Urbanna in Middlesex County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Coca-Cola Bottling Plant
Urbanna, Virginia
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This building was built in the 1940s to house a Coca-Cola Bottling Plant. The Coca-Cola Company of Chattanooga sold a franchise in 1921 allowing the sale and distribution of Cokes and other soda pop in Middlesex and six surrounding counties. Edward W. Chappell Jr. purchased the franchise and established a warehouse in Urbanna where he and his men delivered soda pop all over south-side Virginia. In 1923, Chappell built the first Coca Cola Bottling plant in town across from what is today the ABC store on Virginia Street. Walter Sams of Coca-Cola Bottling Company Inc. of Richmond became principal owner in 1944 and and built this building as its new bottling plant. The new plant featured the most modern facilities at the times. The plant operation filled drink bottles with coca-cola and other brands of Crass (orange and grape) soda pop. Bottles featured "Urbanna" embossed on the bottoms and those "Urbanna" bottles are prized possessions of town residents today. The plant closed in November 1963 and the buildings and grounds were sold and converted into lodging/restaurant facilities.
Erected by The Museum in the Streets.
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Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the The Museum in the Streets: Urbanna, Virginia series list. A significant historical month for this entry is November 1963.
Location. 37° 38.175′ N, 76° 34.586′ W. Marker is in Urbanna, Virginia, in Middlesex County. It is on Virginia Street (Virginia Route 602) just west of Upton Lane, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 250 Virginia St, Urbanna VA 23175, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Middle Peninsula. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. 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
Credits. This page was last revised on June 9, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 25, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 1,304 times since then and 55 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 25, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
