NPS Form jD-900 OMB No. 10024-0018 (oct. 19901 United Stah Department of tha Intdor National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form Thi form is tor urn In m~nuvlgor rmwating dotennineticas tor ~ndnridualp+rs md -ria. instructans in hbw dP ftm R.garrPr ol HmPt.ore mfianFcnn (Nm.1 Ragisor Bulbtin 1~).Comp(ae arch im by mulung "x" in tt~mropnrtl box or by entering mbmution rquutrrb. It m item dam not to baing enter "NIA lor "not WOkYW.'' For tuKUar# anhit.Qun) c&f&fimtion. mstwlk ud UOM of agnificmm, mMr only magorim and w~~ tmm the InaffuaiOnS. badd- emnm and Mrratnm n.mr on aminu8Wn shoats (NPS Form 108001). use r mer.worn pmcamx. or canprrcu, to wmpW. clN bms. other narnedsite number 44CF7 2. Location street 8 number not for publication city or town Richmond I3 vicinity state Virginia ~odgVA county Chesterfield 041 ap code 23297 3. StaWFedeml Agency cammuon ~n my op~lion,me pmyQ mma Ci w not meat the NU'^ Ra@Mrcrfimm. (Ca continuatim stmt tor WMOW comments.) Si~natureot cenrlylng oftici.Vr~ Dare StateorF~aIaearcyMdbu~ 4. Natloml Park Sewiir Certification I hereby csnity tnar the property is: SiaMum of the Kwwr Oate of Actlon 0 emu$ In me National Register. LI See cont~nusliqlsheet. a detrrrnmed dlgible tor the NatfonJ Reg~stw C %a antlnuatmn sheet. rn i; dslrrmtned not elig~bhtor th Nahonrl Reg~ster. rmowd hwn the National Falling Creek Ironworks Archaeological Site (44CF7) Chesterfield, Virginia Namo of Pfopwy County .nd SIIU 5. cla8dfbtlOn chmenhlp of Plop.rty c"wm of P- Number ot Resouma withln Prow (Checlc as mmy boxes as upty) (Check only one box) (00nu include prsviody bated mourcm in the mum.) 1X] private C building@) Contributing Noncontributing C public-local 3 district 0 0 buildings public-State Cl site 0 public-federal structure 1 0 sites C object 0 0 structures 1 0 Total Name of mhtd multlplm pmporty iialing Number of contr)Wng rcrsourcus pdwllrtrd (Enter "NIA it propbrty is not pm of r muhW property listing.) in the Nathid Regdstdw HWcFunctlans Cumt Functfonr (Enter cateqonm trom rnstruaions) (Enter categonos from innructions) rv /Prnre Vacant/Not in Use - - - -- - .. -. - (EWcatwee from inslructionr) (Enter calegofm from in-ions) N/ A foundation walls other Namtlve Dsrrctlptton IDeacribe the historic and cumm candilion ot the propmy on one or more corninustion shW8.) Fallinn Creek f ronworks Archaeological Site (44CF7) NMI01 l=faperty 8. Statement of Slgn#icurta Appl1t.M. NaUonrl Reglrur Crftada 'haof Significance (Mark "x" in on@or more boxes for the critenr qdilylng tho prwny (Enter categorm from mstruch~s) lor National Regkter listing.) Archaeolonv/Hist.-Non- Aborilcinal a A Properly is assocrated with events that have made Exploration/Settlement a srgniticant contribution to the broad patterns of Industry our histow. Engineering 2 B Properly is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. C C Properly embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, penod, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values. or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack Period of Significance individual distinction. Virginia Com~anv period (1607-1624) :X 0 Property has ydded. or is likely-. to yield, infannation important in prehmry or history. Criteria Consldentions Slgntfkant Dates (Mark "x" In all the boxes lhat apply.) 1619-1622 Property is: 3 A owned by a religious inmution or used for religious purposes. Signtfkant Person O B removed from its original locatron. (Cornplate if Criterion B m marked above) N/ A Cl C a birthplace or grave. Cultural AtfHktLon L;7 D a cemetery. Euro-American - Ennlish E E a reconstructed building, obpct, or structure. F a commemorative property. E G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50 years. Numtive Stetment of Significance (Exproin the ugnikmu of 1bpr' on one or more continution sheets.) 9. mior Btbilognphkd Artcmncea wmphy (Cite the book* utiCb8. ud Uh@rSoWCOa used in pmpmng thls form on ans a mom continustlon sheets.) ~wiousdacumefitatlon on file (NPS): Primary lacatbn of additional data: preliminary determination of individual listing (38 State Historic Preservation Oflice CFR 67) has been requested 0 Other State agency previously'listed in the National Register a Federal agency 0 previously determined eligible by the National O Local government Register University designated a National Historic Landmark 3 Other rswrded by Historic American Buildings Surwy Name of rep0s~OfY:~e~artrnentof Historic Resource # Richmond, VA; College of William and Mary, recorded by Historic American Engineering Williamsburg, VA Record # ~~rchaeologicalSite (44CF7) Chesterfield, Virginia Nmot Praprrty County and Stmo Acreage of Propmy 1 R 3-~!,!,l!!,~,~,!~ Zone East~ng Narth~ng Zdne Easting Notthing 2(I1,l,!/ [,!,I: 41;~,~,,I~!