Kingsmill
Encyclopedia
Kingsmill is a name which has been used in James City County, Virginia
since the mid-18th century. Initially the name of a plantation, in modern times, the name is attached to a geographic area which includes a large planned residential community
, a resort complex, a theme park, a brewery, and a commercial park.
The Kingsmill area is located between the north bank of the James River
just east (downstream) of the site where the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown
was established in 1607 and Interstate Highway 64
. Highway access to most of the area's many businesses and attractions is from U.S. Route 60
between the eastern city limits of Williamsburg and the adjacent community of Grove
, or from Virginia State Route 199, which forms a semi-circular beltway of sorts around Williamsburg's southern side.
, Richard Kingsmill, became the namesake of the Kingsmill Plantation. The Virginia Company was a for-profit organization chartered in England which was charged with the founding and settlement of Virginia under the reign of King James I
. Richard Kingsmill was given one of the first land grants of 300 acres (1.2 km²) in the southwest area of what later became a much larger plantation. In the mid-1730s, British Colonel Lewis Burwell III established a 1400 acres (5.7 km²) plantation which he named Kingsmill Plantation. It included a mansion, outbuildings and garden. He was the colonial customs inspector for the upper James River. Along the river, Burwell's Landing, site of his inspection station, also featured a tavern, storehouse, warehouse, and ferry house. Quarterpath Road
extended between Burwell's Landing and Williamsburg
.
The Kingsmill area saw action during the American Revolutionary War
. The house burned in 1843. Only the office and the kitchen still stand; they are among the earliest brick dependencies still extant in Virginia.
(1861–65) also skirted Kingsmill Plantation lands. In 1862, Union troops under Major General George B. McClellan
engaged in a failed attempt to seize the Confederate
capital of Richmond. Slowly and carefully, much to the frustration of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln
, McClellan assembled huge naval forces and a massive siege train of land-based troops, arms and supplies around a staging area based at the union stronghold of Fort Monroe
at the tip of the Virginia Peninsula
, where the harbor of Hampton Roads
had been under federal control via siege for about a year already.
Forces under McClellan for what has become known as the Peninsula Campaign
dwarfed all previous American expeditions at the time, transporting 121,500 men, 44 artillery batteries, 1,150 wagons, over 15,000 horses, and tons of equipment and supplies. An English observer remarked that it was the "stride of a giant."
McClellan's plan initially was to utilize the James and York rivers, especially the former, which was known to be navigable to Richmond, in combination with his land-based forces, to attack simultaneously and overwhelm the unknown resources of the rebels at Richmond. However, even as several months were spent through the winter of 1862 training new troops and bringing these many Union assets into position, the portion of the scheme which depended upon control of the James River ran into trouble. In March, the Battle of Hampton Roads
between the first ironclad warship
s took place. Although the conflict between the two ships was inconclusive, the new technologies were to change naval warfare dramatically, and control of the harbor of Hampton Roads was brought into serious question.
Although the Union never lost control of the entrance to the harbor, and was able to retake Norfolk and Norfolk Naval Shipyard
at Portsmouth shortly thereafter, it soon developed that Union ships were unable to move past heavily defended Drewry's Bluff east of Richmond along the James River, and it appeared unlikely that situation would improve. That led McClellan to realize that his plan to take Richmond would almost certainly depend upon his land forces alone.
In early April, 1862, McClellan's massive siege train began moving cautiously westerly up the Peninsula toward the Confederate citadel. Throughout the campaign, McClellan was convinced (erroneously) that he was facing much larger opposing forces than he was. At times, he even estimated these forces to greatly outnumber his own, frequently and bitterly complaining to Lincoln (his Commander-in-Chief), who had withheld from McClellan a much smaller force of federal troops to maintain a defensive position around Washington, D.C.
The Confederate strategy of the early portion of the Peninsula Campaign became one of delays, providing vital time for defenses to be built outside Richmond. The advancing Union forces were confronted with a series of three defensive lines erected across the Peninsula which were manned primarily by greatly outnumbered forces led by General John B. Magruder
. The first, about 12 miles (19.3 km) north of Fort Monroe, contained infantry outposts and artillery redoubt
s, but was insufficiently manned to prevent any Union advance. Its primary purpose was to shield information from the Union about the second line. Known as the Warwick Line
, this second, and by far largest of the 3 defensive lines, was about a dozen miles east of Williamsburg, along the Warwick River
, and was anchored by Yorktown
on the north and Mulberry Island
on the south. consisted of redoubts, rifle pits, and fortifications behind the Warwick River. By enlarging two dams on the river, the river was turned into a significant military obstacle in its own right. The third defensive line was a series of forts just east of Williamsburg
, which waited unmanned for use by the army if it had to fall back from Yorktown.
