1816, Robert Mills, engineer for dock. c. 1900, railway. Between Dock St. and the James River
These engineering works can easily be viewed from Cary Street. The Richmond Dock was a major development of the Richmond Canal System, which allowed ships to pass upriver from Richmond's port, at the point known as Rocketts, all the way to 14th Street. It was eventually connected to the James River and Kanawha Canal. The elevated railway was a later improvement that allowed through trains literally to rise above the congested rail areas in Shockoe Valley and downtown Richmond.