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Hopewell is like a
history time tunnel. You can explore Hopewell’s history, enjoy the
city’s diverse neighborhoods and view wildlife at an island refuge. Tour
options include walking tours of the City Point National Historic District,
self-guiding driving tours of Crescent Hills, a ferry ride to see waterfowl and
a boat excursion along the James River.
One of the newest additions on Hopewell’s City
Point National Historic District Walking Tour harkens back to the region’s
earliest days. The City Point Early History Museum at St. Dennis Chapel
has artifacts that trace the history of regional Native Americans and colonial
settlers. The story of the town, its inhabitants and illustrious visitors is
examined from the past into the 20th century. Museum hours are Monday through
Saturday 10:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. from April through October. A nominal
admission is charged.
The town of City Point was established in 1613 by
Englishman Sir Thomas Dale. City Point withstood Native American raids and
Revolutionary War skirmishes. The town played a significant role during the
Civil War (see City Point Unit selection). In 1923, City Point was annexed by
the city of Hopewell.
St. Dennis Chapel was built in 1883 by sailors
and marines who were anchored off City Point. Although the chapel was converted
to a private residence in the early 1900s, restoration has restored its
ecclesiastical features including a stained-glass rose window and tall steeple.
The chapel is just one of the points of interest
on the walking tour of the four-block historic district located at the
confluence of the Appomattox and James rivers. Along the tour route are
audiovisual exhibit centers that provide architectural and historical details of
the houses you pass as well as information about the activities that occurred
when City Point served as the headquarters of the Armies of the United States.
After your walking tour, take a self-guided
driving tour through the 1920s Crescent Hills subdivision of Hopewell. M. T.
Broyhill, founder of the real estate company that bore his name, needed up-scale
residences for plant executives at ANCO (now Allied Signal Corporation) and
others moving to the area because the industrial upsurge creating a housing
demand that could not be met by existing communities. He felt the need was too
acute to wait for the normal building schedule, so Broyhill ordered an entire
subdivision of homes by mail from Sears, Roebuck and Company.
Broyhill ordered the Sears homes in a variety of
models and his company customized each home for the buyer---adding a porch,
changing a door or window treatment, reversing a floor plan and other
modifications. The 40 custom-kit homes were built of high-quality materials and
the subdivision is still one of Hopewell’s most affluent and attractive
neighborhoods. You can pick up a driving tour map at the Hopewell Visitor
Center at Randolph Square on Route 10 (open daily, except major holidays, 9:00
A.M. to 5:00 P.M.), or by calling (800) 863-8680.
There are two options that will get you out on
the water. One is a pedestrian ferry to Presquile National Wildlife Refuge.
(The second is a boat excursion along the James and Appomattox rivers.) The
island refuge is five miles north of Hopewell in the James River. In order to
visit, call the refuge manager at (804) 733-8042, the only access is by a
government owned and operated pedestrian ferry that leaves from the very end of
Old Bermuda Hundred Road, State Route 827..
The two-mile-long island has a rich history.
Native Americans hunted and fished on the island. English settlers established
Bermuda Hundred here in the early 1600s, the first settlement established after
Jamestown. In 1660, William Randolph moved to the island and lived here for
many years. Many notable Virginians are related to Randolph including Thomas
Jefferson, John Marshall and Robert E. Lee. During the Battle of Petersburg,
Union troops used the island, then called Turkey Bend, as an observation post.
In 1952, the island was bequeathed to the government by Dr. A.D. Williams, who
had used the property as a country estate and dairy farm.
The island is now a resting spot for between
9,000 and 11,000 migrating Canada geese. The wetlands is also the winter home
of wood ducks, black ducks and mallards. A farming program on the island
provides forage for the migrating and resident wildlife. Winter flocks average
3,000 Canada geese and 1,000 ducks. A small number of bald eagles have been
sighted nesting along the river and in trees beside the farm fields.
White-tailed deer are frequently spotted, the more elusive red fox, muskrat,
beaver, opossum, eastern grey squirrel and woodchuck are only occasionally
glimpsed. There is a 3/4-mile nature trail that will provide an opportunity to
spot the waterfowl and wildlife. Be sure to bring binoculars. The best time to
see a high population of waterfowl is from October through November (but it can
be quite brisk, so bundle up). During the legal deer hunting season a portion
of the refuge is open to hunters. The refuge office is open Monday through
Friday from 7:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
To take advantage of the second option, take an
excursion aboard the Pocahontas II. Hopewell can claim its share of the
Pocahontas legend, because the town was the home of her only granddaughter, Jane
Rolfe Bolling. The original Pocahontas sailed on April 25, 1893 offering
excursions on the James River between Richmond and Norfolk for $2.50. The boat
nicknamed “Old Pokey” gave passengers ample time to savor the plantations along
the lower James River. It was replaced in 1993 by a 65-foot cruise boat and the
tradition of offering a narrated cruise through the heart of Plantation Country
continues. Trips leave from Hopewell’s city marina from April through October.
You can enjoy a buffet meal or a moonlight party cruise. Call (800) 405-9990
for information and reservations.
Directions: From I-95, or I-295, take Route 10
east to Hopewell. Hopewell is 20 minutes from downtown Richmond and less than
an hour from Williamsburg.
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