After a fire on 2nd Street last week, the remains of a building stand next to the famous Hippodrome Theater in Jackson Ward. Originally built in 1913, the Hippodrome became part of Jackson Ward being known as the “Harlem of the South,” a reference to its Black heritage, culture and its musical tradition. In its heyday, entertainers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington performed at the Hippodrome. More recently the venue hosted the RVA Rapper’s Delight event in homage to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop music in Richmond and elsewhere.
