The Penitentiary Basin was dammed at the beginning of the 19th century, between Oregon Hill and Gambles Hill and below the Va. State Penitentiary. It served as an important turning basin for canal boats traveling the James River and Kanawha Canal. Canal boats offloaded supplies, and there was a canal boat building business in the Basin. The 1876 Beers Atlas shows the Basin below Oregon Hill at a time when canal boat traffic was being replaced by the more versatile railroads. In March 1880 the James River and Kanawha Company conveyed all of the canal property to the Richmond Alleghany Railroad, and the Penitentiary Basin soon was filled in and became a busy rail yard with turntable and machine shop. The 1889 Baist Atlas shows the remarkable transition from the previous decade as the extensive railroad infrastructure replaced the canal boat traffic. The water from the James River and Kanawha Canal continued to power the waterwheels at Tredegar Iron Works well into the 20th century. The attached photograph shows a steam engine beside the canal filling up with water from the tower located at the former Penitentiary Basin. Pratt’s Castle on Gambles Hill can be seen directly above the water tower. The former Penitentiary Basin is now owned by NewMarket Corporation, and it is hoped that they will be respectful of the rich history of this site.

Photo credits:
Canal/Railroad photo, Library of Virginia;
Baist Atlas, 1889, VCU Libraries;
Penitentiary Basin, Beers Atlas, 1876, Library of Congress