Time stands still in Westham, Virginia, where the remnants of a once-vibrant community create a haunting tableau. This ghost town, set against the backdrop of Virginia’s evolving landscape, provides a tangible link to the region’s past and the people who shaped it.
County: Henrico
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 37° 35′ 21 N, 77° 32′ 24 W
Elevation: Not available
Time Zone: Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
Established: 1750
Disestablished: Not available
Comments: Research shows that westham was an unincorporated town in Henrico County, Virginia. It is located in the present day area of Tuckahoe, Virginia. Westham was built at a transportation point on the James River. The James River flows free for several hundred miles from the west and Westham is located at the point where the Fall Line rocks prevented further river passage.
Remains: The abandoned location now richmond, Virginia was built on the other side of the fall line where the river is navigable to the ocean. This made Westham the first destination for iron used in Revolutionary War. In later years, Canals and then Rail transport connected Westham to Richmond along the James River trade route. Westham was eventually absorbed into Richmond.
Current Status: The former settlement is now a neighborhood built on the site of the old town in the 1930s is still called Westham. The only town building older than the 1930s is just outside the original town borders and built around 1827.
Remarks: The historical significance of Westham extends beyond its physical remains, offering a window into Virginia’s past development patterns. Local preservation efforts continue to document and protect what remains of this once-thriving community.
Westham: Virginia’s Revolutionary Foundry Town – From Colonial Trade Hub to Forgotten Riverside Settlement
Along the northern banks of the James River, just west of Richmond where the Huguenot Bridge now spans the water, once stood a bustling colonial settlement with a dramatic history. Westham, Virginia—a town that played a pivotal role in early American industry and the Revolutionary War—has since faded into obscurity, its remnants largely hidden beneath modern development and reclaimed by nature. The story of this ghost town encompasses colonial ambition, revolutionary struggle, industrial innovation, and eventual abandonment—a microcosm of Virginia’s complex historical journey.
Colonial Foundations and Strategic Location
The history of Westham begins in the mid-18th century on land originally owned by the influential Randolph family. In 1752, the Virginia General Assembly chartered a new town at this strategic location along the James River. The site was carefully chosen for its position at a critical transportation juncture—it stood at the fall line of the James River, the geological boundary where the river transitions from the Piedmont region to the coastal plain. Above this point, the river was navigable for flatboats and bateaux coming from the western territories; below it, after a series of rapids and falls, the river became accessible to larger ocean-going vessels.
This location made Westham an ideal transfer point for goods moving between Virginia’s interior and the coastal ports. Tobacco, grain, and other agricultural products from the Piedmont region could be brought downriver to Westham, then transported overland to Richmond, bypassing the treacherous falls of the James. The town was initially planned by Beverley Randolph, who inherited the Westham Plantation from his father, William Randolph II. After Beverley’s sudden death, his brother Peter Randolph continued the development, renaming the settlement “Beverley” in honor of his deceased brother, though the name “Westham” ultimately prevailed in common usage.
The town attracted investment from numerous prominent Virginians, including Peter Jefferson (father of Thomas Jefferson), William Cabell, Joshua Fry, John Hunter, Robert Rose, and William Stith, all of whom purchased lots in the new settlement. This impressive roster of early investors speaks to the perceived economic potential of Westham as a commercial hub connecting Virginia’s agricultural interior with international markets.
The Westham Foundry and Revolutionary War Production
While Westham’s initial purpose was as a trading post, its historical significance dramatically expanded in the 1770s with the establishment of a foundry that would become crucial to the American Revolutionary War effort. The development of this industrial complex was spearheaded by John Ballendine, an ambitious entrepreneur who moved to Westham in 1776. Ballendine, known for his audacious business ventures, began constructing a canal system without formal authorization from the General Assembly. His plan was to divert water from the James River to power a foundry and create a transportation route to Richmond for its products.
Ballendine and his partner John Reverly shrewdly convinced the Virginia government to subsidize their project by purchasing the land where the Westham Foundry would be built. The state-owned foundry would depend on Ballendine’s canal and iron from his mines in Buckingham County. Reverly was appointed to oversee the foundry’s operations, creating a profitable arrangement for both entrepreneurs.
The early years of the foundry were challenging, with insufficient raw materials from Ballendine’s mines and slow progress on the canal construction. The Virginia government provided regular financial support to keep the operation viable, much to the frustration of then-Governor Thomas Jefferson, who pressured Ballendine to complete the canal and even threatened to replace him with a French firm.
As the American Revolution intensified, however, the strategic importance of the Westham Foundry became increasingly apparent. The Virginia government, recognizing the need for domestic arms production, increased its investment in the facility. By 1781, the Westham Foundry had developed into a substantial industrial complex, featuring eight blast furnaces, a boring mill, the main foundry building, storehouses, and worker dormitories. The operation employed numerous enslaved Africans, as the Virginia General Assembly had specifically resolved to use enslaved labor at the foundry, only hiring blacksmiths if slaves were not available.
