Colonial Heights, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Colonial Heights is an independent city
in Virginia
, United States. The population was 17,411 as of 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis
combines the City of Colonial Heights (along with the City of Petersburg
) with Dinwiddie County for statistical purposes. It is located in the Tri-Cities area
of the Richmond-Petersburg
region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).
-speaking confederation known as Tenakomakah, ruled by Chief Powhatan
, when the English colonists arrived at Jamestown
on May 14, 1607. Captain John Smith's early map of Virginia testifies that the present area of Colonial Heights included the principal town of the Appamattuck subtribe, led by their weroance
, Coquonasum, and his sister, Oppussoquionuske. In the aftermath of the Indian attacks of 1622 and 1644, they became tributary to England and relocated to nearby Ettrick
, and its opposite bank, near Fort Henry
(within modern-day Petersburg, Virginia
).
The area including present-day Colonial Heights was made a part of "Henrico Cittie
", one of 4 huge "incorporations" formed in the Virginia Colony in 1619 by the London Company
. English colonists first settled in the Colonial Heights area in 1620. A small group sailed up the Appomattox River looking for clear land, and finally settled in an area where Swift Creek
runs into the Appomattox River, which they named Conjurer's Neck. This confluence was formerly the residence a Native American healer (known as a "conjurer") who was thought to have cast spells over the waters.
Shortly thereafter, Charles Magnor registered the first land patent in the area for 650 acres (2.6 km²), which he later developed into a plantation
before selling it in 1634. That same year, by order of King Charles I of England
, the Virginia Colony was divided into the 8 original shires of Virginia
by the House of Burgesses
, one of which was Henrico County
, which included the future land of Colonial Heights.
In 1635, the English had a small town called Appamattucks near the "Old Towne" Creek, thought to be located near the intersection of Temple Avenue and Dimmock Parkway. Also in that year, Captain Henry Fleet and Francis Poythress built a small fort nearby, on "Fleet's Hill" just west of the current city, now occupied by the campus of Virginia State University
.
During the period from 1677 to 1685, one of the area's historic landmarks was constructed with the building of the Brick House Farm
. Richard Kennon came to Virginia prior to 1670, and became a merchant of Bermuda Hundred. He represented Henrico County in the House of Burgesses
. His son, Richard Kennon, Jr., was also a member of the House of Burgesses and married the daughter of Col. Robert Bolling, the emigrant, and his second wife, the former Anne Stith. Richard's sister, Mary Kennon, was married to Major John Fairfax Bolling
, half-brother of Richard's wife. Major Bolling was the son of Col. Robert Bolling
and his first wife Jane Rolfe
, who was granddaughter of the early colonist John Rolfe
and his Native American wife, Pocahontas
. The Bollings lived at Cobb's, a plantation in eastern Chesterfield near Point-of-Rocks.
The manor house built by Richard Kennon (later known as the "Brick House") is now thought to be the oldest permanent structure in Colonial Heights. One wall of the house survived a disastrous fire in 1879, and the rest was rebuilt. http://www.colonial-heights.com/HistoryConjurers.htm#%20Brick%20House
In 1749, an area south of the James River was divided from Henrico County by the House of Burgesses, and named Chesterfield County
. The area which became Colonial Heights was to remain in Chesterfield County for almost 200 more years, until 1948.
The name "Colonial Heights" results from an incident during the American Revolutionary War
. In May 1781, the French troops of General Marquis de Lafayette, known as the Coloniels, advanced south from Richmond and deployed artillery on the heights overlooking Petersburg from across the Appomattox River. The area thereafter came to be known as "Colonial Heights", and the name was given to a subdivision of the Oak Hill tract in 1906.
A historic site, Oak Hill, on Carroll Avenue, also called Archer's, Hector's, or Dunn's Hill, consisted of two one-story weatherboarded structures connected by a deep inside porch that extends from an uncovered section toward the street. From the lawn of this house, in May 1781, General Lafayette — with cannon behind a boxwood hedge that still fringes the hill — shelled Petersburg, then occupied by British troops under Major-General William Phillips (who died of typhoid during this bombardment).
The area also became involved in operations during the American Civil War
. General Robert E. Lee
made his headquarters at Violet Bank from June through September during the Siege of Petersburg
in 1864.
In 1926, Colonial Heights became an incorporated town
in Chesterfield County
. It became an independent city
in 1948. Its current charter was granted in 1960. From 1960 to 1970, Colonial Heights experienced a period of rapid growth as the population jumped from 9,587 to 15,097.
In the mid-1980s, completion of the State Route 144 (Temple Avenue Connector) and a new bridge across the Appomattox River provided access to State Route 36 near Fort Lee
. The new road and bridge effectively opened a large previously isolated tract of land along the southeastern edge of the city for commercial development. There, the regional Southpark Mall
and many other retail businesses and offices were built.
On August 6, 1993, an F4 tornado (max. wind speeds 207-260 mph) passed through Colonial Heights. It caused extensive damage to the Southpark Mall
and collapsed the roof of an old Wal Mart (now Sam's Club
) store. It also did extensive damage in Petersburg and Hopewell. In the Tri-Cities area
, the tornado
killed 4 people (3 in Wal-Mart & 1 in Prince George), injured 246, and caused an estimated $50 million in property damage.
