George Washington Birthplace National Monument

Planter’s  Paradise

On the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay lies Virginia's Northern Neck, first charted in 1608 by that intrepid explorer, John Smith.  During the colonial period it was the port of call for many trading ships on their way to the West Indies and England.

The patriarch of one of America's first families arrived on one of those early trading ships.  John Washington, great-grandfather of George, was a mate on an English ship that was trading for tobacco in 1657.  It ran aground near Mattox Creek while sailing down the Potomac River on its voyage home.  John Washington was so impressed with the land, the southern hospitality and the daughter of his host, Colonel Nathanial Pope, that he decided to remain.  When he and Anne Pope were married, they were given 700 acres of choice land on Mattox Creek.  He purchased additional land on Popes Creek and an American dynasty was begun.

It was here at Popes Creek Plantation that George Washington was born on February 22, 1732.  The site is now the George Washington Birthplace National Monument.  Because both progress and wars have bypassed this region, the grounds of the Washington plantation and the surrounding countryside look much as they did in the 18th century.

The natural beauty of the meandering Popes Creek, the broad views of the Potomac River and the gently rolling fields all can be enjoyed as you stroll along the park's trails.  The land's historical significance is captured in the evocative film, A Childhood Place, shown at the visitors center. Fall leaves and migratory birds, snowy farmland, spring planting and summer wildflowers speak quietly and eloquently of the same seasonal shifts that influenced young George Washington.  These natural rhythms form a bond between those who visit and those who once lived here.

George Washington lived on this family plantation until he was 3 1/2 years old when the family moved to Little Hunting Creek Plantation, now known as Mount Vernon.  After his father's death when he was 11, George often returned to his early childhood home, inherited by his half-brother, Augustine.

The family home was destroyed by fire on Christmas Day 1779, while George was commander of the Revolutionary army. Oyster shells now delineate the foundations of the original home.  A memorial house, erected in 1930-31, represents a house typical of the kind the moderately wealthy Washingtons could afford.  Although most of the furniture is over 200 years old, only a small tea table and an excavated wine bottle are from the original house.

Both birth and death are remembered here.  As you enter the grounds you'll see the miniature Washington monument, a single granite shaft erected in memory of George Washington in 1896.  Nearby is the family burial grounds where George's father, grandfather and great-grandfather are all buried.

But it is the rebirth of nature that brings the long ago days to life.  George Washington in his later years remembered fishing along Popes Creek. You can easily imagine the young boy making his way to the river and perhaps glimpsing an ocean-going trading ship from the shore.  Today the National Park Service owns 538 acres of preserved shoreline, woods and pasture at Popes Creek Plantation.  Fields are still planted and tilled by 18th-century methods.  During the summer months special demonstrations are given on sheep shearing, tobacco planting, harvesting and curing, soapmaking, candlemaking, dyeing and weaving.  There are also colonial music programs featuring the spinet and other instruments.

The George Washington Birthplace National Monument is open daily from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. except Christmas and New Year's Day.  A nominal admission is charged. There is a picturesque picnic area overlooking Popes Creek.  You can also picnic at nearby Westmoreland State Park.  While at the park, you may want to take advantage of the Olympic-size pool or even spend a relaxing hour on the beach.

Also nearby (north off Route 3/301 on Route 218, just across the Potomac River bridge from Maryland) is Caledon Natural Area, a designated National Natural Landmark because of its bald eagle habitat.  The hiking trails in this 2,579-acre natural area provide a chance to see one of the largest concentrations of bald eagles on the East Coast.  Staff-led interpretive tours of their habitat are given from mid-June to Labor Day (reservations are recommended).   There are five hiking trails at Celadon  ranging from 7/10 miles to two trails of 1 1/10 miles.  There are exhibits on the bald eagle at the visitor center in the Smoot House.  For information on programs at Caledon Natural Area call (540) 663-3861.

Directions:  From I-95 take Route 3 east to Route 204.   The George Washington Birthplace National Monument is 1 7/10 miles off Route 3 on Route 204.

 

 

Northern Neck

Birthplace of two famous Americans

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.

BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Stratford Hall

These Siblings Weren’t Rivals

Horse grazing on Stratford Hall's beautiful pastures

The Washingtons were one of many families of prominence to have their roots in the Northern Neck.  James Madison, James Monroe, John Marshall’s father and the Lee brothers were all born in the region.  The Washingtons (see George Washington Birthplace National Monument selection) and the Lees were virtually neighbors.  Richard Henry Lee, who became a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was born the same year as George Washington, on January 20, 1732.  His brother and fellow signer, Francis Lightfoot Lee, was born two years later on October 14, 1734.  It is provocative to imagine the mutual influence Washington and the Lees might have had on one another had they grown up together.

The Lees were the only brothers to sign Declaration of Independence.  It was Richard Henry Lee who actually proposed the resolution for independence from England at the Second Continental Congress.  It is likely he would have been asked to draft the resolution had he not been called back to Virginia during the debate.  It is perhaps best, as he was considered an orator, while Jefferson was noted as a superior writer.

