Beyond the Mill
By John Gresham
30 Dec 2008
What city do you live in? What neighborhood?
Greetings. I reside in what was known as Port Richmond. It was once a town dominated by the Polish immigrants who came here to work for the Chesapeake Corporation Paper Mill in the early 1900's. During World War I, there was a small ship yard along the Mattaponi River. Residents also relied on commercial fishing and some farming as the town was a haven for Catholics in the area.
In the 1950's Port Richmond merged with it's neighbor, West Point. That was about the same time African-Americans were seeking to integrate the school system (the acheivement was made in the 1962). As job opportunities were opening up for everyone, the neighborhoods became more diverse as well. Today (regretfully), there are no indications or celebrations of Polish identity or culture. Few people in town realize that Thompson Avenue is named for one of the last Mayors of Port Richmond.
What are some adjectives that describe your neighborhood?
This is one big, quiet bedroom. Except for school activities, nothing much goes on here. All of the stores are restricted to the main road, King William Avenue (still known by the locals as route 30). There are no unique stores around. Just the same merchants you'd see in any other town.
My street, Chelsea Road, is even more of a bedroom. Heck, it's the master bedroom with a mixture of retirees, young families, veiws of the Mattaponi, the schools, and convalesent home. Chelsea is a link between my neighborhood and the West Point most people drive through. At the corner of Chelsea and Thompson is the begining of a bike trail that extends for a little over a mile and under the Lord Delaware Bridge. It cuts through a huge marsh and crosses the little back channel of West Point Creek that splits Glass Island from the rest of town. There are observation decks along the trail and the boat landing is within walking distance from the bridge.
How long have you lived there, and what brought you there?
My wife and I purchased our home here in 2003. That was also the year Hurricane Isabel hit Virginia. It was kind of fun to see the little marsh beside the house fill up with water as the storm surge came up river. Other than a large pine tree falling in the front yard and a gum tree limb in front of the garage, we had no damage.
Nothing in particular led us to this neighborhood. My wife is used to a more urban setting and we were living in a rural community in King William County (where the town is located). West Point gave her the convenience of being near a few good stores. I would still be among the members of my congregation (I am the pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in the lower portion of King William). We both have what we want here.
What is your favorite thing about this place? Your least favorite?
I absolutely adore the Mattaponi River! This curvatious body of water stretches from the woods of Caroline County all the way to join the Pamunkey here in town to form the historic York River. Power boaters too often blow gasoline and head into the York. My fellow kayakers and canoeist preferer a more leisurley pace to take in the wildlife and curiosities of the shoreline. Also, some of the best fishing holes are way too shallow for a 24 foot center console with a 250 horsepower engine.
From late April to around the first of September, I don't dare launch my kayak from the boat ramp at Glass Island on a weekend. Unfortunately, West Point is the closest access to salt water fishing to the Richmond area. Some of the power boaters from there act like barbarians cursing and fighting with one another trying to get their boats in and out of the water. Indeed, we have a town policeman patroling the ramp every weekend. It is funny to see the cop and a tow truck driver remove illegally parked trucks and boat trailers though.
Do you feel that you belong there?
My family has been in West Point almost as long as it was officially established in 1870. My great grandfather, James Carter Gresham, and two of his brothers migrated here from the upper portion of King William to find work. James was a laborer and waterman. Back then, if someone caught a sturgeon, they burried the eggs thinking they were poisonous. Then, someone told the locals that caviar was made from them. As a result, the fish was all but eliminated from the Chesapeake bay region.
After a few months, my wife and I noticed that we were one of only two black families on Chelsea Road. But, we have had no problems with our neighbors at all. In fact, we became quick friends with an elderly couple across the corner from us. Basicly, we all just go to work, come back home, and mind our own business. We greet one another when we jog or ride bikes down the trail or going to the sports fields. Oh, there are still some racist in this town. But, we do a descent job of getting along with each other.
What is the most common misconception about where you live?
When people drive through town from Richmond on their way to one of the more tourist driven towns in the area, they think West Point is some dirty, smelly place. The aroma of the paper mill is enough to give anyone that impression. But, once you stop in town and walk around, there is no odor.
While we don't have a marina (which is a mistake for a town with three rivers) or a few seafood resteraunts, West Point is still a descent place to stop and visit. Downtown has a walking tour of a lovely collection of Victorian homes. Every first Saturday in October we have our annual Crab Carnival. And I don't know of another town that has a bike trail and river walking area as pretty as ours.
What is a special fact about your city that you have to live there to know?
General Lewis (Chesty) Puller, the most decorated US Marine in history, is from West Point.
What aspect of your city do you secretly love?
West Point Creek is a nice little place to paddle away from everybody. When the tide is high,you can take your canoe or kayak almost all the way to Thompson Avenue. The marsh along the creek holds great blue herons, ospreys, muskrats, snapping turtles, and other wildlife. And, with a rod and reel, you can even come home with some catfish and white perch too. Under the radar of even most townsfolk is the fact that the American Canoe Association has rated the lower Mattaponi and Pamunkey Rivers as one of the best places to paddle in 2007.
Anything else you'd like to add?
This really is a good place to live. West Point is about an hour away from either Newport News to the east or Richmond to the west. So, when I need to go to a city for something, I can do it with ease and still get back home without spending half a day driving.
1 response
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suzanne said (17 Jan 2009):
May you continue to make friends, and memories, in your neighbourhood of choice, for it sounds like a great place to live.
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