On April 28, 2008, an EF1 tornado
(max. wind speeds 86-110 mph) produced a near two mile (3 km) long, though discontinuous, path through Colonial Heights. The tornado first touched down near the Colonial Heights Middle School football field, damaging the field clubhouse roof, then causing roof damage and spill onto I-95 from Medallion Pool business. The tornado then jumped I-95 and touched down again in the Dimmock Square Shopping Center. Several cars were flipped and piled in the parking lot of a strip mall (which had extensive roof damage) that is less than a tenth of a mile from the site of the old Wal Mart which was destroyed by an F4 tornado on August 6, 1993. The tornado then continued across Temple Avenue, causing tree and roof damage in the neighborhood near Fine Drive and Puddledock Road (in Prince George County
) before lifting for good. The tornado injured 21 and caused an estimated $10 million in property damage.
Colonial Heights is also home of the Largest Arbys restaurant.
The evolution begins in 1777, when Thomas Shore purchases 144 acres atop “Archers Hill” from the heirs of John Martin. The first house is completed in 1778. Described in the Mutual Assurance Society of Virginia papers of 1796 as a “two-story wooden structure w/addition & a cellar floored in stone w/kitchen”, Violet Bank originally fit an almost canonized two-over-two centre hall plan typical of the late colonial Tidewater Virginia. This house would serve as General Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette’s Headquarters at the beginning of the 1781 summer campaign in the South, which would eventually end in Cornwallis’ capitulation at Yorktown
.
There were two Revolutionary War actions fought on the hillside, the first was in March 1781 under vonSteuben and his Virginia Militia, the second in April 1781, under Lafayette. Both of these actions were against British Major General William Phillips
, who mentions the property in a dispatch: “We assaulted the enemy’s work across the river and attempted to gain the high ground adjacent to Thomas Shore’s house, but were repulsed with heavy losses.”
The British casualties were approx. 200. While that number of casualties would hardly rate a mention as a skirmish during the War Between the States, most Revolutionary armies only numbered 1500-3000 men, about the size of the average modern day War for Southern Independence re-enactment.
Phillips objective was to capture the crucial river crossing on the Appomattox
and gain control over the Turnpike. The question of primary concern of any army commander waging war in Virginia
is “where are my river crossings”. Owing to the multiple bisection of the State by navigable waterways, travel overland thru central Virginia was haphazard at best until after the first quarter of the 19th Century
.
Not only was Petersburg the only major thoroughfare thru Southside Central Virginia that would facilitate troop movement, it was also the primary access road for Chesterfield Courthouse
, a primary supply depot and one of three training grounds for the Continental Line in Virginia
.
Phillips became ill, and subsequently passed away, buried in an unmarked grave lest the rebels desecrate his resting place. He is the second highest ranking British officer buried outside Great Britain.
Cornwallis then accedes to command. Lacking sufficient strength to overwhelm Lafayette on the Heights, Cornwallis makes the fateful decision to abandon Virginia
to campaign farther south.
Violet Bank would once again play host to Lafayette in 1824, when he visited the country for the last time as an official guest of the Untied States. During that interim betwixt General Lafayette’s presence, Violet Bank’s appearance would alter completely. Described in the Mutual Assurance of Society of Virginia papers of 1796 as a “two-story clapboard structure w/addition in which there was a cellar floored in stone w/kitchen”. Violet Bank originally bore a strong resemblance to the still extant Weston Manor
in Hopewell, Virginia
, utilizing an almost canonized two-over-two centre hall plan typical of late colonial Tidewater Virginia.
Benjamin Latrobe
intended on lodging at Violet Bank, “but he (Thomas Shore) is at present building, and occupies his offices only, which, in Virginia
, follows a plantation house as a litter of pigs to their mother.”
The house would catch fire in 1810, supposedly on a Sunday whilst the family was away at church. Thomas Shore would occupy the house for 22 years, deceasing in 1800 leaving behind a much younger wife and three daughters, the oldest of whom is four at the time of her fathers death. The “Widder Jane Grey” would remarry in 1804, Henry Haxall of Haxall Mills. They and the three girls were the residents when the house burned, the cellar kitchen being likely culprit. The Chimney stacks and foundation survived the fire which was somewhat unusual since the lime mortar used during the period did not generally withstand the intense heat that a house fire would generate and would be “cooked out”.
From 1810 to 1815 the house was rebuilt; the front foundation was altered, a radically different super-structure was built atop the first Violet Banks foundation, and an entirely new main house was constructed.
Enter Benjamin Latrobe
again, or at least his designs. Latrobe in all probability made the acquaintance of Jane Grey Shore Haxall when he visited Petersburg in 1796 and went to the horse races with Thomas Shore on April 21 of that year according to his Journal. He dined with Thomas’ brother Dr. John Shore on the 22nd. Latrobe’s notation for the 23rd stated that he had gotten into Shores house and was “much more comfortable than in the buzz of betting at the track.” Whether he meant Dr. Johns residence or Thomas’ is unclear.
Consensus of most architectural historians is that Violet Bank was designed by a pupil of Latrobe’s
through there is nothing that suggests that Robert Mills might have had a hand in its planning. The possibility also exists that Violet Bank is, like Point of Honor in Lynchburg, the product of a country builder who was familiar with Latrobe’s work in Richmond, and used that as a base from which to start, through the house could be right out of a Latrobe sketchbook with its combination of octagonal bays, recessed portico and Adam-style ceiling moulding.
There are quite a number of shared characteristics between Violet Bank and a known Latrobe house, that of Michael Hancock built Ca. 1808-09. Henry Haxall would, at least, have been familiar with this fashionable house on the corner of 5th & Main in Richmond, as well as the architectural trend in Richmond which this house embodied. Jane Grey, having met the man, was likely to have passing knowledge of Latrobe’s architectural ideas. A quick perusal of the inventory for Henry Haxalls’ will probate clearly indicates a man of taste concerned with fashion. Mr. & Mrs. Haxall were certainly wealthy enough to have hired Latrobe and if they did not consult with him on rebuilding project, they must probably asked him to suggest an architect, he would have named one of his own pupils.
