Curles Neck Plantation
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UnclaimedA historic privately owned working farm and plantation on the north bank of Virginia’s James River.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Curles Neck Plantation, also known as Curles Neck Farm, is a historic agricultural property in the Varina district of Henrico County, Virginia. It lies between State Route 5 and the north bank of the James River and is regarded as one of the major historic plantations along the James River. Unlike many historic plantation properties that operate primarily as museums or visitor attractions, Curles Neck remains a privately owned working farm and is not currently open to the public. The property’s documented colonial history begins in November 1635, when Captain Thomas Harris received a patent for 750 acres. Harris, who apparently had served under Sir Thomas Dale, represented Curles Neck as a burgess in the House of Burgesses at Jamestown. Early settlers reportedly referred to the tobacco farm as Longfield, but the name Curles Neck became established soon afterward. The origin of the name is uncertain. It has sometimes been associated with the sweeping bends of the tidal James River, although records also document the Curle family name in Virginia land grants over an extended period. Curles Neck became particularly associated with Nathaniel Bacon in the early 1670s. Bacon’s ownership connected the property to Bacon’s Rebellion of 1676, an uprising rooted in disputes between colonists and the colonial government of Governor Sir William Berkeley, including disagreements over responses to conflict and alleged thefts involving Native Americans. After Bacon’s death and the collapse of the rebellion, his property was confiscated by the Crown and later sold to William Randolph. The plantation also figured in Virginia’s religious, political, and social history. During the eighteenth century, John Pleasants donated the first Quaker meetinghouse at Curles Neck. His will, executed in 1771, provided for the emancipation of the people he enslaved. The property’s later history nevertheless remained embedded in the plantation economy and the systems of coerced labor that shaped Virginia agriculture. In 1852, New York sugar merchant Charles Senff purchased a 3,250-acre Curles tract from William Allen and expanded his holdings through the acquisition of adjoining farms to more than 5,000 acres. Senff built the fifteen-room brick Georgian Revival mansion that remains associated with the property, replacing an older antebellum house that had deteriorated during the Civil War. In the twentieth century, industrialist C. K. G. Billings acquired Curles Neck in 1913 and developed it into a nationally important horse-breeding farm. The property later became closely associated with dairy farming. A. B. Ruddock established Curles Neck Dairy, which began retail operations in 1933. Fred Watkins purchased the property in 1943, and under his ownership Curles Neck Farm became one of the largest dairy suppliers in the eastern United States. The business operated processing and distribution facilities, as well as a small retail store, in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition neighborhood. Its dairy operation continued until 1980, and the farm’s barns became a destination for school tours. Curles Neck also entered aviation history in 1951, when an Eastern Airlines Lockheed Constellation made an emergency landing on the farm after severe turbulence and structural buffeting. The aircraft landed with its landing gear retracted in a field, crossed fences, and came to rest in a pasture. No fatalities resulted. The Civil Aeronautics Board attributed the emergency to the in-flight opening of a hydraulic access door. The aircraft was later removed by barge via the James River, repaired, returned to service, and eventually written off after a later accident. The approximately 5,600-acre property, listed under the name Curles Neck Farm, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. It remains both a historic landscape and an active agricultural property, with private ownership and restricted public access distinguishing it from many preserved plantation sites.
History
Curles Neck Plantation is a historic agricultural estate on the north bank of the James River in Henrico County’s Varina district. Its recorded history begins in November 1635, when Captain Thomas Harris received a 750-acre land patent. Harris was apparently a former associate of Sir Thomas Dale and later served as a representative for Curles Neck in the House of Burgesses at Jamestown. The property was initially known to settlers as Longfield, but the Curles Neck name became established during the colonial period. Its derivation remains uncertain: local interpretation has connected it with the river’s bends, while Virginia land records preserve references to the Curle family over several generations. By the early 1670s, the estate was owned by Nathaniel Bacon. His ownership gave Curles Neck a direct association with Bacon’s Rebellion, the 1676 conflict between colonists and the government of Governor Sir William Berkeley. Disputes included the colonial administration’s policies toward Native American conflict and the demands of settlers in outlying areas. Bacon’s death brought the rebellion to an end. After he was declared a traitor posthumously, his property was confiscated by the Crown and subsequently sold to William Randolph. Curles Neck continued to be significant in Virginia’s religious and civic life. In the eighteenth century, John Pleasants donated the first Quaker meetinghouse at the site. He also became one of the trustees associated with the newly established Town of Richmond. His 1771 will provided for the emancipation of the people he enslaved, an act that forms part of the property’s complex history within Virginia’s plantation society. The estate expanded substantially in the nineteenth century. Charles Senff, a New York sugar