You will need to visit the Wickham House on a guided tour. You purchase your ticket in the gift shop, and tours take place hourly. The house was built for prominent Richmond lawyer John Wickham in 1812. He was the wealthiest man in Richmond. In addition to the Richmond house, he had two plantations and 150 slaves. This is all the more surprising when you realize that he was born on Long Island and one of his uncles was the governor of New York. He studied law in Williamsburg and moved to Richmond when the capitol moved. It was his career as a lawyer, however, that made him famous. In 1807, he was the lead defense attorney for Aaron Burr in his treason trial. Burr’s acquittal assured John Wickham a place in history.

Jo was our guide to the house. We learned that the Valentine Museum purchased the house, and between 1985-1995, it was restored to its former Federal style. The house was designed by Boston architect Alexander Paris, who also deigned the Governors Mansion. We visited the entrance hall, which has the black-and-white oil cloth floor painted to look like tile, but much more practical.

All the design elements are extraordinary. From the wonderful fan window to the hand-painted ceiling in the library, every element is first-class. Most of the furniture now on display is not original to the house, but is typical of the period. There are Trompe d’oeil walls that look like friezes. These are unique in having survived from this period. In each room, the parts that have been saved are highlighted and the rest have been reproduced.

There is a magnificent cantilevered stairway that seems to float, connecting the decorated public rooms from the much more austere family rooms above. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed in the house.

When you finish your tour of the house, you move back into the history center. Here is where we meet the Valentine family. The museum was founded in 1892 and opened in 1898 by Mann Valentine II. He was a collector, and in the beginning it was mostly natural history. It has evolved into a history museum of Richmond and its people. The collection is composed of photographs, manuscripts, decorative arts, and a large collection of textiles and costumes. There are also some fine arts, including paintings by Thomas Sully and Gilbert Stuart among others.

You follow a time line and see how Richmond and Virginia grew and evolved. Issues such as segregation, labor, and conservation are all dealt with in a very interesting and visual way. Allow at least an hour and a half.