On Randolph Street at England Street (Virginia Route 54), on the left when traveling south on Randolph Street.
Locomotive engineers drive trains along railroad tracks, making sure a train gets from one destination to the next. Engineers ensure the train arrives safely and on time. It is their job to inspect the locomotive before and after use and to . . . — — Map (db m287591) HM
On Washington Highway (U.S. 1) 0.2 miles north of England Street (Virginia Route 54).
In 1838, the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad bought 462 acres bordering its tracks twelve miles north of Richmond in Hanover County. The company created a small summer retreat and passenger rest stop there. In 1858, the area was . . . — — Map (db m1991) HM
On North Center Street north of England Street (Virginia Route 54), on the right when traveling south.
Ashland in 1860 was a quiet, charming village. Its 150 residents lived in cottages on tree-lined streets. A fashionable hotel, a notable racecourse, and a famous mineral springs resort made Ashland a social center. Then came war.
In the summer . . . — — Map (db m8199) HM
Near Berkley Street at North Center Street, on the right when traveling west.
A cemetery lies within this fenced area on private property adjacent to the park. While the Town of Ashland does not own the cemetery, the area has been enclosed out of respect for those interred here. The identities of the individuals at rest . . . — — Map (db m296371) HM
On Berkley Street at North Washinton Highway (U.S. 1), on the right when traveling west on Berkley Street.
Berkleytown, an African American community, was developed due to Jim Crow era segregationist housing policies in Ashland. Barred from living in the all-white residential areas, this neighborhood was built just outside of the town on the former . . . — — Map (db m296367) HM
On Henry Street at Berkley Woods Drive, on the right when traveling north on Henry Street.
Berkleytown, an African American community, was developed due to Jim Crow era segregationist housing policies in Ashland. Barred from living in the all-white residential areas, this neighborhood was built just outside of the town on the former . . . — — Map (db m296370) HM
On Hanover Avenue south of Thompson Street (Virginia Route 54), on the left when traveling south.
Bringing up the Rear
Once the most recognizable car on a freight train, the caboose has all but disappeared. The first cabooses appeared in the 1830s and were flat cars or boxcars repurposed to be a workspace and housing for trainmen. The . . . — — Map (db m287557) HM
On North Washington Highway (U.S. 1) 0.2 miles north of Cross Corner Road, on the right when traveling north.
Following the Union army's departure from the North Anna River on 26 May 1864, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee cautiously moved his army south toward Richmond to stay between the Federals and the capital. Lee's wagon trains, using nearby Ellett's . . . — — Map (db m17788) HM
On South Railroad Avenue at Robinson Street, on the right when traveling north on South Railroad Avenue.
Ashland's business district developed after the Civil War around the intersection of England and Thompson streets and Railroad Avenue. The train station was on the east side of the tracks north of England Street, with a passenger shed on the west . . . — — Map (db m92677) HM
On Cedar Lane (County Route 623) at Winns Church Road, on the left when traveling west on Cedar Lane.
Confederate Brig. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart with his 1,200 cavalrymen rode past this spot on the morning of 12 June 1862, heading west. On a mission to gather intelligence about Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac, Stuart hoped to . . . — — Map (db m15837) HM
Near Berkley Street at North Center Street, on the right when traveling west.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, opportunities for Black education were scarce in Ashland and Hanover County. Despite these challenges, Berkleytown became a hub for education and community progress, embodying the broader struggle for equal . . . — — Map (db m296362) HM
On England Street (Virginia Route 54) west of Maple Street, on the left when traveling west.
New Yorker Frank Jay Gould planned to build an electric railroad to provide Virginia's Chesapeake Bay waterfront communities a more reliable way of shipping produce and seafood. While that plan did not succeed, his railroad became an alternate . . . — — Map (db m287585) HM
Near Berkley Street at North Center Street, on the right when traveling west.
Historically, churches have served as much more than places of worship in Black communities. They have been vital centers for education, social gathering, political organizing, and cultural preservation. In Berkleytown, the churches, alongside . . . — — Map (db m296361) HM
On North Washington Highway (U.S. 1) 0.2 miles north of England Street (State Highway 54), on the right when traveling north.
