The City of Richmond marked the 100th anniversary of the Church Hill Tunnel collapse on October 2, 2025. The event was organized by the Friends of Jefferson Park and the Church Hill Association. Mayor Danny Avula issued a formal proclamation to commemorate the occasion.
The collapse occurred on October 2, 1925, during a railway upgrade project. A section of the tunnel gave way, trapping a steam locomotive, work cars, and an unknown number of workers underground. The site remains sealed beneath what is now Jefferson Park.
Mayor Avula’s proclamation states: “WHEREAS, on October 2, 1925, a section of the Church Hill Tunnel catastrophically collapsed during a railway upgrade project, tragically entombing a steam locomotive, work cars, and an unknown number of laborers; and
WHEREAS, this disaster reveals a significant and somber chapter in the history of the City of Richmond, a permanent reminder of the risks undertaken in the building of our infrastructure and the profound cost of progress; and
WHEREAS, the tunnel was subsequently sealed, leaving a piece of our city’s industrial heritage and the final resting place of those lost, preserved beneath the ground of what is now Jefferson Park; and
WHEREAS, the Friends of Jefferson Park and the Church Hill Association have taken the lead in organizing this commemoration to honor the memory of those lost and to educate the public on this significant historical event;
WHEREAS, NOW, THEREFORE, I, Dr. Danny TK Avula, Mayor of the City of Richmond, do hereby recognize October 2, 2025 as a day of commemoration for ‘100th Anniversary of the Church Hill Tunnel Collapse.’
I urge all citizens to pause and remember this event and individuals whose lives were lost. I commend Friends of Jefferson Park and Church Hill Association for their dedication to preserving this important part of our shared history.”
The commemoration aims to honor those who died in one of Richmond’s most notable industrial disasters while educating residents about its impact.