Whoever the architect was, his refuse of the existing foundation and chimney stacks make the architectural solution all more unique. Normally an architect starts with a blank page, however, in this case, the architect was forced to deal with fixed points & proportions. The second floor fireboxes were bricked up, the second floor was eliminated, which enabled the ceilings to be raised. All masonry was stuccoed & scored to resemble ashlar and to hide the difference in brickwork that the modifications necessitated.
The tripartite foundation plan lent itself naturally to a very strict Vitruvian construct. The peculiar ring to be founded on third the distance up each Portico column, unique to Virginia architecture, form the keynote that coalesces the structure into a harmonious whole & unlocks the architectural formula.
Henry Haxall deceases in 1834, the same year as his eldest step-daughter marries Dr. John Gilliam. Thomas Shores middle daughter Marie Louisa marries Dr. William Shippen II of Philadelphia. The youngest, Jane Grey, deceases at the age of 15 without issue. The estate would pass to the Gilliams’ upon the death of Jane Haxall, eleven years after her husband, in 1834. Violet Bank would Remain in the Gilliam Family hands until 1873. At the time of its occupation by the Headquarters of the Army of Northern Virginia, the title to Violet Bank would be held in deed of trust by Thomas Gilliam, Thomas Shores grandson.
Part of the Main house also served as a hospital during the siege. The war largely impoverished the Gilliam family and the house would be sold in 1873 to a cousin, Mrs. Evelyn Gasquet Marshall of New York. She would occupy the house until her death in 1885, at which time the property was acquired by Capt. Abel N. Haskins. His heirs, in turn, sold houses and remaining 68 acres to the Greater Petersburg Realty Corporation in 1905. Operating Violet Bank as a dairy farm, walls were knocked out on the first floor of the main house in order to utilize the structure as a cattle barn. Greater Petersburg Reality Corp. CEO Bellamy decided in the late 1914 to subdivide the farm and develop it for housing and work began in 1915. The first thing Bellamy did in breaking up the property was tear down the main house, leaving the extant portion remaining.
The much reduced Violet Bank would be one of the first houses sold in River view sub-division. It was purchased in 1919 by Mrs. Alice Pierrepont who resided there until 1948, at which time she sold it to American Legion Post 284. The City of Colonial Heights acquired the house in 1959, first for the Chamber of Commerce, then as Colonial Heights first public library. Now a part of the Recreation & Parks department, Violet Bank began its current incarnation as an active Historic House Museum in 1988.
Violet Bank Museum is a superb document of Federal design and American Interior Decorative Arts. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and a Virginia Historic Landmark.
Henry Randolph I, who was born in Little Houghton, Northamptonshire
, England, in 1623, moved to Virginia about 1640. In 1655 he acquired title to a large tract of land in Bermuda Hundred on Swift Creek
where he erected the present mill. "Mr. Randolph's Mill" is mentioned in 1663 in "Cavaliers and Pioneers" (index to Virginia - 1620 to 1666).
An heir of Henry Randolph I, William Bland Randolph, deeded the mill site to William Rowlett on February 20, 1805, and it became known as Rowlett's Mill. In 1852, the Rowlett heirs conveyed the mill to the Swift Creek Manufacturing Company.
On May 9 and 10, 1864, the Battle of Swift Creek
was fought around the mill when Union General Benjamin F. Butler
's Army of the James
attempted to cross Swift Creek.
Following the American Civil War the property was known as Schmidt's Distillery, which made corn whiskey. Following this, the property changed hands several times and was operated as a grist mill. In 1929, the mill became known as Swift Creek Mill. The grist mill continued in operation until about 1956.
The Swift Creek Mill was purchased in August 1965 by Wamer J. Callahan Jr. and Dr. Louis Rubin, both native Virginians, with the idea of converting the 305 year old building into a dinner theater. The plan was to convert the three existing floors into two dining rooms connected by a new stairwell and to be known as Swift Creek Mill Playhouse. The playhouse opened on December 2, 1965 with the Broadway musical Carnival!
.
The Swift Creek Mill Playhouse is located on U.S. 1
-301
just south of the Chesterfield County line at Swift Creek. In modern times, continuous buffet dining by candlelight begins at 6:30 p.m. in both the glamorous Mill Room and Granite Room. The shows are presented in the comfortable air-conditioned theatre each Wednesday through Saturday night year-round by advance reservations.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 7.8 square miles (20.2 km²), of which, 7.5 square miles (19.4 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (3.98%) is water.
Colonial Heights is located on just north of the Appomattox River
across from the modern-day City of Petersburg
at the river's fall line
It is located south of Chesterfield County (practically surrounded by it except for a south border with Petersburg
) and in some areas, Swift Creek divides the city from the county.
of 2000, there were 16,897 people, 7,027 households, and 4,722 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,260.3 people per square mile (872.2/km²). There were 7,340 housing units at an average density of 981.9 per square mile (378.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.08% White, 6.27% Black or African American
, 0.19% Native American, 2.72% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races
, and 1.02% from two or more races. 1.62% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 7,027 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples
living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,224, and the median income for a family was $51,806. Males had a median income of $37,794 versus $26,324 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $23,659. About 3.4% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
. There are three elementary school
s, Lakeview Elementary School, North Elementary School, Tussing Elementary School; one middle school
, Colonial Heights Middle School; and one high school
, Colonial Heights High School
. All of the schools are accredited by the Virginia Board of Education and by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
.