The foundry produced cannons, shot, and other armaments for the Continental Army, with iron supplied by David Ross, a Virginia merchant who owned the Oxford Iron Works in Campbell County. Raw materials were transported to Westham via flatbottom boats navigating the James River. The hillside location of the foundry, opposite what is now known as Pony Pasture, became crowded with military supplies and bustling with industrial activity. Slaves worked around the clock firing Ballendine’s furnaces, repeatedly filling molds with molten metal to produce the weapons needed by the struggling colonial forces.
British Attack and Destruction
The strategic importance of the Westham Foundry did not go unnoticed by British forces. In early January 1781, British troops under the command of the infamous traitor General Benedict Arnold landed at Westover on the James River, approximately 33 miles east of Richmond. The Virginia Militia, unprepared for such a direct assault, could not mount an effective defense. Within 24 hours, Arnold’s forces entered Richmond virtually unopposed.
Meanwhile, at Westham, workers and militia under the supervision of Governor Thomas Jefferson himself frantically worked to transport military supplies across the James River to the Chesterfield side, near present-day Pony Pasture. Many arms could not be evacuated in time and were simply thrown into the river to prevent British capture, though many were later recovered by Arnold’s troops.
On January 5, 1781, a detachment of Arnold’s forces under Colonel John Graves Simcoe marched on Westham. Finding no resistance, as Jefferson and the outnumbered Virginia Militia had already fled, Simcoe’s men proceeded to systematically destroy the foundry and much of the town. In a display of military caution, the British soldiers removed powder from the magazines and storehouses before setting fire to the buildings, hauling crates of gunpowder downhill and emptying them into Ballendine’s canal. Despite these precautions, numerous explosions occurred as the foundry buildings, warehouses, and Ballendine’s home were engulfed in flames.
The destruction was comprehensive—24 cannons, substantial quantities of powder, and numerous small arms were lost, along with the foundry’s infrastructure. The British forces spared only the village brewery, perhaps out of soldiers’ appreciation for its products. The entire raid, from the landing at Westover to the destruction of the Westham Foundry, took less than 48 hours but dealt a devastating blow to both the town and the Continental Army’s supply chain.
Post-Revolutionary Decline
The attack on Westham had profound consequences for both the town and its founder. John Ballendine never recovered from the destruction of his investment. His canal to Richmond remained unfinished, and with Westham’s diminished importance as a supply center, the project was abandoned. Ballendine reportedly grew despondent and passed away by the end of 1781, just months after the British attack.
The Virginia government made attempts to repair the foundry but eventually abandoned these efforts as new sources of military supplies emerged in Richmond and Chesterfield County. Westham continued to exist as a settlement but never regained its wartime population or economic significance. The town limped along in the shadow of its former importance, gradually declining as newer transportation developments diminished its strategic value.
The Kanawha Canal Era
In 1789, the James River Company completed a short section of canal in the footprint of Ballendine’s unfinished project. This became the entry point of the Kanawha Canal, designed to bypass the falls of the James River and facilitate transportation between the western territories and Richmond. Westham stood at the eastern terminus of over 200 miles of flatwater James River navigation, where boats carrying goods from the interior would enter a 200-foot canal with three locks that dropped 34 feet, bypassing the first of the falls. From there, a mile and a half of river connected to the second part of the canal leading to Shockoe Bottom in Richmond.
This canal system, while an engineering achievement, ultimately contributed to Westham’s decline rather than its revival. By making it easier to transport goods directly to Richmond, the canal reduced the need for Westham as an intermediate transfer point. The town’s original purpose—to serve as a transshipment point where goods were unloaded from river vessels and carried overland to Richmond—was rendered increasingly obsolete by the improved water route.
Nineteenth Century Developments
Despite its diminishing importance, Westham continued to feature in Virginia’s transportation history throughout the 19th century. In 1851, the Virginia General Assembly chartered the Westham Plank Road Company to construct a plank road from Westham to Richmond. This improved road, which eventually became present-day Cary Street and the location of Carytown in Richmond, connected the bateaux landing at Westham with seagoing vessels in Richmond. It also linked to the Three Chopt Road, which extended over the Blue Ridge Mountains at Afton, Virginia, providing an important east-west transportation corridor.
Later in the century, the railroad era brought further changes to Westham. In the 1880s, Westham Station was established on the Richmond and Allegheny Railroad (R&A), which was constructed along the towpath of the James River and Kanawha Canal. This railroad was subsequently acquired by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) in the 1890s, further integrating Westham into the expanding rail network of Virginia.
In 1911, the Westham Bridge was built across the James River, improving connectivity between the north and south banks. The historic Westham Station building survived until 1961, when it was relocated to a Richmond city park, preserving at least one tangible link to the town’s railroad history.
Absorption and Disappearance
As the 19th century gave way to the 20th, Westham gradually lost its distinct identity as a separate settlement. The growth of Richmond, improved transportation networks, and changing economic patterns all contributed to Westham’s absorption into the expanding metropolitan area. The town that had once been a vital link in Virginia’s commercial and military infrastructure became increasingly marginalized, its historical significance overshadowed by newer developments.
