Wharf, Work and Worship

Wharf, Work and Worship. . , Dangerous work in fast waters., The batteau on your left is a reproduction of the vessels that served this area from 1801 until the canal was opened in 1860. Poled down-stream and back, they could carry heavy loads of tobacco hogsheads, pig iron, and agricultural products. A man on either side would pole the craft while another handled the steering oar., Up the hill is Beechenbrook Chapel, built in 1874 by the Lexington Presbyterian Church as an outreach to the laborers on Jordan's Point. The chapel was conceived and executed by Col. J. T. L. Preston (a founder of Virginia Military Institute) and derives its name from a poem written by his wife, Margaret Junkin Preston. The photo reflects a 1974 remodeling (not its original state)., The land on which you are standing was once Beechenbrook Foundry and Machine Works; a large wooden structure where cast iron products were produced, some of which would have been shipped from the canal wharf here to other markets., Jordan's Point Historic District is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. , Visit the Miller's House website for more information: millershousemuseum.org. , (Captions):, Photo by Philip deVos., Photo by Skip Ravenhorst., Mountain Valley Preservation Alliance/APVA Collection, Special Collections and Archives, James G. Leyburn Library, Washington and Lee University.