Browsing: History
Built in 1904 and still in operation in 1930 when this photo was taken, the rail crossing at Centralia Road and CSX (Seaboard Railroad) was a local rail stop. The double tracks were convenient to keep the trains on time. A gas station and general store was located adjacent to the store. Centralia was quite a village at the time. Several grand houses aligned the road on its way to Chesterfield Courthouse. Those who had business to do at the courthouse would take the train to Centralia and then travel by carriage or horse to the Courthouse.
Jake Halder, owner of one-half interest in two thoroughbred colts, gave his hopefuls daily workouts in preparation for a full racing season. The picture above was taken just as Jake was taking the colts to the barn after a workout. Warpath is on the left and Wahoo is on the right. Halder is proud of two Man O’ War grandsons Halder, a county police officer turned game warden, had two colts sired by Warrior Bold, a half brother of War Admiral, winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. He gave them daily sessions each afternoon at 5:00 on his…
Pictured above is the home place of Chester’s first doctor and his wife, Dr. Alvin Judson Hurt and Maud McLaurine Hurt. Their home sat on the corner of Harrowgate and Old Hundred roads. When the Hurts came to Chester in 1904, they took up residence at the Chester Hotel. Dr. Hurt liked Chester because it was country and he liked to fox hunt. Mrs. Hurt saw Chester as a poor community with no cultural advantages. Dr. Hurt had office hours in the morning and visited his patients in the afternoon. Dr. and Mrs. Hurt were both instrumental in the…
Pictured is the home place of Miss Lucy Corr, former Director of Chesterfield County’s Social Services Department located on Lori Road just past the county administration building. Corr is remembered for starting a nursing home that reflected the strong family values embedded in the Chesterfield County community. That meant taking care of people who did not have the means to care for themselves. Within four years, she had spearheaded the effort to build a first-class nursing home in Chesterfield in 1970, the first of its kind in the County. The nursing home, now assisted living is named for her. Corr…
Chesterfield- The Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia (CHSV) will present a lecture on the old trees of Chesterfield County, on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 11a.m. at the County Museum. Museum staff and Chesterfield Master Gardener Pat Roble will discuss Chesterfield’s most notable trees. Learn about the Nunnally oak tree that has been standing for nearly two centuries at the old courthouse, Violet Bank’s cucumber tree, the Osage orange tree at Magnolia Grange, and other old local trees. For more information or to reserve a seat, call the County Museum at (804) 768-7311. While the event is free, donations are welcome.…
Ron and Nancy Clevenger live in Farmer City, Ill., but have strong connections to Chesterfield and the part it played in the Civil War. Their relative, Lewis Hurley, a Union soldier, was killed during the five-day Battle of Proctor’s Creek. The couple visited Chesterfield three years ago after visiting Richmond Battlefield Park, where they thought they may get information on Ron’s ancestor. They were given the name of historian George Fickett the Civil War historian and expert in Chesterfield. Fickett took the Clevengers to the earthworks at Branches Bluff, but the future site of 39th Illinois Park was yet to…
Castlewood, located at the corner of Iron Bridge and Krause roads, was built in sections and it began as a church, a home to several families, a bank, and most recently, before renovations began, the Chesterfield Historical Society home office. The original building, the center, was erected for and used as the parsonage for Central Methodist Church, which stood in front of it, according to a statement of an old inhabitant. The church, Trinity, moved to a new building near the courthouse, where the Chesterfield Historical Society has its offices today. The wings of Castlewood, one on either side…
Remember When… The Perdue-Thompson house The landscape on West Hundred Road changed 18 years ago when Thomas Dale High School began an extensive renovation and expansion. With the expansion of the school’s footprint, a neighboring property with a house was purchased. The house, known as the Perdue-Thompson House, sat off the road behind Curtis Elementary School and was owned by Robert Johnson. He dismantled the home and moved it to another location. During the dismantling, a brick was found embedded in the chimney, one that provided the date of the house1815, along with the initials FWD. William and James Perdue…
The department of Parks and Recreation, in partnership with the Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia, will offer two distinctive Civil War guided tours. Saturday, October 8 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. there will be a Howlett Line guided driving tour. Learn about a larger ring of earthen fortifications that made up a line of defenses known as the Howlett Line. Constructed in late May 1864, after the Battle of Ware Bottom Church, this defensive position would prevent Federal troops from launching any further operations to capture Petersburg and keep the Army of the James entrenched at Bermuda Hundred. This…