Cities in the Air
"Thus we did not build Castles only, but also Cities in the air." - William Byrd II, on the founding of Richmond
During a visit to Belle Isle (a small island in the James River) early last year I was overwhelmed by an impression of many-layeredness. The remains of a Civil War prison were mere yards from the remnants of a more recent war: a Chrysler factory that used to manufacture tank doors. The hydroelectric plant that once powered greater Richmond lay vacant near the smooth rocks swarming with sunbathing college students. And the trees that provided shade were themselves shadowed by the massive suspension bridge directly overhead.
It soon became apparent that the many-layeredness I perceived at Belle Isle belonged to the city at large. It seemed to me that Richmond was not one city, but rather countless "cities in the air": the ruins of previous centuries jumbled up with the soon-to-be ruins of our own.
During a visit to Belle Isle (a small island in the James River) early last year I was overwhelmed by an impression of many-layeredness. The remains of a Civil War prison were mere yards from the remnants of a more recent war: a Chrysler factory that used to manufacture tank doors. The hydroelectric plant that once powered greater Richmond lay vacant near the smooth rocks swarming with sunbathing college students. And the trees that provided shade were themselves shadowed by the massive suspension bridge directly overhead.
It soon became apparent that the many-layeredness I perceived at Belle Isle belonged to the city at large. It seemed to me that Richmond was not one city, but rather countless "cities in the air": the ruins of previous centuries jumbled up with the soon-to-be ruins of our own.