Husband and wife team Arvat McClaine and Harry Watkins stand outside the Vistas on the James condominium complex in Shockoe Bottom, where they are opening Bateau, A Coffee and Wine Experience.
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Upscale coffee and wine bar to honor Richmond’s historic black bateaumen
A boatman stands frozen in time on Brown’s Island, pulling a mighty oar and looking into infinity. The 14-foot-high bronze statue, dubbed “The Headman,” pays homage to the enslaved and free black men who used their nautical expertise to steer small vessels — bateaux — full of goods up and down the James River in 19th century Richmond.