Shortly after Richmond became Virginia�s state capitol in the late 18th century, its Main Street developed as the South�s first modern cityscape. Following the Civil War, the city scrambled to build up, using prefabricated cast iron set off with Italianate facades, Corinthian columns and rounded arches. The region�s first grand skyscrapers came to tower over the city�s new financial district, as industry and commerce boomed.
