CHESTER—The newest addition to the interpretive program at Henricus Historical Park in Chesterfield County is a Tamworth pig named Cordelia, thanks to Chesterfield Farm Bureau.

Cordelia was raised by Dinwiddie County farmer and Farm Bureau member Wayne Robertson, and donated by Chesterfield Farm Bureau. She was officially welcomed to her new home on Aug. 27 during an event at the park. Chesterfield Farm Bureau also donated $1,000 to help park staff care for Cordelia and a flock of Dorking chickens—another period-specific breed—that were raised by Chesterfield Farm Bureau President Howard Nester and his wife, Lucy, on their Chesterfield farm.

“We really care about animals and about Henricus Historical Park,” Howard Nester said. “More than 30,000 schoolchildren visit Henricus every year, and we think it’s important that they get to see animals that are similar to what would have been present in the 1600s.”

Founded in 1611, Henricus was the second successful English settlement in the New World. Henricus Historical Park re-creates what life was like 400 years ago, highlighting the first English hospital, the chartering of the first college in the New World and the establishment of tobacco as the first cash crop. It is a nonprofit partnership of the Henricus Foundation and the counties of Chesterfield and Henrico.

Tamworth pigs closely resemble pigs that would have been found in early Colonial settlements. For many schoolchildren, a visit to Henricus is a rare opportunity to see any pig up close, said Andrew Rowand, a historical interpreter who cares for the Henricus animals.

Rowand said the park may not have a lot of acreage, but “we try to keep our animals moving to help with our land management. What we do with our animals is similar to what the colonists would have done with their animals.”

There were abundant forests that could have been cleared by hand, “or the colonists could have turned loose 50 pigs,” Rowand said. “The animals grazed and fertilized land in the winter, so the colonists could plant crops in the spring. They help turn up the soil and make it looser for planting.”

Hogs, chickens and goats were the primary domesticated animals in Henricus in the 1600s because they traveled well on boats, Rowand said. The goats at the park also were donated by Chesterfield Farm Bureau.

Media: Contact Sara Owens, VFBF communications, at 804-290-1133, or Jessica Stern, Henricus media relations, at 850-598-0047.