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Locals have been
heard to boast that even colorful characters who don’t have a prayer of
getting into heaven have had their turn in paradise by living in the
Northern Neck. The Neck, which is Old English for peninsula, cape or
isthmus is surrounded by the Potomac River on the north, Chesapeake Bay at the
foot and Rappahannock River on the south. On the upper neck are the
birthplaces of two illustrious Americans: George Washington (see Birthplace
selection) and Robert E. Lee (see Stratford Hall selection). Although their
homes do not survive, James Monroe and James Madison were also born in the
Northern Neck region.
The lower
portion of the Neck also offers an array of historical and natural
attractions. On a low bluff at the head of a branch of the Yeocomico River is
the 1706 village of Kinsale. Named for an Irish seaport town in County Cork,
the name is derived from the Gaelic, Cean Saile, meaning, “Head of the salt
water.” The community was a center of ship building in the late 1690s. Of
2,547 tons of shipping listed for the colony of Virginia in 1699, more than
900 tons were produced in and around this village. This active port
officially became a town in 1784. During the War of 1812, Kinsale was burned
by the British. Southern blockade runners used Kinsale as a base of
operations during the Civil War, calling down the wrath of the Union army, who
bombarded the town on numerous occasions.
When you visit
you should stop at the still-active Kinsale Wharf at the foot of Steamboat
Hill. On the Green in the heart of the village is Kinsale Museum, where
you’ll learn of the town’s prominence as a steamboat port, connecting the
Northern Neck with Washington and Baltimore. The museum is located in a
late-19th-century barroom which, during the 1920s, was used as a meat market.
Next to the museum is a soda fountain built in the late 1800s (now privately
owned). The museum is open from May through October on Thursday, Friday and
Saturday from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. No admission is charged. You can pick
up a walking tour brochure of this historic village. Kinsale is reached from
Route 3 by taking Route 202 east then Route 203 north.
Heading down
Route 202 you’ll come to Heathsville, the county seat since 1681. You can
take a walking tour of the historic district. The Northumberland County
Historical Society’s Ball Memorial Library, located behind the county
courthouse, has extensive genealogical and historical records. Before
leaving, stroll past the 1851 Courthouse and the 1844 Old Jail. The
Historical Society is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00 A.M. to
4:00 P.M. and on the second and fourth Saturday of the month from 9:00 A.M. to
1:00 P.M. Also behind the courthouse is Hughlett’s Tavern built in 1795 and
later expanded into Rice’s Inn. Now on the National Register of Historic
Places, this old inn is currently being preserved and restored.
Take Route 360
east out of town for about three miles then make a left on Route 636, a
Virginia Scenic Byway. Locally this route is called the
Northumberland
Heritage Trail and focuses on the region’s three Fs: farming, forestry and
fishing. The route takes you to a lookout with an excellent view of the Smith
Point Lighthouse. The current one was built in 1897 but the first dated back
to 1802. Your tour route provides an opportunity to utilize one of Virginia’s
two remaining free ferries, the Sunnybank Ferry that will take you across the
Little Wicomico River. (The other is Merry Point Ferry that crosses the
Corrotoman River in Lancaster County.) The Heritage Route ends just south of
Reedville in Fleeton.
Located on a
narrow peninsula between two arms of Cockrell’s Creek, Reedville was
established after the Civil War by Captain Elijah Reed who came to fish for
menhaden, a small oily fish found in abundance in local waters. In 1874, he
established a factory to press oil from the fish and process its by-products.
The industry brought wealth to the region as you will see from the Victorian
mansions along “Millionaires’ Row,” a section of Reedville’s Main Street. The
houses were built when Reedville boasted the highest per capita income of any
town in the United States. This area is designated a historic district on the
State and National Registers of Historic Places.
Be sure to stop at the
Reedville Fishermen’s Museum, where you’ll learn all about the menhaden
industry. Models of fishing vessels and the tools of the trade are displayed
along with equipment used by watermen from early Native Americans to modern
fishermen. The porch of the Covington Building which houses the museum
overlooks Cockrell’s Creek where two fleets still set sail to fish for
menhaden from May through December. Also part of the museum complex is the
Walker House, representing a waterman’s house at the turn of the century. The
house was built by William Walker in 1875 on land purchased earlier that year
from Captain Reed. Museum hours are from May through October daily 10:30 A.M.
to 4:30 P.M. From November through April, the museum is open weekends only
11:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Be sure pick up a self-guided walking/driving tour
brochure. Tour boats leave from Reedville for Tangier Island (see selection)
and Smith Island.