By the early 20th century, little remained of the original town of Westham. The foundry that had once produced armaments for the Revolutionary War had long since disappeared, its ruins gradually reclaimed by nature. The canal that had been central to Ballendine’s vision was superseded by railroads and later highways. The commercial buildings and residences that had once formed a bustling colonial town were largely gone, with only scattered remnants to mark their former locations.
Archaeological Remains and Historical Traces
Today, the physical evidence of Westham’s existence is limited but not entirely erased. Archaeological investigations have identified various features associated with the town and its foundry, including stone ruins and tunnels on the steep hillside opposite Pony Pasture, an area sometimes referred to as “Dead Man’s Hill” due to Civil War era graves on its slopes. These remnants, often obscured by thick vegetation, offer tantalizing glimpses into the industrial complex that once operated at this location.
The area where the James River Company’s canal entered the river can still be discerned by careful observers, though natural processes and later construction have altered the landscape significantly. Occasional artifacts—rusty metal fragments, burned coal, and other industrial debris—can still be found along the riverbanks and sometimes in the river itself, silent witnesses to the area’s manufacturing past.
In the 1930s, a residential neighborhood was developed on the site of the former town, adopting the name “Westham” in recognition of the historical settlement. This modern Westham neighborhood, located near the intersection of River Road and Westham Parkway, preserves the name of the ghost town but bears little physical resemblance to the colonial settlement. According to local historical accounts, only one building older than the 1930s development exists in the vicinity, a structure built around 1827 that stands just outside the original town boundaries.
Historical Significance and Legacy
Despite its physical disappearance, Westham occupies an important place in Virginia’s historical narrative. As one of the earliest planned towns in the Piedmont region, it represents the colonial ambition to develop the interior and establish commercial networks connecting the frontier with coastal markets. The town’s layout into 150 lots with defined streets exemplifies the orderly approach to urban planning favored by colonial authorities.
The Westham Foundry’s role in supplying the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War highlights Virginia’s contribution to the struggle for independence. The targeting of the foundry by British forces under Benedict Arnold underscores its strategic importance to the revolutionary cause. The dramatic events of January 1781, when Thomas Jefferson personally supervised the evacuation of military supplies from Westham as British troops approached, connect the town to one of the most perilous moments in Virginia’s revolutionary history.
Westham’s involvement in the development of Virginia’s canal system represents an important chapter in the Commonwealth’s transportation history. The efforts to improve navigation on the James River, beginning with Ballendine’s ambitious but unfinished canal and continuing with the James River Company’s more successful project, illustrate the challenges and innovations that characterized early American infrastructure development.
The town’s gradual decline and eventual disappearance serve as a reminder of the transient nature of human settlements and the ways in which changing economic patterns, technological developments, and strategic considerations can render once-important locations obsolete. Westham’s fate—absorption into the expanding Richmond metropolitan area rather than continued existence as a distinct entity—reflects a common pattern in urban evolution, where smaller settlements are often subsumed by growing cities.
Visiting Westham Today
For those interested in exploring the ghost town of Westham, several sites offer connections to its history. The area near the northern end of the Huguenot Bridge, where River Road meets the James River, marks the approximate location of the original settlement. The modern Westham neighborhood, while not preserving colonial structures, occupies the general vicinity of the historical town.
Pony Pasture Rapids Park, on the south side of the river, provides excellent views of the north bank where the Westham Foundry once operated. From this vantage point, visitors can appreciate the strategic location that made Westham an important transportation hub and visualize the dramatic scene of January 1781, when British troops set fire to the foundry complex.
For those willing to explore more thoroughly, hiking along the north bank of the James River in this area may reveal subtle traces of the town’s industrial past—stone foundations, altered terrain, and occasionally visible canal remnants. However, much of this land is now privately owned, and permission should be sought before venturing onto non-public property.
The relocated Westham Station building, now preserved in a Richmond city park, offers a tangible connection to the town’s later history as a railroad stop. While not part of the colonial or revolutionary-era settlement, this structure represents the continuation of Westham’s role in Virginia’s transportation networks into the railroad age.
Perhaps the most meaningful way to connect with Westham’s history is simply to stand on the banks of the James River near the Huguenot Bridge and contemplate the dramatic events that unfolded at this seemingly peaceful location. The contrast between the tranquil river scene today and the smoke-filled skies of January 1781, when the foundry burned and explosions echoed across the water, offers a powerful reminder of the layers of history that lie beneath the modern landscape.
In this way, Westham continues to exist—not as a physical town with buildings and streets, but as a historical memory embedded in the landscape and preserved in historical records. Its story, encompassing colonial commerce, revolutionary struggle, industrial innovation, and eventual absorption into the growing Richmond metropolitan area, encapsulates many of the broader themes of Virginia’s historical development. Though the town itself has vanished, its legacy persists as an important chapter in the Commonwealth’s rich and complex past.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westham,_Virginia
https://www.riversideoutfitters.com/when-pony-pasture-was-a-cradle-of-conflict/
https://henrico.gov/history/names-places-in-henrico/
http://www.virginiaplaces.org/vacities/24richwestend.html
