Peter Jones Trading Station
The building before you was built as part of a trading station set up during the middle of the 17th century by Peter Jones I and his father-in-law Major General Abraham Wood. The building is known variously as Peter Jones Trading Station, Peter Jones Trading Post, and Old Stone Lumberhouse; but it is only one of the structures that made up the trading complex within the village which began as Fort Henry. Some old maps refer to this location as Appamattuck, Wood, and Fort Henry.
Fort Henry was established in 1646 at the falls of the Appomattox River as the last fort along the Virginia Fall Zone to protect English settlers from Powhatan uprisings. Peter Jones’ and General Wood’s trading complex within the Fort Henry lands was at the limit of navigation on the Appomattox River. Eventually, a village grew up along Old Street just east of here. This location served as a supply and administrative depot at the frontier for various exploratory and trade ventures to the west and southwest. The area to the immediate west was laid out as the town of Petersburg in December of 1738. In 1733 Petersburg had been named by William Byrd II partly for his friend Peter Jones Jr. Just behind you is what was the Upper or “Oyster Shell” Landing which served during the 17th and 18th centuries as a small river port The small bay and docking areas were filled in during the building of the railroads in the mld-19th century and later.
Marker is at the intersection of North Market Street and Pike Street, on the right when traveling south on North Market Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
