Tri-Cities, Virginia
Encyclopedia
The Tri-Cities of Virginia (also known as the Tri-City area or the Appomatox Basin) is an area in the Greater Richmond Region
which includes the three independent cities
of Petersburg
, Colonial Heights
, and Hopewell
and portions of the adjoining counties of Chesterfield
, Dinwiddie
, and Prince George
in south-central Virginia
. Other unincorporated communities located in the Tri-Cities area include Ettrick
, Fort Lee
, and City Point
, the latter formerly a historic incorporated town
which was annexed to become part of the City of Hopewell.
The Tri-Cities area is centered on the Appomattox River
about 25 miles (40.2 km) south of Richmond
. The Appomattox has its confluence with the James River
near historic City Point
in Hopewell. The applicable Metropolitan Statistical Area for the Tri-Cities area is the Richmond, VA MSA, which includes Richmond and counties generally to the north of the Tri-Cities area. Economic diversity is typical of the entire Richmond-Petersburg
region, and helps to insulate it from hardship due to economic fluctuation in particular sectors of the economy. The region's central location also allows it to benefit from growth in other regions of Virginia and the state as a whole.
and Interstate 295
also pass through, as does U.S. Route 1 (Jefferson Davis Highway
), U.S. Route 301, State Route 144 (Temple Avenue). Major east-west highways are U.S. Route 460, State Route 10, and State Route 36.
Major river crossings include the Martin Luther King Memorial Bridge and the twin Charles Hardaway Marks Bridges
across the Appomattox River
, and the Varina-Enon Bridge and the Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge
across the James River
.
Amtrak
passenger railroad service is provided with a station at Ettrick
, an unincorporated town in Chesterfield County adjacent to both Petersburg and Colonial Heights. Freight railroad service is provided by both CSX Transportation
and Norfolk Southern Corporation.
Bus Transportation is provided by the Petersburg Area Transit
http://www.petersburg-va.org/transit/index.asp. There are nine routes serving parts of Petersburg, Ettrick, Colonial Heights (Southpark Mall area), Fort Lee, and Prince George County that all have their intersection in Old Town. PAT and GRTC together provide express bus service between Richmond and Petersburg, with some express buses stopping at John Tyler Community College
in Chester
.
Radio and television stations are the same as those listed for Richmond, Virginia
.
is a city that has sought to revitalize its downtown area by promoting its arts scene. In the 1990s and 2000s, several areas including the "Old Town" area has seen increased remodeling and renovating of old, abandoned buildings into loft apartments and eclectic restaurants. In 2004, the Shockoe Bottom Arts group moved from downtown Richmond to downtown Petersburg due to lower real estate prices there. Several antique shops, a former train station, and a theater are the centerpiece of "old town" See Also: Petersburg
Similarly, Hopewell
has commenced a revitalization projects with renovations of their harbor complex, "Town Triangle," and the historic Beacon Theater.
Other cultural productions in the tri-cities occur at local colleges and at the Fort Lee
Playhouse on Fort Lee.
s, John Randolph Medical Center (a HCA Hospital) (Hopewell), Hiram Davis Medical Center (Acute Care) (Petersburg), Southside Regional Medical Center (Petersburg), and Poplar Springs Hospital (psychiatric facility) (Petersburg).
is a large regional shopping mall
in the tri-cities area. Built in 1988 at the intersection of State Route 144 and Interstate 95, the mall complex has expanded significantly to include many big box retailers. While the mall itself is located in Colonial Heights, Virginia
, other development has increased throughout the tri-cities.
post and headquarters of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM), U.S. Army Quartermaster Center and School
(QMCS), the Army Logistics Management College (ALMC) and the U.S. Defense Commissary Agency
(DeCA). A United States Army Forces Command
(FORSCOM) unit, the 49th Quartermaster Group (Petroleum and Water), is stationed here. Fort Lee also hosts two Army museums, the U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum
and the U.S. Army Women's Museum. The fort is named for Confederate
General
Robert E. Lee
. Military personnel make up a significant presence in the tri-cities area.
complex called the Petersburg Federal Correctional Complex. It consists of medium and low security Federal Correctional Institutions known respectively as FCI Petersburg Medium and FCI Petersburg Low. Despite its name, the address of the Petersburg Federal Correctional Complex is actually in Prince George County. In addition, there is United States Probation
Office near FCI - Petersburg, in Colonial Heights
, Virginia, and the two agencies enjoy a supportive relationship.