Richard Henry Lee was an activist.  He established the first association in the colonies to boycott English goods, the Westmoreland Association.  At the First Continental Congress his efforts in this direction led to the Continental Association, the first step toward a union of the colonies.

The father of these distinguished patriots, Thomas Lee, had held the highest office in the Virginia colony as President of the King’s Council.  In 1720 he built the family estate, Stratford Hall, on the cliffs overlooking the Potomac River. 

Stratford Hall is far grander than the Washington home.  It once encompassed 4,100 acres and even now includes 1, 670 acres.  Like Pope's Creek Plantation, it is still a working farm with a herd of 200 Black Angus.  The house itself was an architectural anomaly in colonial America.  It was not designed in traditional Georgian manner but in the Italian style with the major living quarters on the second floor.  The design features an H-shaped great house with two clusters of four chimneys each.  The great hall forms the center of the H, and it is considered one of the 100 most beautiful rooms in America.  Like the rest of the house, it is furnished with 18th-century pieces. 

Thomas Lee’s great-nephew Light Horse Harry Lee was a military hero of the Revolutionary War.  He went on to serve three terms as governor of Virginia.  His son Robert E. Lee was born at Stratford Hall. Visitors can see the bedroom where Robert E. Lee was born.  The adjoining nursery contains a fireplace with two bas-relief winged cherubs said to be favorites of the young Lee.

Stratford Hall is open 9:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.  Admission is charged.  If you decide not to picnic on the grounds, try the Log Cabin Plantation dining room that is open from 11:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.

Directions:  From I-95 take Route 3 east at Fredericksburg.  Take Route 2 to Lerty and turn left on Route 214 for Stratford Hall.

BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS

Portsmouth Portside

Free ferry service between Norfolk and Portsmouth

They no longer charge a bale of hay for the ferry ride across the Elizabeth River; now it's 75 cents.  That's still an inexpensive way of getting out where the action is---the busy Norfolk-Portsmouth Harbor.

This waterway has been important since the earliest days of the Virginia colony.  An exploration party led by Captain John Smith sailed up the Elizabeth River in 1608.  Adam Thoroughgood, who arrived in 1621 as an indentured servant, operated the first ferry service in 1636 (see Adam Thoroughgood House in Virginia Beach selection). Adam owned a small skiff and had two oarsmen who would take passengers across the river.  Stories were told that his helpers would hide in the marsh grass until enough passengers arrived to make it profitable, but then the stories also claimed that Adam was paid in bales of hay.

Ferry service between Portsmouth and Norfolk, the oldest continuous public ferry in the country, reached its zenith in the 1940s when there were diesel ferries for passenger cars.  Once the tunnel connected the two cities in 1955, the ferry service was discontinued.   In the early 1980s, ferry service resumed and has proven quite popular.  The ferry runs daily throughout the year and has extended hours from April through October. The ferry leaves Portside on the hour and the half hour and Waterside in Norfolk at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour.

The Carrie B offers 1 ½-hour afternoon cruises and 2 ½-hour sunset sails.  The Carrie B is a replica of a 19th-century Mississippi riverboat.  It cruises past the world's largest working shipyard, the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, founded in 1767 when Virginia was still a British colony.  During the Civil War when federal troops had to abandon the Norfolk navy yard, they sank the U.S. Frigate Merricmack.  The Confederates raised the ship and in 1861-62 reconstructed the ironclad C.S.S.Virginia upon the hull of Merrimack in drydock here.  This ship took part in the famous Battle of the Ironclads that changed the course of shipbuilding. This is the nation's oldest drydock, but technology has kept pace with the changes in ship design.  The navy sends many of its modern supercarriers, submarines and missile ships here for repairs.

The Carrie B leaves from Norfolk, stopping at Portside 15 minutes later.  From mid-April through  October, cruises sail at 12:10 and 2:10 P.M.  There are sunset cruises at 6:10 P.M. from June through Labor Day.

Whether you opt for the brief ferry trip or the longer cruise, your interest in nautical matters is likely to be piqued.  Portside has two museums to satisfy your curiosity.  The Portsmouth Lightship Museum at London Slip is located in a ship that never sailed but gave long service.  Lightships combined the attributes of lighthouses and buoys; their lighted masts resembled the former and they floated like the latter.  They had an additional benefit in that they could move from place to place.  As they changed locations they frequently changed names.  The lightship now permanently docked at London Slip was first called Charles, then Overfalls, Nantucket Relief, Stonehorse and, just before retiring in 1964, it was called Cross Rip.  In addition to seeing the inside of one of these old lightships you'll see Coast Guard equipment, uniforms and old photographs.  You are welcome aboard at no charge Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. and Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 P.M.

Open during the same hours is the adjacent Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum.  One of this museum's most interesting displays is the 1776 map of Portsmouth.  An audio-visual program uses the map to acquaint you with life in colonial Portsmouth.  You'll also see the plans of John L. Porter for the conversion of the Merrimack (these are the plans he hid in his home nearby, see Portsmouth Walking Tour selection).  Old tools, weapons, ship models and uniforms fill the cases at this maritime museum.