Bellwood in Chesterfield County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Virginia National Guard State Headquarters Building and Site
circa November 2025
1. Virginia National Guard State Headquarters Building and Site Marker
The Headquarters Building is located within the Bellwood-Richmond Quartermaster Depot Historic District, eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), and containing Bellwood Mansion, which is listed in the NRHP.
The Headquarters Building was designed to be compatible with the character of nearby historic WW II and Cold War-era Buildings:
Above left: Vehicle maintenance shop, built 1942 (Bldg. 18);
Above right: Warehouse, built 1953 (Bldg. 3);
Left: Warehouse, built 1942 (Bldg 9).
The Headquarters Building is Certified according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards:
Site: Low-impact site (previously developed), with on-site bicycle storage and designated spaces for fuel-efficient vehicles. Half of site remains open as green space.
Building: High albedo roof system, use of over 20% recycled and locally-sourced materials, and over 75% of construction waste recycled during building.
Energy: Use of geothermal wells,
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Environment.
Location. 37° 25.951′ N, 77° 27.127′ W. Marker is in Bellwood, Virginia, in Chesterfield County. It is on C Road south of North 5th Street, on the right when traveling south. Marker is on post at Defense Supply Center Richmond and is not accessible to civilians without sponsored access or authorized escort. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Richmond VA 23237, 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, specifically in the Upper South, and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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
circa November 2025
2. Virginia National Guard State Headquarters Building
Visible beyond the memorial howitzer and aircraft.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: M101A1 105 mm Light Howitzer (here, next to this marker); F-84F Thunderstreak (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Virginia National Guard State Headquarters Building and Site (here, next to this marker); M41 Walker Bulldog (here, next to this marker); Elevator Motor (a few steps from this marker); 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage, M7B2 (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); A-10 Thunderbolt II (approx. 0.4 miles away); World War II Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bellwood.
circa November 2025
3. Historic Bellwood
A better view of the historic plantation home shown in the marker. Unfortunately, Bellwood House does not have its own historical marker on post (or anywhere, for that matter - though it is mentioned on interpretive markers at Falling Creek Ironworks Park). The house has been gutted and renovated as an exercise facility (in the rear, modern addition) and event space (historic portion and ahistoric north porch addition). The house has had a variety of names; built ca. 1804 and originally called Sheffield, it rotated through the names New Oxford and Auburn Chase before becoming Bellwood in its agricultural heyday - the first half of the 20th century. The plantation it presided over formed the core of the supply depot sold to the army prior to World War II, but it has roots in prior conflicts; at the onset of the Civil War, this was the home of Major Augustus Drewry, who owned the land for, and was responsible for the construction of, Fort Darling on Drewry's Bluff. His artillerists also manned the fort during its engagement with USS Galena and Monitor. During the Bermuda Hundred Campaign of May 1864, the house was used as a Headquarters by General P.G.T. Beauregard, and served to host Confederate notables Gen. Braxton Bragg & President Jefferson Davis in that period.
circa November 2025
4. Historic Bellwood
While efforts were made to blend the Virginia National Guard Headquarters Building with the historic fabric of the district, the same cannot be said of the "club" extension added to the rear of Bellwood (at left). The addition clashes strongly with the 1804 simplicity and elegance of the original house.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 1, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 26, 2025. This page has been viewed 74 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 26, 2025. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
