Ampthill (Chesterfield County)
Encyclopedia
Ampthill Plantation was located in the Virginia Colony in Chesterfield County
on the south bank of the James River
about four miles south of the head of navigation at modern-day Richmond, Virginia
. Built by Henry Cary about 1730, it was just upstream of Falling Creek. It was later owned by Colonel Archibald Cary
, who maintained a flour mill complex and iron forge at the nearby town of Warwick.
was an 18th century port town that was located on the south bank of the James River, near the confluence of Falling Creek
. Warwick was an important port and manufacturing center. During the American Revolutionary War
, Warwick's craftsmen turned out clothing and shoes, and its mills ground flour and meal for the Continental troops stationed at Chesterfield Courthouse. On April 30, 1781, General Benedict Arnold
's British troops burned the town, destroying ships, warehouses, mills, tannery storehouses, and ropewalks. The Lost Town of Warwick no longer exists, but its place in history is noted on a Virginia Historical Marker nearby.
led from the port town past Amptill Plantation and across the northern portion of Chesterfield County to the area of present-day Bon Air
. There, it intersected what was called the River Road, which ran closely along the south bank in a westerly direction. The Warwick Road and the River Road in combination formed a portage from the deep water tidal James River around the falls, rapids, and dams of Richmond to the river west of the there, where it is more shallow. The upper James River was navigable with craft such as bateau boats
for many miles to the west.
The former plantation property on the James River near Falling Creek is occupied by the Spruance Plant and related industrial complex of the DuPont Company
.
Chesterfield County, Virginia
Chesterfield County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. In 2010, its population was estimated to be 316,236. Chesterfield County is now the fourth-largest municipality in Virginia . Its county seat is Chesterfield...
on the south bank of the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
about four miles south of the head of navigation at modern-day Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. Built by Henry Cary about 1730, it was just upstream of Falling Creek. It was later owned by Colonel Archibald Cary
Archibald Cary
Archibald Cary was a public figure from the colony of Virginia.-Life:Cary was a member of the House of Burgesses from 1756 to 1776...
, who maintained a flour mill complex and iron forge at the nearby town of Warwick.
Port town of Warwick
WarwickWarwick, Virginia (Chesterfield County)
Warwick was an unincorporated town and port in Chesterfield County, Virginia, located on the navigable portion of the James River about 5 miles south of downtown Richmond, Virginia...
was an 18th century port town that was located on the south bank of the James River, near the confluence of Falling Creek
Falling Creek
Falling Creek is a tributary of the James River located near Richmond, Virginia. Approximately in length, it varies in width between at its source to several hundred feet in the Falling Creek Reservoir. Falling Creek rises in the Salisbury section of northwestern Chesterfield County and empties...
. Warwick was an important port and manufacturing center. During the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, Warwick's craftsmen turned out clothing and shoes, and its mills ground flour and meal for the Continental troops stationed at Chesterfield Courthouse. On April 30, 1781, General Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
's British troops burned the town, destroying ships, warehouses, mills, tannery storehouses, and ropewalks. The Lost Town of Warwick no longer exists, but its place in history is noted on a Virginia Historical Marker nearby.
Warwick Road
The Warwick RoadWarwick Road (Chesterfield County)
This article is about Warwick Road in the Richmond area. See also Warwick Road, Perth. A similarly named roadway, Warwick Boulevard, is located in the former Warwick County section of Newport News, Virginia...
led from the port town past Amptill Plantation and across the northern portion of Chesterfield County to the area of present-day Bon Air
Bon Air, Virginia
Bon Air is a census-designated place in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. The population was 16,366 at the 2010 census. The community is considered a suburb of the independent city of Richmond in the Richmond-Petersburg region, and shares a post office with Richmond...
. There, it intersected what was called the River Road, which ran closely along the south bank in a westerly direction. The Warwick Road and the River Road in combination formed a portage from the deep water tidal James River around the falls, rapids, and dams of Richmond to the river west of the there, where it is more shallow. The upper James River was navigable with craft such as bateau boats
James River Bateau
The James River Bateau was a shallow draft river craft used during the period from 1775 to 1840 to transport tobacco and other cargo on the James river and its tributaries in the state of Virginia. It was flat bottomed and pointed at both ends. The length of the bateau varied greatly, 58 feet ...
for many miles to the west.
House moved, property becomes industrial site
In 1929, Ampthill House, the manor house of Ampthill Plantation, was dismantled, moved to a site on Cary Street Road in the West End of Richmond, and reassembled where it sits today. Although it is not open-to-the-public, Ampthill House is a noteworthy local landmark, and is marked by a Virginia Historical Marker.The former plantation property on the James River near Falling Creek is occupied by the Spruance Plant and related industrial complex of the DuPont Company
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
.