Misplaced Pages

#949050

69-486: The Swift Creek Rail Bridge in Chesterfield County crossed Swift Creek , one of the two major creeks in the county. The Bridge crossed the creek, east of Carver Heights Drive, Chester , past a landfill and behind a housing complex west of Bright Hope Road, which is near Beach Road. The creek is narrow, because this point is west, upstream, of the fall line and the creek is not tidal here. The remains of

138-430: A citywide desegregation busing program. This ended in the 1990s. Many of the 47,000 residents who lived in the annexed area had been opposed to the action. They fought unsuccessfully for more than 7 years in the courts to have the agreement reversed. Some called the annexed 23 square miles (60 km ) area "Occupied Chesterfield." Many black residents of Richmond also opposed the annexation, claiming that it violated

207-486: A convenient, strong, healthie and sweete site to plant a new towne (according as I had instructions upon my departure) there to build whence might be removed the principal site." Today known as Farrars Island, the site was on a neck of land with 5,000 acres (20 km ) and a shoreline of seven miles (11 km) on the James River. The English settlers soon built a palisade and moat-like ditch to protect entrance to

276-517: A defensive structure, palisades were often used in conjunction with earthworks . Palisades were an excellent option for small forts or other hastily constructed fortifications. Since they were made of wood, they could often be quickly and easily built from readily available materials. They proved to be effective protection for short-term conflicts and were an effective deterrent against small forces. However, because they were wooden constructions they were also vulnerable to fire and siege weapons. Often,

345-612: A group of mine owners, including Nicholas Mills , Beverley Randolph and Abraham S. Wooldridge, resolved to build a tramway . (The Wooldridge brothers hailed from East Lothian and West Lothian in Scotland , and named their mining company Mid-Lothian, the source of the modern community name). In 1831, the Chesterfield Railroad opened as the first railroad in Virginia; it carried coal from mines near Falling Creek to

414-578: A key defensive point for Confederate forces to block the Union 's vastly superior Navy from taking Richmond by way of the James River. During the Siege of Petersburg (1864–65), a long defensive works through the county was part of the Confederacy's Richmond-Petersburg line of land defenses. Railroad lines passing through Petersburg finally proved the key to the fall of Richmond in 1865, effectively ending

483-777: A large enough gap in which to enter. In contrast, the Romans used smaller and easier to carry stakes which were placed closer together, making them more difficult to uproot. The Iroquoian peoples, who coalesced as tribes around the Great Lakes, often defended their settlements with palisades. Within the palisades the peoples lived in communal groups in numerous longhouses, sometimes in communities as large as 2,000 people. Archeological evidence of such palisades has been found at numerous 15th and 16th-century sites in both Ontario, Canada, and in New York, United States. Many settlements of

552-486: A new administrative headquarters and an academy here. Prior to the American Revolutionary War , a thriving port town named Warwick was located at the northwestern confluence of Falling Creek and the James River. It was destroyed during that war, and not rebuilt. (Near the present-day DuPont facility at Ampthill , the site is not open to the public.) Another early port town was Port Walthall on

621-646: A palisade would be constructed around a castle as a temporary wall until a permanent stone wall could be erected. Both the Greeks and Romans created palisades to protect their military camps. The Roman historian Livy describes the Greek method as being inferior to that of the Romans during the Second Macedonian War . The Greek stakes were too large to be easily carried and were spaced too far apart. This made it easy for enemies to uproot them and create

690-405: A population that was 59% white and 41% black. Soon after the ward system was established, the city elected its first black mayor. Many political leaders have long believed that Virginia's annexation laws have created a barrier to regional cooperation among localities. The issues resulting from the 1970 Richmond-Chesterfield case were considered prime examples of obstacles to regional cooperation as

759-518: A toll highway which paralleled U.S. 1 and U.S. Route 301 between the northern edge of Richmond and the southern limits of Petersburg. Its portion through Chesterfield County was the longest section of its mileage. Conceived prior to the creation of the Interstate Highway System , the roadway was made toll-free in 1992. The former Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike forms a vital portion of Interstate 95 in central Virginia, including

