Planning Department

Matoaca Community

Rural Living with Convenience

For what it lacks in commercial development, the community of Matoaca gains in quiet country roads and rural hospitality.

At the heart of the community is the historic, unincorporated village of Matoaca, which has changed little since the turn of the 20th century, said Dr. George Ray Partin, a lifelong resident of Matoaca.

"When I ride through on my tractor I can wave to people and they wave back," Partin said.

Partin enjoys growing vegetables on his family farm outside of the village.

Matoaca was named after Pocahontas, whose formal name was Matoaca.

Matoaca started as a mill town along the Appomattox River. It was established around 1833, when the Providence Manufacturing Co. began to mill cotton, hemp, wool and flax, according to a historical summary of Matoaca published in "Chesterfield County Historical Sites and Structures" by Jeffrey M. O'Dell. The mill was built adjacent to an existing grain mill. The name of the company soon changed to Matoaca Manufacturing Co., and paper was added to the list of items produced in Matoaca.

The flow of the Appomattox powered the mill operations. Upriver from Matoaca was a series of wing dams and sluiceways, enabling water navigation to and from Petersburg, which at the time was a port city and major rail center.

Matoaca Manufacturing Co. owned most of the settled area in Matoaca and was responsible for building many of the houses in the village.

"I knew some of the people who worked in the old mill," Partin said. "The houses built here were built for the people who worked at the mill."

Matoaca's mill operations ceased in the 1920s. An electric trolley line was built and provided easy access to Petersburg for residents commuting to jobs.

Today, Matoaca continues to serve as a suburb of Petersburg and Colonial Heights.

Growth in Matoaca mostly has been limited to single-family homes. But the community is expected to continue growing as families seek residence away from the hustle and bustle of urban areas.

The community's estimated population of 8,600 is expected to reach 9,800 by 2005.

Matoaca's "Main Street" is River Road, which winds across southern Chesterfield from Ettrick to Amelia County. River Road provides easy access to the Tri-City area and western Chesterfield. Commercial development along River Road in Matoaca includes a gas station/convenience store, movie rental store and a bank.

Geographically, Matoaca is one of the largest communities in Chesterfield because of its rural nature. More than 50 neighborhoods dot the community, and there are four active neighborhood associations.

Matoaca's Part I crime rate, which tracks the most serious crimes, is lower than the county average. Working to keep the crime rate low are nine neighborhood watch groups.

Matoaca has three schools, including Matoaca Elementary, Matoaca Middle and Matoaca High schools. Construction of a new high school is planned. Matoaca Elementary is located on River Road in the village.

"The school and the village are one," Partin said.

The fact that Matoaca has been slow to change is one of the things that makes the community special, Partin said.

"To some people it might be too slow," he added, "but I enjoy living here."