Falling Creek
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Falling Creek is a tributary of the James River located near Richmond, Virginia. Approximately 25 miles (40 km) in length, it varies in width between 10 feet (3.0 m) at its source to several hundred feet in the Falling Creek Reservoir. Falling Creek rises in the Salisbury section of northwestern Chesterfield County and empties into the James River roughly one mile south of the Richmond city limits. A dam located in the Meadowbrook section of the county at Hopkins Road forms the Falling Creek Reservoir, formerly used as northern Chesterfield's drinking water supply.
[edit] Historical notes
- In 1619, Falling Creek Ironworks (located just east of the modern-day Jefferson Davis Highway) became the first iron furnace in the North America. The site is now owned by Chesterfield County and is scheduled to become a park.
- In 1621, Falling Creek was the site of the first lead mines in North America.
- From 1750-1781, the port town of Warwick was located at the confluence of Falling Creek with the James River. During this period it was also the site of Chesterfield or Cary's Forge. This was a finery forge used to convert high carbon pig iron to low carbon iron) built and operated by Archibald Cary. It was destroyed during the American Revolutionary War by a 1781 British raid led by Gen. Benedict Arnold.
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