SECTION 10

#1732787095950

828-421: A variety of reasons such as protecting a strategically valuable area or a town Some palankas evolved into larger settlements.   In the late nineteenth century, when milled lumber was not available or practical, many Adirondack buildings were built using a palisade architecture. The walls were made of vertical half timbers; the outside, rounded half with its bark still on faced Adirondack weather, while

897-424: A wood defensive wall. (see 'pale' , English: Etymology 2 on Wiktionary). Typical construction consisted of small or mid-sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with as little free space in between as possible. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were driven into the ground and sometimes reinforced with additional construction. The height of a palisade ranged from around a metre to as high as 3–4 m. As

966-702: Is chartered through a state law that allows cities and counties to create industrial or economic development authorities with wide-ranging powers not available to local governments in order to facilitate economic development opportunities within the community. CEDA has the power to buy, sell and develop land for business parks or other economic development purposes. It can also build facilities for sale or lease to private companies; issue taxable and tax-exempt Industrial Revenue Bonds to provide financing for facilities and machinery and provide incentives to attract new companies to Chesterfield County or to induce existing companies to expand. Top 25 Private Employers According to

1035-565: Is much sooner forgotten than an insult." Many years later, Chesterfield Cigarettes were named after this county. In 1939 during the Great Depression , the Virginia State Police moved their offices from downtown Richmond to a seven-room farmhouse located on 65 acres (260,000 m ) of land 3½ miles west on route 60. This structure served as administrative headquarters and barracks. The State Police have since built

1104-726: Is now Chesterfield County. That year Falling Creek Ironworks , the first in what is now the United States, was established slightly west on the creek near its confluence with the James River . In the Indian Massacre of 1622 , Native Americans destroyed Henrico City and the ironworks to try to drive away the English. These were not rebuilt. The colony did not gain a college until 1693, when the College of William and Mary

1173-552: The 2020 census , the population was 364,548 making it the fourth-most populous county in Virginia (behind Fairfax , Prince William , and Loudoun , respectively). Chesterfield County is part of the Greater Richmond Region , and the county refers to much of the northern portion of the county as " North Chesterfield ". During the early 17th century, shortly after the settlement of Jamestown in 1607, English settlers and explorers began settling other areas. One of

1242-611: 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 . Chesterfield County was formed in 1749 from parts of Henrico County . It was named for Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield , a prominent English statesman who had been the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland . As of

1311-744: The Farmville and Powhatan Railroad , later renamed the Tidewater and Western Railroad , extended to Farmville in Prince Edward County . Although long gone, portions of the old rail bed may be seen along Beach Road near the entrance to Pocahontas State Park . A water stop station in the Park remains and Beach Station remains as a national historic landmark. During the American Civil War (1861–1865), Drewry's Bluff became

1380-513: The National Voting Rights Act of 1965 . They said the city had deliberately diminished their voting power by adding the white voters of the annexed area, which diluted the black vote within the city. In 1970 the pre-annexation population of the city was 202,359, of which 104,207 or 52% were black citizens. The annexation added 47,262 people, of whom 45,705 were non-black and 1,557 were black. The total post-annexation population

1449-877: The Nodena sites in northeastern Arkansas , and the Etowah site in Georgia . Palisaded settlements were common in Colonial North America, for protection against indigenous peoples and wild animals. The English settlements in Jamestown, Virginia (1607), Cupids, Newfoundland (1610) and Plymouth, Massachusetts (1620) were all originally fortifications that were surrounded by palisades. Such defensive palisades were also frequently used in New France . In addition, colonial architecture used vertical palings as

SECTION 20

#1732787095950

1518-754: The Southern Railway in 1894. It is now part of Norfolk Southern Railway . The Richmond and Petersburg Railroad became part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad . In 1900, a mostly parallel line was built by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad , with a branch line to Hopewell . Through the restructuring of the railroad industry beginning in 1960, the CSX Transportation system eventually absorbed parts of both these lines. Manchester (directly across

1587-405: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 437 square miles (1,130 km ), of which 423 square miles (1,100 km ) is land and 14 square miles (36 km ) (3.1%) is water. Chesterfield County is largely bordered by two rivers which define miles of its boundaries. The major adjoining cities each originated at the head of navigation of these rivers, called the fall line . There,

