Westham Bridge
Encyclopedia
Westham Bridge crossed the James River
between Henrico County
and Chesterfield County
. The bridge was located between Bosher Dam
and Williams Island Dam
just west of the 7 miles of rapids and falls which constitute the fall line
of the James River at Richmond, Virginia
.
Built as a toll bridge
in 1911, it was named for the nearby Westham Station
of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
near the north end. Also nearby at the north end were the remains of the James River and Kanawha Canal
.
The privately-held company which financed the bridge, Southampton Bridge Corporation, was headed by developer George Craghead Gregory
, who also had plans to extend a streetcar line from an existing line at Westhampton Park (now the University of Richmond
) to the suburban community of Bon Air
. Originally developed as a popular resort
, Bon Air had become a bedroom community of Richmond. Between the James River and Bon Air, Gregory controlled large land areas along the proposed rail line which he hoped to develop. However, despite his plans, aside from grading of right-of-way
, Gregory's planned streetcar line did not materialize.
After 1933, State Route 147 was routed across the Westham Bridge. It connected River Road and Westham Parkway in Henrico with Southampton Road and the new Huguenot Road in Chesterfield.
In 1950, the Westham Bridge, which had been subject to flooding and was inadequate for traffic in the growing suburban area, was replaced by the new Huguenot Memorial Bridge
, named in honor of the French Huguenot
settlers who came to the area in the 18th century to escape religious persecution in France.
The old bridge was dismantled, but the abutments for it remained visible at each end, and overhead power and telephone lines continued to mark the route. Traces of the old streetcar right-of-way may be seen along gently sloped Southampton Road and on Hazen Street in Bon Air. Gregory's old mansion, Granite Hall, now surrounded by a subdivision near Williams Island Dam, was still in use as a private residence in 2008. The C&O's Westham Station was relocated to a Richmond city park in 1961.
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...
between Henrico County
Henrico County, Virginia
Henrico is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2010, Henrico was home to 306,935 people. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and Chesterfield County
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...
. The bridge was located between Bosher Dam
Bosher Dam
Bosher Dam is a historic but unnatural feature in the James River just west of Richmond, Virginia. A lowhead dam, also called a weir, is what paddlers ruefully call a "drowning machine," this 12-foot-high stone structure interrupts the natural flow of Virginia's largest self-contained river by...
and Williams Island Dam
Williams Island Dam
Williams Island Dam is located on the James River in the independent city of Richmond, Virginia. Just below the dam, seven miles of rapids mark the descent of the river downstream through the geological fall line region to the navigable tidal portion below Richmond, which extends southeast to...
just west of the 7 miles of rapids and falls which constitute the fall line
Fall line
A fall line is a geomorphologic unconformity between an upland region of relatively hard crystalline basement rock and a coastal plain of softer sedimentary rock. A fall line is typically prominent when crossed by a river, for there will often be rapids or waterfalls...
of the James River at 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...
.
Built as a toll bridge
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
in 1911, it was named for the nearby Westham Station
Westham Station
Westham Station in Henrico County, Virginia, was originally located at Westham, Virginia on the Richmond and Allegheny Railroad , which was laid along the towpath of the James River and Kanawha Canal in the 1880s. The R&A railroad was acquired by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway in the 1890s...
of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...
near the north end. Also nearby at the north end were the remains of the James River and Kanawha Canal
James River and Kanawha Canal
The James River and Kanawha Canal was a canal in Virginia, which was built to facilitate shipments of passengers and freight by water between the western counties of Virginia and the coast....
.
The privately-held company which financed the bridge, Southampton Bridge Corporation, was headed by developer George Craghead Gregory
George C. Gregory
George Craghead Gregory was an American attorney, businessman, historian, and author. He lived with his wife and seven children at "Granite Hall", an estate located near Granite in northwestern Chesterfield County about 8 miles west of Richmond, Virginia.In 1932, he discovered the foundation of...
, who also had plans to extend a streetcar line from an existing line at Westhampton Park (now the University of Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
) to the suburban community of Bon Air
Bon Air, Virginia
Bon Air is a census-designated place in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. The population was 16,366 at the 2010 census. The community is considered a suburb of the independent city of Richmond in the Richmond-Petersburg region, and shares a post office with Richmond...
. Originally developed as a popular resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
, Bon Air had become a bedroom community of Richmond. Between the James River and Bon Air, Gregory controlled large land areas along the proposed rail line which he hoped to develop. However, despite his plans, aside from grading of right-of-way
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
, Gregory's planned streetcar line did not materialize.
After 1933, State Route 147 was routed across the Westham Bridge. It connected River Road and Westham Parkway in Henrico with Southampton Road and the new Huguenot Road in Chesterfield.
In 1950, the Westham Bridge, which had been subject to flooding and was inadequate for traffic in the growing suburban area, was replaced by the new Huguenot Memorial Bridge
Huguenot Memorial Bridge
Huguenot Memorial Bridge is located in Henrico County and the independent city of Richmond, Virginia. It carries State Route 147 across the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway , the James River and Kanawha Canal, and the James River in the fall line region above the head of navigation at...
, named in honor of the French Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
settlers who came to the area in the 18th century to escape religious persecution in France.
The old bridge was dismantled, but the abutments for it remained visible at each end, and overhead power and telephone lines continued to mark the route. Traces of the old streetcar right-of-way may be seen along gently sloped Southampton Road and on Hazen Street in Bon Air. Gregory's old mansion, Granite Hall, now surrounded by a subdivision near Williams Island Dam, was still in use as a private residence in 2008. The C&O's Westham Station was relocated to a Richmond city park in 1961.