Bethlehem Baptist Church
In 1828, nine people organized a Sunday school in a log schoolhouse, five miles from the Richmond city limits. Students from the Virginia Baptist Seminary, now the University of Richmond, helped it become the Bethlehem Baptist Church. The church received its charter on May 31, 1838 and built a new structure in 1839. It reportedly served as a first aid station during the Civil War, burned about 1870 and was rebuilt. A brick Gothic style church opened on July 25, 1909. On November 3, 1920, this structure burned. Members dedicated the present building, located on Penick Road, on November 6, 1921.
- Open during public services.
- (County of Henrico,1995 (HC3))
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Courtney Road Service Station
This "house with a canopy style" station was built around 1925 when there was an increase in cars, improved roads, and a decrease in the cost of gas. In 1940, Richmond Telephone directory listed the site as the "Friendly Service Station". Owned by the Barlow family, locals recall the station store being operated by Mr. Wiltshire. The County of Henrico had the station restored and it is now located on the corner of Courtney Road and Mountain Road for public display.
- This is owned by the County of Henrico, and open only for special events.
- (County of Henrico)
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Forest Lodge Cupola
Captain John Cussons, a native Englishman, confederate scout, author, and entrepreneur married Mrs. Benjamin Allen (after whose family Glen Allen was named). He settled here after the Civil War and established a printing company. In 1881, he built a six story fashionable resort hotel with over 100 elaborately decorated rooms known as Forest Lodge adjacent to the railroad tracts. The resort hotel occupied 1000 acres, which also boasted a hunting preserve, lakes, boathouses, gardens, parklands, and an amphitheater. Forest Lodge was never the success it was hoped it would be, and in later years served first as a boarding house, and later as apartments. The parklands reverted to woods. Forest Lodge was demolished in 1989 due to development plans. The County of Henrico restored the top cupola, all that remained of the building, and it is now located on the corner of Mountain Road and Old Washington Highway.
- Available for viewing from the outside.
- (County of Henrico, November 2003 HCHS newsletter)
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Glen Allen School
In 1886, Elizabeth Jane Holladay established the first Glen Allen School when she began teaching children in her home. In 1889, the school was moved to a one room building on Mountain Road. It was relocated to Old Washington Highway in 1911. It was constructed at a cost of $10,000. It had no central heating or indoor plumbing. Between 1914 and 1925 three wings were added. In the 1930's an auditorium, gymnasium and home economics cottage were constructed. The school ended operation in 1978. In 1999, it re-opened as the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen.
- Open to the public.
- (County of Henrico)
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Meadow Farm Museum
In the early 1700's, Dr. and Mrs. John Mosby Sheppard established their home, Meadow Farm. They raised nine children. Four generations of the Sheppard family owned Meadow Farm. From this site, Tom and Pharoah, Sheppard family slaves, warned Mosby Sheppard of a proposed slave rebellion on August 30, 1800, later known as Gabriel's Rebellion. During a Civil War raid, family legend has it that the Union Major General George Armstrong Custis tied his horse to a cedar tree right in front of the farmhouse. In 1975, Elizabeth Adam Crump, wife of the late Adjutant General of Virgina, Sheppard Crump, donated Meadow Farm to Henrico County. The County turned the farm into the Meadow Farm Museum, a living history farm open for public visitation and which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Among Meadow Farm's many farm animals, there are two pigs that were accquired from Mount Vernon. Their names? George and Martha.
The County of Henrico opened Meadow Farm Museum to the public in 1981. Although the County completed sensitive restoration in the late 1970s to preserve and interpret Meadow Farm as a historic house museum, damage from Hurricane Isabel presented the County an opportunity to restore the original house and to reexamine documents pertaining to the original house construction. During the restoration process, portions of the house will reopen to the public in March. The museum staff will interpret in detail the material, labor, and expense involved in constructing and updating a home in 19th-century rural Virginia. Mosby Sheppard and his son John Sheppard built Meadow Farm in phases. Both men carefully documented the purchase of building materials and labor for work done between 1809 and 1858.
Some of the museum's event's are listed on our General Events page. More events may be found on the Department Of Recreation and Parks page of Henrico County government's website.
- Open to the public.
- (County of Henrico, Meadow Farm Museum, County of Henrico Div. Rec and Parks)
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Walkerton Tavern
Massachusetts native John Walker acquired a large tract of land on both sides of Mountain Road and had Walkerton built in 1825. Walkerton served as a tavern and was the twin of Walker's residence across the road. The tavern was equipped with a wine cellar, three ice houses, and a 20 horse stable to accommodate its guests. Some of the bricks were fired at Meadow Farm. Walkerton served as a tavern from 1828 to 1829 and again in 1853. The Hopkins family purchased the property in 1857 and lived there until 1941 when the building and grounds were sold to George and Ruth Bowles. The County of Henrico purchased the property in 1995 from S. Douglas Fleet who acquired it in 1986. Except for the few years it served as a place of lodging, Walkerton was primarily a private residence. However in addition to serving as a field hospital for wounded Union cavalrymen in 1864, the dwelling also functioned as a store, post office, and voting precinct.
- This is owned by the County of Henrico, and open only for special events.
- (County of Henrico)
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Brookland Sites: All Sites
Bethlehem Church | Courtney Road | Forest Lodge | Glen Allen | Meadow Farm | Walkerton
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