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States. The population was 17,411 as of 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis
Bureau of Economic Analysis
The Bureau of Economic Analysis is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides important economic statistics including the gross domestic product of the United States. Its stated mission is to "promote a better understanding of the U.S...
combines the City of Colonial Heights (along with the City of Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
) with Dinwiddie County for statistical purposes. It is located in the Tri-Cities area
Tri-Cities, Virginia
The Tri-Cities of Virginia is an area in the Greater Richmond Region which includes the three independent cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights, and Hopewell and portions of the adjoining counties of Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, and Prince George in south-central Virginia...
of the Richmond-Petersburg
Richmond-Petersburg
The Greater Richmond Region is a region located in a central part of the state of Virginia in the United States. As of 2010, it had a population of 1,258,251, making it the 43rd largest MSA in the country...
region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).
History
Like much of eastern Virginia, the site of Colonial Heights was located within the AlgonquianAlgonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
-speaking confederation known as Tenakomakah, ruled by Chief Powhatan
Chief Powhatan
Chief Powhatan , whose proper name was Wahunsenacawh , was the paramount chief of Tsenacommacah, an alliance of Algonquian-speaking Virginia Indians in the Tidewater region of Virginia at the time English settlers landed at Jamestown in 1607...
, when the English colonists arrived at Jamestown
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
on May 14, 1607. Captain John Smith's early map of Virginia testifies that the present area of Colonial Heights included the principal town of the Appamattuck subtribe, led by their weroance
Weroance
Weroance is an Algonquian word meaning tribal chief, leader, commander, or king, notably among the Powhatan confederacy of the Virginia coast and Chesapeake Bay region. The Powhatan Confederacy, encountered by the colonists of Jamestown and adjacent area of the Virginia Colony beginning in 1607,...
, Coquonasum, and his sister, Oppussoquionuske. In the aftermath of the Indian attacks of 1622 and 1644, they became tributary to England and relocated to nearby Ettrick
Ettrick, Virginia
Ettrick is a census-designated place in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,682 at the 2010 census. The town is home to Virginia State University and the Petersburg Amtrak train station....
, and its opposite bank, near Fort Henry
Fort Henry (Virginia)
Fort Henry was an English frontier fort in 17th century colonial Virginia near the falls of the Appomattox River. Its exact location has been debated, but the most popular one is on a bluff about four blocks north of the corner of W. Washington and N...
(within modern-day Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
).
The area including present-day Colonial Heights was made a part of "Henrico Cittie
Henrico City (Virginia Company)
Henrico City was one of four incorporations established in the Virginia Colony in 1619 North America by the proprietor, the Virginia Company. The plantations and developments were divided into four "incorporations" or "citties", as they were called. These were Charles City, Elizabeth City, Henrico...
", one of 4 huge "incorporations" formed in the Virginia Colony in 1619 by the London Company
London Company
The London Company was an English joint stock company established by royal charter by James I of England on April 10, 1606 with the purpose of establishing colonial settlements in North America.The territory granted to the London Company included the coast of North America from the 34th parallel ...
. English colonists first settled in the Colonial Heights area in 1620. A small group sailed up the Appomattox River looking for clear land, and finally settled in an area where Swift Creek
Swift Creek (Virginia)
Swift Creek is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It rises west of Richmond in Powhatan County and flows southeast, eventually forming the northern boundary of Colonial Heights, where it joins the Appomattox River.-References:...
runs into the Appomattox River, which they named Conjurer's Neck. This confluence was formerly the residence a Native American healer (known as a "conjurer") who was thought to have cast spells over the waters.
Shortly thereafter, Charles Magnor registered the first land patent in the area for 650 acres (2.6 km²), which he later developed into a plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
before selling it in 1634. That same year, by order of King Charles I of England
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, the Virginia Colony was divided into the 8 original shires of Virginia
Shires of Virginia
The eight Shires of Virginia were formed in 1634 in the Virginia Colony. These shires were based on a form of local government used in England at the time, and were redesignated as counties a few years later...
by the House of Burgesses
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North America. The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America...
, one of which was Henrico County
Henrico County, Virginia
Henrico is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2010, Henrico was home to 306,935 people. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, which included the future land of Colonial Heights.
In 1635, the English had a small town called Appamattucks near the "Old Towne" Creek, thought to be located near the intersection of Temple Avenue and Dimmock Parkway. Also in that year, Captain Henry Fleet and Francis Poythress built a small fort nearby, on "Fleet's Hill" just west of the current city, now occupied by the campus of Virginia State University
Virginia State University
Virginia State University is a historically black and land-grant university located north of the Appomattox River in Chesterfield, in the Richmond area. Founded on , Virginia State was the United States's first fully state-supported four-year institution of higher learning for black Americans...
.
During the period from 1677 to 1685, one of the area's historic landmarks was constructed with the building of the Brick House Farm
Brick House Farm
Brick House Farm, also known as the Richard Jarrell Farmhouse, is a historic home located at Greensboro in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. It was built about 1823 and is a five-bay long, two-story brick “I” house with a kitchen addition dating to the 1970s. The main house measures 41...
. Richard Kennon came to Virginia prior to 1670, and became a merchant of Bermuda Hundred. He represented Henrico County in the House of Burgesses
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North America. The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America...
. His son, Richard Kennon, Jr., was also a member of the House of Burgesses and married the daughter of Col. Robert Bolling, the emigrant, and his second wife, the former Anne Stith. Richard's sister, Mary Kennon, was married to Major John Fairfax Bolling
John Bolling
Major John Fairfax Bolling was a colonist, farmer, and politician in the Virginia Colony. He was the son of Colonel Robert Bolling and Jane Bolling...
