going to be a commercial area where human contact with soil would be low, less 

extensive remediation efforts could be employed. However, if the site was to be used for 

residences, a much more in-depth cleanup would need to be undertaken. 

By some estimates, there were approximately 2,500 manufactured gas plants around the 

United States that operated during the same time as the Fulton Gas Works. Many of these 

sites have been remediated already. Several examples, including one in New Bern, NC, 

and another in Savannah, GA, were remediated in less than two years. The price will be 

determined by the extent of contamination, but should run into the millions of dollars. 

The next step would be to locate sources of funding to employ the remediation program. 

The City can look for brownfield remediation grants through state and federal 

government as well as other sources. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) 

administers the State’s Brownfield Remediation Loan Program, a program of the Virginia 

Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund that provides low interest loans to local governments 

to encourage the cleanup and reuse of contaminated properties. This program was created 

in part to “facilitate the creation, preservation, or addition to parks, greenways, open 

spaces, recreational properties, or other properties for nonprofit purposes”, so it would be 

an appropriate source of money to undertake the environmental remediation for the 

museum. 

Virginia has a Voluntary Remediation Program, also administered through the DEQ, that 

issues a “certification of satisfactory completion of remediation". This does not help to 

pay for cleanup, but “provides assurance that the remediated site will not later become 

the subject of a DEQ enforcement action unless new issues are discovered”. This would 

also be an appropriate program for the City to enroll in. 



The site will need 200,000 square feet of space for the museum, and another 164,092 


The National Slavery Museum buildings should total 200,000 square feet, which would 

include spaces for permanent and rotating exhibits, a library and archives, classrooms, 

lecture halls, a theater, and climate controlled storage, among other behind-the-scenes 

uses. Reuse of three of the Gas Works’ original buildings (all but the Retort House) will 

yield approximately 32,000 square feet of space, and more importantly, if rehabilitated 

within guidelines set forth by the National Register of Historic Places, may be eligible for 

federal and state historic tax credits. When used together, state and federal tax credits can 

offset 45% of eligible expenditures on those buildings. Restoring and updating these 

buildings for use by the Slavery Museum will likely take a couple of years, with one of 

the biggest tasks being the removal of all of the machinery that occupies the buildings. 

Unfortunately, reuse of two of these buildings (the office building and the boiler house 

building) will have to take into account the site’s location in a flood plain. Careful 

consideration will have to be given to the uses on the ground floor of each building. 

Obviously this area would not be safe for storage of irreplaceable historic items, but it 

could be used for classrooms, exhibit design space, a carpentry shop, or empty crate 

storage. 

A recent interview with Robert Strohm, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating 

Officer of the Virginia Historical Society (VHS), gave some insight on the square footage 

needed for different uses in a museum this size. In total, the VHS includes approximately 

200,000 square feet of space, so it is nearly the same size as the proposed Slavery 

Museum. The percentage of total area at the VHS is broken down by use as such: gallery 

space 15%; storage space 24%; office space 12%; mechanical, services, and restrooms 

38%; auditorium 3%; open areas, lecture hall and conference room 2% each; museum 

shop, classroom, and shipping/receiving 1% each. The percentages appropriated for these 

uses at the Slavery Museum may not be exactly the same, but this gives a rough idea of 

how the space will be used. 

As for parking, the City of Richmond Zoning Ordinance specifies the number of spaces 

required either by use or by zoning. In sites that are used for art galleries, libraries, or 

museums, there is an initial parking requirement of ten parking spaces, plus one space per 

every 300 square feet of building area above 2,000. This computes to a total parking 

requirement of 670 spaces (200,000 square feet of space minus 2,000 = 198,000. 

198,000/300 = 660 spaces plus the initial ten = 670 spaces). Some of this parking can be 

accommodated under the main structure since it will be raised above the flood level, but 

the rest of it will be surface parking. 

Assuming 90 degree wall-to-wall parking, and using the guidelines set forth in the City’s 

Zoning Ordinance, the area required for 660 spaces would be 164,092 square feet, or 3.77 

acres of land. Since a parking lot this big would create a large amount of stormwater 

runoff while taking up a lot of space, a two-story parking deck would be a better solution. 



The parking deck, plus landscaping, would occupy about 2 acres of space. Surface 

parking would also be required for buses. 

The money needed for the rehabilitation of the existing buildings and the construction of 

the new buildings can come from money already raised for the Slavery Museum. To date, 

the museum has raised approximately $50 million of the $200 million they deem 

necessary for their goals. Some of this money may be withdrawn if the museum is moved 

from Fredericksburg to Richmond, but much of it should still be available, and further 

fundraising can be accomplished among Richmond’s population and business 

community. 

The site will need vehicular access off Williamsburg Avenue and Peebles Street. 