Six miles east still stands Hanover Courthouse, in which, December, 1763, Patrick Henry delivered his great speech in the “Parsons Cause,” when he denounced the British government for vetoing an act of the Virginia General Assembly. — — Map (db m15849) HM
On South Railroad Avenue north of Myrtle Street, on the right when traveling north.
Early railroads of the 1820s and 1830s were established to move farm goods to and from ports and to serve the expanding inland communities. By 1900, most of the network of railroads throughout the United States were in place and railroads began . . . — — Map (db m287583) HM
On South Washington Highway (U.S. 1) 0.1 miles south of Pleasant Street, on the right when traveling south.
In mid-June 1862, having defeated three Union armies in the Shenandoah Valley, Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson and his Valley Army joined Gen. Robert E. Lee to defend Richmond. Jackson and his men marched by here on 26 June to strike the . . . — — Map (db m16168) HM
On England Street (Virginia Route 54) west of South Taylor Street, on the left when traveling west.
Eli H. Janney, of Alexandria, Virginia, patented his railway coupler in 1873. It was a semi-automatic form of joining rail cars and locomotives so they securely linked together. His knuckle-style coupler became the standard and is still used . . . — — Map (db m287588) HM
Near Cedar Lane (Virginia Route 623) west of Holly Berry Road ( Route 727), on the right when traveling west.
The Patton series of tanks are named after General George S. Patton, commander of the U.S. Third Army during WWII, and one of the first American advocates for the use of tanks in battle.
The M60 Patton battle tank entered active duty . . . — — Map (db m79750) HM
Near Berkley Street at North Center Street, on the right when traveling west.
Berkleytown, like many Black communities during the segregation era, was home to a resilient group of individuals whose contributions helped shape both the neighborhood and the broader Ashland area. Many of Berkleytown's residents were the children . . . — — Map (db m296357) HM
On North Railroad Avenue north of Thompson Street ( Route 54), on the right when traveling south.
Porters: the Unsung Heroes of Rail Travel
During the glamorous age of rail travel, railroads employed porters to greet passengers, carry baggage, make beds, serve food and drinks, shine shoes, and tidy the railcars. They were expected to be . . . — — Map (db m287556) HM
On South Taylor Street at England Street ( Route 54), on the right when traveling south on South Taylor Street.
George Westinghouse, Jr. revolutionized the railroads with the introduction of his air brake. Westinghouse received a patent for his first air brake system in 1869 and a second patent for his improved system in 1872. By 1905, well over two . . . — — Map (db m287590) HM
On North Railroad Avenue south of Henry Clay Road, on the left when traveling south.
Railroad transportation was still new in 1836 when the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac (RF&P) Railroad Company completed a single track from Richmond to a sawmill 20 miles north in rural Hanover County. At the same time, the RF&P purchased a . . . — — Map (db m296197) HM
Near Hanover Avenue south of Thompson Street ( Route 54), on the left when traveling south.
Early railroads were primarily east-west routes to transport freight between ports on the coast and developing western communities. Chartered in February 1834, the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad Company (RF&P) would run north and . . . — — Map (db m287572) HM
On Washington Highway (U.S. 1) 0.2 miles north of England Street ( Route 54), on the right when traveling north.
Three blocks west is Randolph-Macon College for men, oldest permanent Methodist college in America. Chartered in 1830 and named for John Randolph and Nathaniel Macon. Originally located at Boydton in Mecklenburg County, it was moved here in 1868. — — Map (db m1992) HM
On England Street (Virginia Route 54) at Railroad Avenue, on the right when traveling west on England Street.
Chartered in 1830 in Boydton, this institution is the oldest Methodist-affiliated college in continuous operation in the United States. It is named for statesmen John Randolph of Virginia and Nathaniel Macon of North Carolina. The college was moved . . . — — Map (db m8213) HM
On England Street (Virginia Route 54) at Railroad Avenue, on the right when traveling west on England Street.