, half-brother of Richard's wife. Major Bolling was the son of Col. Robert Bolling
Robert Bolling
Colonel Robert Bolling was a wealthy early American settler planter and merchant.- Ancestry and Early Life :...
and his first wife Jane Rolfe
Jane Rolfe
Jane Rolfe was the granddaughter of Pocahontas and the English colonist John Rolfe, ....
, who was granddaughter of the early colonist John Rolfe
John Rolfe
John Rolfe was one of the early English settlers of North America. He is credited with the first successful cultivation of tobacco as an export crop in the Colony of Virginia and is known as the husband of Pocahontas, daughter of the chief of the Powhatan Confederacy.In 1961, the Jamestown...
and his Native American wife, Pocahontas
Pocahontas
Pocahontas was a Virginia Indian notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, the head of a network of tributary tribal nations in Tidewater Virginia...
. The Bollings lived at Cobb's, a plantation in eastern Chesterfield near Point-of-Rocks.
The manor house built by Richard Kennon (later known as the "Brick House") is now thought to be the oldest permanent structure in Colonial Heights. One wall of the house survived a disastrous fire in 1879, and the rest was rebuilt. http://www.colonial-heights.com/HistoryConjurers.htm#%20Brick%20House
In 1749, an area south of the James River was divided from Henrico County by the House of Burgesses, and named Chesterfield County
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...
. The area which became Colonial Heights was to remain in Chesterfield County for almost 200 more years, until 1948.
The name "Colonial Heights" results from an incident 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...
. In May 1781, the French troops of General Marquis de Lafayette, known as the Coloniels, advanced south from Richmond and deployed artillery on the heights overlooking Petersburg from across the Appomattox River. The area thereafter came to be known as "Colonial Heights", and the name was given to a subdivision of the Oak Hill tract in 1906.
A historic site, Oak Hill, on Carroll Avenue, also called Archer's, Hector's, or Dunn's Hill, consisted of two one-story weatherboarded structures connected by a deep inside porch that extends from an uncovered section toward the street. From the lawn of this house, in May 1781, General Lafayette — with cannon behind a boxwood hedge that still fringes the hill — shelled Petersburg, then occupied by British troops under Major-General William Phillips (who died of typhoid during this bombardment).
The area also became involved in operations during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
made his headquarters at Violet Bank from June through September during the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
in 1864.
In 1926, Colonial Heights became an incorporated town
Incorporated town
-Canada:Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government.-United States:...
in Chesterfield County
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...
. It became an independent city
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
in 1948. Its current charter was granted in 1960. From 1960 to 1970, Colonial Heights experienced a period of rapid growth as the population jumped from 9,587 to 15,097.
In the mid-1980s, completion of the State Route 144 (Temple Avenue Connector) and a new bridge across the Appomattox River provided access to State Route 36 near Fort Lee
Fort Lee
Fort Lee may refer to:* Fort Lee, New Jersey* Battle of Fort Lee was fought on November 19, 1776 between American and British forces.* Fort Lee , a United States Army post...
. The new road and bridge effectively opened a large previously isolated tract of land along the southeastern edge of the city for commercial development. There, the regional Southpark Mall
Southpark Mall (Colonial Heights, Virginia)
Southpark Mall is a shopping mall serving the Tri-Cities, Virginia area, which itself is part of the much larger Richmond-Petersburg metropolitan area.-Mall Description:...
and many other retail businesses and offices were built.
On August 6, 1993, an F4 tornado (max. wind speeds 207-260 mph) passed through Colonial Heights. It caused extensive damage to the Southpark Mall
Southpark Mall (Colonial Heights, Virginia)
Southpark Mall is a shopping mall serving the Tri-Cities, Virginia area, which itself is part of the much larger Richmond-Petersburg metropolitan area.-Mall Description:...
and collapsed the roof of an old Wal Mart (now Sam's Club
Sam's Club
Sam's Club is a chain of membership-only retail warehouse clubs owned and operated by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., founded in 1983 and named after Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. , the Sam's Club chain serves more than 47 million U.S. members...
) store. It also did extensive damage in Petersburg and Hopewell. In the Tri-Cities area
Tri-Cities, Virginia
The Tri-Cities of Virginia is an area in the Greater Richmond Region which includes the three independent cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights, and Hopewell and portions of the adjoining counties of Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, and Prince George in south-central Virginia...
, the tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
killed 4 people (3 in Wal-Mart & 1 in Prince George), injured 246, and caused an estimated $50 million in property damage.
On April 28, 2008, an EF1 tornado
Enhanced Fujita Scale
The Enhanced Fujita Scale rates the strength of tornadoes in the United States based on the damage they cause.Implemented in place of the Fujita scale introduced in 1971 by Ted Fujita, it began operational use on February 1, 2007. The scale has the same basic design as the original Fujita scale:...
(max. wind speeds 86-110 mph) produced a near two mile (3 km) long, though discontinuous, path through Colonial Heights. The tornado first touched down near the Colonial Heights Middle School football field, damaging the field clubhouse roof, then causing roof damage and spill onto I-95 from Medallion Pool business. The tornado then jumped I-95 and touched down again in the Dimmock Square Shopping Center. Several cars were flipped and piled in the parking lot of a strip mall (which had extensive roof damage) that is less than a tenth of a mile from the site of the old Wal Mart which was destroyed by an F4 tornado on August 6, 1993. The tornado then continued across Temple Avenue, causing tree and roof damage in the neighborhood near Fine Drive and Puddledock Road (in Prince George County
Prince George County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,047 people, 10,159 households, and 8,096 families residing in the county. The population density was 124 people per square mile . There were 10,726 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile...
