Post Thanksgiving trip to Tredgar Iron Works

Saturday after Thanksgiving we decided to get out and do something, before we spent the rest of the weekend lazing around. We walked down to Tredegar Iron Works. This was a huge factory that very important during the Civil War. Most of the facility is run by the Parks Department, and is free. It was sunny and in the 50's. 

Giant press

Really pretty brick ruins

Part of the canal system and a water wheel. The factory was all powered by water, then steam, and eventually electricity

Got to take some awesome industrial, distopian, steampunk photos

You can see the history here. The large stone blocks are from the initial flour mill that was here, then the older bricks from the Civil War era iron works, then the brighter red bricks from contemporary rebuilding

We took a lot of photos of gears and stuff. There are giant pieces of equipment that are just hanging around. They no longer work. Some of them had signs explaining what they had been. The inside of the museum was much better done, the outside needs updated. 

Inside the museum. It was really well done. They had great exhibits, videos, and artifacts. There was a focus on both the war, where to find nearby battlefields, and how the iron works made cannons and rifles that affected the war effort. But also good explanations of how average people in the area coped, how they were affected. Also how the war affected the cityscape, economy and history of Richmond. As the Confederate government moved out, they set fires, and a huge swath of the city burned. 

The Iron Works are right on the river, the canal was built up hill, then the water would flow downhill through the water wheels and empty into the river. 

We walked around the canal walk area and Brown's Island. It is a nice public area, kind of like Greenlake. People are walking, some kids playing, etc. 

This is the most purple plant we have ever seen!

A train went over while we were there. Tanner wanted me to walk under it, I was not having any of that. Also, this has to be the worst outfit. I have lost weight since I have been here, but you wouldn't know it from this outfit. 

Tanner always looks surprised in selfies 

You can see the Tredegar Iron Works in the background

Then we walked home. We stopped at Perly's, the modern Jewish delicatessen across the street form our apartment. I took some crappy photos, since we never posed any before of this place. We got an appetizer and beers. So it was an affordable date.

Tanner had Hardywood's Gingerbread Stout, which is a HUGE deal here, there are release parties every fall when they put it back on sale. He really liked it. 

Funky wall paper and family photos. Real wood booths. 

Hang your coat! Also out the window on the far left is our building. 

Part of the menu, sorry it's not really legible. 

Anyways. I learned a lot about Richmond. And I think I cemented a lot of things I had learned, but had not really put into any context. I took AP U.S. History in high school, which was a really good class. So a lot of things are coming back to me about Independence, the Civil War, Reconstruction, etc. 

I really want to do the driving tour of the area now, and visit all the battlefields and museums. We have to wait until it warms back up though, there are more places open in the summer.