Henricus Historical Park is a living history museum dedicated to the Citie of Henricus, which was founded in 1611. A project to replace a replica farmer’s home at the site is expected to kick off early next year. (BizSense file)
The nonprofit that runs Henricus Historical Park is moving forward with plans for a new capital project as it continues to hunt for additional funding support after an unexpected loss of funding earlier this year.
The organization is planning to build a re-creation of a 1620s home at the historical site near Chester. The new structure will replace a similar building deemed too deteriorated to continue to use and was recently razed, Henricus Executive Director Charlie Grant said.
Grant said it’s the first major construction project at Henricus in about 10 years, when the site’s church structure was completed.
He said the new farmer’s house would represent a nicer version of the exhibit it is replacing, intended to show how English settlers became more rooted in Virginia in the years after Jamestown was established in 1607.
“We’re trying to show the growth and the transition of how things were built in Virginia,” Grant said.
The 250-square-foot structure, known as the Planters House, would be part of the Proctor Plantation site at Henricus, depicting the life of English yeoman farmers John and Alice Proctor. The Proctor site also includes indentured servant quarters, a tobacco barn and gardens.
In addition to a wood-frame floor, brick chimney and thatched roof, the one-story building will also involve the construction of a modern foundation and crawl space intended to help the exhibit last longer.
Construction of the replica farmer’s home is anticipated to begin in early 2025 and be completed in about a year.
The project is expected to cost less than $200,000, though a cost estimate is still being finalized. Henricus is covering the cost of the construction with its reserves.
The now-razed Planters House, shown here, is being replaced with a new replica exhibit expected to cost less than $200,000. (Courtesy Chris Beasley/Henricus Historical Park)
Henricus embarks on the project amid its continued search for funding support to make up a shortfall created by Henrico County’s decision this year to pull its financial backing for the 10-acre historical area. The site depicts the Citie of Henricus that was established in 1611 and was the second successful English settlement in Virginia.
The site at 251 Henricus Park Road features a re-created English fort and Powhatan village. Henricus and Henrico both were named for Henry Frederick, the Prince of Wales and son of England’s King James I.
Henrico’s decision to pull the funding cost Henricus about a third of its annual operating budget, and Henricus officials said they were surprised by the move. Chesterfield County and the Henricus Foundation contribute toward the site’s operation in what had been a roughly three-way split with Henrico.
Grant said that while Henricus is stable and operating for the time being, the nonprofit is still in need of funding to continue operating into the future.
“We’re still working on things on that end,” he said. “Longer term, there will be some changes and challenges. Henricus will have to seek other organizations and individuals to help fund operations here.”
Officials declined to share details about potential partners or arrangements for funding.
In fiscal year 2024, Henrico provided $356,000 to the historical organization, and the same level of funding was included in the county’s proposed budget for the current fiscal year. That line item had been axed from the budget by the time the Henrico Board of Supervisors approved the FY25 spending plan in April.
Henrico Board Chairman Tyrone Nelson previously told BizSense the decision was made in order to address other budget priorities. He said Henrico had to increase funding for a regional curbside recycling program to keep the program going after Chesterfield opted out of the service in 2023.
Nelson said Henrico also wanted to support a regional homeless shelter and has plans to use a 2,100-acre former plantation in Varina acquired this year as a historical education site.
A Henrico spokesman said this week that there currently aren’t plans to include funding for Henricus in the county’s FY26 budget proposal.
While Henrico has backed away from supporting the site financially, Chesterfield has continued its support.
In recent weeks, Chesterfield and the Henricus Foundation signed a new 10-year lease of the interpretive site, which is owned by Chesterfield, and an operating agreement to govern the nonprofit’s use of the site and spell out the partnership between the parties.
The Henricus site is a Chesterfield Parks and Recreation program, the site’s workers are county employees and Chesterfield provides back-office services for Henricus – arrangements that predate Henrico’s exit from the collaboration.
The one-year operating agreement is intended to provide a runway for Henricus to figure out its way forward, said Chesterfield Parks and Recreation Director Neil Luther.
“They’ve got to decide as a foundation what they’re going to do beyond the new contract term,” he said.
