Short Pump. 189/365

We spent several hours at Short Pump Town Center today. This outdoor mall has a huge fountain with many of these black pumps around the lower portion and a larger pump at the top of the fountain. After taking this picture and often wondering where this strange name came from (the area we live in at the "far west end" of Richmond is referred to as Short Pump), I did a little research on the name. What I found explained a plaque on the fountain that mentioned stagecoach travelers telling each other "see you at the Short Pump".

Back in 1815, Robert Hyde Saunders, a Revolutionary War veteran, purchased hundreds of acres of land on Three Notch Road (now Three Chopt) at the terminus of Deep Run Turnpike (today’s West Broad Street). He constructed a large plantation house, kitchen, and other various smaller buildings. The insurance policy taken out by Saunders from which this information originated also states that a large two-story frame tavern was constructed facing Three Notch Road. The tavern became very popular in a short period of time, and stagecoach travelers making the trip from Richmond to Charlottesville would stop in and stay the night, get a good meal, and water their weary horses.

Over the years the tavern was continually expanded and a porch was eventually added onto the back of the structure. The pre-existing water pump for the horses was now covered by the porch above, and didn’t have enough clearance to get a full stroke of water when pumped. It was also very costly at the time to dig a new well. The solution? Shorten the pump shaft and handle!
The tavern became known for this shortened pump and was dubbed the Short Pumped Tavern by its’ patrons. The surrounding plantation also earned rights to the name over the years and was officially named Short Pump Plantation. The access road to the tavern from the south was named Short Pump Road, but then was later shortened simply to Pump Road by usage, and the name remains today.

It has even been said that Thomas Jefferson frequented the tavern on his travels from his home in Charlottesville, Monticello to Richmond.