There’s the saying “If these walls could talk …” what a story they would tell. Well, if Richmond’s historic walls could talk, they probably wouldn’t get a word in edgewise.

     That is a good thing, though, because of a group of intrepid tour guides who welcomed more than 2.6 million visitors to our region’s historic sites and attractions last year.

     This gregarious group of guides is, unofficially, Richmond’s History Gypsies. They travel from historic site to site, some paid, some volunteer, telling Richmond’s stories. For more than two decades, they have served as our hospitality ambassadors, greeting new neighbors and visitors. You can find them leading tours on buses, in minivans, walking or Segwaying across the city at almost any time of the day (and sometimes night).

     Besides comfortable shoes, they all share a passion for history.

THE PEERLESS LEADER

     Rita M. Bagby is the peerless leader of the group and the reason many are in this line of work. “It’s all Rita’s fault,” they will often tell you when asked how they ended up at sites such as the John Marshall House, the Valentine Richmond History Center, St. John’s Church, the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts — all places Bagby works or has worked.

     In 1990, Bagby and a friend responded to an ad for a tour guide school hosted by Historic Richmond Foundation. The rest was tour guide history. She ended up teaching other guides in the Valentine Richmond History Center’s certification program. Along the way, she has become a mentor for those learning the ropes of Richmond’s rich history.

     Bagby says she enjoys both the tourists and her colleagues, as well as keeping up with new discoveries and historical interpretations. “You learn something new each day.” 

     Bagby is famous for her customized tours. Her Halloween Haunts tour is a favorite. Another is the Legal Eagles of Richmond, featuring the main characters in the Aaron Burr treason trial. But for many of Bagby’s fans, and she has lots, nothing tops her past portrayal of Eliza Poe, Edgar’s mom, who is buried in St. John’s churchyard. Bagby dressed the part in a flowing white gown — an early version was an old nightgown — and jumped out from behind Mrs. Poe’s tombstone, much to the shock and delight of those on her tour.  

DRIVING TO THE JEFFERSON

     Tommy Jones is another dedicated History Gypsy. 

     You will find Jones at The Jefferson Hotel, where he has worked for seven years as a driver. He’s also spent      the last eight years at the Richmond Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau (RMCVB) as a part-time travel counselor. 

     In 2007, The Jefferson nominated him for the convention and visitors bureau’s Easy to Love Customer Service Award. He won. Anyone who has seen Jones at work knows why.

     When he retired as a U.S. history and government teacher in Essex County in 1999, Jones reinvented himself by entering the history and hospitality business. He started by interpreting a Civil War site in Petersburg, then trained as a guide for a local bus tour company. Today, he drives The Jefferson’s guests all over town to business meetings and spa appointments — and shares local history along the way. 

THEY’RE EVERYWHERE … FORTUNATELY

     You might find other History Gypsies at St. John’s Church, where Patrick Henry gave his “Give me liberty or give me death” speech, at book talks at the Library of Virginia, or on special walking tours from the Valentine Richmond History Center. The John Marshall House in Court End is another hangout. Wilton House has seen its fair share of them. The Capitol is one of their favorite places to work. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts recruited a number. And you will see them as volunteers at public events such as Court End Christmas, the Richmond Folk Festival, Historic Garden Week and the Museum Stores Holiday Shoppers Fair. 

     The Gypsies are “the unofficial welcome committee for the city,” says Bill Martin, the Valentine Richmond History Center’s executive director.

     “Richmond’s historic houses and museums could not function without the well-informed volunteers and part-time staff that are at the center of our visitors’ experience,” Martin adds. “By working multiple sites, this amazing group has detailed information not only on the primary site at which they work, but also can (more importantly) connect the dots between a variety of sites in a way that can really make the history of the region come to life.”

Alyson Lindsey Taylor-White, formerly editor of the Virginia Review, has been an occasional History Gypsy since 1985. She plunged full time into her passion for history last year, giving tours all over the city.