Colonial National Historical Park
Encyclopedia
Colonial National Historical Park is located in the Hampton Roads
region of Virginia
and is operated by the National Park Service
of the United States
government. Over 3 million people visit the park each year.
, a scenic 23 miles (37 km) parkway linking the three points of Virginia's Historic Triangle
: Jamestown and Yorktown and running through the historic district of Colonial Williamsburg
. The Colonial Parkway is located in James City County
, York County
, and the independent city
of Williamsburg
.
. Located in James City County at the southern end of the Colonial Parkway, it encompasses the area of Jamestown Island and is adjacent to the Commonwealth of Virginia's complementary attraction known as Jamestown Settlement
.
, the park operates the Yorktown Battlefield. The Nelson House, which was built around 1724, may have served as Cornwallis’s headquarters during the final battle of the Revolutionary War, and the battlefield was the site of the British defeat. Both the house and the historic siege
earthworks
were restored in 1976. Nearby, the state-operated Yorktown Victory Center and the Yorktown Riverwalk Landing area are located.
as an experimental farm to attempt to develop sources of income for the colony other than cultivated tobacco and traded furs.
The preserved portion of the site of Green Spring has been largely untouched since the second dwelling there and dependencies were destroyed during the American Civil War
(1861–1865), promising a rich archaeological dig area to follow upon recent discoveries at the Park's location on Jamestown Island.
, site of the first landing of the Captain Christopher Newport
and the soon-to-be Jamestown colonists in 1607, is located in the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia
at Cape Henry. Open to the public, it is located off U.S. Route 60
on the army base of Fort Story
.
. The cemetery at Yorktown was transferred from the War Department
to the National Park Service
on August 10, 1933.
Jamestown National Historic Site, is co-owned by the National Park Service and Preservation Virginia (formerly known as the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities) and administered by the NPS, was designated on December 18, 1940. Preservation Virginia owns 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) containing the remains of the original 1607 fort. The National Park Service owns the remaining 1178 acres (4.8 km²) of the island which contains the archeological remains of the expanded towne and its island plantation sites.
As with all historical areas administered by the National Park Service, Colonial National Historical Park and Jamestown National Historic Site are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
of the U.S. Department of the Interior
.
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
region of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and is operated by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government. Over 3 million people visit the park each year.
Colonial Parkway
The park includes the Colonial ParkwayColonial Parkway
Colonial Parkway is a scenic 23-mile parkway linking the three popular attractions of Virginia's Historic Triangle of colonial-era communities, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown...
, a scenic 23 miles (37 km) parkway linking the three points of Virginia's Historic Triangle
Historic Triangle
The Historic Triangle is located on the Virginia Peninsula of the United States and includes the colonial communities of Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, and Yorktown, with many restored attractions linked by the Colonial Parkway in James City and York counties and the City of...
: Jamestown and Yorktown and running through the historic district of Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg is the private foundation representing the historic district of the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. The district includes buildings dating from 1699 to 1780 which made colonial Virginia's capital. The capital straddled the boundary of the original shires of Virginia —...
. The Colonial Parkway is located in James City County
James City County, Virginia
James City County is a county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Its population was 67,009 , and it is often associated with Williamsburg, an independent city, and Jamestown which is within the...
, York County
York County, Virginia
York County is a county located on the north side of the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Situated on the York River and many tributaries, the county seat is the unincorporated town of Yorktown...
, and the independent city
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
of Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
.
Jamestown
The park includes the original site of Jamestown known in modern times as Historic JamestowneHistoric Jamestowne
Historic Jamestowne is the official name used for promotional purposes for the original site of the 1607 James Fort and the later 17th century city of Jamestown. It is located on the James River at Jamestown, Virginia and operated as a partnership between Preservation Virginia and the U.S...