1656-551: The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) built interstate, primary and secondary highways throughout the 20th century, they quickly filled with traffic as the population and use of autos increased. Customary funding sources were insufficient to raise the monies needed for highway construction. Opened in 1958 and funded through toll revenue bonds , the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike was

1725-415: The canals , turnpikes , bridges and railroads in Virginia, including the area which is now West Virginia . The Board partially engineered and funded new turnpikes, which were operated by private companies to collect tolls . The Manchester and Petersburg Turnpike, which preceded much of the current Jefferson Davis Highway (U.S. Routes 1–301), was one of these. To improve access to markets, in 1825,

1794-477: The coal mining area of Midlothian near the headwaters of Falling Creek and the James River port of Manchester . The current Midlothian Turnpike ( U.S. Route 60 ) generally follows the earlier route. Created in 1816, the Virginia Board of Public Works was a governmental agency which oversaw and helped finance the development of Virginia's internal transportation improvements, including canals, during

1863-669: The native Mississippian culture of the Midwestern United States used palisades. A prominent example is the Cahokia Mounds site in Collinsville, Illinois . A wooden stockade with a series of watchtowers or bastions at regular intervals formed a three-kilometre-long (2 mi) enclosure around Monk's Mound and the Grand Plaza. Archaeologists found evidence of the stockade during excavation of

1932-501: The 1730s, the coal fueled the production of cannon at Westham (near the present Huguenot Memorial Bridge ) during the American Revolutionary War . In 1831, the Chesterfield Railroad was constructed to transport coal by gravity and mule power to Manchester, Virginia on the south side of the James River across from Richmond, Virginia . From the 1740s through the 1800s rivers above the Fall Line were used for transportation to

2001-536: The 174-yard (159 m) wide neck from the shore area. Dale named the new settlement Henricus in honor of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales , the elder son and heir apparent of King James I . When finished in 1619, "Henricus Citie" contained three streets of well-framed houses, a church, storehouses, a hospital, and watchtowers. 1619 was a watershed year for the Virginia Colony . Henrico and three other large citties (sic) were formed, one of which included what

2070-571: The 19th century. In that era, it was customary to invest public funds in private companies, which were the forerunners of the public service and utility companies of modern times. Claudius Crozet (1789–1864), a civil engineer and educator who helped found the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), was Principal Engineer and later Chief Engineer for the Board of Public Works. He supervised the planning and construction of many of

2139-487: The 20th century, including one in 1944. The city tried to annex more of the county in 1970, an action that created controversy. While the annexation lawsuit filed by Richmond in 1965 was being heard, with the city seeking 51 square miles (132 km ) of the county, the leaders of the two jurisdictions, Irvin G. Horner, Chairman of the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors, and Phil J. Bagley, Jr.,

Swift Creek Rail Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue

2208-466: The Chesterfield residents were committed to individual auto use for most local, commuter, and through transportation of people. With the increases in population, traffic, and poor air quality, some residents have asked the county to fund commuter bus services. Further complicating the issue is the general lack of sidewalks along most roads, adding to residents' dependence on motor vehicles. Although

2277-566: The Clover Hill in bankruptcy and became the new owners of the bridge in 1877. The new owners increased passenger travel. In, 1881, the Brighthope owners converted the gauge to narrow gauge. The Farmville and Powhatan Railroad became the new owners in 1884. The Farmville and Powhatan allowed a telegraph to be added to the rails, which would have had a powered telegraph line across the bridge. The Tidewater and Western Railroad bought

2346-649: The East with Ports on the Atlantic Ocean . A canal was built in the Manchester section of Chesterfield to enable transporting coal around the James River falls. Portions are extant and may be seen near the south end of Richmond's Mayo Bridge . The Manchester Turnpike in Chesterfield County, completed in 1807, was the first graveled roadway of any length in Virginia. The toll road ran between

2415-504: The James River flows east to Richmond and then turns almost due south below the fall line for about 8 miles (13 km) before turning east, Henrico County encompasses much of Richmond's West End , North Side , and East End areas. Chesterfield County borders on the Appomattox River to the south. Much of the southern and eastern portions of the county are considered part of the Tri-Cities area, which includes Petersburg, located at

