Carillon in Richmond, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Pumps and Parties
This sturdy granite Pump House looks like a church on the outside and a castle on the inside. It was designed by City Engineer and Civil War Veteran Colonel W. Cutshaw. The long vertical lines and sharply arched "lancet" windows show that it is of the Gothic Revival style. (Old City Hall in downtown Richmond is another of this imposing design.)
Note how the lines draw your eyes upward to evoke a feeling of airiness. This form originates in medieval Europe and was intended to shift the viewer's attention to the heavens.
The first floor housed the pumps. They were driven by the force of the water falling from the upper canal, through water wheels and later turbines, to the lower canal in front of you.
Straight ahead, obscured by vegetation, are three [unreadable] at the base of the building. Water exited through the openings after driving the pumps.
The second floor was an open air gathering space for dances and concerts. Windows were added around 1900 to control the impact of weather, but have been removed on this side to reveal the original design. In 1905 the building was extended to the left to house a boiler and generators for the experimental use of electric pumps.
Imagine arriving by canal boat ona mild summer evening in the 1890's and dancing at a fancy dress ball with the sound of water rushing below you. It is the long-term park plan to restore this activity.
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The Pump House was replaced in August 1924 by the flat-roofed stucco building to the right, which uses electric pumps and still provides drinking water for the city. The long white building further to the right, built in 1881, houses the old Worthington steam pumps that once pushed water up to the reservoir when the canal was low or frozen.
Erected by Friends of the James River Park System.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is August 1924.
Location. 37° 32.191′ N, 77° 29.182′ W. Marker has been reported damaged. Marker is in Richmond, Virginia. It is in Carillon. It can be reached from Pump House Drive west of Park Drive (Virginia Route 161), on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1600 Pump House Drive, Richmond VA 23225, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. 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 location: Mule-Fueled Waterway (within shouting distance of this marker); Byrd Park Pump House (within shouting distance of this marker); Breaking Stones with Feathers
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 11, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 473 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 11, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
