Bon Air is a census-designated place (CDP) in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. The population was 18,022 at the 2020 census. The community is considered a suburb of the independent city of Richmond in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a part of the Southside neighborhoods. Originally developed as a resort, a central portion of Bon Air has been designated as a National Historic District with many structures of Victorian design from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its name means "good air," reflecting its role as a resort getaway that wealthy Richmonders enjoyed for its fresh air as opposed to the dirty air of Richmond's industrial downtown of the late 19th century.
The 1881–82 Stick style annex for the Bon Air Hotel, which survived the fire that destroyed the main hotel in 1889.
The Bon Air "Hazen Memorial" Library was built 1902 to honor Rev. Hazen, an early intellectual and community leader in Bon Air. The library building was used until Chesterfield County built a new Bon Air library in 1975. The Hazen House decayed and saw little use until it was privately restored in the 2010s. It now operates as a private museum.
Chesterfield County, Virginia
Chesterfield County is located just south of Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county's borders are primarily defined by the James River to the north and the Appomattox River to the south. Its county seat is Chesterfield Court House.
Old Chesterfield County Courthouse