Quick Answer
Doswell is a small unincorporated community in Hanover County, roughly 20 miles north of Richmond along US Route 1, best known as the home of Kings Dominion and the Meadow Event Park, the 331-acre former horse farm where Triple Crown champion Secretariat was born in 1970. For renters priced out of denser Henrico and Hanover suburbs, or simply looking for a quieter, more rural setting within commuting distance of Richmond, Doswell offers a genuinely different lifestyle built around railroad history, open land, and a handful of major regional attractions rather than shopping centers and subdivisions.
A Railroad Crossing That Became a Community
Doswell’s origins trace back to its role as a railroad junction. Originally called Hanover Junction, the community sat at the point where the Virginia Central Railroad, later absorbed into the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, crossed the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad. Both lines are now part of the CSX network, with a short-line carrier operating on a portion of the former Virginia Central track. The community was renamed in the early 1890s to honor Major Thomas Doswell, a prominent local figure, and the railroad crossing remains a visible part of the area’s identity today, drawing railfans who come to watch trains pass through.
For most of its history, Doswell was mostly farmland, a pattern typical of rural Hanover County before the region’s slower, more agricultural pace gave way in places to subdivisions and commercial corridors closer to Richmond. Doswell’s remove from the city, about 20 miles north along US 1, has kept much of that rural character intact even as nearby parts of Hanover have grown considerably.
The Meadow: From Horse Farm to Secretariat’s Birthplace
The area’s most famous piece of history is agricultural rather than industrial. The land now known as Meadow Event Park was originally The Meadow, a horse farm with roots going back to 1805, when Dr. Charles D. Morris purchased roughly 4,000 acres in the area. The Morris family held the land for about a century before it passed out of family ownership in the early 1900s. In 1936, Christopher Chenery, a descendant of the Morris family, bought the farm back, and it became one of the most significant thoroughbred breeding operations in American racing history.
Chenery’s daughter, Penny Chenery, eventually ran the farm’s racing operation, overseeing the careers of two legendary horses: Riva Ridge and, most famously, Secretariat, who was foaled at The Meadow on March 30, 1970, and went on to win the Triple Crown in 1973 in historic fashion. The original barns and the foaling shed where Secretariat was born still stand on the property today, and the Meadow Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. A Virginia roadside historical marker also commemorates the farm and its most famous resident.
| Era | What Happened |
|---|---|
| 1805 | Dr. Charles D. Morris purchases roughly 4,000 acres that would become The Meadow |
| Early 1900s | Property sold out of the Morris family after about a century of ownership |
| 1936 | Christopher Chenery, a Morris descendant, repurchases the farm |
| March 30, 1970 | Secretariat is foaled at The Meadow |
| 1973 | Secretariat wins the Triple Crown |
| 1979 | The Chenery family sells the property |
| March 14, 2013 | The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation purchases the State Fair of Virginia and Meadow Event Park |
| 2015 | The Meadow Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places |
Meadow Event Park Today
After passing through several owners following the Chenery family’s 1979 sale, the 331-acre property was purchased by the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation in March 2013 and now operates as Meadow Event Park, home of the annual State Fair of Virginia. The fair, typically held each fall, includes a Salute to Secretariat as part of its programming, tying the modern event directly back to the farm’s thoroughbred legacy. Meadow Hall, a building on the grounds, houses the Meadow Champions Galleries, the Triple Crown Room, and the Museum of the Virginia Horse, giving visitors a year-round way to learn about the property’s racing history even outside of fair season. Beyond the State Fair, the park hosts a variety of other events throughout the year, making it a recurring destination for Doswell-area residents and visitors from across central Virginia.
Kings Dominion and Doswell’s Other Draws
Doswell is also home to Kings Dominion, the large regional amusement park that draws visitors from across Virginia and neighboring states throughout its operating season. For renters living in or near Doswell, proximity to Kings Dominion means easy access to one of the region’s biggest entertainment destinations without the drive that residents of Richmond proper or southern Chesterfield would face. The community’s location along US 1 and its proximity to Interstate 95 also make it a practical base for commuters willing to trade big-city density for a more rural setting, with a drive into Richmond or into Fredericksburg to the north both being realistic commuting options depending on where work is located.
History buffs will also find two sites on the National Register of Historic Places in the broader area: Church Quarter and Sharp’s Oakland. Both reflect the rural, agricultural character that defined this part of Hanover County long before Kings Dominion or the modern State Fair grounds existed.
