Petersburg, Virginia

David had a meeting today at Virginia State University outside Petersburg so we had a quick look at the historic downtown area on the way.

There is an octagonal Farmers Market building dating back to the late 19th Century.  Unfortunately closed at present but it was possible to glimpse the inside through the window..

Petersburg was the site of many significant Civil War battles and there are still many gaps in the buildings - although many old buildings that survived are preserved.

To get to the University we crossed the Appomattox River..

Quite different in each direction - this side of the bridge looked natural.

On the other side of the bridge the river was dammed and managed for industrial use.

The University is built on a hill at Ettrick just outside Petersburg.

It was built just after the Civil War - the first University in America to be built primarily for black students. 

There are many student halls around the campus.  Many of the 6,000 students must be housed there.

Once I had explored I enjoyed the shade in this little pagoda and read a book!