Re-Storying Richmond Hill into the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Richmond Hill and Groundwork RVA are on a journey of work together to re-story our grounds and gardens back into the watershed. By restoring our relationship with rain through acts of reciprocity with the land, we are rewriting the story of our relationship. The old story was to send the rain that falls here away, downslope to Taylor’s Hill Park, or into city storm drains. The new story is one of reciprocity. We find it by learning the language of our place, and of the land and water flowing there. We find it by being in conversation with rain and by humbly joining the rain’s sacred, ongoing story.
Where does our story take place? The Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
Looking North from Richmond Hill we see the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, with its 64,000 square miles, 11,684 miles of shoreline, and 150 major rivers & streams that flow toward one final destination: the Chesapeake Bay. Her headwaters flow through 6 states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay Watershed is our home, and home to over 18 million people, too.
Looking Westward from Richmond Hill, we see the headwaters of the James River as well as the lands and waterways of its namesake watershed. As a part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, the James River Watershed encompasses approximately 10,000 square miles, almost a quarter of the state. It is our home, and home to a third of all Virginians.
When we face South from the place we call Richmond Hill, we face the banks of the James River. Flowing toward these banks is Shockoe Creek and its namesake, the Cannons Branch/Shockoe Creek Watershed. Its 12 square miles is our home, and home to our neighbors who live, work and play here, too. Shockoe Creek begins its watershed journey near Harvie and Carlton roads, just east of Mechanicsville Turnpike. The creek meanders through ditches, beds, arches and channels. In its natural, untouched state, the watershed’s 8,000 acres drained through a series of tributaries into Shockoe Creek. In September 1923, the creek was enclosed underground to prevent localized flooding.
Today, the only evidence of Shockoe Creek in our immediate neighborhood is the stone bridge that is part of Broad Street’s steep trek to and from downtown. Shockoe Creek is still there, but hidden. Shockoe Creek flows as witness to the stories of people who were enslaved here and the way she was intentionally hidden reminds us of the ways in which their stories were intentionally hidden as well. This land holds our history, and like the work we do to unearth the buried stories and truth of our past, our work to heal the land reflects other needed healing work undertaken for our community and ourselves.
Richmond Hill embarked upon the journey with Groundwork RVA through a series of Re-Storying Sessions with the Groundwork RVA Green Team.
Groundwork RVA cultivates the next generation of urban conservationists in Richmond by facilitating environmental, economic, and social well-being in neighborhoods through the transformation of blighted and neglected open spaces into public assets. The Green Team is a citywide program for High School age youth that partners with Richmond Public Schools, the James River Park System and other local organizations to plan and implement revitalization projects that have an impact at a neighborhood level, and expand access to Richmond's natural and cultural resources.
With support from Project Mentor and engineer and landscape architect Charlene Harper (VHB), the Green Team observed the garden at Richmond Hill and learned about how water flowed there and through the surrounding land. They brainstormed, proposed solutions and sketched ideas.
The group learned about the history held by the land at Richmond Hill, including the history of enslavement and about the healing work of The Judy Project .
Richmond Hill community members conducted individual observations of the garden and later gathered during a retreat entitled “Wilding the Watershed: Re-Storying Richmond Hill into the Shockoe Creek Watershed”. The group examined proposed solutions through the theme of “disconnect”.They considered the question, “what does it look like for Richmond Hill to “disconnect” from the old story?” Inspired by the Book of Isaiah, the group wrote “found scripture” together.
“Found” Scripture of Isaiah 41:17-20
17 When the parched and disconnected seek water, and there is none, and their spirit is overcome with thirst, I the Gardener will re-nourish them, I the God of Creation will not let go of them. 18 I will open the hearts of the people on Richmond Hill and create healing in the midst of the neglected land; I will make the community an oasis of living water and the hurting, sacred land, a friend of water. 19 I will put in the garden entrance, the parking lot, the cottage, chapel, the historic wall, and the downslope; I will set in the soaking surfaces the rain gardens, the cisterns and the ponds together, 20 So that all of Creation may find healing and wholeness, all of Creation may be reconnected and live in reciprocity, That the Lover of the Land has done this, the Holy One of Watersheds has restored it.