Henricus Historical Park is a living history museum dedicated to the Citie of Henricus, which was founded in 1611. A project to replace a replica farmer’s home at the site is expected to kick off early next year. (BizSense file)
The nonprofit that runs Henricus Historical Park is moving forward with plans for a new capital project as it continues to hunt for additional funding support after an unexpected loss of funding earlier this year.
The organization is planning to build a re-creation of a 1620s home at the historical site near Chester. The new structure will replace a similar building deemed too deteriorated to continue to use and was recently razed, Henricus Executive Director Charlie Grant said.
Grant said it’s the first major construction project at Henricus in about 10 years, when the site’s church structure was completed.
He said the new farmer’s house would represent a nicer version of the exhibit it is replacing, intended to show how English settlers became more rooted in Virginia in the years after Jamestown was established in 1607.
“We’re trying to show the growth and the transition of how things were built in Virginia,” Grant said.
The 250-square-foot structure, known as the Planters House, would be part of the Proctor Plantation site at Henricus, depicting the life of English yeoman farmers John and Alice Proctor. The Proctor site also includes indentured servant quarters, a tobacco barn and gardens.
In addition to a wood-frame floor, brick chimney and thatched roof, the one-story building will also involve the construction of a modern foundation and crawl space intended to help the exhibit last longer.
Construction of the replica farmer’s home is anticipated to begin in early 2025 and be completed in about a year.
The project is expected to cost less than $200,000, though a cost estimate is still being finalized. Henricus is covering the cost of the construction with its reserves.
The now-razed Planters House, shown here, is being replaced with a new replica exhibit expected to cost less than $200,000. (Courtesy Chris Beasley/Henricus Historical Park)
Henricus embarks on the project amid its continued search for funding support to make up a shortfall created by Henrico County’s decision this year to pull its financial backing for the 10-acre historical area. The site depicts the Citie of Henricus that was established in 1611 and was the second successful English settlement in Virginia.
The site at 251 Henricus Park Road features a re-created English fort and Powhatan village. Henricus and Henrico both were named for Henry Frederick, the Prince of Wales and son of England’s King James I.
Henrico’s decision to pull the funding cost Henricus about a third of its annual operating budget, and Henricus officials said they were surprised by the move. Chesterfield County and the Henricus Foundation contribute toward the site’s operation in what had been a roughly three-way split with Henrico.
Grant said that while Henricus is stable and operating for the time being, the nonprofit is still in need of funding to continue operating into the future.
“We’re still working on things on that end,” he said. “Longer term, there will be some changes and challenges. Henricus will have to seek other organizations and individuals to help fund operations here.”
Officials declined to share details about potential partners or arrangements for funding.
In fiscal year 2024, Henrico provided $356,000 to the historical organization, and the same level of funding was included in the county’s proposed budget for the current fiscal year. That line item had been axed from the budget by the time the Henrico Board of Supervisors approved the FY25 spending plan in April.
Henrico Board Chairman Tyrone Nelson previously told BizSense the decision was made in order to address other budget priorities. He said Henrico had to increase funding for a regional curbside recycling program to keep the program going after Chesterfield opted out of the service in 2023.
Nelson said Henrico also wanted to support a regional homeless shelter and has plans to use a 2,100-acre former plantation in Varina acquired this year as a historical education site.
A Henrico spokesman said this week that there currently aren’t plans to include funding for Henricus in the county’s FY26 budget proposal.
While Henrico has backed away from supporting the site financially, Chesterfield has continued its support.
In recent weeks, Chesterfield and the Henricus Foundation signed a new 10-year lease of the interpretive site, which is owned by Chesterfield, and an operating agreement to govern the nonprofit’s use of the site and spell out the partnership between the parties.
The Henricus site is a Chesterfield Parks and Recreation program, the site’s workers are county employees and Chesterfield provides back-office services for Henricus – arrangements that predate Henrico’s exit from the collaboration.
The one-year operating agreement is intended to provide a runway for Henricus to figure out its way forward, said Chesterfield Parks and Recreation Director Neil Luther.
“They’ve got to decide as a foundation what they’re going to do beyond the new contract term,” he said.
I love this park.