Brief History of 360 Riverview Road, Ivanhoe, Virginia

The property on the southeast corner of Riverview Road and Shady River Drive (360 Riverview Road) in Ivanhoe was the center of the industrialization, jobs, commerce and social interaction that began in the mid to late 1800s.  With the advent of the Ivanhoe Iron Furnace located across the small stream from the property the area mined and smelted iron ore into pig iron that was shipped to New York and Pittsburg to be processed into iron and steel products during the Industrial Revolution.

Ivanhoe Iron Furnace circa 1890, currently the lower trailhead parking area for New River Trail State Park

In this picture of the Headquarters & Company Store, the building seen to the left and beyond is the Ivanhoe Opera House which was a center of entertainment and community gatherings.  It served as a theater for live performances and early movies.

Also on the property was a Laboratory Building owned and operated by Charles Huddle, who ran the Ivanhoe Furnace and following its closure supervised construction of the National Carbide Plant

The property to the north is where the Norfolk & Western Railway Ivanhoe Depot was built.  Today, this is the upper trailhead parking and access for New River Trail State Park