Get outta here to a river town

Scottsville may be small but, once upon a time, it was a major port and bustling stop for goods going to Richmond and Tidewater. All because of the James River.

Founded in 1744, this small river town on Virginia 20 about 18 miles south of Charlottesville was once known as Scott’s Landing, Scott’s Ferry and Scott’s Ferry Landing. It is home to the James River and Hatton Ferry, two rafting companies, unique shops and several small family-style restaurants.

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The museum offers a good start in getting to know Scottsville. The current exhibit gives an idea about the townspeople who contributed to World War II.

Stationed around the old sanctuary are displays that include uniforms: a blue Navy Wave’s uniform with red crosses; a green Army uniform worn by a technical sergeant; a Navy lieutenant’s uniform. Other items include guns, bayonets, a trunk, tent, cot, typewriter, goggles, radios, and dog tags.

Then there are notebooks with pictures and stories for each veteran. Connie Geary, co-president of the Scottsville Museum and Historic Landmarks Foundation, said that for three years now, the staff has been compiling the personal histories of nearly 140 veterans.

Take William Schneider. He served as a tank mechanic in Casablanca and in Italy. Another is Milton Cohen, a war photographer in North Africa and Europe.

Alice Black served in the Women’s Army Corps, supported by her family whose son was also in the war, but opposed by her boss who didn’t think women should be involved in war.

Staff Sgt. Allen Gooden Jr., an African-American, was a combat engineer in New Guinea and Okinawa. He returned to the States and became the principal of Buckingham Elementary School.

The museum has other displays. Learn, for instance, about Dr. Orianna Moon, who was determined to be a doctor at a time when women were discouraged from pursuing so unfeminine a profession. The graduate of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania went to Charlottesville General Hospital during the war to help the Confederate Army.

Next door is the church founder’s home, the Barclay house. Built in 1830, the red brick building with black shutters is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s possible to get a tour, but by appointment only and only of one floor because the rest is in use.

Then take a walk across the street to the Canal Basin Square Park. It commemorates the roles of the river and the railroad, and their impact on Scottsville. You’ll find replicas of an old packet boat and a batteau, the flat-bottom craft invented to carry tobacco and the centerpiece of the annual Batteau Festival.

Scottsville was such a vital stop that a state tobacco inspector was appointed for the town. By 1830, as many as 500 batteaux ran the river between Lynchburg and Richmond.

In 1835, the James River and Kanawha Canal Co. began building a canal along the James to provide better navigation. The railroad’s faster, more reliable transportartion eventually eclipsed the canal, and train tracks now run on what was once the canal towpath.

The James still influences Scottsville’s fortunes, but these days it’s usually thanks to tourists who want to go tubing and canoeing on its waters.

If you’re going
--WHAT: Town of Scottsville and the Scottsville Museum
--WHERE: At the junction of Virginia 20 and Virginia 6
--MUSEUM HOURS: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday through October; by appointment until April.
--MUSEUM COST: Free
--INFO: About the Scottsville Museum or the Town of Scottsville, call (434) 286-2247 or visit the Web site at www. avenue.org/smuseum or e-mail to smuseum @avenue.org.