~~~,,' 1 L- See Contlnui.)c)n sheet Vehl bundmry Oercriptlon (Dambe the bwndafiea ot tk. propmy on a continuation sheet.) Bwndrry JutkaUon (Explain why the barndarier were Aectod on a continuation shoat.) 11. Form P- By name)title Thomas F. Higgins III, Project Archaeologist College of William and Mar Center for Archaeological Hesearch April 19, 1994 organlation date street 8 number 327 Richmond Rd. telephone 804-221-2580 city or t- Williamsburg state VA ap code 23187 AddWonal Docummtatlon Subm~tthe tollowing mms with me campretod form: Contlnuatlon Sheets A USGS map (7.5 or t5 minute series) indicating the property's location. A Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Representatwe bck and whb photagraphs of the property. Addttlonal item8 (Check imh me SHPO or FPO la any addial nwns) Property Owner (Compbm th~s#tom at the raquwt d SHW w FPO.) name Pacy Oteltsky c/o Property Capital Group, P.O. Box 32456 st- 8 number Suite 203. 106 Old Court Road telephone Baltimore MD 21208 :ity or town state zip code to P.~.N * Ra&dm M SbtmWn(: This intOrrrmmn is Mng colbcM for n@icationa m the ~.tiarulRqbr ot Himtoric ncmlifW0 't-r. I# ling or dcnwmtm Hwli fu listing, m Ilat.ptopda8, and to mend existing linings. Rmpomo to thil muat i8 W*nd wn m 1 sccordma rnth th. NYlOnal Hintark PreeeIV.IIY) EL*. M mndld (18 U.S.C. 470 d q.). m:a Burd.n 8- Pub1.i m-ng burdm for tnl8 tam a rrrirnatd to -@ 18.1 houn per mponrr lndudlng limb for mng 1~ -!.. gatharing adnutnrslning dam. d campwing and nvkrmng the form. DI~ regarding thir bdm eatimrrr or MYrspM lis : 1 to thr Chld. Mminkblhw SmDhrhian. Natbn~~ulc wm, P.O. 371=, wnglon, nglon, 2~013-7127:rind me Omea at .age ~...:f~tmd Budea. PmFWu*bnr Prq.cta (10244014, W&dwn, DC 20503. - NPS Form 10-900-a owl No. 1026-0018 (8-86) United States Dopartmmnt of the Interior National Park Smrvicm NATIONAL REGISTER OF HIBTORIC PLACES CON!PINUATION BHBBT Section 7 - Page -1- Falling Creek Ironworks Archaaological site (44C17) Chesterfield County, Virginia (7)Narrative Sum marv Descri~tion lies in a narrow valley with steep hills abutting on the creek- On the west. the creek winds throueh a still more narrow valley before turbling;over The DroDertv on which 44CF7 is located is ~rivatelvowned and is currently vacant. The site the Falling Creek Ironworks. The Falling Creek Ironworks is recognized as the first successful, integrated iron production facility in English North America. The exploitation of natural commodities was a principal objective of the Virginia Company of London from the earliest period of their Virginia venture. Despite difticulties in establishing the ironworks, a party of workers succeeded in co~npletinga portion of the facility in 1620 and produced a sample of iron prior to the arrival of three replacements later that year (Kingsbury 1906:472; 1933:240). In addition to the three replacement workers, by late June 1621 a fourth individual, John Berkeley (along with his son, Maurice. and three family servants), was dispatched to Virginia as Master of the ironworks with 20 men skilled in ironworking. Berkeley's party specifically included workers to "be employed upon the Furnace" and "upon the Forge," explicit evidence for an integrated operation producing both cast and wrought iron (Kingsbury 1906a:472). The production of iron was abruptly halted by the PowhatanIEnglish conflict of 1622- A total of 27 persons were slain at the ironworks, including John Berkeley (Kingsbury -. -. WPS Form 10-000-a No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTIbmATION SHEET Section 7 Page -2 - Falling Craak Ironwork8 Archroologiarl 8ite (44CP7) Chestarfiald County, Virginia 1933565). The slaughter of the inhabitants of the Falling Creek settlement was compounded oy the thorough destruction of the facility by the Native Americans (Beverley I947:54-55; Stith 1965:218). While considerable interest existed in teestablishing the operation through the end of the Virginia Company period, the level of destruction effectively terminated this apparently successful endeavor. Archaeological- Descri~tion Historical data for 44CF7 is augmented by a relatively intact archaeological record. Research has shown that the site contains important archaeological resources, i.e., slag and charcoal deposits, foundations, and artifacts, that can potentially contribute to a better understanding of the early development of the iron industry in Virginia and the nation. The first contemporary reconnaissance of the Falling Creek Ironworks site was (44CF7)- , the ruins of which small pieces of furnace cinder, presumptive relics of the ironworks of 1622" and observed that the "exact original site" had been covered by "repeated washings of the soil" (1885:79). Of particular significance is the fact that Brock (1885:79-80) distinguished the lucation of the Virginia d Cary's eighteenth-century forge- the latter being manifested by extensive deposits proximately one acre to a depth of 2 ft.