Bellona Arsenal facts for kids
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Bellona Arsenal
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Bellona Arsenal Workshop, HABS Photo
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | Off VA 673, northwest of the junction with VA 147, Midlothian, Virginia |
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| Area | 100 acres (40 ha) |
| Built | 1814 |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000975 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 6, 1971 |
The Bellona Arsenal was an important military base in the 1800s. It was located in Chesterfield County, Virginia, near the James River. Today, you can still see the ruins of some buildings, like a powder magazine. This historic site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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History of Bellona Arsenal
The Bellona Arsenal has a long and interesting history. It played a key role in making weapons for the United States.
How Bellona Arsenal Started
In 1810, a man named William Wirt and Major John Clarke started the Bellona Foundry. A foundry is a place where metal is melted and shaped. This foundry was built on the south side of the James River, not far from Richmond, Virginia.
The Bellona Foundry made weapons for the U.S. War Department. The name "Bellona" comes from an ancient Roman goddess of war.
Major Clarke also helped set up a federal arsenal right next to the foundry. An arsenal is a place where weapons are stored. The U.S. Army built the Bellona Arsenal in 1816. By 1817, it began storing cannons made at the nearby foundry.
Years Before the Civil War
The Bellona Foundry made many weapons for the U.S. Army and Navy. This was during the years before the American Civil War. The Arsenal also fixed small guns and did other tasks until 1832. After that, it mainly stored cannons.
In 1833, the Army moved its soldiers from Bellona to Fort Monroe. Only one sergeant stayed behind to look after the place.
By 1837, the War Department decided the Bellona Arsenal was no longer needed. A man named Thomas Randolph and his partner rented some buildings. They used them to start a silkworm farm.
Major Clarke passed away in 1844. Dr. Junius L. Archer then took over the Bellona Foundry. He also rented a house from the Arsenal complex. In 1856, Dr. Archer bought the Bellona Arsenal from the government for $2650.
Just before the Civil War, Bellona Arsenal, along with the Tredegar Iron Works, made large cannons.
Bellona Arsenal During the Civil War
During the American Civil War, the Bellona Arsenal and the Tredegar Iron Works made cannons. They also made other weapons for the Confederate army. Dr. Archer rented both the Arsenal and the Foundry to the Confederate States. He also worked as the superintendent of the complex. Bellona was the second-largest producer of Confederate weapons.
End of an Era
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In 1872, the owners tore down some buildings at the old Bellona Arsenal. These included the barracks, officers' quarters, and one workshop. Only three workshops and the powder magazine remained from the original eight buildings. The arsenal property was sold in 1877.
The property was sold a few more times over the years. In 1942, Mr. Merle C. Luck bought the remaining buildings. He started to fix them up. Later, he turned them into homes.
What Bellona Arsenal Looked Like
The Bellona Foundry and Bellona Arsenal had several buildings. They were all built around the same time.
The Arsenal had eight buildings inside stone walls. These buildings were arranged around a central square, called a quadrangle.
- At the north end was a three-story main arsenal building.
- Two officers' quarters were on either side of the main arsenal.
- Four workshops were on the east and west sides of the quadrangle.
- A three-story barracks building was at the south end.
The brick workshop buildings were two stories tall. They had sloped roofs and chimneys inside. Two smaller workshops had three sections each with central doors. The larger workshop building had five sections.
A low, rectangular powder magazine stood to the west of the main buildings. Its walls were very thick, about five and a half feet. A stone wall around the magazine helped protect the other buildings from a possible explosion. The powder magazine is still standing today, but it no longer has a roof.
Legacy of Bellona Arsenal
The arsenal and foundry gave their name to "Old Gun Road" in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
On May 6, 1971, the Bellona Arsenal was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is located near Midlothian, Virginia. You can find it off State Route 673, northwest of its crossing with VA 147.
Images for kids
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Bellona Arsenal Workshop, HABS Photo
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This 1888 map shows the location of the Bellona Arsenal on the Richmond and Danville rail line near Robious Station. The foundry and arsenal benefited from proximity to the Midlothian area coal mines