. Located in James City County at the southern end of the Colonial Parkway, it encompasses the area of Jamestown Island and is adjacent to the Commonwealth of Virginia's complementary attraction known as Jamestown Settlement
Jamestown Settlement
Jamestown Settlement is a name used by the Commonwealth of Virginia's portion of the historical sites and museums at Jamestown. Jamestown was the first successful English settlement on the mainland of North America...
.
Yorktown
At the northern end of the Colonial Parkway, in York County at YorktownYorktown, Virginia
Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
, the park operates the Yorktown Battlefield. The Nelson House, which was built around 1724, may have served as Cornwallis’s headquarters during the final battle of the Revolutionary War, and the battlefield was the site of the British defeat. Both the house and the historic siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
earthworks
Earthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthwork is a general term to describe artificial changes in land level. Earthworks are often known colloquially as 'lumps and bumps'. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features or they can show features beneath the surface...
were restored in 1976. Nearby, the state-operated Yorktown Victory Center and the Yorktown Riverwalk Landing area are located.
Green Spring Plantation
Sir William Berkeley, who held the colonial governorship during the longest periods of any individual, used his Green Spring PlantationGreen Spring Plantation
Green Spring Plantation in James City County about five miles west of Williamsburg, was the 17th century plantation of one of the more popular governors of Colonial Virginia in North America, Sir William Berkeley, and his second wife....
as an experimental farm to attempt to develop sources of income for the colony other than cultivated tobacco and traded furs.
The preserved portion of the site of Green Spring has been largely untouched since the second dwelling there and dependencies were destroyed during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
(1861–1865), promising a rich archaeological dig area to follow upon recent discoveries at the Park's location on Jamestown Island.
Cape Henry Memorial
The Cape Henry MemorialCape Henry Memorial
The Cape Henry Memorial commemorates the first landfall at Cape Henry, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, of colonists bound for the Jamestown settlement. After landing on April 26, 1607, they explored the area, named the cape, and set up a cross before proceeding up the James River. A stone cross, set...
, site of the first landing of the Captain Christopher Newport
Christopher Newport
Christopher Newport was an English seaman and privateer. He is best known as the captain of the Susan Constant, the largest of three ships which carried settlers for the Virginia Company in 1607 on the way to find the settlement at Jamestown in the Virginia Colony, which became the first permanent...
and the soon-to-be Jamestown colonists in 1607, is located in the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
at Cape Henry. Open to the public, it is located off U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60 is an east–west United States highway, running from the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast in Virginia to western Arizona. Despite the final "0" in its number, indicating a transcontinental designation, the 1926 route formerly ended in Springfield, Missouri, at its intersection...
on the army base of Fort Story
Fort Story
Formerly a sub-installation of Fort Eustis, Fort Story is a sub-installation of the United States Navy and Little Creek Amphibious Base...
.
Administrative history
Colonial National Monument was authorized on July 3, 1930. It was established on December 30, 1930. On on June 5, 1936, it was redesignated a national historical parkNational Historical Park
National Historic Sites are protected areas of national historic significance in the United States. A National Historic Site usually contains a single historical feature directly associated with its subject...
. The cemetery at Yorktown was transferred from the War Department
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
to the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
on August 10, 1933.
Jamestown National Historic Site, is co-owned by the National Park Service and Preservation Virginia (formerly known as the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities) and administered by the NPS, was designated on December 18, 1940. Preservation Virginia owns 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) containing the remains of the original 1607 fort. The National Park Service owns the remaining 1178 acres (4.8 km²) of the island which contains the archeological remains of the expanded towne and its island plantation sites.
As with all historical areas administered by the National Park Service, Colonial National Historical Park and Jamestown National Historic Site are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
of the U.S. Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
.
External links
- Official NPS website: Colonial National Historical Park
- Cape Henry Memorial
- Green Spring Plantation
- Friends of Green Spring a large interactive web site with streaming video and essays ("The voices of Green Spring")
- Jamestown National Historic Site
- Yorktown Battlefield
- Yorktown National Cemetery
- Yorktown National Cemetery - a roster and photo of burials
- More information on the Battle of Yorktown