As expressed by Eric Johnson, Wendel Gouldman, Jerry Gilbert, Katie Johnson, Paul Amrhein, Lynn Faugot, Audrey Vosburg, Rev. Katie Heishman, and Beth Nelson after being in conversation with the Groundwork RVA Green Team’s Concept Plan, our Gardens and Grounds, the Shockoe Creek Watershed, and the Spirit’s call during the Wilding the Watershed retreat, March 2023.
In Spring 2023, Richmond Hill Council approved the Green Infrastructure Concept Plan.
The Concept Plan puts Richmond Hill in reciprocity with rainwater through the installation of green infrastructure practices such as rain gardens, water collecting cisterns for irrigation, and permeable pavement.
Parking Lot and Garden
Issues to address:
- Multiple downspouts drain to parking lot, washing out subsurface under pavers and into street and city stormwater system - need for irrigation
Parking Lot and Garden
Solution:
- Infiltrate: Replace auto court and associated parking spaces with permeable interlocking concrete pavers. Permeable pavement will treat run-on from building downspouts as well.
- Disconnect: harvest rainwater for irrigation
- Disconnect, Delay, Settle: install cobblestone transition between parking court and pea gravel/asphalt parking area to reduce energy of runoff
Cobblestone Transition
Permeable Pavement
Extended Parking Lot
Issues to address:
- stormwater flows downslope into Taylor’s Hill Park and into city storm inlet
Extended Parking Lot
Solution:
- Infiltrate: Replace asphalt with permeable pavement.
- Delay/Infiltrate: Install a rain garden to receive drainage from underdrains below permeable pavement.
Permeable Pavers
Rain Garden
Garden Entrance Patio & Chapel Garden
Issues to address:
- Severe ponding - Irrigation needs - clogged drains - Downspouts go underground
Garden Entrance Patio & Chapel Garden
Solution:
- Disconnect: rainwater harvest system for irrigation
- Infiltrate: permeable pavers/sidewalk; create rain garden area to treat re-routed downspouts and underdrain from permeable pavement
- Disperse, Delay: route gutter downspouts thru sidewalk using trench drains.
Rain Barrel
Permeable Pavement
Main Garden
Issues to address:
- Severe ponding - Irrigation needs - clogged drains - Downspouts go underground
Main Garden
Solution:
- Disconnect: route roof gutter collection pipes to a cistern for reuse to supplement irrigation system demand.
Rain Cistern
The Dwelling
Issues to address:
- water flowing into Dwelling structure
- irrigation needs
- reduce flow rate downslope into city inlet
The Dwelling
Due to ongoing archeological work in this area of the garden, Council voted to suspend the installation of green infrastructure improvements here until after such work is completed.
Solution:
- Delay/Disperse: add berm/rain gardens to prevent water flow into Dwelling
- Disconnect: harvest rainwater for garden irrigation
- Delay: reduce flow rate
Rain Garden
Our call to rejoin our watershed by re-storying our relationship to it is best described as embodying the spirit of East.
Looking Eastward, we see the flow of water on this ground we call Richmond Hill through new eyes, holding space for both/and, for new beginnings, and for big picture seeing.
We are mindful of our local watershed, Shockoe Creek/Cannon’s Branch, and our desire to support its healing.
We are mindful of the flow of mingled waters traveling together in one body, the James River, toward its final destination, the Chesapeake Bay.
This place in which we live, work, play and worship is but one fraction of the whole, and yet it is a vital part of the wholeness we seek for our watershed home.
From this place, we embrace our new relationship with water as one of Holy Reciprocity, as one that is part of the ongoing Great Conversation between us, land, water & God that is made manifest here.
From this place we go forth to do the work of being curious, seeing with new eyes, and listening with new ears to the wildness that begs to come forth through our new story.
Richmond Hill is committed to action that heals and restores the land throughout its campus by facilitating the capture, storage, filtering, and treatment of stormwater via practices that mimic natural water cycles. Through this project, Richmond Hill is a living example for green stormwater infrastructure’s role in healing the land, one that will inspire and educate the community, visitors, and neighbors alike.
What’s next?
Richmond Hill is is seeking funding to implement the projects described in the Concept Plan, while also actively re-storying the grounds and gardens through practices of reciprocity with the land and all those who live there. If you would like to receive updates on this project click here to sign up for the Richmond Hill newsletter.
All gifts made to sustain our work are sacred. To share your gift, visit RichmondHillVA.org/give or mail a check to Richmond Hill, 2209 East Grace Street, Richmond, VA 23223.
