The prevailing opinion among historians is that the City of Petersburg is named for Peter Jones.  If indeed this is the case, precious little historical information exists on the … [Read more...]

Blandford Cemetery is the second largest cemetery in the Commonwealth of Virginia, surpassed only by Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C.  Approximately 14 years … [Read more...]

The founding of a settlement on the south side of the Appomattox River in the 1630s, the building of Fort Henry there in the 1640s, and the initial planning for the city of … [Read more...]

“Manufactured tobacco has always been among Petersburg’s important exports.”  In fact, there were tobacco warehouses in Petersburg before there was a town of Petersburg.  In 1730, … [Read more...]

The establishment of Fort Henry at the Falls of the Appomattox in 1645 expanded the English settlement that began in the previous decade south of the Appomattox River. The founding … [Read more...]

Blandford Church is the “oldest structure in Petersburg with a clearly documented history.” It stands today as a memorial to Southern soldiers who died during the Civil War. It was … [Read more...]

The Civil War Siege of Petersburg from June 1864 to April 1865 is the historical event that has made the city internationally known, but relatively few Virginians know about the … [Read more...]

Traditionally this stone structure has been thought to date back to c. 1665 as part of the Peter Jones Trading Station, and therefore the oldest building in Petersburg. Also called … [Read more...]

The city of Petersburg has endured numerous, devastating fires over its history. The 1784 town charter allowed the city to purchase firefighting equipment, which was indicative of … [Read more...]

Built in 1817, the Farmers’ Bank in Petersburg is one of the oldest bank buildings in the United States.  The building resulted from the action of the General Assembly on February … [Read more...]

Cotton manufacturing was one of the largest industries in Petersburg for about a century, beginning in the 1820s. In fact, Petersburg was the northernmost city in the United States … [Read more...]

Petersburg grew up around Fort Henry on the Appomattox River beginning in 1645, and the town of Petersburg was founded in 1748. In May 1784, Petersburg was incorporated as a … [Read more...]

The South Side Rail Road (as it was known originally) was chartered in March 1846, two months before the United States declared war on Mexico.  This rail line ran 124 miles west to … [Read more...]

The earliest Episcopal Church in this area was Cittie Church, located in present-day Hopewell.   It was formed in Bristol Parish by the General Assembly in 1642 (Old Calendar).  … [Read more...]

The successful and even abortive escape attempts of Virginia slaves to the North often engendered a visceral response from the white population.  In 1855, the Norfolk Southern … [Read more...]

On May 5, 1864, Union Major General Benjamin F. Butler landed his 30,000-man Army of the James at Bermuda Hundred, commencing what became known as the Bermuda Hundred Campaign.  … [Read more...]