The City of Richmond is located between Henrico and Chesterfield Counties. It was named by William Byrd II, who with the help of William Mayo laid out the town in 1737. The name probably came from the English borough of Richmond upon Thames. Richmond was established in 1742 and in 1779 was designated the capitol of Virginia effective April 1780. Incorporated as a town in 1782 and incorporated as a city in 1842, it was the capital of the Confederate States of America from 1861 to 1865. Richmond was enlarged by several annexations, including Manchester/South Richmond (1910), Barton Heights, Fairmount, and Highland Park (1914). A further annexation form Chesterfield County occurred in 1970. Richmond's area is 60 square miles. The population is 197,790 according to the 2000 census.

Note: Many of the records, including wills and deed books, were destroyed by fire in 1865.

Original Records at The Library of Virginia: Yes