) before lifting for good. The tornado injured 21 and caused an estimated $10 million in property damage.
Historical attractions
Two area attractions with historic roots are Violet Bank and Swift Creek Mill. There are also several parks in the area; Including Fort Clifton Park and White Bank Park.Colonial Heights is also home of the Largest Arbys restaurant.
Violet Bank
Yorktown
Yorktown may refer to:*Yorktown, Virginia**Siege of Yorktown, a decisive battle of the American Revolutionary War** Siege of Yorktown , a battle that was part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War**Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, U.S...
.
There were two Revolutionary War actions fought on the hillside, the first was in March 1781 under vonSteuben and his Virginia Militia, the second in April 1781, under Lafayette. Both of these actions were against British Major General William Phillips
William Phillips
William Phillips may refer to:*William Phillips , artilleryman and general officer in the British Army who served as a major-general in the American Revolutionary War...
, who mentions the property in a dispatch: “We assaulted the enemy’s work across the river and attempted to gain the high ground adjacent to Thomas Shore’s house, but were repulsed with heavy losses.”
The British casualties were approx. 200. While that number of casualties would hardly rate a mention as a skirmish during the War Between the States, most Revolutionary armies only numbered 1500-3000 men, about the size of the average modern day War for Southern Independence re-enactment.
Phillips objective was to capture the crucial river crossing on the Appomattox
Appomattox
Appomattox may refer to:*Appomattox, Virginia, a town*Appomattox County, Virginia* Appomattox Basin, a name for the Tri-Cities, Virginia region*Appomattox Court House, a court house in Virginia...
and gain control over the Turnpike. The question of primary concern of any army commander waging war in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
is “where are my river crossings”. Owing to the multiple bisection of the State by navigable waterways, travel overland thru central Virginia was haphazard at best until after the first quarter of the 19th Century
19th century
The 19th century was a period in history marked by the collapse of the Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Holy Roman and Mughal empires...
.
Not only was Petersburg the only major thoroughfare thru Southside Central Virginia that would facilitate troop movement, it was also the primary access road for Chesterfield Courthouse
Chesterfield Court House, Virginia
Chesterfield Court House is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of .-Demographics:...
, a primary supply depot and one of three training grounds for the Continental Line in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
Phillips became ill, and subsequently passed away, buried in an unmarked grave lest the rebels desecrate his resting place. He is the second highest ranking British officer buried outside Great Britain.
Cornwallis then accedes to command. Lacking sufficient strength to overwhelm Lafayette on the Heights, Cornwallis makes the fateful decision to abandon Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
to campaign farther south.
Violet Bank would once again play host to Lafayette in 1824, when he visited the country for the last time as an official guest of the Untied States. During that interim betwixt General Lafayette’s presence, Violet Bank’s appearance would alter completely. Described in the Mutual Assurance of Society of Virginia papers of 1796 as a “two-story clapboard structure w/addition in which there was a cellar floored in stone w/kitchen”. Violet Bank originally bore a strong resemblance to the still extant Weston Manor
Weston Manor
Weston Manor is an 18th century plantation house on the south shore of the Appomattox River currently located in the City of Hopewell in eastern Virginia.- History :...
in Hopewell, Virginia
Hopewell, Virginia
Hopewell is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 22,591 at the 2010 Census . It is in Tri-Cities area of the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, utilizing an almost canonized two-over-two centre hall plan typical of late colonial Tidewater Virginia.
Benjamin Latrobe
Benjamin Latrobe
Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe was a British-born American neoclassical architect best known for his design of the United States Capitol, along with his work on the Baltimore Basilica, the first Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States...
intended on lodging at Violet Bank, “but he (Thomas Shore) is at present building, and occupies his offices only, which, in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, follows a plantation house as a litter of pigs to their mother.”
The house would catch fire in 1810, supposedly on a Sunday whilst the family was away at church. Thomas Shore would occupy the house for 22 years, deceasing in 1800 leaving behind a much younger wife and three daughters, the oldest of whom is four at the time of her fathers death. The “Widder Jane Grey” would remarry in 1804, Henry Haxall of Haxall Mills. They and the three girls were the residents when the house burned, the cellar kitchen being likely culprit. The Chimney stacks and foundation survived the fire which was somewhat unusual since the lime mortar used during the period did not generally withstand the intense heat that a house fire would generate and would be “cooked out”.
From 1810 to 1815 the house was rebuilt; the front foundation was altered, a radically different super-structure was built atop the first Violet Banks foundation, and an entirely new main house was constructed.
Enter Benjamin Latrobe
Benjamin Latrobe
Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe was a British-born American neoclassical architect best known for his design of the United States Capitol, along with his work on the Baltimore Basilica, the first Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States...
again, or at least his designs. Latrobe in all probability made the acquaintance of Jane Grey Shore Haxall when he visited Petersburg in 1796 and went to the horse races with Thomas Shore on April 21 of that year according to his Journal. He dined with Thomas’ brother Dr. John Shore on the 22nd. Latrobe’s notation for the 23rd stated that he had gotten into Shores house and was “much more comfortable than in the buzz of betting at the track.” Whether he meant Dr. Johns residence or Thomas’ is unclear.
Consensus of most architectural historians is that Violet Bank was designed by a pupil of Latrobe’s
Benjamin Latrobe
Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe was a British-born American neoclassical architect best known for his design of the United States Capitol, along with his work on the Baltimore Basilica, the first Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States...
through there is nothing that suggests that Robert Mills might have had a hand in its planning. The possibility also exists that Violet Bank is, like Point of Honor in Lynchburg, the product of a country builder who was familiar with Latrobe’s work in Richmond, and used that as a base from which to start, through the house could be right out of a Latrobe sketchbook with its combination of octagonal bays, recessed portico and Adam-style ceiling moulding.
