Near Richmond in Henrico County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

James River Steam Brewery

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, November 30, 2019

1. James River Steam Brewery Marker

Inscription. Nearby stood the James River Steam Brewery, built in 1866 during a national boom in beer production. The five-story facility contributed to Richmond’s post-Civil War industrial recovery, and its beer garden served as a community center. David G. Yuengling Jr., part-owner, was the oldest son of the founder of D. G. Yuengling and Son in Pennsylvania, now considered the nation's oldest continuously operating brewery. The James River brewery featured steam-powered equipment and an extensive underground warehouse or “lager” for storage and fermentation. The business closed by 1879 in the aftermath of a national economic crisis. A fire in 1891 destroyed the main building, but the cellars survive.

Erected 2019 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number V 55.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Man-Made Features. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1866.

Location. 37° 31.024′ N, 77° 24.845′ W. Marker is near Richmond, Virginia, in Henrico County. Marker is on Old Osborne Turnpike (Virginia Route 5) east of Orleans Street, on the right when traveling east.

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Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Henrico VA 23231, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Rocketts Landing (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Union Army Enters Richmond (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Rocketts Landing (approx. ¼ mile away); Atlantic Sturgeon (approx. 0.3 miles away); Ancarrow's Landing (approx. 0.3 miles away); Up-River Venture (approx. 0.4 miles away); People-Technology-Commerce-Warfare (approx. 0.4 miles away); Crossing the Atlantic (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Richmond.

Also see . . .
1. Underground Brewing: Yuengling’s James River Steam Brewery. All About Beer Magazine, v37(3), 7/1/2016 (Submitted on November 30, 2019.)

2. James River Steam Brewery Cellars. National Register of Historic Places (Submitted on November 30, 2019.)

3. Frozen in Time: The Ruins of the James River Steam Brewery (video). (Submitted on November 30, 2019.)

James River Steam Brewery Marker (facing east) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, November 30, 2019

2. James River Steam Brewery Marker (facing east)

James River Steam Brewery Marker (facing west) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, November 30, 2019

3. James River Steam Brewery Marker (facing west)

James River Steam Brewery underground “lager” image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, March 8, 2022

4. James River Steam Brewery underground “lager”

Credits. This page was last revised on March 14, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 30, 2019, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 378 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 30, 2019, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 4. submitted on March 14, 2022, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.