As mentioned in the Circulation portion of the existing conditions, Williamsburg Avenue 

will become the main access road to downtown in this portion of the city. The relocation 

of Route 5 will divert all city-bound traffic onto Williamsburg Avenue and will increase 

the visibility of the Gas Works site. This increase in traffic in conjunction with 

topographical and ownership restrictions make Williamsburg Avenue the logical site for 

the main access road used by visitors to the museum. 

Having Williamsburg Avenue act as the main access road will also allow users of the 

GRTC transportation system to gain entry to the museum. A new stop should be 

requested on both sides of Williamsburg Avenue in front of the museum. This will be 

important to museum visitors and employees alike. 

Peebles Street will act as a secondary access point to the museum site, but will primarily 

be used for museum staff access as well as for shipping and receiving, which is an 

important but often overlooked portion of museum site planning. Having two access 

roads is also an important aspect of developing in the floodplain. Williamsburg Avenue is 

located ten to fifteen feet higher in elevation than Peebles Street and will serve as the 

main egress in the event of a major flood. 



The Slavery Museum buildings will be prominent on the site when viewed from both 


It is important that the Slavery Museum buildings be prominent on their site when viewed 

from both Williamsburg Avenue and the James River. Initially this will be important 

because the site has been vacant for so long, but over time the prominence of the site will 

be important because of the other already strong elements in the area. 

The Slavery Museum will be competing with the topography of the land as well as the 

existing industrial feel of the area. With the main access to the site from Williamsburg 

Avenue, the museum’s entrance will actually be below the traveler as they enter the 

grounds. Thus it will be important for the buildings to be highly visible from 

Williamsburg Avenue to state its presence and let visitors know they have arrived. 

The Slavery Museum will also be competing with the recent industrial history of the area, 

highlighted by the raised CSX railroad trestles that cut across the site. The massing of the 

building should overcome the grittiness of the railroad trestles when viewed from the 

riverfront so that the museum is highly visible to people taking advantage of the 

riverfront recreational opportunities. The Slavery Museum building should take 

advantage of its location and height by having the riverfront side of the building 

constructed mainly of glass. This will let the museum visitor look out towards the river, 

but it can also present an inviting image to those viewing the museum from the riverfront. 

Perhaps the most important aspect of this design guideline is the symbolic statement that 

a prominent Slavery Museum presents. It is crucial that the museum not be “hidden”, 

nestled into its site without fanfare. A prominent museum conveys the idea that our past 

involvement in slavery is being confronted rather than hidden. 

The site shall be developed in a way that minimizes negative impact on the 



Article IV of the City of Richmond Municipal Code calls for development in Chesapeake 

Bay Preservation Areas to minimize the effects of human activity on waters that effect 

the Bay. As previously mentioned, the entire Fulton Gas Works site is located in a 

resource management area, with the land along Gillies Creek designated a resource 

protection area. 

Specific strategies to minimize the negative effects of land development on the 

environment include pervious paving, green roofs, bio-retention swales, and green spaces 

to reduce erosion and rainwater runoff. Pervious paving allows water to permeate through 

the paved surface, reducing runoff and allowing for the recharge of the groundwater 

supply. This can be employed on parking surfaces and walking paths. A side benefit of 

parking underneath the ground floor of the museum, as mentioned in a previous section, 

is that there will be reduced demand for surface parking lots on the rest of the land. 



Green roofs use drought-tolerant, low maintenance plants to soak up rainwater on the 

roof of the building, reducing the amount of runoff from a typical roof. Using green roof 

technology also saves money in the long run as they provide additional insulation to the 

building, resulting in lower heating and cooling costs. Furthermore, green roofs need to 

be replaced less frequently than traditional roofs since they are not adversely affected by 

degradation from the sun. Another benefit of using a green roof on the Slavery Museum 

building is that it would minimize the intrusion on the viewshed from Church and 

Chimborazo Hills (see Figure 35), instead presenting a more natural looking roof. 

Figure 35. Rendering of the Slavery Museum Building with a Green Roof 

source: author’s rendering using Google Sketchup 

Bio-retention swales can be used next to parking lots and other covered surfaces to catch 

any runoff that might otherwise find its way into Gillies Creek or lead to erosion. These 

swales act as temporary storage for stormwater, and allow nature to filter out pollutants 

and eroded soil. This will help keep eroded soil and runoff from parking surfaces, which 

can include gasoline and oils, from getting into Gillies Creek, and eventually the James 

River and Chesapeake Bay. In addition, these swales can act as an attractive part of the 

landscape. 

Lastly, any spaces that aren’t used for development should include landscaping that is 

indigenous to Virginia. Indigenous, or native, vegetation is suited to Virginia’s climate 

and is more tolerant of our weather. Vegetation helps to control erosion by locking soil 

into the roots of the plants, and also plays a role in filtering non-point source pollution. 



