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Last Updated: Jul 28th, 2008 |
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City Point, the oldest part of Hopewell, was founded in 1613 by Sir
Thomas Dale. City Point’s location on a bluff overlooking the
James and Appomattox Rivers has been an important factor in Hopewell's
history for almost four centuries.
The tiny colonial village of City Point saw the Revolutionary War
fought on its banks. Later, in 1864-1865, General Ulysses S.
Grant directed the 10-month Siege of Petersburg from the grounds of
Appomattox Plantation. This historic home is now part of the City
Point Unit of Petersburg National Battlefield.
Hopewell was developed by the DuPont Company of Wilmington, Delaware in
1914. This company first built a dynamite factory and then
switched to the manufacture of guncotton during World War I.
Although DuPont left Hopewell after the war, many manufacturing giants
have since located in the city. These companies include: Honeywell, Degussa Goldschmidt, Smurfit-Stone, and Hercules.
Products as diverse as the first automatic dishwasher, the first Kraft
paper and cardboard boxes, china and artificial silk have been
manufactured in Hopewell.
Since its founding, Hopewell, named after an English ship, has
continued its British ties by twinning with the City of Ashford, Kent,
England.
Hopewell has received the Governor's Clean City Award and is noted for its landscaping and beautification.
For more information, please call (800) 863-8687 or (804) 541-2461.
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