Getting Around: Commuting From Doswell
Doswell sits along US Route 1 and is close enough to Interstate 95 to make commuting into greater Richmond a realistic option for renters willing to drive. The town of Ashland, with its own CSX passenger rail station served by Amtrak, lies a short drive south and offers an alternative for commuters who would rather not drive the entire way into the city. For residents working in northern Virginia or Fredericksburg, Doswell’s position along the US 1 and I-95 corridor cuts both ways, since it means a commute north is also plausible, something that is not true for renters settled further south or east in the Richmond metro. This flexibility is part of what makes Doswell appealing to a specific kind of renter: someone who values rural space and quiet over a short commute, but still wants reasonable access to multiple job centers rather than being boxed into a single direction of travel.
Because Doswell is not served by GRTC or Richmond’s other public transit options, a personal vehicle is effectively a requirement for day-to-day life here, unlike some more urban Richmond neighborhoods where walkability or transit access factor into the decision to rent. Renters should plan accordingly, both for daily commuting and for routine errands, since the community itself does not offer the density of shops and services found closer to Richmond or in larger Hanover towns like Ashland and Mechanicsville.
Doswell’s Place in Hanover County’s Growth Story
Hanover County overall has seen steady growth in recent years, particularly in its more suburban pockets closer to Richmond, but Doswell has largely retained its rural identity even as other parts of the county have added rooftops and commercial development. This is partly a function of geography, since the community sits further from the county’s southern growth corridor, and partly a function of the land itself, much of which remains tied up in historic agricultural use, including the Meadow Event Park property itself. For renters who have watched other once-rural pockets of the Richmond region fill in with new subdivisions, Doswell represents one of the few areas within a reasonable commute of the city where that transformation has not happened at the same pace.
That said, renters should not assume Doswell will remain static indefinitely. Infrastructure improvements tied to events at Kings Dominion and Meadow Event Park, along with the area’s continued appeal to commuters priced out of more built-up parts of Hanover and Henrico, mean the pace of change here is worth watching over time, even if it has moved more slowly than in other parts of the county so far. Renters weighing Doswell against other rural Hanover options may also want to look at our guide to Beaverdam and Montpelier, Hanover’s quiet western edge, which shares a similar rural character but sits in a different part of the county. For a broader comparison of renting in Hanover versus its larger neighbor to the south, see our Henrico vs. Hanover County guide.
What Renting in Doswell Actually Looks Like
Doswell is genuinely small, with a population in the range of a couple thousand residents, and it does not offer the density of rental options found in more built-up parts of Henrico or Chesterfield. Housing stock in and around the community tends to lean toward single-family homes on larger lots, reflecting the area’s rural and agricultural history, rather than apartment complexes or dense townhome developments. Renters drawn to Doswell are typically looking for more space, a quieter setting, and a slower pace of life, often while still wanting a reasonable commute to jobs in Richmond, Ashland, or even northern Virginia and Fredericksburg.
Because Doswell is an unincorporated community rather than a town or city with its own government, renters should expect county-level services through Hanover County rather than a separate municipal structure. This is typical of many rural Hanover communities and is worth understanding before moving, particularly for anyone used to city services in Richmond proper.
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is Doswell, Virginia in?
Doswell is an unincorporated community in Hanover County, located along US Route 1 roughly 20 miles north of Richmond.
Why is Doswell associated with Secretariat?
Doswell is home to Meadow Event Park, formerly known as The Meadow, the historic horse farm where Secretariat, the 1973 Triple Crown champion, was foaled on March 30, 1970. The original barns and foaling shed are preserved on the property.
Is Meadow Event Park open year-round?
The park hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including the annual State Fair of Virginia each fall, and Meadow Hall’s galleries and museum offer a way to learn about the property’s racing history outside of major event dates.
What amusement park is near Doswell?
Kings Dominion, one of the region’s major amusement parks, is located in Doswell, making the community a convenient base for anyone who frequently visits the park during its operating season.
What kind of rental housing is available in Doswell?
Doswell’s housing stock leans toward single-family homes on larger lots rather than dense apartment or townhome developments, reflecting the community’s rural and agricultural history.
How did Doswell get its name?
The community was originally called Hanover Junction, reflecting its role as a railroad crossing point, and was renamed in the early 1890s to honor Major Thomas Doswell, a prominent local figure.
Talk to Mission Realty
Whether you are drawn to Doswell’s rural character and racing history or looking for something closer to the center of Richmond, Mission Realty Property Management can help you find the right fit across the region. Browse current listings on our Richmond homes for rent page, explore more about the area on our residents page, or contact our team with questions about finding a rental near Hanover County’s historic landmarks.