There are quite a number of shared characteristics between Violet Bank and a known Latrobe house, that of Michael Hancock built Ca. 1808-09. Henry Haxall would, at least, have been familiar with this fashionable house on the corner of 5th & Main in Richmond, as well as the architectural trend in Richmond which this house embodied. Jane Grey, having met the man, was likely to have passing knowledge of Latrobe’s architectural ideas. A quick perusal of the inventory for Henry Haxalls’ will probate clearly indicates a man of taste concerned with fashion. Mr. & Mrs. Haxall were certainly wealthy enough to have hired Latrobe and if they did not consult with him on rebuilding project, they must probably asked him to suggest an architect, he would have named one of his own pupils.
Whoever the architect was, his refuse of the existing foundation and chimney stacks make the architectural solution all more unique. Normally an architect starts with a blank page, however, in this case, the architect was forced to deal with fixed points & proportions. The second floor fireboxes were bricked up, the second floor was eliminated, which enabled the ceilings to be raised. All masonry was stuccoed & scored to resemble ashlar and to hide the difference in brickwork that the modifications necessitated.
The tripartite foundation plan lent itself naturally to a very strict Vitruvian construct. The peculiar ring to be founded on third the distance up each Portico column, unique to Virginia architecture, form the keynote that coalesces the structure into a harmonious whole & unlocks the architectural formula.
Henry Haxall deceases in 1834, the same year as his eldest step-daughter marries Dr. John Gilliam. Thomas Shores middle daughter Marie Louisa marries Dr. William Shippen II of Philadelphia. The youngest, Jane Grey, deceases at the age of 15 without issue. The estate would pass to the Gilliams’ upon the death of Jane Haxall, eleven years after her husband, in 1834. Violet Bank would Remain in the Gilliam Family hands until 1873. At the time of its occupation by the Headquarters of the Army of Northern Virginia, the title to Violet Bank would be held in deed of trust by Thomas Gilliam, Thomas Shores grandson.
Part of the Main house also served as a hospital during the siege. The war largely impoverished the Gilliam family and the house would be sold in 1873 to a cousin, Mrs. Evelyn Gasquet Marshall of New York. She would occupy the house until her death in 1885, at which time the property was acquired by Capt. Abel N. Haskins. His heirs, in turn, sold houses and remaining 68 acres to the Greater Petersburg Realty Corporation in 1905. Operating Violet Bank as a dairy farm, walls were knocked out on the first floor of the main house in order to utilize the structure as a cattle barn. Greater Petersburg Reality Corp. CEO Bellamy decided in the late 1914 to subdivide the farm and develop it for housing and work began in 1915. The first thing Bellamy did in breaking up the property was tear down the main house, leaving the extant portion remaining.
The much reduced Violet Bank would be one of the first houses sold in River view sub-division. It was purchased in 1919 by Mrs. Alice Pierrepont who resided there until 1948, at which time she sold it to American Legion Post 284. The City of Colonial Heights acquired the house in 1959, first for the Chamber of Commerce, then as Colonial Heights first public library. Now a part of the Recreation & Parks department, Violet Bank began its current incarnation as an active Historic House Museum in 1988.
Violet Bank Museum is a superb document of Federal design and American Interior Decorative Arts. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and a Virginia Historic Landmark.
Swift Creek Mill
Records indicate that Swift Creek Mill was in existence as early as 1663, and is believed to be the oldest grist mill in the United States.Henry Randolph I, who was born in Little Houghton, Northamptonshire
Little Houghton, Northamptonshire
Little Houghton is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England, located about east of Northampton. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 367 people....
, England, in 1623, moved to Virginia about 1640. In 1655 he acquired title to a large tract of land in Bermuda Hundred on Swift Creek
Swift Creek (Virginia)
Swift Creek is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It rises west of Richmond in Powhatan County and flows southeast, eventually forming the northern boundary of Colonial Heights, where it joins the Appomattox River.-References:...
where he erected the present mill. "Mr. Randolph's Mill" is mentioned in 1663 in "Cavaliers and Pioneers" (index to Virginia - 1620 to 1666).
An heir of Henry Randolph I, William Bland Randolph, deeded the mill site to William Rowlett on February 20, 1805, and it became known as Rowlett's Mill. In 1852, the Rowlett heirs conveyed the mill to the Swift Creek Manufacturing Company.
On May 9 and 10, 1864, the Battle of Swift Creek
Battle of Swift Creek
The Battle of Swift Creek was fought on May 9, 1864, between Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. Union forces were only partially successful: they inflicted damage on the local railroad, but further advance was halted.-Description:...
was fought around the mill when Union General Benjamin F. Butler
Benjamin Franklin Butler (politician)
Benjamin Franklin Butler was an American lawyer and politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and later served as the 33rd Governor of Massachusetts....
's Army of the James
Army of the James
The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia.-History:...
attempted to cross Swift Creek.
Following the American Civil War the property was known as Schmidt's Distillery, which made corn whiskey. Following this, the property changed hands several times and was operated as a grist mill. In 1929, the mill became known as Swift Creek Mill. The grist mill continued in operation until about 1956.
The Swift Creek Mill was purchased in August 1965 by Wamer J. Callahan Jr. and Dr. Louis Rubin, both native Virginians, with the idea of converting the 305 year old building into a dinner theater. The plan was to convert the three existing floors into two dining rooms connected by a new stairwell and to be known as Swift Creek Mill Playhouse. The playhouse opened on December 2, 1965 with the Broadway musical Carnival!
