Gas leak leads to historic discovery: Petersburg’s lost streetcar tracks revealed
VENN
PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) -- City workers made an unexpected, historical discovery while responding to a gas leak in Petersburg on Monday.
On Monday, Feb. 17, firefighters with Petersburg Fire Rescue & Emergency Services arrived at the intersections of Washington and Pine streets for a reported gas leak near one of the city's water mains.
When they arrived, they were instead greeted with a glimpse of the past: long-lost streetcar tracks hidden beneath the roadway.
Streetcar tracks found beneath Washington Street in Petersburg. (Photo: Petersburg Fire Rescue & Emergency Services)
Streetcar tracks found beneath Washington Street in Petersburg. (Photo: Petersburg Fire Rescue & Emergency Services)
Streetcars were a crucial part of getting around the city of Petersburg during the late 19th century and mid-20th century. In the earliest years, these streetcars were drawn by horses. Later on, they were fully electrical.
According to fire officials, at the time, Petersburg's fire engines had to share the roadways with these streetcars.
Petersburg's trolley system came in the wake of the first successful electric streetcar system in Richmond, which was launched in 1888.
Historical photos of streetcars in Petersburg. (Photo: Petersburg Fire Rescue & Emergency Services)
Historical photos of streetcars in Petersburg. (Photo: Petersburg Fire Rescue & Emergency Services)
However, streetcars became lost to time with the rise of buses and personal vehicles as we know them today.
"Though the tracks vanished beneath layers of pavement, their occasional rediscovery — like this one on Washington Street — serves as a reminder of Petersburg’s rich transit history," fire officials said. "These relics offer a glimpse into a time when streetcars and fire engines shared the roads, shaping the city’s daily life and emergency response strategies."
