Tuesday - Sunday 10 to 5
Ticket sales end at 4 daily - allowing visitors enough time to experience the park
Adults $7;
Children $5
Children under 2 free
$1 off admission for:
Chesterfield & Henrico residents,
Senior Citizens,
AAA Members, Military, Teachers (with appropriate ID)
Henricus Historical Park
251 Henricus Park Road
Chester, VA 23836
(804) 748-1613
Media Contact
Chris Duball
(804) 318-8726
Email Us
henricus1611@aol.com
Civil War
The James River at Henricus played an important role during the American Civil War. In 1864, Richmond, the Confederate capital, was the focal point of Federal strategy. The fall of Richmond would ensure the end of the war, and the river around Farrar’s Island held the key to a safer, shorter route up the James River for Federal naval forces.
General Benjamin Butler devised a plan to build a canal at Henricus. Construction began in August 1864. Federal soldiers at Dutch Gap (mostly from black regiments) faced continuous fire from Confederate sharpshooters and artillery. With bullets whistling and shells exploding over their heads, their job was increasingly hazardous. These soldiers also succumbed to fever and disease requiring an ever-ready flow of replacements.
By mid-November 1864, the canal was two-thirds finished. Manpower alone had removed 15,000 cubic yards of soil in addition to that removed by steam dredge. The bulkhead proved difficult to destroy. Six tons of gunpowder was placed throughout its carefully dug channels.
On New Year’s Day, 1865, General Butler and his staff assembled at the site of Dutch Gap Canal to watch the explosion. Twelve minutes before 4 p.m. the fuses were lit. Amidst a thunderous roar, the bulkhead blew up and earth was sent flying almost 100 feet into the air, ultimately falling back into the gap and foiling the canal project.
Ironically, the explosion gave Confederate gunners a better view of their targets! The project was temporarily abandoned as other Federal military gains in the area negated the need for the canal. Two weeks after the explosion, pressure from heavy rains that had been swelling the James River forced a 10-foot gap through the remaining part of the bulkhead. This opened the Dutch Gap Canal for limited use to small vessels.