Although greatly outnumbered, defenders along the first and second lines under former thespian "Prince" John Magruder utilized the poor visibility available through the seasonally heavy undergrowth of the naturally-wooded and swampy terrain to utilize elaborate ruse tactics and intimidate McClellan and his leaders into fearing they were facing far larger forces than they were, greatly slowing their progress westward. Stephen Sears, the author of the To The Gates of Richmond, described the demonstrations of his limited troops, which included marching back and forth behind the lines with great fanfare to appear to be a larger force, as "performances of the Prince John Players." Magruder's efforts appeared to have the desired effect, as the ever-cautious McClellan moved very slowly with his forces, which were actually substantially larger than the those of the defenders, even after the arrival of the Army of Northern Virginia
under General Joseph E. Johnston
. Meanwhile, a long defensive line was being built outside Richmond. While there were several armed conflicts with loss of life, after finally overtaking the first line, and meeting only minimal resistance, before the Warwick Line, McClellan chose to carefully amass his troops and plan a major offensive, taking the better part of 30 days to do so. He carefully had huge cannons brought up the York River by ship and installed in a position favorable for his planned assault of Yorktown. Then, the very night before McClellan was finally positioned to launch his major offensive against Warwick Line, the Confederate troops quietly withdrew and retreated toward Richmond, via Williamsburg. Discovering only empty works and Quaker gun
in the abandoned fortifications on May 3, McClellan sent his cavalry troops racing after the escaping confederates. He also loaded a division of infantry aboard ships to sail up the York River to the west in an attempt to outflank the Confederate's apparent retreat toward Richmond.
There were only two roads leading from the abandoned Warwick Line for the massive equipment and troops of the Union siege train to utilize in pursuing the fleeing Confederates, who had a head start. These were the Williamsburg-Yorktown Road and the Williamsburg-Lee's Mill Road. They converged about 1 miles (1.6 km) east of Williamsburg. The weather had been rainy, and both armies slogged along the dirt roads of the sandy terrain, which undoubtedly only became only more muddy and even less easy to traverse.
The Williamsburg Line was the third line of defensive fortifications across the Peninsula. It was anchored by College Creek
, a tributary of the James River
, on the south and Queen's Creek
, a tributary of the York River
on the north. Under the leadership of local farmer and president of the College of William and Mary Benjamin S. Ewell, a series of 14 redoubts were built along the line. Named Fort Magruder
, Redoubt Number 6, was the center of the convergence of the roads from Yorktown and Lee's Mill, surely a key location. It was shaped as an elongated pentagon, with walls 15 feet (4.6 m) high and nine feet thick. The earthworks were protected by a dry moat nine feet deep. It mounted eight guns. Several of the redoubts were located just east of the Quarterpath Road, which lead from Williamsburg to the landing for Kingsmill Plantation on the James River.
Despite the significant head start of the southern forces, cavalry forces from each side met, and began skirmishing on May 4. General George Stoneman's cavalry encountered and began skirmishing with Brig. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart
's cavalry, the Confederate's rearguard. Learning of this, and frustrated by the slow progress of his own forces which were just then passing through Williamsburg, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston
detached a portion of his troops to confront the advancing Union troops. On May 5, 1865, the single-day Battle of Williamsburg
took place. During the day, several groups of Union troops battled with Confederates near the Williamsburg line, with much of the action at or near Fort Magruder. Confederate casualties, including the cavalry skirmishing on May 4, were 1,682. Union casualties were 2,283.
Although McClellan claimed a Union victory in his reports, and he was able to take the Williamsburg Line within slightly more than 24 hours, most historians rate the Battle of Williamsburg as a Confederate victory. Essentially, the Williamsburg Line had served its intended purpose. The primary goal of the defenders had been to enable to continued retreat of the main Confederate force to the defenses of Richmond, and this was accomplished. Another group of Union forces (the ones which had been sent up the York River by McClellan in another effort to stop the fleeing rebels) also met limited success. Their conflict on May 7 resulted in what became known as the Battle of Eltham's Landing
. However, in reality, that conflict in New Kent County
was little more than a heavy skirmish. There were 194 Union casualties and 48 Confederate. The remaining battles McClellan's effort would be fought either outside the gates of Richmond or during his later retreat to the protection of the Union Navy at Harrison's Landing (better known in modern times as Berkley Plantation).
In the areas along the Williamsburg Line, including the Quarterpath Road north of modern-day Virginia State Route 199
and along U.S. Route 60, portions of the redoubts including the core of Fort Magruder (in James City County on today's Penniman Road) were preserved. Several additional preserved redoubts remain along the Colonial Parkway
north of Fort Magruder.
midway between the York River
and James rivers, Williamsburg had been originally established in the early 17th century as a fortified settlement known as Middle Plantation
. During the American Revolutionary War
, under the leadership of Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson
, the capital of Virginia was located many miles inland to Richmond, located at the fall line
on the James River.
Although the Quarterpath Road did lead to the James River at Burwell's Landing, (as did the old Jamestown Road), the travels to reach the landings and the river were significant distances in the era before railroads or motor vehicles. Also, in differing directions by land from Williamsburg, and nowhere near as far, one could also attain other landings on the College Creek or Queen's Creek which would lead to the very navigable portions of the James and York rivers, respectively. However, these were obstacles which were seen as inhibiting trade and competition with other communities with better water access.
An early plan to establish a relatively short canal
to enable shipping to Williamsburg from either or both of the navigable waterways a dozen or less miles nearby was initiated, and some construction undertaken, but was never completed. Instead of a possible achievement which could perhaps one day have been attributed to the last Royal Governor John Murray, better known as Lord Dunmore
, the proposed canal instead became a little-known footnote in Williamsburg's history.
With the reality that the location was not along a major waterway nor transportation pathway, throughout the formative years of the United States, Williamsburg did not become a major center of commerce of any great significance. For at least 140 years after 1781, Williamsburg was best-known as the home of the often struggling College of William and Mary
(established by Royal Charter by England's only joint monarchy in 1793) and the first mental hospital in what became the United States, a pioneering institution which whose modern successor became later known as Eastern State Hospital. Williamsburg seemed somewhat forgotten and "passed by" and was the subject of occasional humor along those lines. On June 26, 1912, the Richmond Times-Dispatch
newspaper ran an editorial which dubbed the town 'Lotusburg' for "Tuesday was election day in Williamsburg but nobody remembered it. The clerk forgot to wake the electoral board, the electoral board could not arouse itself long enough to have the ballots printed, the candidates forgot they were running, the voters forgot they were alive."
In the early 1880s, through the vision and efforts of railroad builder and industrialist Collis P. Huntington
and his associates, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
(C&O) had been extended from Richmond
through Williamsburg to reach Newport News Point, at the confluence of the James River and the Elizabeth River
in Warwick County
, where near coal shipping facilities were established. Soon, a new town quickly grew up which became the new City of Newport News
in 1896. A great shipyard, which became Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company was also established there.
The railroad had been built primarily as transportation conduit to enable shipping of bituminous coal
from the rich coalfields of southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia
, but it did link Williamsburg, as well as James City and Warwick counties, with the expanding transcontinental railroads of the country. Passenger and freight services were provided, and stations were built along the line, including one at Grove Station, located a few miles north and east of Kingsmill near the adjacent Carter's Grove Plantation at Grove, Virginia
.
Carter's Grove Plantation and Carter's Grove Wharf were the next major feature immediately east of Kinsgmill along the north bank of the James River. However, while Carter's Grove was still an active plantation at this time, by the early 20th century, the Kingsmill Plantation and surrounding properties had fallen into ruins and disuse. With much of it primarily both wooded and hilly, the land at Kingsmill was not particularly well-suited to agriculture, and stood largely vacant and unused as major changes began at Williamsburg and the nearby region beginning in 1926.
heir John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
and his associates and by Colonial Williamsburg
.
Championed initially by the Reverend Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin, who was affiliated with both Bruton Parish Church
(which he helped restore in 1907 in time for the Jamestown Exposition
), and working with the College of William and Mary
's president at the time, J.A.C. Chandler, the Colonial Williamsburg project was funded and endowed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., along with his wife, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller
. The Rockefellers officially developed Colonial Williamsburg to celebrate the patriots and the early history of the United States
. Many of the missing Colonial structures were reconstructed on their original sites during the 1930s. Others were restored to estimates of 18th century appearance, with traces of later buildings and improvements removed. Dependency structures and animals add to the ambiance. Most buildings are open for tourists, with the exception of buildings serving as residences for Colonial Williamsburg employees.
