Midlothian in Chesterfield County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Mid-Lothian Mines and Rail Roads
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, January 2, 2026
1. Mid-Lothian Mines and Rail Roads Marker
A new format has been adopted and a smaller marker with essentially identical information has taken the place of the original. The only change to the text is the addition of other collieries to the list at the end of the 2nd paragraph.
Local Coal Mining in the 18th and 19th Centuries
< Outcroppings of coal along the south bank of the James River in what is now Powhatan County were discovered circa 1700. A hunter from the nearby Huguenot settlement, Manakintown, dislodged lumps of coal as he slid down the riverbank to retrieve his quarry. Soon, nearby landowners began searching the area for coal outcroppings and deposits.
The earliest record of coal mined in the United States was that of a coal pit operated on the headwaters of Falling Creek near present Midlothian in 1737. Among local collieries working in the coal basin in the 18th and 19th centuries were Black Heath, Mills', Trabue's, Cunliffes, Railey's, Brummall's, Blunt's, Aetna, Gowrie, Stonehenge and Mid-Lothian.
The Mid-Lothian Coal Mining Company
The Mid-Lothian Coal Mining Company was chartered in 1835 on a 404 acre tract by the heirs of William Wooldridge. The coal seam here was approximately 36 feet thick and 700 feet deep. Wooldridge issued stock to raise funds for machinery, construction and the sinking of shafts. There were four shafts, 11 by 11 feet square producing about 1 million bushels of coal yearly. The Mid-Lothian shaft (later known as the Pump Shaft), one of the most productive, was flooded following a disastrous explosion in 1855 that killed
this page online
Erected by Chesterfield County Parks & Recreation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1700.
Location. 37° 29.5′ N, 77° 38.617′ W. Marker is in Midlothian, Virginia, in Chesterfield County. It can be reached from North Woolridge Road 0.3 miles south of Walton Park Road. This marker is located along the multi-use trail in the Mid-Lothian Mines Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 13301 North Woolridge Road, Midlothian VA 23114, 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 walking distance of this marker: You Have Not Been Forgotten (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Mid-Lothian Mines and Rail Roads (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named Mid-Lothian Mines and Rail Roads (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named Mid-Lothian Mines and Rail Roads (approx. Ό mile away); a different marker also named Mid-Lothian Mines and Rail Roads (approx. Ό mile away); Headstock
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, January 2, 2026
2. Mid-Lothian Mines and Rail Roads Marker
Context of the new marker, same location as predecessor
More about this marker. On the bottom is an image of "Mid-Lothian Coal Mining Company Stock 1866. Courtesy of Virginia Historical Society."
On the right are photos with the caption, "Iron ladle and crucible that were used in the coal mining process. Images courtesy of Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia."
Also see . . . Mid-Lothian Mines Park. Park website homepage (Submitted on October 10, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, June 5, 2010
3. Mid-Lothian Mines and Rail Roads Marker
Virginia Historical Society, 1866
4. Mid-Lothian Coal Mining Company Stock
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, June 5, 2010
5. Mid-Lothian Mines Park Trail
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, January 2, 2026
6. Man-made features beyond the marker
The ground to the west of the marker exhibits some evidence of mining operations - note the uniformly dug-out wall at right, and the abrupt pile at left - but their exact original functions and origins are not described. The pile may be slag from mining operations, and the carved-out area may be an old road trace associated with removing slag to this site.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 6, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,466 times since then and 33 times this year. Last updated on March 1, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 1, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. 3, 4, 5. submitted on June 6, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 6. submitted on March 1, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