2484-509: The James River from the City of Richmond ) was the county seat of Chesterfield County from 1870 until 1876, when it was moved to the present location at Chesterfield Court House. The City of Manchester had meanwhile left Chesterfield in 1874 to become an independent city and merged with the City of Richmond by mutual agreement in 1910. It is now known as a part of South Richmond. Colonial Heights

2553-544: The Mayor of Richmond, met privately and agreed to a compromise. In May 1969, the city and Chesterfield County approved what was called the Horner-Bagley Compromise, incorporated in a court decree of July 12, 1969. This effectively shut out a number of third parties attempting to block the annexation, and they believed they had been excluded from the process. A small commuter bus company held operating rights in

2622-690: The Richmond area's high-speed open lanes, enabling vehicles to travel through at highway speeds with a Smart Tag or other compatible electronic toll collection transponder. The large, planned community of Brandermill , which includes a conference center, was named in 1977 the "best planned community in America" by Better Homes and Gardens magazine and the National Association of Homebuilders . The Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC), metro Richmond's bus transit organization, unveiled

2691-644: The Route 111 bus line in March 2020. The route runs 7.6 miles, from north of the Chippenham Parkway interchange to Brightpoint Community College in Chester. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is planning two superstreets in Chesterfield County to address left turns at high traffic volume intersections. Anticipated completion is in 2022. The Chesterfield County Planning Department oversees

2760-531: The War. A normal school founded by the state after the American Civil War primarily to help educate freed men eventually became Virginia State University , located in the Ettrick area near Petersburg and Colonial Heights . The U.S. Government rebuilt damaged railroads. After Reconstruction , Chesterfield County used Convict lease to build roads in 1878. The Richmond and Danville Railroad became part of

2829-733: The West with James River bateau , which could carry about a ton, and boats several times larger from Eppington . The Appomattox River on the Southern border was the lower end of the Upper Appomattox Canal Navigation System connecting to Farmville, Virginia . The James River and Kanawha Canal on the northern border of Chesterfield connected past the Blue Ridge Mountains . Port Walthall connected ships that carried more than 200 tonnes to

Swift Creek Rail Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue

2898-462: The annexed area were unhappy about this change, as Richmond Public Schools was already involved in a contentious racial desegregation lawsuit in the Federal courts because of its failure to integrate. The transferred schools included Huguenot High School , Fred D. Thompson Middle School, Elkhardt Middle School, and eight elementary schools. In 1971, the federal court ordered these schools included in

2967-677: The area and indications that it was rebuilt several times, in slightly different locations. The stockade seems to have separated Cahokia's main ceremonial precinct from other parts of the city, as well as being a defensive structure. Other examples include the Angel Mounds site in southern Indiana , Aztalan State Park in Wisconsin , the Kincaid site in Illinois , the Parkin site and

3036-547: The bankrupt Farmville and Powhatan in 1905 and went bankrupt themselves in 1917. Creditors sold the rails and other assets to the World War One Effort in France. Only the granite abutments remain today. Another bridge takes Beach Road across Swift Creek. A residential road named Bright Hope is nearby. Chesterfield County, Virginia Chesterfield County is a county located just south of Richmond in

3105-686: The bridge are granite abutments that are twenty feet wide indicating that it was a Truss Bridge . The bridge was one thirty foot span. The abutments were made of granite that was mined using star drills as shown by the drill holes. The Petersburg granite is readily available in the area. The Swift Creek Rail Bridge was owned by four railroads. The bridge was constructed for the Clover Hill Railroad and Mining Company to get coal trains over Swift Creek in 1841. The tracks were standard gauge at that time. The State of Virginia declared this bridge sound in 1878. The Brighthope Railway bought

3174-469: The controversy surrounding annexations in Virginia, in 1987, the General Assembly placed a moratorium on future annexations of any county by any city. When this moratorium expires, Chesterfield County remains immune from annexation by Richmond because of the 1981 state grant of immunity. Unless new revenue sharing or other agreements are reached, the county is at risk to annexation suits by any of

