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

Boston

(1833 - 1850)

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 8, 2025

1. Boston Marker

Inscription. Boston, a chestnut stallion, was America's most accomplished racehorse in an era when thoroughbred racing was the nation's most popular sport. Bred by Richmond attorney John Wickham and foaled near here, Boston was known for his vicious temperament as well as his speed and endurance. He was tamed by an enslaved horseman named Ned and trained in the stable of William R. Johnson, known as the "Napoleon of the Turf." Ridden by the enslaved jockey Cornelius until 1839, Boston won about 40 of 45 known races between 1836 and 1843 on tracks from Georgia to New York, once in front of a crowd of 70,000. Later a renowned sire, he was an inaugural inductee into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame.

Erected 2023 by Virginia Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number EA-9.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Animals • Sports. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1839.

Location. 37° 35.809′ N, 77° 36.186′ W. Marker is in Henrico, Virginia, in Henrico County. It is in Canterbury. It is at the intersection of Patterson Avenue (Virginia Route 6) and Otlyn Road when

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traveling west on Patterson Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10400 Patterson Ave, Henrico VA 23238, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Piedmont,

in Central Virginia,

and in the Richmond Metropolitan Area.

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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Westhampton Settlement Subdivision (approx. 1.4 miles away); Tommy Edwards (approx. 1½ miles away); Quioccasin Baptist Church (approx. 1.9 miles away); Dahlgren's Cavalry Raid (approx. 1.9 miles away); Quioccasin, Westwood and Pryor Cemeteries (approx. 2 miles away); Old Coal Pit Railroad Bed (approx. 2.2 miles away); Ridge Baptist Church UDC Memorial (approx. 2.4 miles away); Ziontown Community (approx. 2.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Henrico.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 8, 2025

2. Boston Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on July 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 8, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 346 times since then and 51 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 8, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.