Clover Hill Pitts
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Location | Winterpock, Virginia |
| Virginia | |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 37°20′37″N 077°43′34″W / 37.34361°N 77.72611°WCoordinates: 37°20′37″N 077°43′34″W / 37.34361°N 77.72611°W |
| Production | |
| Products | Coal |
| Financial year | 1841 |
| History | |
| Opened | 1837 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Clover Hill Railroad, Brighthope Mining Company |
The Clover Hill Pitts are a number of coal shafts and mines that operated near Richmond, Virginia from 1837 until around 1883.
In 1837, coal was found after a heavy rain at Clover Hill Plantation, in Chesterfield County, Virginia, possibly by a slave. After mining began, mules carried the coal four miles to Epps Falls on the Appomattox River to be loaded onto boats on the Upper Appomattox Canal Navigation System.
In 1841, the Clover Hill Railroad was created to haul coal from the Clover Hill Pitts, to the Osborne Landing Docks and later Bermuda Hundred dock to be transported by barge over the ocean to the Northern States. In 1848 the Clover Hill Railroad had hauled 56 tons of coal for export and 22 tons for use in Richmond and Petersburg. The Clover Hill Pitts had several mining sites, the Brighthope Pit, the Halls pit and Racoon Pit. The company spread outside of Virginia. In 1876, Bituminous Coal from the Clover Hill Railroad Company was advertized in the Coal and Coal Trade Journal from a sales Office in New York.
In 1877 the Brighthope Railway replaced the Clover Hill Railroad. In 1883, 83 employees worked for the Brighthope Mining Company. The mines were declining when the Brighthope Railway was founded.
The Norfolk and Western Railway brought in coal from a new coal mine, the Pocahontas Coalfield which could provide coal more cheaply and ship the coal on a larger standard gauge, class one railroad. This brought and end to the success of the Clover Hill Pitts.
Slaves did some of the mining in the Clover Hill Pitts. Slaveholders bought insurance policies for enslaved Africans working in the Clover Hill Pitts. This was done to ensure that Slaveholders would be compensated for loss if the slaves died in the dangerous mines. Some policies were written for slaves as young as 12 years of age. Sam Jones, Harry Montague, Phil, Robert, Henry, and Joe all had policies taken out by the heirs of James Moody, a slaveholder. The heirs would receive pay for the work of the slaves under lease agreements. The mining company also hired White People and hired Free people of color.
...
Wikipedia