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Spillway bridge

Photo taken by Roger Deschner in November 2021

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BH Photo #513508

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Description

The Jones Mill Pond Dam was believed to have been built in colonial times to power a mill, making it over 250 years old. The dam shows on Civil War maps. The original dam was enlarged and widened 1931-1932, including a closed-spandrel arch bridge carrying the Colonial Parkway over the dam spillway. The dam had to be reinforced with pilings on the pond side in 1935, due to slumping earth.

This dam was the site of a major skirmish in the Civil War Battle of Williamsburg on May 5, 1862. The following is from a NPS sign at the dam:

A UNION ADVANCE

On May 5, 1862, Lt. George A Custer (who in 1876 made his "Last Stand" on the Little Bighorn River) led a detachment along the roadway here over "Cub Dam Creek" to occupy the Confederate work on the bluff immediately beyond. This maneuver in the Battle of Williamsburg came as the Union Army advanced toward Richmond in the Peninsular Campaign.

Facts

Overview: Dam on Cub Creek carrying Colonial Parkway
Location: York County, Virginia
Status: Open to traffic
History: Built in colonial era; site of skirmish in Civil War Battle of Williamsburg May 5, 1862; raised and widened 1931-1932 to carry Colonial Parkway
Design: Earthen dam with closed-spandrel arch bridge carrying roadway over spillway. Upstream pond side has colonial-style brick facing and railing; downstream side is bare concrete.
Recognition: Listed as a contributing resource to the Colonial National Historical Park 66000839 Historic District
Approximate latitude, longitude: +37.28323, -76.64200 (decimal degrees)
37°16'60" N, 76°38'31" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates: 18/354439/4127556 (zone/easting/northing)
Inventory number: BH 95503 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Update Log

January 7, 2022: New Street View added by Roger Deschner
December 19, 2021: Updated by Roger Deschner: Import photos, add HAER information, and importance of Civil War hostilities at this dam
December 18, 2021: Added by Roger Deschner

Sources

Roger Deschner - rogerdeschner [at] gmail [dot] com
HAER listing - Detailed description of 1931-1932 dam reconstruction (text only, no pictures)
US Bureau of Reclamation - Wormley Creek and Jones Mill Pond Dams Colonial National Historical Park Yorktown, Virginia Downstream Hazard Potential Classification Re-Evaluation National Park Service - Dam Safety Program, February 2013
Williamsburg - May 5, 1862 | American Battlefield Trust - Modern battllefield map showing dam and troop movements
Library of Congress - Historic map of the Battle of Williamsburg, showing dam
Wikipedia
Williamsburg Yorktown Daily - Civil War History Abounds on Undeveloped Tract in York County (w/ Video)

Colonial Parkway - Jones Mill Pond Dam