3243-420: The county from both cities, the county did not fund transit bus service when the large systems in Richmond and Petersburg converted to governmentally subsidized operations in the 1970s. Privately owned suburban bus services, such as that operated by Virginia Overland Transportation could not operate profitably, even when funded with start-up money through state demonstration program grants. County leaders believed

3312-442: The county, but the expanded city granted the franchise to a competitor. Richmond annexed 23 square miles (60 km ) of the county, including fire stations, parks, and other infrastructure, such as water and sewer lines. Under the agreement, the county school system also conveyed about a dozen public schools , support buildings, and future school sites to the City of Richmond to be operated by Richmond Public Schools . Residents of

3381-551: The docks at the fall line on the James River. By the early 1850s, railroad lines connecting these areas included the Richmond and Danville Railroad (R&D) (which put the Chesterfield Railroad out of business) and the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad . They were both completed before the American Civil War , in which they provided important transportation for Southern supplies and men. The Clover Hill Railroad

3450-676: The exit for State Route 150 (Chippenham Parkway) and includes major exits for U.S. Route 60 west of Richmond, and State Route 288 in the Midlothian area. The southern terminus of State Route 76 is near the Brandermill development. Today the Powhite Parkway features a new highspeed toll system that allows smart-tag and e-z pass holders to travel through at speeds of 45–50 mph. The Pocahontas Parkway, an 8.8-mile (14.2 km) toll road known as State Route 895 , connects

3519-466: The fall line. Palisade A palisade , sometimes called a stakewall or a paling , is typically a row of closely placed, high vertical standing tree trunks or wooden or iron stakes used as a fence for enclosure or as a defensive wall . Palisades can form a stockade . Palisade derives from pale , from the Latin word pālus , meaning stake, specifically when used side by side to create

SECTION 50

#1732787095950

3588-425: The hillier and rockier Piedmont region falls to the sandy and mostly flat eastern coastal plain Tidewater region, a change which creates barriers for ships going upstream on the rivers. Chesterfield County includes areas of both regions. Richmond and Manchester were formed at the fall line of the James River. Most of the northern portion of Chesterfield County is part of what is called Richmond's "South Side" . As

3657-404: The inside half was sanded and varnished for a finished wood look. Typically, the cracks between the vertical logs were filled with moss and sometimes covered with small sticks. Inside, the cracks were covered with narrow wooden battens. This palisade style was much more efficient to build than the traditional horizontal log cabin, since two half logs provided more surface area than one whole log and

3726-610: The junction of Interstate 95 and State Route 150 in Chesterfield County with Interstate 295 near Richmond International Airport in Henrico County , forming part of a southeastern bypass of Richmond. The roadway features the high-level Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge over the shipping channel of the James River downstream from the deep-water Port of Richmond, to allow ample clearance for ocean-going vessels. Although Route 895 had been planned for many years, sufficient state and federal construction funds were not available at

3795-521: The more progressive developments in the colony was Henricus , founded under the guidance of Sir Thomas Dale . It was to include a college to help educate Virginia Indians , as well as the children of settlers. Dale was accompanied by men known as the "Hammours". These veterans of the Low Country wars were heavily armed and better trained than settlers of Jamestown. Dale wrote about the site: "Eighty miles up our river from Jamestown, I have surveyed

3864-498: The north shore of the Appomattox River , near the current Point-of-Rocks Park. Coal mining in the Midlothian area of Chesterfield County began in the 18th century. Around 1701, French Huguenot settlers to the area discovered coal. In a 1709 diary entry William Byrd II , the wealthy planter who had purchased 344 acres (1.4 km ) of land in the area, noted that "the coaler found the coal mine very good and sufficient to furnish several generations". Commercially mined beginning in

3933-593: The northernmost portion of Interstate 85 near Petersburg. The Powhite Parkway Extension of the Powhite Parkway in Richmond, Virginia (a toll road operated by the Richmond Metropolitan Authority ) was built and opened in 1988. The extension in Chesterfield County is operated by and the tolls are collected by VDOT. (The entire route in Richmond and Chesterfield is signed as Virginia State Route 76). The county extension begins at