. A major logistics base for the Union Army was located at City Point
and the City Point Railroad
that enabled the siege of Petersburg
is still in operation today. The history of the Battle of the Crater
can be viewed in Petersburg National Battlefield Park and is commemorated in nearby Crater Road and the Fort Lee entry "Mahone Gate" gate named after Brigadier General William Mahone
, the hero of the Battle of the Crater
during the Siege of Petersburg
in 1864. Fort Lee itself is named after Confederate Civil War hero Robert E. Lee
.
Richmond-Petersburg
The Greater Richmond Region is a region located in a central part of the state of Virginia in the United States. As of 2010, it had a population of 1,258,251, making it the 43rd largest MSA in the country...
which includes the three independent cities
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
of Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
, Colonial Heights
Colonial Heights, Virginia
Colonial Heights is an independent city in Virginia, United States. The population was 17,411 as of 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the City of Colonial Heights with Dinwiddie County for statistical purposes...
, and Hopewell
Hopewell, Virginia
Hopewell is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 22,591 at the 2010 Census . It is in Tri-Cities area of the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and portions of the adjoining counties of Chesterfield
Chesterfield County, Virginia
Chesterfield County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. In 2010, its population was estimated to be 316,236. Chesterfield County is now the fourth-largest municipality in Virginia . Its county seat is Chesterfield...
, Dinwiddie
Dinwiddie County, Virginia
Dinwiddie County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 28,001. Its county seat is Dinwiddie.- History :...
, and Prince George
Prince George County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,047 people, 10,159 households, and 8,096 families residing in the county. The population density was 124 people per square mile . There were 10,726 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile...
in south-central Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Other unincorporated communities located in the Tri-Cities area include Ettrick
Ettrick, Virginia
Ettrick is a census-designated place in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,682 at the 2010 census. The town is home to Virginia State University and the Petersburg Amtrak train station....
, Fort Lee
Fort Lee, Virginia
Fort Lee is a census-designated place in Prince George County, Virginia, United States. The population was 7,269 at the 2000 census.Fort Lee is a United States Army post and headquarters of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command / Sustainment Center of Excellence , the U.S. Army Quartermaster...
, and City Point
City Point, Virginia
City Point was a town in Prince George County, Virginia that was annexed by the independent city of Hopewell in 1923. It served as headquarters of the Union Army during the Siege of Petersburg during the American Civil War.- History :...
, the latter formerly a historic incorporated town
Incorporated town
-Canada:Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government.-United States:...
which was annexed to become part of the City of Hopewell.
Regional description
 |
 |
The Tri-Cities area is centered on the Appomattox River
Appomattox River
The Appomattox River is a tributary of the James River, approximately long, in central and eastern Virginia in the United States, named for the Appomattocs Indian tribe who lived along its lower banks in the 17th century...
about 25 miles (40.2 km) south of Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. The Appomattox has its confluence with the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
near historic City Point
City Point, Virginia
City Point was a town in Prince George County, Virginia that was annexed by the independent city of Hopewell in 1923. It served as headquarters of the Union Army during the Siege of Petersburg during the American Civil War.- History :...
in Hopewell. The applicable Metropolitan Statistical Area for the Tri-Cities area is the Richmond, VA MSA, which includes Richmond and counties generally to the north of the Tri-Cities area. Economic diversity is typical of the entire Richmond-Petersburg
Richmond-Petersburg
The Greater Richmond Region is a region located in a central part of the state of Virginia in the United States. As of 2010, it had a population of 1,258,251, making it the 43rd largest MSA in the country...
region, and helps to insulate it from hardship due to economic fluctuation in particular sectors of the economy. The region's central location also allows it to benefit from growth in other regions of Virginia and the state as a whole.
Transportation in the Tri-Cities
Interstate 95 is the major north-south highway. Interstate 85Interstate 85
Interstate 85 is a major interstate highway in the Southeastern United States. Its current southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus interchanges with Interstate 95 in Petersburg, Virginia, near Richmond...
and Interstate 295
Interstate 295 (Virginia)
Interstate 295 is an eastern and northern bypass of the cities of Richmond and Petersburg in the U.S. state of Virginia. The southern terminus is a junction with Interstate 95 southeast of Petersburg...
also pass through, as does U.S. Route 1 (Jefferson Davis Highway
Jefferson Davis Highway
The Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway was a planned transcontinental highway in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s that began in Washington, D.C. and extended south and west to San Diego, California; it was named for Jefferson Davis, who, in addition to being the first and only President of...
), U.S. Route 301, State Route 144 (Temple Avenue). Major east-west highways are U.S. Route 460, State Route 10, and State Route 36.
