Henricopolis: A Second Town

Pictured is a reconstructed church of the 17th century.

The original settlement was founded by Sir Thomas Dale in 1611 as an alternative to the swampy and dangerous surroundings of Jamestown and was named for Prince Henry, the eldest son of King James I. This site later became part of the Shire of Henrico (1634), renamed Henrico County in 1637. In 1749, that portion of Henrico County that lay south of the James River was detached to form present-day Chesterfield County.

After the visible 1609 decay of the town, the erection of a second town commenced…