17th Street Farmers Market

To know a city is to know its Farmers' Market. It is where tourists familiarize themselves with the foods of the region and pick up the gossip of where to find the very best restaurants. It is where residents make lasting relationships with their farmers and grow to trust the quality of the foods that they produce. Shoppers delight in the anticipation of treats to come as the seasons advance, and worry right along with the farmers when the rain is too scarce, or too plentiful. The site of the 17th Street Farmers' Market has been a public gathering place since 1737, and is one of America's oldest public markets. The Farmers' Market has always been at the intersection of local commerce for two reasons -- the proximity to the river and the fact that Main Street served as the main road between Richmond and Williamsburg and nearby Shockoe Creek was used by small boats bringing shellfish to awaiting customers. When the Virginia General Assembly officially moved to Richmond in 1779, a "public market" was established. Once a thriving hub of commerce and trading, the Farmers' Market has seen many incarnations. By 1854, The Farmers' Market had expanded and a larger market building was built on the corner of Main and 17th Streets. During the Civil War, the First Market House, as it was originally called, served as a gathering place for Confederate soldiers and later as a barracks for Union Troops. In later decades, shoppers listened to political speeches, visited the police station on the second floor, and raised their own voices at religious revival meetings.