Major river crossings include the Martin Luther King Memorial Bridge and the twin Charles Hardaway Marks Bridges
Charles Hardaway Marks Bridges
Charles Hardaway Marks Bridges are twin spans which carry State Route 10 across the Appomattox River in Virginia. The bridges are located in Chesterfield County, Prince George County, and the independent city of Hopewell in the Tri-Cities area of the Richmond-Petersburg region.In 1998, the bridges...
across the Appomattox River
Appomattox River
The Appomattox River is a tributary of the James River, approximately long, in central and eastern Virginia in the United States, named for the Appomattocs Indian tribe who lived along its lower banks in the 17th century...
, and the Varina-Enon Bridge and the Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge
Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge
The Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge that spans the James River between Jordan's Point in Prince George County and Charles City County near Hopewell, Virginia. The bridge carries vehicle traffic of State Route 156, and is owned by the Virginia Department of Transportation...
across the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
.
Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
passenger railroad service is provided with a station at Ettrick
Ettrick, Virginia
Ettrick is a census-designated place in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,682 at the 2010 census. The town is home to Virginia State University and the Petersburg Amtrak train station....
, an unincorporated town in Chesterfield County adjacent to both Petersburg and Colonial Heights. Freight railroad service is provided by both CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
and Norfolk Southern Corporation.
Bus Transportation is provided by the Petersburg Area Transit
Petersburg Area Transit
Petersburg Area Transit is a bus system for the Petersburg Tri-cities Area. There are twelve color coded routes that extend to such destinations as Virginia State University, Southpark Mall, and Fort Lee....
http://www.petersburg-va.org/transit/index.asp. There are nine routes serving parts of Petersburg, Ettrick, Colonial Heights (Southpark Mall area), Fort Lee, and Prince George County that all have their intersection in Old Town. PAT and GRTC together provide express bus service between Richmond and Petersburg, with some express buses stopping at John Tyler Community College
John Tyler Community College
John Tyler Community College is a two-year, public institution of higher education and is the fifth largest of the 23 community colleges in Virginia. John Tyler is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and offers 17 associate degree programs,...
in Chester
Chester, Virginia
Chester is a census-designated place in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. The population was 20,987 at the 2010 census.-History:...
.
Media
Periodicals include:- The Richmond Times-DispatchRichmond Times-DispatchThe Richmond Times-Dispatch is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond the capital of Virginia, United States, and is commonly considered the "newspaper of record" for events occurring in much of the state...
, local daily paper for RichmondRichmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. - The Progress-IndexThe Progress-IndexThe Progress-Index is a daily newspaper published in Petersburg, Virginia. It is published Monday through Friday afternoon and Saturday and Sunday morning.- History :...
, local daily paper for the Tri-Cities and Sussex located in PetersburgPetersburg, VirginiaPetersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
. - The Colonial Voice, a weekly for Colonial HeightsColonial Heights, VirginiaColonial Heights is an independent city in Virginia, United States. The population was 17,411 as of 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the City of Colonial Heights with Dinwiddie County for statistical purposes...
. - The Fort Lee Traveller, for U.S. Army post and headquarters Fort LeeFort Lee, VirginiaFort Lee is a census-designated place in Prince George County, Virginia, United States. The population was 7,269 at the 2000 census.Fort Lee is a United States Army post and headquarters of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command / Sustainment Center of Excellence , the U.S. Army Quartermaster...
. - The Chester Village News, for Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County, VirginiaChesterfield County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. In 2010, its population was estimated to be 316,236. Chesterfield County is now the fourth-largest municipality in Virginia . Its county seat is Chesterfield...
. - The Hopewell News & Patriot, for HopewellHopewell, VirginiaHopewell is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 22,591 at the 2010 Census . It is in Tri-Cities area of the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Prince George CountyPrince George County, VirginiaAs of the census of 2000, there were 33,047 people, 10,159 households, and 8,096 families residing in the county. The population density was 124 people per square mile . There were 10,726 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile...
and Colonial HeightsColonial Heights, VirginiaColonial Heights is an independent city in Virginia, United States. The population was 17,411 as of 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the City of Colonial Heights with Dinwiddie County for statistical purposes...
.
Radio and television stations are the same as those listed for Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
.
