Sheriff C.T. Woody is pleased to announce that a 16-man team from the Misdemeanor Community Service Program (MCSP) participated in the cleanup of Ancarrow’s Landing on August 27. The efforts included landscaping and trash collection at the popular fishing spot located just south of Shockoe Bottom along the James River.
“I am very proud to partner with the James River Park System and to assist with their ongoing efforts to clean and beautify Ancarrow’s Landing,” stated Sheriff Woody. “The Misdemeanor Community Service Program is a wonderful way for non-violent offenders to serve out their sentence by doing good works for the communities in which they live. They become stake-holders in their environment. They can readily see the results of their work, and being that Ancarrow’s Landing is such an important historical landmark, they can take immediate pride in their labor.”
Ancarrow’s Landing is an important historical landmark in Richmond. It was one of the busiest ports in the confederate south and was an arrival point for African slaves as well as British goods. It was also the site of the Confederate Naval Yard, and construction of the Confederate Ironclads, which protected the City of Richmond from naval invasion, began here.
Today, the small park located near Rockett’s Landing marks the beginning of the Richmond Slave Trail and has access to the Manchester Docks. It is also a favorite of local fishermen and those enjoying the scenic waters of the James River via boat, as the Landing’s ramp is still fully functioning. Ancarrow’s Landing was named for Newton Ancarrow, a 20th Century scientist turned master boat builder, who was a pioneer for the conservation of the James River.