Restoring Historic Riverfront in Powhatan

Some of the many volunteers who gave their time to this project

Through a Virginia Department of Forestry grant, the James River Association (JRA) partnered with the Chesapeake Conservancy and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament to enhance and restore the riverfront along the James River at St. Francis/St. Emma, also known as Historic Belmead, in Powhatan, VA. 

Belmead was originally built as a plantation home along the banks of the James River. In the late 1800s, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament transformed the property into two private schools for African American and Native American students. Unfortunately, financial setbacks caused the schools to close in the 1970s and most of the historic buildings to be demolished. In 2011, this historic 2,265-acre property was listed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.

Doug Audley from the Department of Forestry

 shows volunteers how to properly plant a tree seedling 

JRA and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation both hold a conservation easement on 1,000 acres of land along the riverbank and throughout the years have worked closely with the Sisters to protect and enhance this historic property’s riverfront.

Over the course of five workdays this spring, 89 volunteers spent 342 hours of their time planting 1,500 native Virginia trees along a half-mile of James River-front. Plantings along the banks of waterways (riparian buffers) are important for three major reasons. First, they filter runoff that could include sediment and excess nutrients that flow off the land. Second, they provide wildlife habitat along the river corridor. And lastly, they reduce erosion by holding the soil along the banks in place. Even if your home does not border a waterway, trees are an important feature for any property because they reduce stormwater runoff and provide aesthetic value. Tree canopies capture and store rainfall and reduce soil erosion. They take up a large amount of water from the soil and provide important habitat for wildlife.

Planting 1,500 trees

Native Virginia trees planted at Belmead include:

River Birch (Betula nigra)

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)

Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)
Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)

Many thanks go out to the volunteers who gave their time to this project. We couldn’t have done it without you!

If you are interested in projects like this, visit JRA’s Volunteer Center to become a volunteer today!