Petersburg is a historic and urban gem located south of Richmond, the state capital.
Location, transportation infrastructure, and industrial base were ideal conditions for sustained economic development; however, local government revenues fluctuated according to national and regional economic conditions, with high-income households leaving and firms leaving, further weakening its tax base.
Hardware Store
At one of Petersburg’s oldest intersections lies this hardware store offering nearly everything you might need for home use – from air filters to novelty signs and seasonal plants! Be sure to stop in seasonally as their selection changes each season – located at North Market Street and Grove Avenue.
Lawn & Garden Center
The Lawn & Garden Center at Petersburg Trading Post is ideal for purchasing outdoor necessities like replacement air filters, fishing gear, and novelty signs. In addition, this store boasts an impressive selection of plants and trees (such as maples, birches, redbuds, flowering crab apples, and sycamore) and fertilizers and gardening essentials stocked here. Staff at this shop are extremely helpful and knowledgeable – perfect for DIY projects, emergency supply runs, or simply browsing their unique items on display – plus much more besides. For more information, visit the City of Petersburg’s website here.
Historic Halifax Triangle can also be visited on the Halifax Triangle Driving Tour, where Paul Meyer’s urban farm and CSA (community-supported agriculture) can be admired. He grows lettuces and other crops in burlap bags; you might leave with something extra!
The Old Trading Post
The Old Trading Post in Petersburg features vintage consignment furniture, home goods, antiques, and gifts at competitive prices. Situated at the corner of North Market Street and Grove Avenue in Petersburg, they sell jewelry, mason jar candles, hand-made soaps, and other unique items – perfect for anyone seeking treasure! Though not as polished and clean as other antique* stores, their prices are very reasonable and the quality of items offered is outstanding.
Peter Jones Trading Station at Market and Grove Streets may be one of the oldest buildings in Charlotte. Constructed by Abraham Wood and Peter Jones during the 17th century, it became an essential hub of Indian trade with surrounding territories. William Byrd named the new town at Falls of James and Appomattox Rivers after him – later becoming known as Jones Town. Over time it served many functions, including a trading station, magazine prison during Civil War times, carpentry or cabinet shop, box factory, and tobacco stemmery before its destruction by fire in 1980 made it difficult to date its construction accurately.
The Petersburg Historic District contains a mix of 18th through early 20th-century residential, commercial, and industrial architecture. Mercantile buildings such as flour mills, cotton warehouses, and forges are concentrated in the lower portion of this district; an assortment of workers’ cottages built between 1897 and 1930 line High Street lining their entire length. In 2008, its eastern boundary was expanded further with four former manufacturing buildings from this era; their structures represent commercial and industrial construction in Petersburg during this era.
The Old Post Office
Petersburg emerged as one of Virginia’s most promising early towns at its location on the falls of the Appomattox River and through waterborne commerce before, during, and post-Revolutionary War. With an affluent population focused on tobacco cultivation and manufacturing activities that expanded, Petersburg quickly developed into one of Virginia’s leading trading centers.
On the eve of the Civil War, Alexandria hosted 39 commission merchants who sold agricultural products directly to planters while procuring goods from distant suppliers. Furthermore, numerous wholesale merchants supplied retail stores throughout southern and northeastern Virginia as well as parts of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky – during its heyday, this extensive trade involved so many ships docked that one newspaper account noted, “It is indeed pleasing to the eye when so many ships appear brimming with merchandise.”
Logging and timber production were cornerstones of Gormania’s local economy. Using bark as raw material, tanneries found great success in leather production; one such tannery boasted having the largest in the world, which shipped products from London!
Grant County prospered as the logging industry flourished because of its natural resources and strong values. This success was enhanced further with the advent of railroads and other transportation systems.
During the Civil War, its proximity to both sides made it incredibly challenging for residents of this community to remain impartial. Many joined regular Confederate or Union units while others formed home guards or ranger companies within their areas.
The Old Post Office stands on Grove Avenue and North Market Street in Petersburg and may be one of the oldest buildings in town, dating back between 1650-1750 and serving as both a trading post and post office up until 1921. Today it serves as part of Peter Jones Historic District preservation efforts.