Culture
Like many cities in the United States, the city of PetersburgPetersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
is a city that has sought to revitalize its downtown area by promoting its arts scene. In the 1990s and 2000s, several areas including the "Old Town" area has seen increased remodeling and renovating of old, abandoned buildings into loft apartments and eclectic restaurants. In 2004, the Shockoe Bottom Arts group moved from downtown Richmond to downtown Petersburg due to lower real estate prices there. Several antique shops, a former train station, and a theater are the centerpiece of "old town" See Also: Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
Similarly, Hopewell
Hopewell, Virginia
Hopewell is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 22,591 at the 2010 Census . It is in Tri-Cities area of the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
has commenced a revitalization projects with renovations of their harbor complex, "Town Triangle," and the historic Beacon Theater.
Other cultural productions in the tri-cities occur at local colleges and at the Fort Lee
Fort Lee, Virginia
Fort Lee is a census-designated place in Prince George County, Virginia, United States. The population was 7,269 at the 2000 census.Fort Lee is a United States Army post and headquarters of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command / Sustainment Center of Excellence , the U.S. Army Quartermaster...
Playhouse on Fort Lee.
Education
Educational facilities in the region are listed as follows:- K-12
- Appomattox Regional Governor's School for the Arts And TechnologyAppomattox Regional Governor's School for the Arts And TechnologyThe Appomattox Regional Governor's School for the Arts And Technology is a public regional magnet high school in downtown Petersburg, Virginia....
- Chesterfield Public Schools
- Petersburg Public SchoolsPetersburg Public SchoolsThe following are schools in the Petersburg, Virginia school division.Petersburg City Public SchoolsElementary Schools* A. P. Hill Elementary School* J. E. B. Stuart Elementary School* Robert E...
- Prince George Public Schools
- Dinwiddie Public Schools
- Colonial Heights Public SchoolsColonial Heights Public SchoolsThe following schools are located in the Colonial Heights, Virginia school division.* Colonial Heights High School* Colonial Heights Middle School* Lakeview Elementary School* North Elementary School* Tussing Elementary School...
- Appomattox Regional Governor's School for the Arts And Technology
- Colleges and Universities
- Richard Bland CollegeRichard Bland CollegeRichard Bland College of The College of William and Mary is a public junior college with about 1,400 students located near Petersburg, Virginia...
(Petersburg) - Virginia State UniversityVirginia State UniversityVirginia State University is a historically black and land-grant university located north of the Appomattox River in Chesterfield, in the Richmond area. Founded on , Virginia State was the United States's first fully state-supported four-year institution of higher learning for black Americans...
(Ettrick) - John Tyler Community CollegeJohn Tyler Community CollegeJohn Tyler Community College is a two-year, public institution of higher education and is the fifth largest of the 23 community colleges in Virginia. John Tyler is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and offers 17 associate degree programs,...
(Chester) - Army Logistics Management College (Fort Lee)
- Richard Bland College
Infrastructure
The area is served by several hospitalHospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s, John Randolph Medical Center (a HCA Hospital) (Hopewell), Hiram Davis Medical Center (Acute Care) (Petersburg), Southside Regional Medical Center (Petersburg), and Poplar Springs Hospital (psychiatric facility) (Petersburg).
Southpark Mall
Southpark MallSouthpark Mall (Colonial Heights, Virginia)
Southpark Mall is a shopping mall serving the Tri-Cities, Virginia area, which itself is part of the much larger Richmond-Petersburg metropolitan area.-Mall Description:...
is a large regional shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in the tri-cities area. Built in 1988 at the intersection of State Route 144 and Interstate 95, the mall complex has expanded significantly to include many big box retailers. While the mall itself is located in Colonial Heights, Virginia
Colonial Heights, Virginia
Colonial Heights is an independent city in Virginia, United States. The population was 17,411 as of 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the City of Colonial Heights with Dinwiddie County for statistical purposes...
, other development has increased throughout the tri-cities.
Fort Lee
Fort Lee is a United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
post and headquarters of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM), U.S. Army Quartermaster Center and School
Quartermaster Center and School
The Quartermaster Center and School is a subordinate command of the United States Army's Combined Arms Support Command and is located at Fort Lee, Virginia.-Description:...
(QMCS), the Army Logistics Management College (ALMC) and the U.S. Defense Commissary Agency
Defense Commissary Agency
The Defense Commissary Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Defense that operates more than 250 commissaries worldwide...
(DeCA). A United States Army Forces Command
United States Army Forces Command
United States Army Forces Command is the largest Army Command and the preeminent provider of expeditionary, campaign-capable land forces to Combatant Commanders. Headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, FORSCOM consists of more than 750,000 Active Army, U.S. Army Reserve, and Army National...
