Riverfront Petition Information

Together WE Stand believes the future of the Richmond Region is directly linked to its historic and powerful past and harnessing that power will be a critical element in creating a proud and unified community, leading to a higher quality of life for all Richmonders. Harnessing the power of the past requires important landmarks and historic areas be conserved and preserved for all of the public’s enjoyment, forever. Currently, certain historic lands along the most historic portion of the James River, America’s Founding River, have either left the public domain, or are being considered as potential lands for private development. These lands, running from the former Intermediate Terminal site to Mayo Island on the north side of the James in the City of Richmond are historic not only for the Richmond Region, but for the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States of America. This is The Birthplace of Our Nation – from the turn in the river at Rocketts Landing upstream to the falls at Belle Isle. This stretch of the James and the lands on either side are historic for Richmond, for Virginia and for America. This is where Christopher Newport was forced to stop, essentially establishing the Richmond Region and ultimately America; where the canal system developed by George Washington started, significantly accelerating the commerce of Virginia and America; where ships docked that transported hundreds of thousands of African slaves; where Abraham Lincoln entered the City of Richmond in 1865; and, this is the part of the River, so remarkably similar to the turn in the River Thames in Richmond England, which is the centerpiece for the view from Libby Hill that inspired William Byrd to name our community Richmond.

The panoramic view of the River Thames from Richmond Hill, often referred to as “The View”, has been celebrated in art and literature for hundreds of years. In the 1890’s, this view was increasingly threatened by the march of suburbia creeping relentlessly up the Thames from London. For the first time the loss of open space linked with the destruction of a cherished view inspired public protest, or indignation, as it was known then, to resist development. The Great Indignation was one of the earliest and most successful environmental campaigns in history, and in 1902 “The Richmond Petersham and Ham Open Spaces Act” was enacted and “The View”, the landscape on and below Richmond Hill stretching to the Thames, became the first and only view or vista to ever be protected in perpetuity by an Act of Parliament.

Therefore, in honor of the efforts of our twin city Richmond upon Thames in 1902 to democratize the Thames Landscape, and to learn from our fellow Richmonders how to use the power of our past to shape our future, Together WE Stand declares THE GREAT INDIGNATION OF 2009, intending to achieve the following objectives:

Express indignation that any lands along the north bank of the James River, from the former Intermediate Terminal site to Mayo Island were ever allowed to leave the public domain as these lands were critical in the development of our Nation.
Generate overwhelming public interest throughout the Richmond Region and the Commonwealth of Virginia in restoring public ownership of the aforementioned land, as this historic portion of the James River is the public’s collective heritage and should always be held by the public, in perpetuity.
Document and demonstrate the overwhelming public mandate with a Riverfront Petition process.
Raise the monies necessary to assist the City of Richmond and/or the Commonwealth of Virginia to purchase all of the aforementioned land.
Establish on this land a riverfront park that in part honors the many important events that have happened in these waters and on this land and their impact on the history of the Richmond Region, the Commonwealth, and the Nation.
Strengthen the principle that the public has legitimate rights in the development of private land. THE GREAT INDIGNATION OF 2009 is in no way a condemnation of private development along the James River – it is simply an affirmation that these specific lands must be in the public domain, in perpetuity.

Please Support The Great Indignation of 2009 and Sign the Online Petition