GOOCHLAND COUNTY A <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Courthouse</strong> <strong>Village</strong> Page 1 <strong>of</strong> 96 Spring, 2006 Goochl<strong>and</strong> County
Historical Background In March 1727, the General Assembly <strong>of</strong> Virginia passed a law calling <strong>for</strong> the division <strong>of</strong> the Henrico Shire. Sir William Gooch, the man <strong>for</strong> whom the new county would be named, arrived in September <strong>of</strong> 1727 <strong>and</strong> Goochl<strong>and</strong> was <strong>of</strong>ficially established in 1728. At the time <strong>of</strong> its founding, Goochl<strong>and</strong> was a frontier area <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong>fered a natural setting <strong>for</strong> large plantations <strong>and</strong> country estates. Tuckahoe <strong>Plan</strong>tation, the boyhood home <strong>of</strong> Thomas Jefferson, is the oldest recorded River <strong>Plan</strong>tation in the County <strong>and</strong> still exists today as a local attraction. With the James River running through the new county, an abundance <strong>of</strong> creeks <strong>and</strong> mills were built to grind grain or produce oils. Early cultivation <strong>of</strong> tobacco was replaced by wheat, which was easily transported to the larger mills in Richmond <strong>for</strong> markets in the Atlantic region by way <strong>of</strong> winding county roads. By 1840, the Kanawha Canal, created by George Washington. As in other areas <strong>of</strong> the US, the canal eventually gave way to the railroad. The railroad was completed in 1880 <strong>and</strong> served the dual purpose <strong>of</strong> transportation <strong>and</strong> communication in Goochl<strong>and</strong> <strong>for</strong> many years. By 1916, each <strong>of</strong> the designated train stations served as telegraph stations <strong>and</strong> post <strong>of</strong>fices. Post construction <strong>of</strong> Interstate 64, the role <strong>of</strong> Routes 6 <strong>and</strong> 250's became that <strong>of</strong> a commercial <strong>and</strong> industrial business corridor. Regional Context Goochl<strong>and</strong> County is a growing, rural, county strategically located along the northern bank <strong>of</strong> the James River in the lower Piedmont plateau in Central Virginia. Goochl<strong>and</strong> is fifteen miles west <strong>of</strong> the State Capitol <strong>of</strong> Richmond, thirty miles east <strong>of</strong> Charlottesville, <strong>and</strong> 105 miles south <strong>of</strong> Washington, D.C. Although Goochl<strong>and</strong> County is predominately rural encompassing some 289 square miles, it is considered part <strong>of</strong> the Richmond Metropolitan area (see Figure 1). The Richmond Metropolitan Area is experiencing outward growth, similar to other urban areas <strong>of</strong> this size in the United States. Goochl<strong>and</strong> County has experienced steady <strong>and</strong> moderate growth over the past thirty years. Like so many other jurisdictions, Goochl<strong>and</strong> County is experiencing the outward development pressures <strong>of</strong> the central city. These sprawling growth patterns are consuming historic farml<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> spreading in all directions from the central city. Phases <strong>of</strong> outward growth have reached the eastern edge <strong>of</strong> Goochl<strong>and</strong> County, beginning with the development <strong>of</strong> the city <strong>of</strong> Richmond, the rise <strong>of</strong> the first suburban ring in Chesterfield <strong>and</strong> Henrico counties, <strong>and</strong> continuing now to spread further out from the central city into Hanover, Powhatan, <strong>and</strong> Goochl<strong>and</strong> counties. As growth has moved westward, Goochl<strong>and</strong> County has begun to experience development pressure both from businesses <strong>and</strong> residential interests. Figure 2, illustrates the extent <strong>of</strong> major development in the metropolitan area. A <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Courthouse</strong> <strong>Village</strong> Page 2 <strong>of</strong> 96 Spring, 2006 Goochl<strong>and</strong> County