(FORSCOM) unit, the 49th Quartermaster Group (Petroleum and Water), is stationed here. Fort Lee also hosts two Army museums, the U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum
Army Quartermaster Museum
The United States Army Quartermaster Museum, located at Fort Lee, Virginia, is one of a number of small museums in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The museum's aim is to preserve and exhibit the history of the Quartermaster Corps, which was formed in 1775 and to date it has collected more than 20,000...
and the U.S. Army Women's Museum. The fort is named for Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
. Military personnel make up a significant presence in the tri-cities area.
Federal Prisons
The Tri-cities also is home to a federal prisonFederal prison
Federal prisons are run by national governments in countries where subdivisions of the country also operate prisons.In the United States federal prisons are operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In Canada the Correctional Service of Canada operates federal prisons. Prison sentences in these...
complex called the Petersburg Federal Correctional Complex. It consists of medium and low security Federal Correctional Institutions known respectively as FCI Petersburg Medium and FCI Petersburg Low. Despite its name, the address of the Petersburg Federal Correctional Complex is actually in Prince George County. In addition, there is United States Probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
Office near FCI - Petersburg, in Colonial Heights
Colonial Heights
Colonial Heights is the name of several places in the United States:*Colonial Heights, Virginia*Colonial Heights, Tennessee*Colonial Heights, Lawrence, Massachusetts*Colonial Heights Neighborhood, Yonkers, New York...
, Virginia, and the two agencies enjoy a supportive relationship.
Industries
- Puddledock Sand & Gravel, in Prince George County, VirginiaPrince George County, VirginiaAs of the census of 2000, there were 33,047 people, 10,159 households, and 8,096 families residing in the county. The population density was 124 people per square mile . There were 10,726 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile...
is a quarryQuarryA quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
that has made significant alteration of the landscape along the Appomattox RiverAppomattox RiverThe Appomattox River is a tributary of the James River, approximately long, in central and eastern Virginia in the United States, named for the Appomattocs Indian tribe who lived along its lower banks in the 17th century...
and State Route 144 (Temple Avenue). The quarry is currently owned by Vulcan Materials CompanyVulcan Materials CompanyVulcan Materials Company , based in Birmingham, Alabama is principally engaged in the production, distribution and sale of construction materials. Vulcan is the largest producer of construction materials, primarily gravel, crushed stone, and sand, and employs approximately 9,700 people at over 356...
and quarries natural sandSandSand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
as well as asphaltAsphaltAsphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
and concreteConcreteConcrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
aggregateConstruction AggregateConstruction aggregate, or simply "aggregate", is a broad category of coarse particulate material used in construction, including sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, recycled concrete and geosynthetic aggregates. Aggregates are the most mined material in the world...
s for gravelGravelGravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
. Ruffin Mill Industrial Park or Appomattox Industrial Park is located off Ruffin Mill Road exit from I-95 and is 298 acres (1.2 km²). Hopewell also is known for a number of chemical manufacturingChemical plantA chemical plant is an industrial process plant that manufactures chemicals, usually on a large scale. The general objective of a chemical plant is to create new material wealth via the chemical or biological transformation and or separation of materials. Chemical plants use special equipment,...
plants.
Civil War history
Many sites in the tri-cities area have names reflecting the region's role in the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. A major logistics base for the Union Army was located at City Point
City Point, Virginia
City Point was a town in Prince George County, Virginia that was annexed by the independent city of Hopewell in 1923. It served as headquarters of the Union Army during the Siege of Petersburg during the American Civil War.- History :...
and the City Point Railroad
City Point Railroad
The City Point Railroad was a nine-mile railroad in eastern Virginia established in 1836 which ran from City Point on the navigable portion of the James River to Petersburg, Virginia...
that enabled the siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
is still in operation today. The history of the Battle of the Crater
Battle of the Crater
The Battle of the Crater was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg. It took place on July 30, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General George G. Meade The...
can be viewed in Petersburg National Battlefield Park and is commemorated in nearby Crater Road and the Fort Lee entry "Mahone Gate" gate named after Brigadier General William Mahone
William Mahone
William Mahone was a civil engineer, teacher, soldier, railroad executive, and a member of the Virginia General Assembly and U.S. Congress. Small of stature, he was nicknamed "Little Billy"....
, the hero of the Battle of the Crater
Battle of the Crater
The Battle of the Crater was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg. It took place on July 30, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General George G. Meade The...
during the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
in 1864. Fort Lee itself is named after Confederate Civil War hero Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
.