RICHMOND VA: (Rocktown Now) – When Abigail Spanberger takes the oath of office today as Virginia’s 75th governor, the weather should be calm compared to some of the past outdoor inaugurations held in the state capital. Here’s a look back at the sometimes cold, sometimes windy and sometimes almost unbearable weather conditions onlookers braved to watch the next governor take the oath.
1914 — Henry Carter Stuart and the Crisp Winter Dawn
The tradition of outdoor inaugurations began with Governor Henry Carter Stuart, who took office in 1914 under a cold, bright Virginia sky. The air was sharp, the kind that stings cheeks but clears horizons, and Stuart’s oath echoed across the Capitol grounds—Virginia’s first real step into open‑air pageantry. His parade was memorable not only for the weather but for its novelty: Stuart became the first Virginia governor to ride in an automobile during his inaugural procession, a sign of a changing modern world rolling right through the wintry morning…