Northern part of county packed with sights By Laura McFarland News Editor (Editor’s note: This column is part of a series about exploring Cumberland County through ridealongs with members of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.) Once again, this writer found herself sitting in the front seat of a police car and exploring the ins-and-outs of Cumberland County. My second ridealong with a member of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office went just as well as the first, with the journey in Capt. Dennis Ownby’s cruiser wrapping up after two hours on Tuesday, Nov. 18. The adventure provided a better understanding of the community. Sheriff Darrell Hodges very generously agreed to the ridealongs several months ago to help this newcomer get a more detailed, in-depth introduction to the county. After exploring the middle part of Cumberland County in October, Ownby, the chief deputy, was given the choice of the top or bottom portions of the county and he chose to head north to Cartersville. While driving north along Route 45, there was the opportunity to learn a little more about the man behind the wheel. Married with two children, he has lived here almost all his life and his parents still live here. Ownby, who followed in his father’s footsteps as a Cumberland County deputy, reached 20 years with the department in September. In fact, his father, Sgt. Jimmy Ownby, still works part-time for the department. “I used to think I knew everybody here, but here lately it seems like we have lots of new people,” he said. The county is still pretty tranquil, though, and he said that’s the way he likes it. Sill heading north, the topic of his unmarked vehicle was addressed. There is a video camera system that switches on if he hits 80 mph or turns on his lights, neither of which happened during the ridealong. We passed the Old Hamilton High School, which is where his father went to school. However, the building hasn’t been used for that purpose for many years, Ownby said. The ride also took us past the Cartersville Ruritan Club building. The club sponsors a 5K every year. This year marked Ownby’s first time to participate. There was a sense of accomplishment in his voice. Cartersville is a little like Mayberry, a small, quiet community where everybody knows one another, he said. After looking at the mix of homes and buildings in the few streets that make up the attractive village area, we drove down to the landing to see the beautiful James River and the bridge that leads to Goochland County. The river is busy in the summertime with tubing and fishing, he said, which sounds like a good thing to explore next summer. We headed east on the Cartersville Extension toward Powhatan County so Ownby could show me the beautiful Tamworth Mill. Standing at the fence at the end of the public road, you can hear the gurgle of Muddy Creek. However, the property is privately owned, so don’t trespass beyond the gate and fence. Back in the car and on the road heading west, Ownby said Bear Creek Lake State Park is popular with local residents and provides good hunting, which is a pastime he said his daughter loves. Turning onto Ampthill Road, Ownby pointed out Ampthill Plantation, a state and national historic property. The frame portion of the home was completed in 1735 and one-time owner Randolph Harrison had his first cousin, President Thomas Jefferson, design a brick addition that was later completed in 1835, according to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ website. Out of curiosity, the deputy was asked about Bodatious, a popular fall weekend event. Ownby headed toward the track and campground that brings large crowds to the area twice a year. The drive took us to Columbia Road and the Fluvanna County line where we saw the Columbia Boat Landing and another lovely view of the James River. After heading back south, Ownby pointed out the old Duncan Store at the intersection of Columbia and Duncan Store roads. A quick drive through its parking lot showed a neat history of old, rusted trucks through the decades. An interesting site in the county that surprised Ownby when he first saw it was the Colonial Pipeline Corporation Mitchell Junction Tank Farm, mainly because coming across a big tank farm in the middle of nowhere can be a surprise. The final stop of the evening was to see the ruins of the old mill at Sports Lake off of Sports Lake Road. The lake is privately owned but Ownby said people sometimes are allowed to use it for a small fee, and there is a sign across from the mill with a phone number for those interested to call. It was getting dark by the time we headed back into Cumberland, but, even as night approached, the glimpses of countryside were appealing. This series always leaves one eager to see more. This will be continued . . .
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 12:00:00 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015