History and Drinking Water Protected at 139-Acre Site Known as Camp Holly

Richmond, VA – For more than a century, spring water has been drawn from the Camp Holly aquifer in eastern Henrico County to be sold to the Richmond area. Stewardship of this important source of drinking water was assumed by the Dowdy family in the 1950s and distributed under the name Diamond Springs. Three generations later, Roland “Dusty” Dowdy III has recorded a historic preservation and open-space easement with the Virginia Board of Historic Resources, administered by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR).

The easement on approximately 139 acres protects the aquifer recharge area where water infiltrates from the surface of the ground to replenish the shallow aquifer. Equally important to the property are the historic resources associated with indigenous peoples and military encampments during the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.

“DHR is honored to partner with the Capital Region Land Conservancy (CRLC) and the Dowdy family to preserve this historically significant property. Its rich and multi-faceted history deserves to be preserved through perpetual stewardship and protection,” said Julie Langan, DHR Director.

Most of the Camp Holly property forms a slight plateau that is characterized by distinctive 60-foot-high escarpments that define the eastern and southern slopes. Approximately 104 acres are under forested cover with another 22 acres of prime farmland actively cultivated and eight acres of forested/shrub wetland habitat. The easement also protects a riparian buffer and 700 linear feet of frontage along an unnamed tributary of Bailey Creek which empties into Four Mile Creek and the James River.

Camp Holly’s natural landscape and access to clean drinking water also made it ideal for military logistics. As a practical matter, it was easier to bring troops to the water than bring water to the troops. The site was thus essential during the Revolutionary War as noted in several pension records such as that of William Pendleton Herndon, who claims “a small skirmish between some British and Americans at ‘Camp Holly’ below Richmond.”

During the War of 1812, Camp Holly was once again established to host militia forces to defend against a British invasion that never materialized. In a letter from Thomas Jefferson Randolph to Thomas Jefferson on August 31, 1814, Randolph notes the camp housed 2,000 militia men.

During the Civil War, the escarpments served as a significant Confederate defense for forces outside of Richmond along New Market Road (Route 5) and formed part of the New Market Line of earthen defenses. Camp Holly was engaged in the Battle of First Deep Bottom (July 27-29, 1864), Battle of Second Deep Bottom (August 13-20, 1864), and again during the Battle of New Market Heights (September 29, 1864), with all 139 acres falling within the core and study area as determined by the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission.

Capital Region Land Conservancy (CRLC) assisted the Dowdy family and was applicant to several grants to purchase the easement. The National Park Service awarded CRLC with $1,487,153 in Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants through the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP). An additional $1,278,000 was provided to CRLC from the Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund administered by the DHR.

The entire Camp Holly property is noted in ConserveVirginia 3.0 as the highest priority land to be conserved across the Commonwealth of Virginia in the Cultural and Historic Preservation, Water Quality Improvement, and Agricultural and Forestry categories.

The protection of potable water is cited in Henrico County’s Vision 2026 Comprehensive Plan. It specifically acknowledges that aquifers, including Camp Holly, are particularly vulnerable to contamination from pollutants introduced at the land’s surface and these recharge areas need to be protected.

As of 2025, Virginia Department of Historic Resources has placed nearly 47,000 acres of land under historic preservation and open-space easement. DHR easements are held by the Virginia Board of Historic Resources, and DHR staff monitor the eased lands. The Board currently holds easements on approximately 17,000 acres of battlefields in Virginia.

About Capital Region Land Conservancy (CRLC)
Capital Region Land Conservancy is dedicated to conserving the natural and historic resources of Virginia’s Richmond region for the benefit of people and nature. The nonprofit land trust serves the City of Richmond and 19 surrounding counties. Since 2005, CRLC has helped protect more than 15,000 acres, including easements on more than 5,000 acres.  

About the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR)
The Virginia Department of Historic Resources is the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in Virginia. A state agency in the Natural and Historic Resources Secretariat, DHR fosters, encourages, and supports the stewardship and use of Virginia’s significant architectural, archaeological, and historic resources as valuable assets for the economic, educational, social, and cultural benefit of citizens and communities.