Tredegar Iron Works

Our destination today was the Tredegar Iron Works, the industrial heart of the Confederacy. Located just south of downtown Richmond, near the Jamestown River, the Iron Works opened in 1837 and by 1860 was the third largest ironworks in the US. It immediately became the main facility for the production of guns, railroad ties, cannon, and land mines in the Confederacy. The iron works escaped destruction during the "Evacuation Fire" when Richmond was abandoned in April 1865. After the war, Federal troops recognized the importance of the plant, and got it back in operation within weeks to produce rails for the rebuilding of the railroads. The Iron Works continued in operation until the middle 20th century, supplying material for World Wars I and II. In 1957 the site was sold to the Ethyl Corporation which began the restoration of the site which had been shuttered in 1950.

Much of the original complex had disappeared, due to neglect, but several building have been restored. This is a view of part of the Pattern Building, where wooden molds were made to contain the molten iron.

Just after we entered the rain started, and continued for about four hours.

The site is dotted with stabilized brick walls, giving us a hint of the size of the plant.

On the hill above the National Park Service Visitors Center, an interesting juxtaposition of the old and new Richmond.

A variety of artifacts are scattered about the site, including this large tank used for extremely hot water!

The Tredegar Iron Works developed a laboratory where new methods of warfare were developed. One of the things coming out of the lab was the Confederate land mine. Fashioned of an iron ball with an explosive core, glass shards, and a trigger mechanism that would detonate the mine when stepped on, it was not widely accepted, because guerrilla warfare had not been perfected, but did have some success in the defense of Richmond.

The 22 acre site and remaining structure serve as the main site and Visitors Center for the Richmond National Battlefield Park. This is comprised of a 60-mile driving loop that visits the eight main battlefields that surrounded Richmond, mostly to the East.

Adjacent to the NPS Visitors Center is the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar. This privately funded museum details the entire Civil War from start to finish, in a slightly different perspective. Along with the necessary timeline, the emphasis here is on the African-American aspect of the war. This map of the states showing their preference (or not) for slavery closely resembles today's electoral map in a presidential election. Curious.

A more personal note was struck at this museum by the inclusion of personal items. This frock coat was worn by Jefferson Davis.

In an exhibit detailing the privations on the home front, these trousers made from cows hair were pretty unusual!

This list of dead and wounded left us with a heavy heart. The numbers are astounding.

In an attempt to get a grip on reality, we drove into "The Fan". This area of old homes also escaped the raging Evacuation Fire, and now is home to many students of VCU, Virginia Commonwealth University. The region is unofficially call The Fan due to the fact that the streets "fan" out from the center of Richmond, using Monument Avenue as a backbone. Along the way we stopped at Garnett's Cafe on Park Avenue for lunch. A couple of grilled sandwiches satisfied our hunger in this small, college oriented restaurant. I'll tell you, the Grilled Reuben that D had, and the Manny, a grilled turkey/pepperoni/red onion/ and swiss sandwich that I had were outstanding!

Back out on Monument Avenue, we gawked at some of the most beautiful antebellum homes we've seen in a city environment. Separate houses are built just a few feet apart, and are fairly long, and have at least two or three stories. The backyards are common with those of the houses behind, creating a beautiful greenscape.

Parking is discouraged along Monument Avenue, but we managed to steal a photo of General Robert E. Lee which occupies the center of a large round-a-bout at the east end of the street.

We've tried to visit the Historic High Spots in Richmond, at the risk of having a history overload! Their are many, many more things to be seen and places to be visited, but we've decided to move on. Tomorrow will be shopping/laundry day, preparing for next leg of our journey. We've started to turn west, on our way to California. Seen you guys at home soon!