Tredegar Iron Works Marker

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Richmond, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Tredegar Iron Works

By Bernard Fisher, November 3, 2009

1. Tredegar Iron Works Marker

Inscription. By 1861 the Tredegar Iron Works were the largest in the Confederacy. The sprawling complex seen in this plan produced much of the ordnance used by the Confederate army and navy. But in 1863, a devastating fire destroyed the Crenshaw mill (site of the current visitor center) and several shops on the lower level.

As the firm rebuilt some of these facilities, a change in production occurred. Instead of casting the large cannon that required a large work force and high-grade iron ore, both of which were difficult to secure, Tredegar began producing more profitable railroad materials such as cars, axles, wheels and trucks.

After the war, Joseph Anderson and his Tredegar partners received presidential pardons and reopened the plant. Tredegar’s work force now consisted of former slaves and white workers who were paid equal wages. Most of the peacetime production related to the railroad industry, but during both world wars Tredegar received lucrative military contracts to cast artillery shells. The doors closed in 1957, when some of the rolling equipment was moved to neighboring Chesterfield County where operations continued until 1986.

Location. 37° 32.143′ N, 77° 26.725′ W. Marker is in Richmond, Virginia. Marker can be reached from Tredegar Street

Civil War Visitor Center at Tredegar Iron Works Photo, Click for full size

By Bernard Fisher, November 3, 2009

2. Civil War Visitor Center at Tredegar Iron Works

0.1 miles west of South 5th Street. Click for map. This marker is located behind the Civil War Visitor Center at Tredegar Iron Works. Marker is at or near this postal address: 470 Tredegar Street, Richmond VA 23219, United States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Cupola Furnace and Foundry (a few steps from this marker); Enterprise and Iron (within shouting distance of this marker); Toledo 1000-ton Press (within shouting distance of this marker); Company Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Raceways (within shouting distance of this marker); The Trededgar Iron Works (within shouting distance of this marker); The Gun Foundry (within shouting distance of this marker); Civil War Visitor Center (within shouting distance of this marker). Click for a list of all markers in Richmond.

More about this marker. The lower half of the panel displays a "Plan of the Tredegar Iron Works as they appeared on the eve of the fire in May 1863. The red buildings remain standing today."

Also see . . .
1. Civil War Visitor Center at Tredegar Iron Works. Richmond National Battlefield Park (Submitted on November 5, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Mechanicsville, Virginia.)
2. The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar. (Submitted on November 5, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Mechanicsville, Virginia.)

By Bernard Fisher, November 3, 2009

3. Pattern Shop

3. Joseph Reid Anderson (1813-1892) Class of 1824. West Point in the making of America (Submitted on November 5, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Mechanicsville, Virginia.)
4. Tredegar Iron Works. Civil War Richmond (Submitted on November 5, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Mechanicsville, Virginia.)