The 1611 Citie of Henricus, from which Chesterfield evolved, is located on a bluff overlooking one of the most scenic areas of the James River. Here, Sir Thomas Dale, following instructions from the London Company to find a more suitable location for a colony than the Jamestown site, led 350 settlers in the building of Virginia’s second permanent English settlement in the New World. The location was described as "convenient, strong, healthie and a sweete seate to plant a new Towne in." The 1611 Citie of Henricus flourished. From it arose many new beginnings. What transpired had an unprecedented impact on the growth and destiny of America Chesterfield County Museum & Old Jail - The museum is a replica of the county's colonial courthouse of 1749. Its collections include articles dating from pre-historic fossils into the 20th century. Artifacts from the Appomattucks and Monacan Indians native to the area, items pertaining to Sir Thomas Dale's English settlement of 1611 and the 18th century French Huguenot settlers, and items portraying the devastation of the Revolutionary War and the Civil War battles within the county await you. Chesterfield County Homepage