Chesterfield in Chesterfield County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
World War I in Chesterfield County
World War I began to impact Chesterfield County on April 6, 1917 when the National Selective Service Act was enacted. Lacking a home guard and with no pre-war military organization, Chesterfield County's initial efforts to form an infantry unit started with a recruiting center located in the 1749 county courthouse (demolished in 1917). Chesterfield County volunteers aligned themselves with units such as the Richmond Grays or the Petersburg Grays; others waited for the draft. Over 1,480 men signed up for the draft; only 161 were selected. On October 26, 1917, when the cornerstone for the new courthouse was laid, one hundred drafted men were encamped on the courthouse grounds and a parade was held. Recruits were sent to various army regiments including the 80th Mountain Division at Camp Lee in Petersburg, VA, and to National Guard units stationed throughout the nation. Some soldiers who fought in France stayed until 1919, almost a year after the declaration of the Armistice on November 11, 1918. The valor of the men of Chesterfield County is commemorated on the historic 1917 Courthouse Green during the county's annual Veterans
this page online
"I wish if possible, the threes and earth works, and the Battery redoubt to be spared and protected.....to me and the other survivors still living in and around Richmond every tree and square foot of ground is sacred and of hallowed memories."
Parkers Battery still exists today as a unit of the Richmond National Battlefield Park.
Erected by Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Places • War, World I. A significant historical date for this entry is April 6, 1917.
Location. 37° 22.569′ N, 77° 30.4′ W. Marker is in Chesterfield, Virginia, in Chesterfield County. It can be reached from Iron Bridge Road (Virginia
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Piedmont, in Central Virginia, and in the Richmond Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Veterans Memorial Wall (a few steps from this marker); Chesterfield Court House (within shouting distance of this marker); Confederate Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Employee Service Recognition (within shouting distance of this marker); Chesterfield County Courthouse
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, April 27, 2024
3. Parker's Battery
Referenced in the marker for its role in WWI Artillery Training, the historic site shown is about 6.5 miles southeast of Chesterfield Courthouse. The fortifications in the background of this National Park Service interpretive panel are from the Civil War, not World War I.
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, May 24, 2025
4. Reproduction World War I Trench
Located within Henricus Historical Park, this trench is part of an exhibit about the WWI training that went on at Dutch Gap - as mentioned in the marker at the courthouse.
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, February 1, 2025
5. Camp Lee (Prince George County/Petersburg) Powder Magazine
WWI Training trenches and this brick magazine, remnants of the original Camp Lee mentioned by the marker, are now part of Petersburg National Battlefield Park.
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 31, 2009
6. 1750 Courthouse Replica
The 1750 Chesterfield Courthouse, demolished to make way for the 1917 courthouse, was the original recruitment center for Chesterfield at the onset of US involvement in WWI. The replica shown here houses the Chesterfield Historical Museum and stands behind the 1917 Courthouse.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 22, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 11, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 464 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 11, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 22, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. 6. submitted on June 1, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
