Tredegar Iron Works facts for kids
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Tredegar Iron Works
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Tredegar Iron Works, Richmond, Virginia, U.S., photograph by Alexander Gardner
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | Richmond, Virginia |
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| Built | 1841 |
| Architect | Reev Davis |
| NRHP reference No. | 71001048 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | July 2, 1971 |
| Designated NHLD | December 22, 1977 |
The Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia, was a very important factory during the American Civil War. It was the biggest iron factory in the Confederacy. Its size helped make Richmond the capital of the Confederacy.
Tredegar made about half of the cannons used by the Confederate States Army. It also made the iron plates for the CSS Virginia, the first Confederate ironclad warship. This ship fought in the famous Battle of Hampton Roads in March 1862.
The factory was saved from being burned by troops when the city was evacuated. It kept making things until the mid-1900s. Today, Tredegar Iron Works is a National Historic Landmark. It is also the main building for the American Civil War Museum.
The name Tredegar comes from a town in Wales. This Welsh town supplied many of the first workers for the factory.
Contents
The Story of Tredegar Iron Works
Starting the Factory (1836–1841)
In 1836, some business people from Richmond wanted to make money from the growing railroad industry. They hired a young engineer named Rhys Davies. He brought many iron workers from Tredegar, Wales, to build the factory.
The new factory opened in 1837. But a money crisis, called the Panic of 1837, made things hard for the new company. Davies died in Richmond in September 1838. He was buried on Belle Isle in the James River.
Joseph Reid Anderson Takes Charge (1841 – Civil War)
In 1841, the owners asked 28-year-old engineer Joseph Reid Anderson to manage the factory. He was a very good manager. Anderson bought the factory in 1848. Soon, he was making things for the United States government.
Anderson started using enslaved people to lower the costs of making products. By 1861, when the Civil War began, half of the 900 workers were enslaved. Many of them had important skills. By 1860, Tredegar was a top iron producer in the country.
Between 1846 and 1853, many miles of railroad tracks were built in Virginia. This created a new market for Tredegar. The company made about 70 steam locomotives between 1850 and 1860. Tredegar also made parts for large ships like the USS Roanoke and the USS Colorado.
Before the Civil War, other businesses grew at the Tredegar site. A flour mill and a stove factory were built nearby. The Crenshaw Woolen Mill also opened next to Tredegar. This mill made uniforms for the Confederate Army. A fire in 1863 damaged the mill, and Tredegar bought the land.
Tredegar During the American Civil War
By 1860, Tredegar Iron Works was the biggest factory of its kind in the South. This was a big reason why the Confederacy moved its capital to Richmond in May 1861. Tredegar made high-quality weapons for the Confederacy during the war.
During the war, Tredegar made the iron plates for the CSS Virginia. This was the first Confederate ironclad warship. It fought in the famous Battle of Hampton Roads in March 1862. Tredegar also made about 1,100 cannons. This was about half of all the cannons made in the South during the war. They even developed a giant rail-mounted cannon. The company also built steam locomotives during this time.
Joseph Anderson supported the South leaving the Union. He became a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army. He was hurt in 1862 and then worked in the Ordnance Department for the rest of the war.
As the war went on, Tredegar had trouble finding skilled workers. There was also a shortage of metal. This meant Tredegar's products started to be lower quality. Sometimes, they couldn't even make any cannons for a whole month.
When the Confederates left Richmond on April 2–3, 1865, they were told to burn factories. But Anderson paid over 50 armed guards to protect Tredegar. Because of this, Tredegar Iron Works was one of the few buildings that survived the burning of Richmond.
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| Tredegar Ironworks and nearby buildings in 1865 (Buildings still standing today are italicized)
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After the Civil War
Anderson had kept Tredegar's money safe overseas during the war. This meant he could restart his business quickly. He asked U.S. President Andrew Johnson for a pardon. By the end of 1865, he was back in business. He owned the factory fully again in 1867.
By 1873, Tredegar Iron Works had 1,200 workers and was making good money. However, a money crisis in 1873 made things hard. The company did not switch to making steel, so it became less important in the country.
The neighborhood of Oregon Hill grew up around the factory. When Joseph Anderson died in 1892, his son Archer Anderson took over. Tredegar stayed in business through the first half of the 1900s. It made things for the U.S. military during World War I and World War II. In 1957, Anderson's family sold the land.
Tredegar as a Civil War Museum
Today, the buildings at Tredegar are saved and used to remember the Civil War. The site also hosts different festivals and public events.
The Pattern Building is the main visitors' center for Richmond National Battlefield Park. The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar is another museum at the old factory site.
Civil War Visitor Center
The main visitor center for Richmond National Battlefield Park opened at Tredegar in June 2000. It is in the restored Pattern Building. It has three floors of exhibits, an interactive map, and a film about the Civil War battles around Richmond. NPS rangers are there daily to help visitors.
Lincoln Statue
In 2000, a statue was planned for the Tredegar Iron Works site. It would show Abraham Lincoln and his son Tad Lincoln. They visited Richmond on April 4, 1865, after the city was captured. This was 10 days before Lincoln was assassinated.
The statue was paid for by donations. It caused some debate because of where it was placed. Some people felt it was wrong to put a statue of Lincoln in Richmond. They said it celebrated him as a victor. Others said it was about peace and healing.
The statue shows Lincoln and Tad sitting on a bench. The bench is long enough for visitors to sit next to them for photos. Words from Lincoln's speech, "To Bind Up The Nation's Wounds," are carved behind them.
American Civil War Center
A new museum, The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar, opened on October 7, 2006. Historian James M. McPherson said it was a great place to learn about the Civil War. It shows the stories of Union, Confederate, and African-American people.
The Center has interactive theaters, maps on screens, and old items. Many historians helped create the museum's exhibits. In 2014, the Civil War Center joined with the Museum of the Confederacy. It is now called the American Civil War Museum.
In some fictional books by Harry Turtledove, where the South wins the Civil War, the main rifle is called the Tredegar. It is made by the Tredegar Steel Works.
Images for kids
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Ruins of Tredegar Ironworks, Richmond, Va. April, 1865
