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Henricus

United States of America

Henricus

The "Citie of Henricus"—also known as Henricopolis, Henrico Town, or Henrico—was a settlement in Virginia founded by Sir Thomas Dale in 1611 as an alternative to the swampy and dangerous site of the original English settlement at Jamestown. Named for Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales (1594–1612), the

eldest son of King James I of England, Henricus was located on a former meander of the James River, about 12 miles (19 km) southeast of present-day Richmond, Virginia, and about 15 miles (24 km) below the fall line. Today, the site is preserved and interpreted at Henricus Historical Park, a living history museum. It is surrounded by the Dutch Gap Conservation Area, an 810-acre (330 ha) preserve of woodlands and wetlands operated by Chesterfield County. Captain Dale, who had previously served as a mercenary with Dutch forces, ordered a channel dug across the neck of the river meander in an attempt to shorten navigation; the effort was unsuccessful and gave rise to the name "Dutch Gap". During the American Civil War, the canal was enlarged by Union forces, creating Farrar's Island. Subsequent dredging in the late 19th century diverted the main channel of the James River through the canal....

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