Today, a modern park stands at 321 North Second Street in Richmond. However, this site has a long and storied history that has now been commemorated in the form of a historical marker.
On Tuesday morning, city officials recounted the historical significance of the site before unveiling the new marker. In 1798, the site was purchased, along with over 240 acres of land that would become the city of Richmond. In 1823, funds were appropriated to build the Madison Academy on the site which would eventually close its doors due to lack of funding.
In 1890, the lot was sold to Richmond City Schools to build a new eight room high school which was opened five years later. In 1919, Caldwell High School students were moved to the newly built Madison High School, and Caldwell was closed and the building was razed.
For nearly 20 years, the lot would remain vacant until Richmond City Schools sold the land to the state. After President Franklin Roosevelt approved a Works Progress Administration construction request, the Caldwell Armory was built for approximately $50,000 in 1941. National Guardsmen would be stationed at this site until 1978 when a new armory building was constructed on Highway 52.
Following the sale of the building from the state to the City of Richmond, the Caldwell Armory building was designated as the office for Richmond Parks and Recreation in 1982. This would remain as Parks and Recreation’s home until 2016, when the building was no longer safe for occupancy.
The building would be demolished in 2022 to create Armory Park which would be opened the following year.
