Episode 1 Itinerary: Explore Lesser-Known History (Transportation and Commerce)
The opening episode of Founding Footprints: Tracing America’s Journey in Charlottesville & Albemarle County highlights how the development of transportation and commerce have gone hand-in-hand since the Revolutionary period.
We’ve put together an itinerary that helps you explore this lesser-known history and how it continues to influence culture in Charlottesville and Albemarle County today – starting with the James River batteau.
Listen to the Founding Footprints podcast HERE or on your favorite audio streaming platform.
Itinerary Length: 2.5 – 3 days
Day 1: Scottsville and Batteau History
The Albemarle County seat of government from 1744 until 1762, Scottsville remained a busy hub devoted to the storage and shipping of materials, such as tobacco, wheat, and lumber from Central Virginia plantations, until the Civil War. First launched in 1775, the batteau was a flat-bottomed boat that could navigate the often shallow and rocky James River, even with heavy cargo. Almost all batteau men were enslaved or free African Americans who made the arduous trip from Scottsville to Richmond.
1. Float the River with the James River Batteau Company
Book a day or sunset tour to experience the batteau for yourself and hear more about the life of batteau men. Special Farm to Batteau cruises, with chef Sarah Rennie, are offered twice a month from May through October.
2. Explore Scottsville
Walk along Main and Valley Streets to get a sense of the town’s history of prosperity and downturns, including significant floods. Over 50 buildings pre-date 1860. Be sure to stop at the James River Brewery, housed in a 19th century warehouse, Canal Basin Square, and Scottsville Museum.
*James River Batteau Festival*
The 40th annual festival will be held June 14 – 21, 2025, landing in Scottsville, near James River Reeling & Rafting, the afternoon of Wednesday, June 18.
Day 2: Railways East and West
The railway arrived in Charlottesville by 1850 – transporting both people and goods – and was a boon to the economy. Mills that may have once served local agricultural needs were transformed into large textile industries employing neighborhoods of residents and processing cotton, wool, silk, and synthetic fabrics well into the 20th century. Downtown Charlottesville was home to one of the largest freight yards on the Chesapeake & Ohio Piedmont subdivision. It included a 115' engine turntable and 300-ton coaling tower.
1. Head to Downtown Charlottesville
2. Visit Former Factories
Discover a different sort of creative output at old textile plants, including
- The Workshop and Broadcloth in renovated Woolen Mills;
- City Clay at the Silk Mills building; and
- IX Art Park, an art-centric space that hosts The Looking Glass, Market Central’s Farmers Market, craft beverage producers, and other small businesses, on the Frank Ix and Sons property where fabrics were manufactured from 1928 until 1999.
Crozet’s history is also defined by the railway. It is named in honor of Claudius Crozet, the French-born engineer who led excavation of the tunnel through Afton Mountain. As a stop along the C&O line from 1876 to 1962, the Crozet community and its bounty of peaches, apples, flour, lumber, finished wood goods, and prepared foods, were connected to larger cities east and west. Still considered a village today, older buildings house small businesses like The Yellow Mug, Crozet Pizza, Bluebird & Co., Crozet Hardware Co., and Mudhouse Coffee.
3. Stop at the Crozet Artisan Depot
4. Get Outdoors: Blue Ridge Tunnel & Centennial Family Farms
Set aside time to hike the Blue Ridge Tunnel trail and pick fresh fruit at Chiles Peach Orchard & Farm Market and Henley’s Orchard.
Day 3: The Open Road
Few roads were paved in Albemarle County until the 1920s, making for a bone-jarring ride by buggy or early car. However, by mid-century, with greater affordability of automobiles, the expansion of highways, and more free time, people took to the roads like never before. Monticello opened as a museum in 1923. Scenic routes like U.S. 29 and Virginia 20 and 53 were developed from country lanes. The Shenandoah National Park, a project of the Civilian Conservation Corps, was dedicated on July 3, 1936, and sparked the idea for the Blue Ridge Parkway, constructed primarily between 1935 and 1966. Major roads enabled visitors to explore Virginia’s history and natural beauty while at the same time displacing family homes and long-established communities.
1. Dine at Vintage Gas Stations
Celebrate the era of car travel and the area’s culinary diversity by dining at these restaurants in former service stations: Pi-Napo Pizzeria, Simeon Market, Hunt Country Market & Deli, Black Cow Chophouse, and Oakhart Social.
2. Learn about the Blue Ridge Heritage Project
Hike Patricia Ann Byrom Forest Preserve Park in northwestern Albemarle County. This 600-acre park hosts strenuous hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails as well as a BRHP chimney, which honors the families who lost their homes and livelihoods in the creation of the national park.
You can learn more about this history at the Blue Ridge Hills and Hollows Project.
3. Acknowledge Green Book Hosts
Travel in segregated Virginia was not always a welcoming experience. Walk to the new historical marker for the Carver Inn to learn more about local Green Book accommodations and other businesses that served African American tourists.
Look for future episodes of Founding Footprints and make your travel plans now. Charlottesville and Albemarle County offer a variety of places to stay including resorts, inns, B&Bs, hotels, and vacation rentals – so you can book the lodging that aligns with your travel preferences.