Neabsco Iron Works

Situated along the nearby Neabsco Creek, the Neabsco Iron Works began operation by 1737. Directed by John Tayloe of Richmond County and succeeding family members, the ironworks evolved into a multifaceted antebellum industrial plantation, which included such activities as shipbuilding, milling, smithing, leatherworking, farming, and shoemaking. The complex became an important supplier of raw materials for weaponry during the American Revolution. The Neabsco Iron Works operation ended about 1828, after the death of John Tayloe III, when his sons sold most of the remaining Neabsco lands.