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AUGUST 2, 2017 XIX NO.50

Village News

OBELISK, CROSS, NO ENTRY

BY MARK FAUSZ
t Henricus Historical Park, the church famous for
Patrick Henry’s “give me liberty or give me death”
Aspeech is commemorated with a cross. An obelisk near
it commemorates the first university in the colonies that would
become the United States.
“I came to work for Henrico County in 1977 and I was an
assistant county manager. We reorganized in ‘78 and I became
deputy county manager,” said George T. Drumwright, a founding
member of Henricus Historical Park Foundation. “Henrico was
still responsible for maintaining the property, as part of the
agreement, clearing the brush and limbs, and I had never heard
of the place at the time,” said Drumwright. “I met Judge Earnest
Gates, also a founding member, near the power plant and we
walked about a mile through the weeds and vines and all kinds of
growth, and we finally reached the monuments.”
“The two monuments that were built on the bluff, one by
Colonial Dames to commemorate the first university in America
to educate men, women, children and Indian natives, the second
one to commemorate the cross of the historic Varina Parish
TOP: THE HENRICUS BLUFF which became Saint John’s Church,” he said.
BEFORE THE DEVELOP- The obelisk on the point at Henricus commemorates the
MENT OF HENRICUS HIS-
TORICAL PARK. CIRCA first university in America. Built in 1619 it was torched in 1622
1980. THE MONUMENT during the massacre by the Powhatan Indians as part of their
COMMORATE THE FIRST
HOSPITAL IN AMERICA AND raids up and down the James River.
THE VARINA PARISH WISH The obelisk is inscribed: “The Colonial Dames of America
EVENTUALLY BECAME
SAINT JOHN’S CHURCH. in the State of Virginia A.D. 1910 erect on this site of the town of
LEFT: THE SWAMP BEFORE Henricopolis to commemorate the college and university which
THE ROAD WAS CUT IN.
BOTTOM: WHAT REMAINED on May 26, 1619 the Virginia Company of London decreed
OF THE CISTERN AND should be established here.”
FIREPLACE BEFORE WAS IT
WAS DEMOLISHED. The next institution of higher learning to be established in
Virginia was William and Mary in 1693.
The bluff appears to be part of Chesterfield County, and
there was no way to enter the bluff from Henrico County. The
river had changed course since the lighthouse was built when
the Commerce Department took the land for the lighthouse,
according to Drumwright. An agreement was made to deed the
land back to Henrico.
“A lighthouse keeper’s house foundation and a chimney
and cistern stood on the bluff for years after the lighthouse
was no longer needed. It was rented for a short time until it
was demolished. There were light houses that were similar to
that up and down the James River, I think there were 17 of
them,” he said.
Richmond and Chesterfield had both been cut out of Henrico
County, and this was a very important site to all three. Gradually,
Henricus and Chesterfield came together and form a foundation
to fund the construction of the current park, and access road to
it in 1980. At that time there was no more than a muddy terrace
at the base of a dam built by Virginia Power. First matter of
business: build the access road.
“First time I went back there I was scared to death,”
said Pauline Mitchell, former director of public relations for
Chesterfield County. “I was riding in a Jeep and we were riding