Providence Forge, Virginia, a rural town of roughly 6,600 residents, owes its unusual name to the colonial iron forge established by William Byrd II in the early 1700s. Byrd, a wealthy planter and member of Virginia’s governor’s council, believed the area was ideal for manufacturing iron due to its proximity to Chickahominy River ore beds and abundant timber. The forge operated until the Revolutionary War, when British troops under General Banastre Tarleton torched it during their raid through New Kent County. Unlike Williamsburg, which is better known for its restored colonial center, Providence Forge bears its scars of history more subtly, leaving behind ruins and soil still occasionally yielding bits of scorched brick and iron slag.
Though small, Providence Forge continues to surprise. On a misty morning, locals might saddle up at Two River Trails, where guided horseback rides meander through thick woods and riverfront clearings. These are not sanitized bridle paths, riders cross muddy stretches, spot bald eagles in the sycamores, and ford shallow streams. The guides talk openly about the land’s layered past, mentioning its use by both Confederate and Union troops during the Civil War. Riders looking for a challenge can take longer, more rugged trails that pass over ancient Native American footpaths and colonial-era roadbeds, still visible under certain light after a rain.
Nearby, Old Forge Sporting Clays offers another experience rarely found in such a quiet community. With 16 stations tucked into natural terrain and a 5-stand field under a long shed, the range serves everyone from corporate groups to Olympic hopefuls. Each clay station is automated and programmable, mimicking flight patterns of game birds. It’s not uncommon to see shooters testing themselves against fast doubles, simulating quail bursts or the sudden lift of pheasants. The air smells of gunpowder and pine, and it’s a place where people bond over missed shots and unexpected bullseyes.
Every September, Providence Forge transforms for the Chickahominy Fall Festival and Pow-Wow, held at the tribal grounds along Route 60. This two-day event is rooted in the Chickahominy Tribe’s centuries-long presence in the region. Drum circles echo across the fields, dancers in ribboned regalia spin and stomp, and elders sell frybread from cast-iron skillets. The crowd is local and mixed—tribal members, suburbanites from Richmond, and the occasional anthropologist or history buff who heard about the festival through word-of-mouth.
Food in Providence Forge isn’t precious—it’s grounded in tradition and flavor. Don Miguel Mexican Restaurant stays busy, offering sizzling plates of carne asada and green enchiladas that draw regulars from neighboring counties. Their vegetarian enchiladas verdes, with tomatillo sauce and hand-rolled tortillas, are consistently praised online and offline. Patsy’s, open for breakfast and lunch, holds down the old-school diner category with its chicken fried steak and housemade sausage gravy, served over split biscuits the size of your fist. The walls are lined with newspaper clippings from decades past and Polaroids of loyal customers.
The odd businesses that thrive in Providence Forge are part of what gives the town its unpredictable charm. Over on Dispatch Road, Barry’s Berries & Jan’s Jams at Rose Tree Hill Farm is a family-owned plot of land that sells small-batch preserves made with berries picked at dawn. Their strawberry-lavender jam has developed a cult following, especially among weekenders on their way to the Colonial Downs racetrack.
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