Westham, Virginia
Westham, Virginia | |
|---|---|
![Westham sign of neighborhood still called Westham built on the old town in 1930.[1]](/File:Westham_Virginia.jpg) Westham sign of neighborhood still called Westham built on the old town in 1930.[1] | |
| Coordinates: 37°35′21″N 77°32′24″W / 37.58917°N 77.54000°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Henrico |
| Established | c. 1750[1] |
Westham was an unincorporated town in
History
Westham was established on land that had been owned by William Randolph II.[2] When Randolph died, his son Beverley inherited Westham Plantation and planned to create the town of Westham on part of it to facilitate trade in the Piedmont region of Virginia.[2] After Beverley's sudden death, Peter Randolph inherited his brother's land and completed work on the project - renaming the town "Beverley" in honor of his older brother- with help from William Cabell and Peter Jefferson.[2] Jefferson was one of a number of important Virginians, including Carter Braxton, Joshua Fry, John Hunter, Robert Rose, and William Stith. who purchased lots in the new town.[2] Peter Randolph eventually sold Westham Plantation to his younger brother, William, who in turn sold the property to William Byrd III.[2]
Revolutionary War
David Ross, a Virginia Merchant, who bought Oxford Iron Works in Campbell County in 1779, supplied iron by flatbottom boats down the James River to a public foundry in Westham. The Virginia General Assembly resolved to have enslaved Africans as the workers in the foundry and only hire blacksmiths if slaves were not available.[3] As a Commercial Agent supplying iron to the Revolutionary troops Virginia, Ross had to move out supplies from Westham just before a British raid on Richmond and Westham. Governor Thomas Jefferson asked for the foundry to be rebuilt but eventually the supplies were moved to rebuild the Point of Fork Arsenal.[4]
Kanawha Canal
The entry point of the Kanawha Canal in 1790 was built at Westham. Westham stood at the eastern end of over 200 miles of James River Flatwater carrying trade on James River bateaux. The canal took boats around the Great Falls of the James River in Richmond. Boats arriving from the West entered a 200-foot canal with three locks that dropped 34 feet, bypassing the first of the falls. One and a half miles of river eastward connected the boats to the second part of the canal to Shockoe Bottom in Richmond.[5]
Westham Plank Road
| Industry | Roads |
|---|---|
| Founded | March 29th, 1851 in Richmond, Virginia, United States |
| Founders | Bernard Peyton, Bolling W.Haxall of the Bolling Haxall House, Poitiaux Robinson, Larkin W. Glazebrook and William W. Crump |
| Headquarters | , |
Areas served | Richmond, Virginia, Westham, Virginia |
| Products | Westham Plank Road |
| Owners | James C. Spots, David W. Haxall, Alexander C. Hutcheson and Thomas Ritchie, Jr. |
In 1851 the
Westham Station
The historic
Present day
A neighborhood built on the site of the old town in the 1930s is still called Westham. The only town building older than the 1930s is just outside the original town borders and built around 1827.[1]
See also
- Former counties, cities, and towns of Virginia
References
- ^ a b c d Childers, Doug (October 31, 2011). "Richmond Neighborhoods: Old Westham". Richmond Times Dispatch. Richmond, Virginia. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ^ ISBN 9781572335431.
- ^ Virginia. General Assembly. House of Delegates (1827). Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Commonwealth of Virginia. p. 78. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
- ^ McGehee, Minnie (October 1977). "POINT OF FORK ARSENAL IN 1781". The Bulletin of the Fluvanna Historical Society (25). University of Virginia: 1–8. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- ^ Gallatin, Albert (March 2, 1807). Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, on the subject of public roads and canals; in pursuance of the Senate (Report). R.C. Wrightman (Washington, 1808-04-12). p. 30. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
- ^ Acts and Joint Resolutions of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Purchases and Supply. 1851. pp. 80–.