SANDSTON HISTORIC DISTRICT

The Sandston Historic District is located along Williamsburg Road, and is composed of 554 properties, including 1.1 miles of the Williamsburg commercial corridor and surrounding residential properties. Development of the residential area south of Williamsburg Road began in 1918 with the development of the E. I. DuPont de Nemours Seven Pines Loading Plant #3 to assist in wartime efforts during World War I. After the war ended, production at the plant ceased abruptly and the disposal of the plant commenced. The worker village associated with the plant was purchased by the Richmond-Fairfield Railway Company, under president Oliver J. Sands, in 1921 and became the basis of affordable single-family housing for workers commuting to the city of Richmond. In 1923, the community gained a post office and officially changed the name to Sandston, due to an already existing town of Fairfield in Virginia. Development in Sandston continued throughout the mid-twentieth century, leading to a variety of residential and commercial architectural styles.

Recognizing the area’s unique history and intact architectural character, Henrico County requested and substantially funded listing the district in the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.

Notes:

The establishment of the Sandston Historic District was made possible by the support of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Henrico Department of Community Revitalization coordinated the survey work and nomination process to enable the District’s establishment.

The Virginia Landmarks Register, established in 1966 and managed by the Department of Historic Resources, is the state’s official list of properties and districts important to Virginia’s history.

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation.