My friend Donna and I took a several hour Sunday afternoon meander through the back roads of Powhatan today just to take pictures. If you want to touch history, capture the heart and soul of the county, and catch a glimpse of the photogenic spots, leave the busy, main thoroughfare and cruise the back roads, the roads less traveled. I condensed my 75 pictures to these….
Come with us on our jaunt and enjoy the pictures.

Flatrock, Powhatan is named after this rock and it is on the little side road behind Davis-Merchant Equipment.
If someone knows the history of this rock….it would be interesting to post.

See the indentation in the rock. If I remember the history correctly, the Indians used this rock for grinding corn.

Beautiful huge stately old oak tree on 522. I have always admired it’s ability to survive and look so good.
Several links about the history:
Belmead Stables and Riding Club

While taking the above picture of the flower bed I was standing beside this small spruce tree. A startled bird flew from the tree. I looked and found her secret…4 little eggs nestled in the branches.

We call it the “Mighty James” but it is actually a very calm, beautiful river. It is not very deep west of the 522 bridge. A lot of it is waist deep or less but with a few deeper pockets.
I wish I had looked at the signs, especially at Belmead, and gotten a little of the history. If anyone can fill in any history on these spots please add a comment.
Some comments:
- Wanda Starke: We went to Belmead when they had something going on and they had a book with the people who were buried in the graveyard. It was real sad, because most were infants and I can’t remember seeing but one or two over the age of 34. I remember sitting in church there in the 50’s listening to the cadets doing drills. There used to be a row of shops where the men learned a trade. Otto taught the blacksmiths. I remember a tailor, barbershop and I’m not sure about others.
- Linda Smith: The original owner and builder of the house was a distant relative of the Cocke family that I work for. They are and old Virginia family who’s forefather’s immigrated from England in the 1600s.
It’s lovely that it’s being saved, even though the pace is slow. My 92 year old neighbor well remembers when it was being used as a trainer center for young men from ‘the north’.
Kendra L Said:
on June 9, 2014 at 7:19 am
I googled Belmead and found a few brief histories. Sounds like an interesting place to explore. Are the buildings open for tours or closed up and abandoned?
Pat Said:
on June 9, 2014 at 7:53 am
I am not sure. The St. Francis section is gated off. That is where Youth With A Mission was based when they were in Powhatan. There are two sisters left there. The Belmead side is used_I think. One of the sisters comes in the store occasionally. I will have to ask her. The place is huge. One of the guys in our church plants corn on the farmland.
Linda Burkholder Said:
on June 10, 2014 at 10:35 am
I enjoyed the ride…Thanks! Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2014 22:36:08 +0000 To: dlsburk@hotmail.com