The new buildings will need to be developed above the level of the floodplain to 



Developing for any use in a floodplain calls for cautious measures in order to limit 

potential losses from flooding. This caution becomes even more necessary when the 

proposed use includes irreplaceable historic artifacts. With this in mind, any new 

structures built on the site should have the “finished first floor” built a foot above Base 

Flood Elevation (BFE), a construction practice called “free boarding”. BFE is defined as 

the expected height of the 100-year flood. Many museums utilize subterranean storage 

for their museums’ collections, but this will not be possible on the Fulton Gas Works site. 

From an environmental perspective, having to build above the BFE can actually be a 

positive, because it allows for the provision of parking under the first floor, at grade level, 

and reduces the amount of impervious surfaces by reducing the amount of surface 

parking that is necessary. An open pier construction method, with the structure on top of 

columns, can allow water to flow in and recede without damaging the structure. A 

practical and local example is the Virginia Eye Institute located at the end of the 

Huguenot Bridge (see Figure 36). 

Figure 36. Open Pier Construction at the Virginia Eye Institute 




The second part of this development guideline is also critical to the successful 

development of the site. Recently proposed developments along the riverfront have met 

with vociferous opposition from residents of Church Hill and other preservationists who 

object to the destruction of the viewshed that gave Richmond its name. This is actually 

another positive for the Fulton Gas Works site. Since it sits back from the river, it can be 

developed at a greater height than if it were located along the riverfront. Nonetheless, the 

building should be constructed to a maximum level of 3-4 stories above the parking level 

to respect the viewshed from Church and Chimborazo Hills. 

Additionally, to minimize the obstruction of the building in the viewshed the roof can be 

stepped downwards (see Figure 37), with each successive story being set back from the 

story below. A stepped profile could also allow for enjoyable views of the river and 

perhaps even outdoor spaces on the uppermost floors of the museum. 

Figure 37. Rendering of the Slavery Museum Building with a Stepped Profile 

source: author’s rendering using Google Sketchup 



The site will feature the Spirit of Freedom Exhibit Garden and trail along Gillies 

Creek. 

The current state of Gillies Creek is a liability to development of the Fulton Gas Works 

site. The creek has been transformed from its natural state by paving, and also acts as a 

combined sewer overflow. Presumably the idea behind making the creek a concrete 

channel was to move the wastewater created by the combined sewer events into the 

James River where it would be diluted by the volume of water. Unfortunately, the culvert 

moves water too efficiently, sending it into the river instead of allowing it to recharge the 

groundwater supply as nature intended. The channel is also an eyesore that has been 

peppered with graffiti. 

Gillies Creek has the potential to be an asset to the site by returning it to a natural state 

and using it to act as the site of the Spirit of Freedom Exhibit Garden. To do this, the City 

should separate the combined sewer to create new wastewater pipes connecting directly 

to the wastewater treatment plant south of the river. Once that is completed, the City 

should deconstruct the concrete culvert and restore the creek to a natural condition. In 

addition to this, the City should look into employing natural solutions to capture and 

slowly release stormwater at critical locations along upstream Gillies Creek. By using 

strategies such as the aforementioned bio-retention swales, the volume of stormwater 

flowing through the creek can be held down during peak rain events, while allowing for 

recharge of the groundwater. One potential way to pay for this is to raise water and 

wastewater rate fees by a few cents per customer, as has been done in the past for other 

CSO projects. 

Once Gillies Creek is returned to its natural state, it can work as an asset to the site. 

Locating the Spirit of Freedom Exhibit Garden alongside the creek will allow for quiet 

contemplation of slavery. The Exhibit Garden, which is already in use at the 

Fredericksburg site, features educational displays about abolitionists, runaways, acts of 

bravery and the need for endurance on the road to freedom. The Garden will run 

alongside the naturalized Gilles Creek and include the entire area between the railroad 

trestles and Main Street, joining up with the public marina and park by way of a path. 



The site will be the permanent home of the Winfree Cottage. 

The Winfree Cottage (see Figure 38) is a small, two-room house believed to have been 

built for freed slave Emily Winfree by her former owner David Winfree, with whom she 

had a number of children. David Winfree deeded the two-room house and 100 acres of 

land to the former slave in 1866 (Sinclair, 2002). The cottage was rescued from 

demolition in 2002 by the Association to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods 

(A.C.O.R.N.) and is now owned by the City. Since its removal from the Manchester site 

where it resided since at least 1866, the cottage has sat on a trailer looking for a 

permanent home. Locating the cottage on the grounds of the Slavery Museum can add a 

unique interpretive experience to the story of slavery. The cottage should be placed in an 

open, landscaped area to return it to its original setting in order to enhance the 

interpretative aspect. 

Figure 38. The Winfree Cottage 




The gasometer shall hold a slave ship replica and will act as a vista upon entering 

the site. 

The gasometer is the most recognizable structure on the Gas Works site, but it will need 

to be moved to make way for the Slavery Museum building. Rather than scrapping the 

structure, it can be moved to a spot where it creates a vista from both entrances to the 

museum. Utilizing its size and shape, the gasometer can be glassed in to become a part of 

the museum’s exhibits, holding a scaled down replica of a slave ship. Visitors will be 

able to enter the exhibit during open hours to experience what it would have been like to 

travel across the Atlantic aboard one of these vessels. When closed, the highly visible 

exhibit will attract the curious. At night, the exhibit can be dimly lit to add an additional 

level of interest. 

The site will connect to the public marina, Virginia Capital Trail, and the Richmond 

Slave Trail. 

A path should be created that ties the Slavery Museum to the proposed public marina and 

the Virginia Capital Trail in order to capture some of the vitality of these projects and 

invite visitors up to explore what the museum has to offer. The path will connect the 

Museum’s Spirit of Freedom Garden Exhibit and Trail to the public marina and Capital 

Trail. Furthermore, the Freedom Garden will be highly visible from the riverfront to 

entice the park users to explore the museum site. Pedestrian scale urban design elements, 

such as lighting, benches, and raised crosswalks will help to bridge the gap between these 

projects. 

The Richmond Slave Trail begins at Manchester Docks on the south side of the river at 

the present day site of Ancarrow’s Landing, directly across the river from the proposed 

marina. The Slavery Museum should be connected to the beginning of the Slave Trail by 

way of a small ferryboat that will shuttle visitors from the public marina to the 

Manchester Docks. This boat trip can also act as an interpretive ride, helping visitors 

learn what the experience for slaves arriving or leaving Richmond was like. 

The Slave Trail travels along the riverside until it crosses the river at Mayo’s bridge and 

enters the heart of downtown. Once downtown, the trail tells the story of the slave 

auction houses and the infamous Lumpkin’s Jail, known by slaves as “The Devil’s Half- 

Acre”. The Slave Trail can then be made to loop back to the Slavery Museum after it 

makes its way through downtown, creating a comprehensive, moving history of slavery 

in Richmond and the United States. 



Chart 1. Timeline of Slavery Museum Site Development 

Years 

Task 0 1 2 3 4 5 

Assembling parcels into one unit 

Environmental Remediation 

Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings 

Construction of New Building 

Construction of Parking Deck 

Construction of Roads 

Construction of Walking Paths 

Landscaping, Including Swales 

source: author 

The National Slavery Museum can have an overwhelmingly positive effect on the City, 

region, and State. Besides the ability to bring tourist money to the area, the museum can 

have a positive effect on the perception of Richmond to residents and outsiders. The City 

has many museums and sites dedicated to history that would complement the mission of 

the National Slavery Museum. Connecting the Slavery Museum to these institutions can 

result in increased visitation and scholarship for all. 

In the immediate area, the Slavery Museum can be marketed as a destination with the 

Richmond National Battlefield Park on Chimborazo Hill and the American Civil War 

Center at Historic Tredegar. More research can also be done to see what buildings and 

structures that remain in the City may have been constructed with slave labor, and these 

can be tied in to the museum and the Richmond Slave Trail. 

Citywide, the Slavery Museum can be marketed with other museums such as the 

Valentine Richmond History Center, the Museum of the Confederacy, the Virginia 

Historical Society, and the Black History Museum of Richmond. The Black History 

Museum has struggled financially for years, and could benefit from joining forces with 

the National Slavery Museum, perhaps even locating on the same site. There has also 

been talk of creating an African-American genealogy center, which if located on the site 

with the Slavery Museum, could become a very large tourism draw for the City. Linking 

the Slavery Museum to these other Richmond institutions can result in increased 

visitation to all and open up partnerships that can result in a deeper understanding of our 

history. 

Regionally, the museum can be linked by Route 5 to the Historic James River 

Plantations. Many of these plantations employed slave labor, and were often the source of 

slaves who were sold downriver through Richmond. Linking the plantations to the 

museum can lead to increased understanding on the role of slavery on the plantations as 

well as the role of the plantations in the downriver slave trade. 



Reference List 

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Development. 

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Utilities. 

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Utilities. 

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Appendix 

Contents of the Appendix 

Dunbar Criteria 2 

GRTC Route 6 Map 6 


Site Development Plan 

Appendix 

1

Dunbar Criteria 

The following criteria were used to determine the existing conditions of the buildings on 

the Fulton Gas Works Site. 



Appendix 

2



Appendix 

3



Appendix 

4



Appendix 

5

GRTC Route 6 Map 

This is the Greater Richmond Transit Company’s map for the #6 Route that runs past the 

Fulton Gas Works site. 



Appendix 

6

Fulton Gas Works Site Development Plan for the - Virginia ...

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