Flood Marker of 1771
Why it's listed
Rising eighteen feet from a six-foot-square inscribed base, this stone obelisk at Turkey Island, near Richmond, commemorates both a family and a disaster. Ryland Randolph raised it in 1771-1772 as a memorial to his parents, Richard Randolph, a burgess and Treasurer of Virginia from 1736 to 1748, and Jane Bolling Randolph. The east inscription recalls the calamitous year 1771, when the great rivers of the country were swept by unprecedented inundations. A flood on May 27, 1771, followed ten to twelve days of heavy rain in the central Blue Ridge and was Virginia's worst natural disaster up to that time. Tradition says the monument marks the flood's highest point in the vicinity, some forty-five feet above the normal river level, though its inscriptions make no such claim. Gun boats on the James River damaged the obelisk during the Civil War. A twentieth-century restoration replaced the top two courses and gave it an awkward shape. The lower two courses remain original.
Significance in brief: The monument is tied to the great flood of May 27, 1771, Virginia's worst natural disaster up to that time. Tradition holds that it marks the highest point the flood waters reached in the area, about forty-five feet above the normal river level, though its inscription does not claim this. It also memorializes Richard Randolph, a burgess and Treasurer of Virginia, and his wife Jane Bolling Randolph.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 71000981, listed September 22, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 0.8 mi. SE of jct. of VA 5 and VA 156, Richmond |
|---|---|
| County | Henrico County |
| Listed | September 22, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000981 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1771-1772 |
| Areas of significance | Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as fair and altered, on its original site. The obelisk was partially destroyed by gun boats on the James River during the Civil War and restored in the twentieth century. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 37.39530, -77.26807 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 71000981.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5460050
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.