Carnival!
Carnival is a 1961 musical with the book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The musical is based on the 1953 film Lili.-Background:...
.
The Swift Creek Mill Playhouse is located on U.S. 1
U.S. Route 1 in Virginia
U.S. Route 1 in the U.S. state of Virginia runs north–south through South Hill, Petersburg, Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Alexandria on its way from North Carolina to the 14th Street Bridge into the District of Columbia...
-301
U.S. Route 301
U.S. Route 301 is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic States. It currently runs 1,099 miles from Glasgow, Delaware at U.S. Route 40 to Sarasota, Florida. It passes through the states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida...
just south of the Chesterfield County line at Swift Creek. In modern times, continuous buffet dining by candlelight begins at 6:30 p.m. in both the glamorous Mill Room and Granite Room. The shows are presented in the comfortable air-conditioned theatre each Wednesday through Saturday night year-round by advance reservations.
Geography
Colonial Heights is located at 37°15′44"N 77°24′9"W (37.262257, -77.402728).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 7.8 square miles (20.2 km²), of which, 7.5 square miles (19.4 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (3.98%) is water.
Colonial Heights is located on just north of the Appomattox River
Appomattox River
The Appomattox River is a tributary of the James River, approximately long, in central and eastern Virginia in the United States, named for the Appomattocs Indian tribe who lived along its lower banks in the 17th century...
across from the modern-day City of Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
at the river's fall line
Fall line
A fall line is a geomorphologic unconformity between an upland region of relatively hard crystalline basement rock and a coastal plain of softer sedimentary rock. A fall line is typically prominent when crossed by a river, for there will often be rapids or waterfalls...
It is located south of Chesterfield County (practically surrounded by it except for a south border with Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
) and in some areas, Swift Creek divides the city from the county.
Adjacent county / Independent city
- Chesterfield County, VirginiaChesterfield County, VirginiaChesterfield 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...
- west, north, southeast (Appomattox River islands) - Petersburg, VirginiaPetersburg, VirginiaPetersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
- south - Prince George County, VirginiaPrince George County, VirginiaAs of the census of 2000, there were 33,047 people, 10,159 households, and 8,096 families residing in the county. The population density was 124 people per square mile . There were 10,726 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile...
- east
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 16,897 people, 7,027 households, and 4,722 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,260.3 people per square mile (872.2/km²). There were 7,340 housing units at an average density of 981.9 per square mile (378.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.08% White, 6.27% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.19% Native American, 2.72% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.02% from two or more races. 1.62% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 7,027 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,224, and the median income for a family was $51,806. Males had a median income of $37,794 versus $26,324 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $23,659. About 3.4% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
Elementary and secondary
The City of Colonial Heights is served by Colonial Heights Public SchoolsColonial Heights Public Schools
The following schools are located in the Colonial Heights, Virginia school division.* Colonial Heights High School* Colonial Heights Middle School* Lakeview Elementary School* North Elementary School* Tussing Elementary School...
. There are three elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s, Lakeview Elementary School, North Elementary School, Tussing Elementary School; one middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
, Colonial Heights Middle School; and one high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, Colonial Heights High School
Colonial Heights High School
Colonial Heights High School is a public secondary school located in Colonial Heights, Virginia, USA. The school serves about 900 students grades 9 – 12. The high school includes a Technical Center which offers a variety of vocational education programs.- Sports :The Colonial...
. All of the schools are accredited by the Virginia Board of Education and by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
.
Higher Education
The area is served by three schools of higher education:- Virginia State UniversityVirginia State UniversityVirginia State University is a historically black and land-grant university located north of the Appomattox River in Chesterfield, in the Richmond area. Founded on , Virginia State was the United States's first fully state-supported four-year institution of higher learning for black Americans...
- Richard Bland CollegeRichard Bland CollegeRichard Bland College of The College of William and Mary is a public junior college with about 1,400 students located near Petersburg, Virginia...
- John Tyler Community CollegeJohn Tyler Community CollegeJohn Tyler Community College is a two-year, public institution of higher education and is the fifth largest of the 23 community colleges in Virginia. John Tyler is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and offers 17 associate degree programs,...
Top employers
According to Chesapeake's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000... |
500-999 |
| 2 | Colonial Heights Public Schools Colonial Heights Public Schools The following schools are located in the Colonial Heights, Virginia school division.* Colonial Heights High School* Colonial Heights Middle School* Lakeview Elementary School* North Elementary School* Tussing Elementary School... |
500-999 |
| 3 | City of Colonial Heights | 250-499 |
| 4 | Colonial Heights Operation | 100-249 |
| 5 | J. C. Penney J. C. Penney -External links:*... |
100-249 |
| 6 | Red Lobster Red Lobster Red Lobster is a U.S. chain of seafood restaurants. It also operates in Canada, the UAE and Japan . It is aimed at the mid-level "casual dining" segment of the market... & Olive Garden Olive Garden Olive Garden is an American restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American cuisine. It is a subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, Inc., which is headquartered in an unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida, near Orlando. Olive Garden operates more than 730 locations globally.- History :The... |
100-249 |
| 7 | Care Advantage | 100-249 |
| 8 | Sears | 100-249 |
| 9 | Target Target Corporation Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's... |
100-249 |
| 10 | Priority Automotive Group | 100-249 |
Media
Colonial Heights has two weekly periodicals, both free publications:- The Colonial Voice, published by the Petersburg Progress-Index.
- Colonial Heights Patriot, published by the Hopewell Publishing Company.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Colonial Heights, Virginia