Richmond's Lost City, The Elko Tract
Posted by: 
archway
N 37° 29.212 W 077° 14.257
18S E 302169 N 4151235
Richmond's lost city is rumored to have had paved streets, sidewalks, curbs, street lamps, and a water tower, but it was never occupied and is now overgrown. A short video describes the story.
Waymark Code: WM6Z8M
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 08/09/2009
Views: 16
The story of Richmond's lost city is best described in the video:
Richmond's Lost City
If your browser or connection can't display the video, then here's a brief description. The lost city's history is two-fold. During World War II, a decoy airport was built at this location. There was fear of an attack from across the Atlantic, so the Elko Tract was chosen as the area where fake hangers and decoy airplanes would be built. After the war, and after being dormant for a number of years, the Elko Tract was cleared and construction of a state mental hospital was started. The plan caused an uproar in neaby Sandston, so the project was halted, but only after some of the infrastructure had been built. The most obvious reminder is the water tower, which can still be viewed through the trees.
A portion of the area is now a technology park, but these companies have been hit hard by the recession. Some of them have stopped operations and closed.
The coordinates for this waymark are at the water tower, which is also a benchmark and can be viewed through the trees, especially in winter. Since the area is now owned by the county and marked with no trespassing signs, take your picture from Technology Boulevard.