These days, the phrase "coal country" might evoke images of Southwestern Virginia and West Virginia. But North America’s first commercial operations to mine coal got started more than 250 years ago in the village of Midlothian, 10 miles west of Richmond in Chesterfield County.
The coal there is part of the Richmond Coal Basin, which lies above the fall line of the James River. Soon after its discovery in Midlothian, sometime before 1730, mining operations began that would eventually help fuel Richmond and Manchester’s growth during the Industrial Revolution.
"There was agriculture here, but coal put Midlothian on the map," said Charles Batchelor, founding chair of the Village of Midlothian Volunteer Coalition and the current chair of the group’s greenspace committee.
Some of the coal dug in Midlothian’s mines fired Richmond and Manchester’s mills. And some of it made its way to Philadelphia, New York and Boston, as well as the White House during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency.
Midlothian’s coal served vital roles in wartime, too—first for the Westham Foundry west of Richmond during the American Revolution and then for the Tredegar Iron Works during the Civil War.Coal production in Midlothian slowed down in the late 1800s, though, and the village settled into a quiet life as an agricultural area and a bedroom community for Richmond. (The Richmond and Danville Railroad had a stop in the village.) "It became a part of the Virginia countryside," Batchelor said.
Several structures, including Trabue’s Tavern at 11940 Old Buckingham Road, still stand today as vestiges of Midlothian’s 19th century history. Picturesque ruins of the Mid-Lothian Coal Mining Company’s Grove Shaft complex also can be seen in the new Mid-Lothian Mines Park, located on North Woolridge Road.
For much of the 20th century, Midlothian grew slowly. Then, in the 1970s, the area experienced a construction boom. "There was more construction than you could believe," Batchelor said. "Subdivisions started popping up all over the place. Midlothian was one of the fastest growing areas in the U.S. then."
In the face of growing suburban sprawl, some of Midlothian’s residents formed the Village of Midlothian Volunteer Coalition to try to preserve the original village’s charm and sense of place, Batchelor said. As a part of its preservation efforts, the group worked with Chesterfield officials to establish the Village of Midlothian as an unincorporated community distinct from the suburbs growing around it. "A lot of people—including merchants, the county and the citizens who live here—worked hard to make it happen," Batchelor said.
Today, the geographic center of the village is the Midlothian volunteer fire station on Route 60, and it runs more than a mile in either direction. It also runs more than a mile north and more than a mile south of the fire station. Subdivisions near the village include Salisbury, Walton Park, Founders Bridge and the Villages of Charter Colony.
The coalition continues to play an active role in shaping the village’s architectural styles, which emphasize Colonial details such as cedar-shake roofs and a color palette that would fit in comfortably in Colonial Williamsburg.
"There are chains like Wendy’s and 7-Eleven in the village area, but you will notice that even these buildings have a quaint charm to them," said Kristin Krupp, a real estate agent with Long & Foster and a lifelong resident of Midlothian. The designs help the companies "bring convenient services to the residents of Midlothian without interfering with the aesthetics of the community," she added.
A recent example is the new American Family Fitness center located at 12900 Amfit Way. "It achieved a human scale within its big box by using the classic features found in early 20th century towns," Batchelor said.
The greater Midlothian area continues to grow today, fueled in part by the completion of State Route 288 north of the James River in 2004. The road connects Southside to Goochland and western Henrico counties, and it has made commuting and shopping across the river more convenient.
The village of Midlothian retains its charm, though.
"It offers a small-town feel with modern-day conveniences," Krupp said. "It is a place [where] you can get out of your car and walk on the sidewalks and enjoy the gorgeous landscaping and architecture of the buildings."
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement