South of the James River, Wednesday, September 8, 2021 8:00AM

Item details

Date

Wednesday, September 8, 2021 8:00AM

Name

South of the James River

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Description

The James River is Virginia’s largest river, flowing across the entire state from its beginning at the headwaters of the Cowpasture and Jackson rivers in Bath and Highland counties, to its mouth at the Chesapeake Bay in Hampton Roads.  Its water and shores have been witness to thousands of years of history.  Both before and after the establishment of the English colony of Jamestown on its banks, the James River has played a central and defining role in the development of Virginia.

Voyage back in time to discover the people who inhabited the area south of the James River that is now Chesterfield County and Colonial Heights, along with the significant events that occurred here, including critical battles in the American Revolution and the Civil War.

Drewry’s Buff

Fort Drewry, located on a 90-foot-high ridge overlooking a sharp bend on the west bank of the James River, was the Confederate capital’s last line of defense along the river during the Civil War.  It was named for a local landowner, Confederate Captain Augustus H. Drewry, who owned the property (Union officers called it Fort Darling).  On May 15, 1862, a small but potent flotilla of five federal vessels, including the ironclads USS Monitor and Galena, set out to bombard 

Richmond.  When they reached the bluff, several hours of cannon fire ensued, with the Confederates ultimately forcing the Union navy to retreat.  The fort was subsequently expanded to serve as an important training ground for the Confederate Naval Academy and the Marine Corps Camp of Instruction.  Drewry’s Bluff, a part of Richmond Battlefield Park, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Henricus Historical Park

Established in 1611 by Sir Thomas Dale, the Citie of Henricus was the second successful English settlement in North America.  Today, Henricus Historical Park is a living history museum, recreating the everyday 17th-century life of those early colonists along with the Arrohateck, the Virginia Indians who encountered them, to highlight the major benchmarks that took place here more than 400 years ago—the charter of the first English college in the New World, the first hospital in English North America, Pocahontas’s conversion to the Anglican faith, and the establishment of tobacco as the first cash crop.  Because of its prime location as a military outpost on a bluff overlooking the James River, the site also boasts rich Revolutionary War and Civil War history.

Old Brick House

The Old Brick House, one of the oldest brick structures in the Commonwealth of Virginia; is located on the site of a prehistoric native village at Conjurer’s Neck along the Appomattox River.  The house is a treasured relic of America’s colonial past and the adjacent Native American village site, dating to the Middle and Late Woodland periods (500 B.C. - 1600 A.D.), are on the National Register of Historic Places.

IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

• 1831 Society and Weddell Society members receive 48-hour advance registration.  Registration for all VMHC members for this trip will open on Wednesday, July 28.
• Virginia Journey ticket sales are FINAL and NON-TRANSFERABLE. Cancelled reservations may be eligible for a charitable contribution tax deduction.

VMHC Members: Please Log In to purchase a ticket. 

Tickets will be available based on the schedule listed above.