Tredegar Iron Works  "The Mother Arsenal"

The Tredegar Iron Works of Richmond, VA, located at the foot of Gamble's Hill on the James River, was a unique Southern industry. Tredegar was the major reason that Virginia's industrial capacity was nearly as great as that of the original seven Confederate states combined. It was the only Southern rolling mill that could produce sheet iron and the only Southern foundry capable of producing large cannon. When magazine editor James D.B. DeBow toured the cluster of brick buildings six months before the start of the war, he reported: "The capacity of the establishment is almost without limit. It seems like a special providence that it exists."

From this "mother arsenal" came the 723 tons of armor plating that covered the CSS Virginia- the world's first ironclad used in war- and much of the Rebel's heavy ordnance machinery. The importance of the industrial center played a part in the Confederate government's decision to make Richmond its capital and affected Southern military strategy throughout the war.

Joseph R. Anderson's brilliant management of the facility was the primary reason that Tredegar has been called "the grandest triumph of all Confederate war industries". Anderson operated the iron work as a semi-autonomous domain and managed it like a plantation. Tredegar not only produced almost every large metal commodity needed for the Rebel war effort, but was also a research facility that employed highly trained workers from England and Germany who helped conceive and develop new weapons.

With great ingenuity, Anderson overcame shortages of raw materials and personnel and continued producing ordnance and supplies for the Confederacy until Union soldiers captured the plant upon the fall of Richmond. Had enough material and workers been available, Tredegar's output during the war could have been double the remarkable level Anderson achieved despite wartime handicaps.

Fascinating Fact:  Anderson offered more than once to turn the iron works completely over to Confederate authorities, but the offer was always declined. Under no other management could Tredegar have been more efficient or more beneficial to the South.


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