In order to get
to the southern section of the lower Neck, head west on Route 360 to Burgess
and then south on Route 200. Just below Wicomico Church you can pick up
another Virginia Scenic Byway, Route 679. Just off the Scenic Byway between
Burgess and Kimarnock at the mouth of Dividing Creek on the Chesapeake Bay is
the 203-acre Hughlett Point Natural Area Preserve, that opened in the
fall of 1995. The preserve provides a glimpse of a tidal beach, saltmarsh and
pine forest ecosystem. It is considered by locals as one of the best beaches
for walking in the entire Northern Neck. There are trails and two observation
decks. Commonly-sighted wildlife include wild turkey, bald eagles, osprey,
swans and migratory waterfowl as well as deer and small mammals. The preserve
is open daily from sunrise to sunset.
The Scenic Byway
loops back into Route 200 just above Kilmarnock. At Kilmarnock head south on
Route 200, then make a right onto Route 222 at the sign for
Historic Christ
Church. This Irvington church was built in 1735 by Robert “King” Carter
(agent for Lord Fairfax, Proprietor of the Northern Neck) and presents the
best example in the country of a virtually unchanged colonial church. This
architectural gem with massive three-foot thick walls was built in the shape
of a cross. It’s equally imposing within, with a three-decker pulpit towering
over the individually enclosed high-backed pews. Before exploring the church,
watch the short slide presentation in the reception center. Hours are Monday
through Friday 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Saturday 1:00 to 4:00 P.M. and Sunday
2:00 to 5:00 P.M.
Robert Carter
had this church built on the exact location of a 1670 church in which his
parents were buried in the chancel on the understanding that his parents’
grave would be moved to the new church’s chancel of the new church. They
remain buried under a large slate slab in Historic Christ Church. Outside are
the tombs of Robert Carter and two of his wives. Descendants of Robert Carter
include eight Virginia governors, three signers of the Declaration of
Independence, two United States presidents and other distinguished Americans.
To complete your
exploration of the Northern Neck return to Route 200 and head north back to
Kilmarnock, then head west on Route 3. If you have time for a hike you’ll
pass the turn off for the Corrotoman River Nature Trail. This 1 6/10
mile trail (which takes about an hour-and-a-half to hike) meanders through a
1,000-acre forestry complex owned and managed by the Chesapeake Corporation.
The trail map provides information on the plants and natural features you will
observe. From several points along the trail you will see the western branch
of the Corrotoman River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay.
Continue west to
Lancaster where you’ll find the
Mary Ball Washington Museum and Library.
The mother of the Father of our Country was born in Lancaster County. In the
museum you’ll see a 300-year overview of life in this area. The nearby 1797
Old Clerk’s Office and the 1820 Jail are also open to the public and you can
pick up a walking tour map of the Lancaster Courthouse Historic District. The
museum and library is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
April through November it is also open on Saturday 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
The genealogical section of the library has county records dating from 1651.
Continuing west
on Route 3 to Lively will afford another chance to get out and enjoy nature.
From Lively take Route 683 south to Belle Isle State Park. There are
two trails: the 1/2 mile Watch House trail and the 1 2/10 mile Neck Fields
trail. The 733-acre park provides access to seven miles of the Rappahannock
River as well as Deep and Mulberry Creeks, which provide a wide variety of
wetlands. This diverse habitat is home to wild turkey, osprey and bald
eagles. You may even spot white-tailed deer, fox, raccoon, opossum or
groundhog. Naturalist guided canoe explorations of the salt marsh and
shoreline habitats are available Thursday through Sunday from Memorial Day to
Labor Day.
Back on Route 3
west, you will come to the town of Warsaw where you will discover the
Richmond County Museum and Visitor’s Center. This museum in the 1816 Old
Clerk’s Office on the Courthouse Green tells the story of rural life in this
region from colonial days to the present. Displays include domestic and
agricultural memorabilia. Hours are Thursday and Friday 11:00 A.M. to 3:00
P.M. year-round and Saturday at the same times from April to December.
If being around
all this water makes you want to get out and enjoy it, then pick up Route 360
south in Warsaw and head over the Rappahannock River to the town of
Tappahannock where they offer cruises departing at 10:00 A.M. and returning at
5:00 P.M. Tuesday through Sunday from May through October. For more
information or to book a cruise call (804) 453-2628. Be sure to bring along
binoculars as the boat passes eagles nesting in the trees and cliffs beside
the river. The cruise takes you 20 miles up the river. After two hours on
the water you’ll make a stop at Ingleside Plantation Winery
(just
outside Oak Grove and also accessible by car off Route 3). You’ll have a
chance to taste and purchase some of Ingleside’s award-winning wines at one of
the oldest and largest wineries in the state. It is one of the few Virginia
wineries to produce sparkling wine. This stop also serves as a lunch break
and you can enjoy a southern buffet at Ingleside or bring your own picnic.
The last stop is at Wheatland’s steamboat wharf. For an additional admission
fee, you can tour the 1810 Federal-style farmhouse and the boxwood gardens.
Following this stop you will cruise leisurely back to Tappahannock.
Directions: From
I-95 take Route 3 east to the Northern Neck.
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