When it comes to American history, so many firsts happened right here in Chesterfield! Did you know that Chesterfield is home to the first successful iron production facility in English North America? Located in southern Chesterfield, Falling Creek Ironworks Park serves as a monument to America’s industrial beginnings and is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1619, the Virginia Company of London sent 150 men to the area to establish an iron manufacturing industry in Virginia. They developed Falling Creek Ironworks which served the nearby colonies and settlements of Henricus, Williamsburg and Jamestown. This period marked the first time iron was smelted in North America, signaled the beginning of the American industrial age and laid the groundwork for future iron production throughout the American colonies.
Archaeological work has since uncovered evidence of the original ironworks, providing insight into the origins of the iron industry including the technology and methods used by the early colonists. Interpretive signage at Falling Creek Ironworks Park guides visitors through the site’s history.
Nearby at Falling Creek Wayside Park is the Falling Creek Stone Bridge. Built in 1828, the bridge was part of the Manchester and Petersburg Turnpike. The bridge is the only evidence of one of Virginia’s earliest privately-owned and operated toll roads, and the only pre-20th century bridge still standing in Chesterfield County.
Be sure to pay a visit to Falling Creek Ironworks Park and Falling Creek Wayside Park where rich history is accompanied by walking tails, waterfalls and scenic beauty. For information about scheduled tours of the site throughout the year, check out the Chesterfield Parks and Recreation events calendar.