merchant, bought the 3,250-acre Curles tract from William Allen in 1852. He acquired additional adjoining farms, bringing the total acreage above 5,000 acres. Senff constructed a fifteen-room brick Georgian Revival mansion to replace an earlier antebellum residence that had fallen into poor condition during the Civil War. The surviving house and associated landscape contribute to the property’s architectural and historic importance. In 1913, industrialist C. K. G. Billings purchased Curles Neck and developed it as a major horse-breeding farm. The property later entered the dairy industry. A. B. Ruddock established Curles Neck Dairy, which began retail operations in 1933. Fred Watkins acquired the farm in 1943, after which the dairy business grew into one of the largest suppliers serving the eastern United States. Its Richmond facilities in Scott’s Addition included processing, distribution, and retail functions. The operation continued until 1980, and the farm’s dairy barns were visited by generations of schoolchildren. The estate received national attention in an unrelated aviation incident on July 19, 1951. Eastern Airlines Flight 601, a Lockheed Constellation traveling from Newark toward Miami, encountered severe turbulence and hail. After additional buffeting near Lynchburg and a loss of confidence in the aircraft’s ability to reach Richmond’s airport, the captain selected Curles Neck’s fields for an emergency landing. The aircraft touched down with its landing gear retracted, crossed Curles Neck Road, damaged fencing, and slid to a stop in a pasture. A small engine-area fire was extinguished, and no one was killed. The Civil Aeronautics Board determined that an opened hydraulic access door had caused the extreme buffeting. The airframe was removed by barge on the James River, repaired, and returned to operation before being written off after a later accident in 1953. Curles Neck remains a privately owned working farm and is not presently open to the public. Under the name Curles Neck Farm, approximately 5,600 acres were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. The property therefore remains both an active agricultural holding and a historic cultural landscape connected to colonial settlement, slavery and emancipation, political conflict, Quaker history, equine breeding, dairy production, and twentieth-century transportation history.
- 2009
Curles Neck Farm is listed on the National Register
[1]The roughly 5,600-acre property received National Register of Historic Places recognition.
- 1980
Curles Neck dairy operations end
[1]The long-running Curles Neck Dairy operation ended after decades of processing and distribution activity.
- 1951
Eastern Airlines Flight 601 makes an emergency landing
[1]A Lockheed Constellation landed in a Curles Neck field after severe turbulence; all occupants survived.
- 1943
Fred Watkins purchases Curles Neck Farm
[1]Under Fred Watkins’s ownership, the dairy business expanded to become a major supplier in the eastern United States.
- 1933
Curles Neck Dairy begins retail operations
[1]A. B. Ruddock’s Curles Neck Dairy entered retail distribution, beginning the property’s major twentieth-century dairy phase.
- 1913
Curles Neck becomes a major horse-breeding farm
[1]C. K. G. Billings purchased the property and developed its equine-breeding operations.
- 1852
Charles Senff acquires and expands the plantation
[1]Charles Senff bought the 3,250-acre Curles tract and expanded his holdings beyond 5,000 acres through adjoining purchases.
- 1771
John Pleasants provides for emancipation in his will
[1]John Pleasants’s will included provisions granting freedom to the people he enslaved.
- 1676
Curles Neck becomes associated with Bacon’s Rebellion
[1]Nathaniel Bacon’s ownership of the estate connected it to the colonial uprising against Governor William Berkeley and its political aftermath.
- 1635
Thomas Harris receives the initial land patent
[1]Captain Thomas Harris received a 750-acre patent in November, establishing the earliest documented colonial foundation of the Curles Neck property.
Products and positioning
A privately held historic working farm whose identity combines colonial plantation history, agricultural production, equine breeding, dairy distribution, and cultural-landscape significance.
Colonial cash crop
Tobacco
Tobacco was the principal agricultural association of the early Curles Neck farm. The property’s colonial development occurred within Virginia’s tobacco plantation economy, although specific varieties, volumes, and later commercial arrangements are not documented in the supplied sources.
Dairy products · 1933
Curles Neck Dairy
Curles Neck Dairy operated as a processing, distribution, and retail business. Its Richmond facilities served customers across the eastern United States, and its barns became familiar educational destinations for school groups. The dairy operation ended in 1980.
Equine agriculture · 1913
Horse-breeding operations
After C. K. G. Billings acquired the property in 1913, Curles Neck was developed into an important horse-breeding farm. The available source does not identify particular bloodlines, breeds, or named commercial programs.
Brand decisions
1951
Emergency landing selected after severe aircraft buffetingOtherBackground
Eastern Airlines Flight 601 experienced extreme turbulence and buffeting while approaching the Richmond area. The crew feared the aircraft might not remain intact long enough to reach the airport.
Action taken
The captain selected the largest available field at Curles Neck and landed straight ahead with the landing gear retracted, avoiding turns or configuration changes that might have worsened the situation.
Aftermath
The aircraft was damaged but there were no fatalities. The Civil Aeronautics Board attributed the incident to an in-flight opening of a hydraulic access door. The aircraft was later salvaged by barge, repaired, and returned to service.
Sources1 sources
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