Historic Belle Isle

Historic Belle Isle. James River Park System. , Early History , Belle Isle, at 54 acres, is the largest island in the James River at Richmond, and also one of the most historic sites in the city. Virginia’s native tribes, including the Powhatans, fished in the river here for thousands of years before the English arrived., Captain John Smith was among the first Europeans to visit this site in 1607, and the island was acquired by William Byrd I in 1676. William Byrd II, Richmond’s founder, called it “the broad rock island”. The island was sold by the Byrd family about 1776, and soon became one of Richmond’s first industrial centers., Things to Find , A nail factory was in operation here by 1814 and later a full scale ironworks that remained in production until 1972., Granite was quarried here in the 19th and 20th centuries., During the Civil War, one of the most notorious prisoner-of-war camps in the South was located here., The remains of a Confederate gun emplacement are still visible on the western end of the island, at the top of the hill., From 1904 to 1967, the Virginia Electric Power Company operated a hydroelectric power plant on the island’s south bank., In 1995, Belle Isle was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as a site of national historic significance. Belle Isle is now one of Richmond’s most popular city parks, with hiking and jogging trails, historic ruins, and “broad rocks” from which to view the river, especially the roaring rapids on the northern side. Part of the James River Park System, Belle Isle is a natural are as well as a historic site. Please do your part to preserve one of Richmond’s great natural and historic treasures. , Paid for by a donation from St. Catherine’s Middle School