Beach in Chesterfield in Chesterfield County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Group Camp 7

Photographed by Evan Dwyer, August 22, 2026

1. Group Camp 7 Marker

Inscription. Group Camp 7, built for the use of African Americans, opened 1.25 miles south of here in 1939. The site was part of Swift Creek Recreational Demonstration Area, a project of the National Park Service that later became Pocahontas State Park. The campground, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and situated at a distance from the whites-only camping areas, featured cabins, a dining hall, and a lake with a beach. The Girl Scouts, Young Women's Christian Association, Women's Missionary Union of Virginia, and other groups operated residential camps here, providing educational and recreational opportunities to young black people from across the state. The buildings are no longer extant.

Erected 2021 by Virginia Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number O-82.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Charity & Public Work • Parks & Recreational Areas • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1939.

Location. 37° 21.896′ N, 77° 34.378′ W. Marker is in Chesterfield, Virginia, in Chesterfield County. It is in Beach. It is at the intersection

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of Beach Road (Virginia Route 655) and State Park Road, on the left when traveling south on Beach Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10300 Beach Road, Chesterfield VA 23838, 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 States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Pocahontas State Park (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Civilian Conservation Corps - Company 2386 (approx. half a mile away); CCC Camp Site (approx. half a mile away); Dividends for the Future (approx. 1.6 miles away);

Photographed by Evan Dwyer, August 22, 2026

2. Group Camp 7 Marker

The Beach Road entrance to Pocahontas State Park is in the background at left. View faces north; Group Camp 7 was in the opposite direction.

Apostles of Religious Liberty (approx. 3.7 miles away); 1917 Courthouse (approx. 3.7 miles away); Smoke House (approx. 3.7 miles away); Enslaved Quarters (approx. 3.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chesterfield.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 22, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 22, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 3 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 22, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia.