# 5759 - 2023 First-Class Forever Stamp - Historic Railroad Stations: Main Street Station, Richmond, Virginia

U.S. #5759
2023 Main Street Station, Richmond, Virginia
Historic Railroad Stations

• Honors Main Street railroad station in Richmond, Virginia
• Part of the Historic Railroad Stations set which celebrates the railroad stations that revolutionized the transportation of goods and people across America

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Set:  Historic Railroad Stations
Value:  63¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  March 9, 2023
First Day City:  Cincinnati, Ohio
Quantity Issued:  30,000,000
Printed by:  Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method:  Offset, Flexographic
Format:  Panes of 20
Self-Adhesive

Why the stamp was issued:  Issued to honor Main Street train station as well as the history, nostalgia, and romance of train travel.

About the stamp design:  Along with the other four in the set, this stamp pictures digital illustrations and typography by Down the Street Designs.  The Main Street Station design pictures the railroad station with its well-known clock tower against a starry night sky.  The train station is lit within, making it a beacon for travelers and a landmark of the city, even on the darkest nights.

First Day City:  The Historic Railroad Stations stamps has their First Day of Issue Ceremony in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the Cincinnati Union Terminal.  Its awe-inspiring art deco style, massive size, and the fact that it was pictured on one of the stamps in the set made it a perfect location for the First Day of Issue Ceremony.

About the Historic Railroad Stations set:  There are five different railroad stations depicted in the set:  Tamaqua Station in Pennsylvania; Point of Rocks Station in Maryland; Main Street Station in Virginia; Santa Fe Station in California; and Union Terminal in Ohio.  All stations (except Tamaqua) were in use for passenger service at the time the stamps were issued, and all five are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

History the stamp represents:  Seaboard Air Line Railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway built Main Street Station in Richmond, Virginia, in 1901.  It continues to provide service through Amtrak as well as serving as a bus station for the Greater Richmond Transit Company.  Main Street Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and became a US National Historic Landmark in 1976.

Many locals refer to Main Street Station as “The Clock Tower.”  It was designed by Philadelphia architectural firm, Wilson, Harris, and Richards.  It was needed after the consolidation of the former Virginia Central Railroad and the Richmond and Allegheny Railroad.  The station was built in the Second Renaissance Revival style and served as a symbol of Richmond’s wealth and success.  By the 1920s, more than 20 trains arrived at the station daily.

As time went on, Main Street Station was subjected to flood damage from Hurricane Agnes in 1972, fire damage in 1976 and 1983, as well as the ravages of time.  In fact, the station was closed to trains for many years because of its deterioration.  However, that all changed when renovations were completed in December 2003.  The station was reopened to Amtrak service and has become both a useful and beautiful part of the Richmond community.