Petersburg Railroad Chair

Photograph by Eileen Bright
This rolled-lip iron chair and spike were recovered in Stoney Creek, where a bridge of the Petersburg Railroad was burned by Union troops in August, 1864.
Chair Details: Height: 9"     Width: 7 1/2"     Base thickness: 3/8"    Width of gap for rail: 3 1/2"    Gap between two spike holes on the left: 4 1/2"     Weight: 12# in its present condition
Spike Details: Height: 4"     Width of head: 1 1/2"
Purpose: Chairs were used to join two rails. The rails were slid into the chair from top and bottom (of the picture), then spikes were driven into the ties below
History: Found buried in mud and water of the Stone Creek, Va. by Don Lauter. His estate gave it to Brandy Martin in 2024, who gave it to me in 2025. Mr. Lauter was a relic hunter whose passed away in 2024; his journals are not yet available..

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