land preservation Events » Henrico County, Virginia

Henrico News Archives for Tag: land preservation

Henrico, Capital Region Land Conservancy and developer partner to protect historic land by Roslyn Hills Park

Posted on December 3, 2025.

The 6.4 acres of wooded property was part of Ziontown, a Black community established following emancipation by Henry Pryor, who had been enslaved at nearby Ravenswood plantation. Ziontown, which means “heavenly place,” began with Pryor’s purchase of 5 acres and prospered into the 1960s, with about 50 homes and as many as 275 residents, according to research for a historical marker installed by the county in 2020 along Ridge.

The Board of Supervisors voted Oct. 28 to acquire the land in collaboration with CRLC. With a $850,000 grant from the county, CRLC acquired the property from Dan and Linda Wilson, of University Park LLC, through a part-gift and part-sale transaction. Then, CRLC donated it to Henrico, and the county conveyed a conservation easement to CRLC, designating the site for the perpetual preservation of open space and restricting future development. The closing was finalized Nov. 24.

Continue reading Henrico, Capital Region Land Conservancy and developer partner to protect historic land by Roslyn Hills Park

Henrico to buy 2,095-acre Varina Farms for land preservation

Posted on January 17, 2024.

Tobacco – and Virginia’s prosperity – took root at former riverfront plantation

The Henrico County Board of Supervisors voted today to buy Varina Farms, a 2,095-acre former plantation along the James River that will be preserved for its historical significance, natural beauty and sensitive environment.