Chartered in 1830 in Boydton, this institution is the oldest Methodist-affiliated college in continuous operation in the United States. It is named for statesmen John Randolph of Virginia and Nathaniel Macon of North Carolina. The college was moved . . . — — Map (db m8214) HM
Near Berkley Street at North Center Street, on the right when traveling west.
Businesses owned by Black entrepreneurs were not only rare but also a crucial lifeline for their communities. In the face of systemic exclusion from most mainstream commercial spaces, these business owners established essential services, became . . . — — Map (db m296359) HM
On North Center Street 0.1 miles south of West Patrik Street, on the right when traveling south.
This lot was the site of the home of
Rev. Alexander G. Brown D.D.
Chaplain at Boydton 1857-1858
Financial Secretary 1871-1875
Member of Board of Trustees
of Randolph-Macon College
for twenty nine years 1871-1900
Dr. Brown . . . — — Map (db m149678) HM
On North Washington Highway (U.S. 1) south of Berkley Street, on the right when traveling north.
Virginia public school boards began providing transportation to white students early in the 20th century but frequently denied this service to African Americans. Black children often had to walk miles to school, leading to nonattendance. Across . . . — — Map (db m112286) HM
On England Street (Virginia Route 54) at North Railroad Avenue, on the right when traveling west on England Street.
Secretariat was born March 30, 1970 at The Meadow in Carolina County, Virginia. The stable was founded in 1936 by Christopher T. Chenery, formerly of Ashland, and later managed by his daughter Penny Chenery.
On Peaks Road (County Route 657) at Mount Hermon Road (County Route 656), on the right when traveling west on Peaks Road.
Erected in 1729-32 as the Upper Church of Saint Paul's Parish, Hanover County, Slash Church's location next to swampy woods (a "slash" in 18th-century terms) gave it its name. The Reverend Patrick Henry, uncle of the famous patriot, served as rector . . . — — Map (db m16167) HM
On Cedar Lane (County Route 623) at Ashland Road, on the left when traveling west on Cedar Lane.
Late in the morning of 12 June 1862, Confederate Brig. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart and 1,200 cavalrymen reached this intersection on a mission to gather intelligence about Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac. Here Stuart's column . . . — — Map (db m15842) HM
On North Washington Highway (U.S. 1) 0.6 miles north of Jamestown Road, on the right when traveling north.
Near here, on Winston's Farm, J. E. B. Stuart, advancing north, camped on June 12, 1862. Stuart was scouting to find the position of the right wing of McClellan's army besieging Richmond. At this point he turned east to Hanover Courthouse. Stuart . . . — — Map (db m15834) HM
On Elmont Road (County Route 626) 0.2 miles north of Cobbs Road, on the right when traveling north.
Here at Elmont (known as Kilby's Station during the Civil War), Confederate Brig. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart assembled the last of his 1,200 cavalrymen and began his ride around Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac on 12 June 1862. . . . — — Map (db m15840) HM
On Blanton Road (County Route 666) at West Patrick Henry Road ( Highway 54), on the right when traveling north on Blanton Road.
On the afternoon of 12 June 1862, Confederate Brig. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart's column passed here on a mission to gather intelligence about Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac. Riding northeast toward the Richmond, Fredericksburg, . . . — — Map (db m15881) HM
Near Berkley Street at North Center Street, on the right when traveling west.
Berkleytown was a place where family and community ties were central to daily life. Despite the challenges of segregation and limited resources, residents found ways to nurture and support each other, creating a strong, resilient community. . . . — — Map (db m296360) HM
On South Center Street south of Cox Lane, on the right when traveling south.
The Town of Ashland has two historic districts: the Randolph-Macon College Historic Campus that was made a district in 1979 and the larger Ashland Historic District established in 1983.
The Randolph-Macon College Historic Campus encompasses . . . — — Map (db m92675) HM
Near West Vaughan Street west of Henry Street, on the right when traveling west.
Berkleytown Heritage Park celebrates the resilience, rich heritage, and strong community spirit of the historically African American Berkleytown neighborhood, which emerged through the determination of families seeking opportunity, security, and a . . . — — Map (db m296365) HM
