Historian Virginius Dabney said that John Marshall was Richmond's leading citizen for decades. He was a founder of every civic, benevolent and social organization in Richmond established during his lifetime including the volunteer fire department, the Mutual Assurance Society, and the library. He was appointed first president of the Virginia Historical Society in 1831. He was Grand Master of the Masons and made the motion in the Town Council meeting to erect Masons Hall in Shockoe Bottom. Social activities included membership in the Quoits(the ancestor of horseshoes) Club, the Richmond Assembly(dancing), and the Jockey Club(horse racing).

The Hollow, one of John Marshall's boyhood homes, before restoration by APVA-Preservation Virginia

John Marshall's leadership was not limited to Richmond but encompassed the entire state. Few men of his time traversed the Commonwealth of Virginia as much as he did. Briefly, John Marshall was born in Fauquier County September 24, 1755. He attended school at Campbell Academy in Westmoreland County where one of his classmates was James Monroe. He studied law with an attorney in Warrenton, walking 36 miles round-trip from his home at Oak Hill. In 1775 his father Thomas Marshall, a member of the House of Burgesses for 20 years, heard Patrick Henry's inspiring speech at St. John's Church. Thomas and his neighbors formed the Culpeper Minute Men with son John as a lieutenant. At age 20 John Marshall began fighting for independence from England. As minutemen, the Marshall's went to Chesapeake where the newly formed militia defeated the royal forces at the Battle of Great Bridge. This battle marked the end of British rule in Virginia. Following the battle the militia was stationed in Norfolk for a brief time.

When John Marshall became an officer in the Continental Army, he was selected for the elite light infantry unit under Colonel Morgan that was the advance guard for the army. He was known for bravery under fire seeing action from before dawn until after dark at the Battle of Brandywine. He was wounded in the hand leading an assault against the Chew house during the Battle of Germantown. At Valley Forge he was on General Washington's staff as chief legal officer. In six months time he heard over 300 courts martial. On furlough in 1780 he walked from Oak Hill to Yorktown where his father commanded a regiment. There he met his future wife, Mary Willis Ambler, daughter of the Treasurer of Virginia. He attended law school at William and Mary studying under Professor George Wythe.

After the Revolutionary War ended he was unanimously elected to the General Assembly and moved to Richmond. From 1782 on he was continuously in office, either elected or appointed. He did not seek national office, but it sought him. Before his appointment as Chief Justice, he was an envoy to France during the XYZ Affair; was elected to Congress and was President Adams' Secretary of State. He served on all three levels of government-local, state and national--and in all three branches of the Federal government. Few Americans can claim that distinction. George Will has said that John Marshall may be the most important American never to have been elected president.

John Marshall had a life-long interest in agriculture. He owned and personally managed a 1,000-acre farm on the Chickahominy River in Henrico and Oak Hill in Fauquier. After Thomas, the sixth Lord Fairfax, died in 1781 Marshall formed a syndicate to purchase the Fairfax manor lands and ultimately acquired 200,000 acres in Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio.

In 1799 John Marshall traveled to Kentucky to spend several weeks with his respected father. Between 1800 and 1807 he wrote the first biography of George Washington. After 1801 he continued to make Richmond his home, traveling to Washington for the annual session of the Supreme Court. He presided over the Fourth District of the Federal Circuit Court hearing cases in Richmond and Raleigh, NC.

Marshall enthusiastically supported the economic development of Richmond. He served as a superintendent for the initial sale of stock in the James River Canal and later invested in railroad stock. In 1811-12 he chaired the committee to build Monumental Church. In 1812, he was asked by the state legislature to view "certain waters of the state" to determine the best route to extend the James River Canal to the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers. He led this expedition in September 1812 and wrote the final report himself. (His father, surveyor and land agent for Lord Fairfax, had taught him surveying as a youth.) Today the railroad and I-66 west of I-81 follow the route surveyed by "The Great Chief Justice of the United States."

In 1824 he was the official host for Lafayette's last visit to Virginia traveling to Yorktown and Williamsburg to welcome Lafayette to the state of Virginia and to lead the festivities. He gave speeches at all of the public functions and hosted a private dinner for Lafayette at the Eagle Tavern in Richmond. Lafayette was inducted into the Masons and attended Sunday services at Monumental Church and sat in Marshall's pew.