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

Tredegar in 1951

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, November 3, 2009

1. Tredegar in 1951 Marker

Inscription. The lines in the parking lot represent the outlines of building shown on the 1951 insurance map of Tredegar, below. Three machine shops were constructed in 1872 to manufacture railroad cars and were converted to boiler and machine hops around 1884-1887. By 1887, a series of buildings, represented by lines to the right, had been constructed for the production of horseshoes at Tredegar, including a forge, a machine shop, and storage sheds.

Machine Shops
These buildings were long and narrow so that power for equipment could be transmitted through a long system of line shafting that ran along the ceiling. These turned belts that powered lathes, shapers, and other machine equipment.

Workers at the Horseshoe Shops
Workers at the Horseshoe Shops included skilled machinists and iron workers, semi-skilled horseshoe machine operators, and unskilled laborers who moved the raw materials and finished products. Both black and white men worked in the mills, but whites held the majority of skilled jobs.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1951.

Location. 37° 32.127′ N, 77° 26.78′ W. Marker is in Richmond, Virginia. It is in Gambles Hill. Marker can be reached from Tredegar Street

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

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

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Belle Isle and Old Dominion Iron and Nail Works (here, next to this marker); The Bulldozer Press (a few steps from this marker); President Lincoln Visits Richmond (within shouting distance of this marker); Belle Isle Prison (within shouting distance of this marker); Francis Turbine (within shouting distance of this marker); Adapting Power (within shouting distance of this marker); Early Industrial Patterns (within shouting distance of this marker); Historic Tredegar (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Richmond.

Regarding Tredegar in 1951. On the upper left is a photograph of belt-driven machine shop equipment.

The background diagram of Tredegar's layout carries the caption, "This 1951 insurance map shows what buildings existed during the period. Those that remain today are shown in three-dimensions."

On the lower right is a photograph of workers at Tredegar's Horseshoe Shops.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, November 3, 2009

2. Tredegar in 1951 Marker

Lines in the parking lot represent the outlines of buildings image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, November 8, 2009

3. Lines in the parking lot represent the outlines of buildings

Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 6, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 841 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 6, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 3. submitted on November 12, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.