Sharp’s Island

Where the Piedmont meets the Coastal Plain, small granite outcroppings and islands have been shaped over eons by the constant currents of the James River in Richmond, Virginia. Put in from just below Mayo Bridget and you’ll reach Sharp’s Island, a one acre granite island, in less than 5 minutes. Since the 1850s, the island has been home to industry, squatters, and a house built in 1895 that stood for 75 years. Today it is home to Richmond’s only camp ground, offering an ecological and recreational opportunity unmatched in the city. After floods wiped out a series of smaller camping installations, the owners wanted to build a structure that would withstand higher waters. The result is a camping folly that nestles into the surrounding landscape. Portal openings puncture cedar shake walls, framing views of the river and the city beyond it. Self-built by the owner, all materials and tools had to be ferried over by boat or canoe.