Shockoe Creek

For the tributary of the Banister River, see Shockoe Creek (Banister River tributary).

Richmond City, mapped c. 1911

Shockoe Creek cut through Richmond

Land (and slaves) along Shockoe Creek listed for sale, 1766

Local business owners protested Shockoe Creek flooding (Richmond Times Dispatch, 1922)

Shockoe Creek is a watercourse in Virginia, United States, tributary to the James River.[1][2] The Shockoe Creek watershed drained "portions of Richmond's North Side, near West End, downtown and northeast Henrico County."[3] Historic tributaries of Shockoe Creek included Bacon's Quarter Branch and Gum Tree Creek.[3]

Shockoe Creek marked the western border of Richmond when it was incorporated as a municipality in 1742.[4] The Shockoe Bottom neighborhood was the slave-trading district of Richmond, Virginia prior to the American Civil War.[5] There were two water-powered mills along the creek in the 19th century.[4] The creek has been channelized for flood control and pollution management since the 1920s.[6]

See also

• Shockoe Valley
• Shockoe Bottom African Burial Ground
• Shockoe Hill
• Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground
• Shockoe Hill Burying Ground Historic District
• Shockoe Hill Cemetery

References

1. Economic geology of Richmond, Virginia, and vicinity (Report). 1911. doi:10.3133/b483. hdl:2346/65102.
2. "Shockoe Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
3. "Creek Is Almost Lost But Not to History by David D. Ryan". Richmond Times-Dispatch. 1977-03-20. p. 33. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
4. "Creek Is Almost Lost to View, But Not to Richmond's History". Richmond Times-Dispatch. 1977-03-20. p. 35. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
5. Kadinsky, Sergey (2016-04-04). "Shockoe Creek, Richmond". Hidden Waters blog. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
6. "Otherwise Known As 'Chyinek'". richmondmagazine.com. 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2024-09-01.

37°33′14″N 77°25′28″W