The Bridge at Falling Creek in Chesterfield County is one of only twelve known masonry-arched turnpike bridges in Virginia. Its construction in 1823 as a component of the Manchester-Petersburg Turnpike illustrates one of the ways the citizens of the young republic of the United States approached the issue of meeting local transportation needs. Not only is the bridge a fine example of an infrequently-surviving bridge type for its period, but its preservation within an early Virginia Wayside on US Route 1 represents the introduction of aesthetic amenities to regular highway design, as well as an appreciation for the importance of historic preservation in the developing tourism industry. The Falling Creek Wayside is also home to the Falling Creek UDC Jefferson Davis Highway Marker. The Bridge at Falling Creek was heavily damaged during flooding associated with Tropical Storm Gaston in 2004. It has since been stabilized and much of the displaced stone recovered for use in its reconstruction.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia