Old Dominion Iron and Steel

Old Dominion Iron and Steel, formerly Belle Isle Works, operated on this site from 1814 to 1972. As the power of the James River was harnessed, what began as a mill race and small nail factory quickly grew into a much larger operation. A partnership with the Richmond & Danville Railroad brought coal mined in nearby Chesterfield directly to the furnaces on Belle Isle, and early owners claimed the coal could travel from the pit to the furnaces without being handled by men. This simplification made the business very profitable. By the 1860s, Old Dominion Iron and Steel ran 48 nail factories, a granite quarry, a rolling mill, several sawmills, seven puddling furnaces, and three heating furnaces on Belle Isle. It became known for advanced metallurgy and casting abilities that allowed it to produce nails, bar iron, and boiler plates. More than 200 men worked here to process over 5,000 tons of iron annually. The company used both paid workers and slave labor before and after the American Civil War, employing approximately 200 free men and 23 enslaved men. After the war, a large number of the free workers and laborers were people of color. The work was dangerous and difficult and often resulted in injury or death. Old Dominion Iron and Steel continued to flourish after the American Civil War, further developing its metallurgy and manufacturing techniques. From 1939 to 1945, metal hatches for tanks built by Chrysler Motors were forged here, and the structure became known as the Chrysler Building.

Richmond, Virginia · United States