On any given day, Chesterfield residents and visitors can be seen walking and biking through Mid-Lothian Mines Park, a 44-acre preserve featuring exhibits, a 450-seat amphitheater, and pedestrian trails through shady woodlands and around Loch Lothian Lake.
The story of Mid-Lothian Mines began over 200 years ago when coal was first discovered in the area, and then commercially mined for the first time in North America, one of many Chesterfield firsts. For over a century, coal mines drove the region’s economy, fueled the Industrial Revolution, and left behind an indelible legacy.
The Origins of the Mid-Lothian Mines
Coal was first discovered in the Chesterfield area as early as 1701. Coal deposits in the region proved to be excellent quality and relatively easy to access, making them ideal for mining. By 1730, for the first time in America, coal was being actively mined for commercial use. Virginia was the only coal mining colony at the time.
In the early 19th century, the Mid-Lothian Coal Mining Company was chartered and began operating in Mid-Lothian Mines, giving the town its name. The Industrial Revolution was in full swing, and the demand for coal to fuel steam engines, ironworks and factories was soaring.
The Rise of the Coal Industry
The Mid-Lothian Mines stayed busy as the railroad network grew and expanded the need for coal. Coal mining became the backbone of the local economy. The Mid-Lothian Mines employed hundreds, and at its peak, coal production was reaching 75,000 tons/year in Chesterfield. Mining communities, such as Midlothian (then called Coalfield Station), sprung up around the mines and neighborhoods were developed to accommodate the workers and their families.
Coal from the Mid-Lothian Mines was often transported to Washington, D.C. and Richmond. It was also used to fire the furnaces at Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, the main supplier of artillery and iron for the Confederacy during the Civil War. The war stimulated the coal industry with its high demand for fossil fuels, but by the late 1800s, the Mid-Lothian Mines coal seams began to deplete, and more productive mines were established. The Mid-Lothian Mines closed shortly after an explosion at the Grove Shaft resulted in the loss of 32 men in 1882.
Coal’s Legacy in Chesterfield
Today, the legacy of the Mid-Lothian Mines lives on at Mid-Lothian Mines Park. Learn more here. The importance of coal in Chesterfield’s history also lives on in the form of Cole, Chesterfield County’s official mascot!
