Ode to Rosie: celebrating Richmond's home-front history
If you grew up in Richmond or lived here for a while, you are undoubtedly acquainted with the name Rosie. Perhaps you know someone who was a Rosie, maybe a neighbor or a grandparent, but at the very least, you probably know Rosie’s “we can do it” spirit, which envelops Richmond like a warm embrace.
Rosie the Riveter, a cultural icon representing the women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, is so well-loved in Richmond that a national park was built here to preserve their history and tell their story.
A gala fundraiser is also held each fall to help support the park’s many programs and, of course, provide an opportunity to celebrate the Rosies and even meet a few.
In 1997, Richmond City Councilmember Donna Powers formed a committee to create a memorial for the women who worked on the WWII home front. Congressman George Miller and other local leaders joined that discussion and worked to have Congress designate the memorial as a National Park Service Affiliated Area. The National Park Service had been searching for a place to tell the WWII homefront story, and with so many sites still intact, Richmond was a natural choice.
Walking into the Rosie the Riveter Visitor’s Center feels like stepping back in time. Its location in the historic Ford Assembly building complex, brick walls, and natural lighting add to this illusion, providing an old-timey feel and a deep dive into local history. Standing amid the several displays depicting war-era Richmond, it’s not hard to imagine oneself amid busy 1940s Richmond.
Thanks to Pullman, Rheem, and Ford, pre-war Richmond was already well-established as an industrial city where factory work and production were hardly new concepts. At the onset of World War II, four Richmond Shipyards were built along the waterfront, employing thousands, including many who migrated to Richmond from other parts of the country. Across the country, the women who became Rosies produced munitions, war supplies, and ships. Rosies in Richmond are credited with helping Kaiser’s shipyards build a whopping 747 Victory and Liberty ships and, once, completing an entire Liberty ship in just five days – setting a record.
Rosies played such an integral role in the war effort with their trademark “can-do” spirit; they have become an enduring symbol of courage, pluck, and determination in Richmond.
In 1997, the Rosie the Riveter Trust was created as a nonprofit organization to be the philanthropic partner of the new National Park, and in October 2000, President Bill Clinton signed a congressional act to establish the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historic Park.
The Trust supports the Park’s development, educates the public, ensures a high-quality experience for Park visitors, and also hosts the park's yearly gala fundraiser.
This year’s fundraiser, which will be held on Friday, October 5, at the West County Salesian Youth Club, will offer the opportunity to meet real Rosies, National Park Rangers, and keynote speaker Tracey Panek, Historian and Director of Archives for Levi Strauss & Co.
The event includes a plated gourmet three-course dinner (Grilled Flatiron Steak, Grilled Citrus Salmon, or a Crispy Eggplant Neapolitan), complimentary table wine, a cash bar with signature Rosie cocktails, a live and silent auction, an entertaining program, and a photo booth.
The dress code is denim and diamonds, and Rosie-themed attire is always welcome.
Next year, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park will celebrate its 25th anniversary.
For more information about the gala, click here.
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