4002-433: The parameters and scope of several economic development projects submitted in the county, including the development and implementation of the county's Master Plan that guides growth and commerce. The Planning Department introduced an online system in April 2020 to allow the submission and review of development plans via email. The county launched the new Community Facilities and Infrastructure tool in June 2020, which allows

4071-444: The smaller independent cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell, and Petersburg which adjoin it. Beginning especially in the second half of the 20th century, Chesterfield grew exponentially, most of all as a commuter town of Richmond. The Richmond-Petersburg Interurban Electric Railway , local streetcar service, and commuter rail service of the Southern Railway to Bon Air had all ended by 1957. Although some bus routes extended into

4140-423: The state legislators considered changes. In 1979, the Virginia General Assembly adopted legislation that allowed any county meeting certain population and density standards to petition the local circuit court to declare the county permanently immune from annexation. In 1981, Chesterfield County and several other counties in the state sought and received such immunity from further annexation by Richmond. Recognizing

4209-478: The time of construction, but the state encouraged innovative funding. In 1995, the Virginia General Assembly passed the Public-Private Transportation Act, to allow private entities to propose solutions for designing, constructing, financing and operating transportation improvements. A public-private partnership developed a proposal acceptable to the state. Since construction, the partnership has collected tolls to recover costs. The toll collection facility features one of

SECTION 60

#1732787095950

4278-419: The tracking of information related to the county's capital improvement plan including data regarding school enrollment. The Chesterfield Economic Development Authority (CEDA), a seven-member board appointed by the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors, works in conjunction with the Department of Economic Development to create new jobs, expand the tax base and diversify the economy of Chesterfield County. CEDA

4347-599: The vertical alignment meant a stronger structure for supporting loads like upper stories and roofs. It also presented a more finished look inside. Examples of this architectural style can still be found in the Adirondacks, such as around Big Moose Lake . In areas with extremely high rates of violent crime and property theft, a common means to prevent crime is for residential houses to be protected by perimeter defenses such as ornamental iron bars, brick walls, steel palisade fences, wooden palisade fences and electrified palisade fences ( railings ). The City of Johannesburg promotes

4416-431: The walls of houses, in what was called poteaux en terre construction. Some 18th-century houses in this style survive in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri , initially settled by French colonists from the Illinois Country to the east of the Mississippi River . A "palanka" was a type of wooden fort constructed of palisades, built by the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans during the 16th and 17th centuries. They could be erected for

4485-444: Was 249,621 and 42% black. The plaintiffs prevailed in federal court. The city created an electoral ward system to ensure blacks did not lose their voting power, changing what had been a system of electing all city council positions at large (by which the majority population would more easily prevail). Under the ward system, four wards had a predominantly white population, four wards had a predominantly black population, and one ward had

4554-409: Was awarded a royal charter in the capital. In 1634, the King of England directed the formation of eight shires (or counties ) in the colony of Virginia. One of these was Henrico County , which incorporated a large area on both sides of the James River. On May 25, 1749, the Virginia House of Burgesses separated Chesterfield from Henrico County and created the new county. The first county seat

4623-408: Was built to haul coal, mined in Chesterfield at the Clover Hill Pits to ports at Osborne's Landing. This railroad was replaced by the Brighthope Railway , which was, in 1881, narrowed into a narrow gauge railroad and rerouted to the tiny village of Bermuda Hundred , a port on the James River near the mouth of the Appomattox River . The Brighthope Railway was sold in foreclosure and restructured as

4692-509: Was established at Chesterfield Court House . It has continued as county seat except for 1870–1876, during Reconstruction , when the county government was located at Manchester . The latter community has been subsumed by South Richmond. The legislature named the county for the former British Secretary of State , Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield . Lord Chesterfield was famous for his "good manners and writings". One of his most frequently used sayings implies avoiding rudeness; "An injury

4761-431: Was formerly an incorporated town in Chesterfield County and became an independent city in 1948. Over half a century later, the two neighbors continued to share provision of some governmental services. Chesterfield County shares borders with three independent cities and was long exposed to annexation suits from any of them under Virginia law. The county lost territory to the City of Richmond through several annexations in

#949050