Cohasset, Virginia facts for kids

Cohasset is a small community in Fluvanna County, Virginia. It's located about two miles west of Fork Union. This quiet area grew up around a train station many years ago.

How Cohasset Began

Cohasset became a community because of the Virginia Air Line Railway. This was a train line that helped connect places. The train station in Cohasset was called the Fork Union Depot. A woman named Mrs. Lettie Dickey named the community. She named it after her hometown in Massachusetts. Mrs. Dickey and her husband sold the land for the train station. Soon after the station was built, Cohasset started to grow. There was a general store, a post office, and some houses. There was even an early gas station. Many of these old buildings are still there today.

The Virginia Air Line Railway

The Virginia Air Line Railway was very important. It started operating in October 1908. The train traveled from Strathmore Yard on the James River. It went through Cohasset, Carysbrook, Palmyra, and Troy. Then it continued to Gordonsville or Charlottesville. This train route was built for a special reason. It helped carry cargo that was too tall or wide. This cargo wouldn't fit through the tunnels in the Blue Ridge Mountains. For example, coal for Washington, D.C., was sent on this line.

What the Train Station Did

The Fork Union Depot was a typical small train station. It helped local businesses. There was a sawmill and a canning factory nearby. Two small oil storage companies also used the train. People from surrounding farms and towns used the train. Students from Fork Union Military Academy also traveled by train. For many years, the train was the main way for cadets to get to the academy.

Connecting Communities

The railway also became a key way to communicate. It linked small towns along its route. These towns could then connect with bigger cities like Washington, D.C. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) began running the line in July 1909. They fully bought the railway in July 1912.

The End of the Railway

Over time, fewer people used the trains. In 1927, there was only one passenger train per day. By June 1932, passenger trains were replaced by mixed trains. These trains carried both people and cargo. Mixed trains stopped running in 1954. More and more people started using cars, trucks, and airplanes. This meant less business for the railroads.

In October 1971, local leaders tried to keep the railway open. The Fluvanna Board of Supervisors sued the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. But they were not successful. The railway was finally closed in November 1975. Today, a few buildings in Cohasset still stand. They remind us of the busy railroad days.