Notable structures include the Capitol
and the Governor's Palace, each recreated and landscaped as to what is known of their late 18th century condition, as well as Bruton Parish Church
and the Raleigh Tavern
. The Wren Building
on the campus of William and Mary was one of the first buildings to be restored.
The Rockefellers had many homes in New York
and Maine
. However, it was not long before the couple came to regard Williamsburg as their favorite and the town as one in which they felt "at home" according to statements the that effect made by their children and grandchildren. This is also evidenced by many of their actions as well as those of their family and other members of the patriarch of the Rockefeller family
who have continued the sentiment. Their love and concern for the citizenry of the area may be shown in many ways which extend beyond the principal missions and direct accomplishments of Colonial Williamsburg.
Notable among these was Abby's efforts to facilitate educational opportunities for persons of African-American heritage during a very difficult period for such efforts in Virginia, notably her role with the establishment of the Bruton Heights School complex, which went far to equalize educational opportunities for blacks in the Greater Williamsburg community many years before judicial rulings and governmental mandates brought similar efforts elsewhere.
At the urging of Dr. Goodwin, John and Abby Rockefeller made their home at Bassett Hall, located between the northern end of the historic Quarterpath Road and the southeastern edge of the Historic District. Their funds helped acquire vast tracts of land throughout the area, including property which extended east to include the old Kingsmill Plantation. It has been said that they had dreams of acquiring one of the old working James River plantations still extant in their lifetimes, but that goal apparently eluded them.
After Abby and John D. Rockefeller Jr. had each died, beginning in the 1960s, their son Winthrop Rockefeller
served as chairman of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. He was also governor of the state of Arkansas
. During his dual tenures, he became aware of an opportunity to acquire Carter's Grove Plantation, located adjacent to Colonial Williamsburg's extensive last holdings near the old Kingsmill Plantation lands, and still extant as both a home and working farm. Also established by a Burwell (in 1755), Carter's Grove had most recently been owned since 1928 by Pittsburgh industrialist Archibald McCrea and his wife Mary "Mollie" Corling (Johnston) Dunlop McCrea, originally of Petersburg
. It was purchased from her estate by an arm of the Rockefeller Foundation and eventually transferred to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. For many years during Winthrop's tenure, Carter's Grove was used to host dignitaries visiting Colonial Williamsburg, as well as enable archaeological research as well as host some public presentations for Colonial Williamsburg patrons.
Additionally, while serving as both Governor of Arkansas and chairman of Colonial Williamsburg, Winthrop learned that Anheuser-Busch
head August Busch, II
was considering establishing a brewery and possibly other developmental investments in eastern Virginia. While the details are unknown publicly, he and Bush apparently collaborated on a deal which resulted in the brewing conglomerate's development of diversified activities in the Williamsburg area, which grew to include not only the brewery, but the Busch Gardens Williamsburg theme park, and Kingsmill Resort
, the Kingsmill on the James residential planned community
, and several large commercial parks. To help negotiate the deal, the land which had once been Kingsmill Plantation was made available for purchase. Along with the later acquisition of smaller nearby water park, the A-B developments this fostered in the Williamsburg community generated thousands of new jobs and millions of dollars of new tax revenues.
Both Winthrop Rockefeller, who died in 1973, and August Busch II, who died in 1989 have been credited by some historians with helping develop the Greater Williamsburg area into one of the top tourism destinations in the world. They apparently felt that augmenting the attractions of the Historic Triangle of Colonial Virginia (Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, and Yorktown) with other attractions would help draw future families to the region, as well as help balance out the local economy, stimulate the hospitality industry (restaurants and lodging), and add employment opportunities.
Due to operational logistics, Carter's Grove Plantation was eventually sold (with restrictive covenants regarding use and future development) by Colonial Williamsburg. The global economy also eventually resulted in A-B setting out to divest its theme parks, the resort and other developments to new ownership.
Major Kingsmill area developments include:
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...
since the mid-18th century. Initially the name of a plantation, in modern times, the name is attached to a geographic area which includes a large planned residential community
Planned community
A planned community, or planned city, is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are less frequent in planned communities since...
, a resort complex, a theme park, a brewery, and a commercial park.
The Kingsmill area is located between the north bank of the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
just east (downstream) of the site where the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
was established in 1607 and Interstate Highway 64
Interstate 64 in Virginia
In the U.S. state of Virginia, Interstate 64 runs east–west through the middle of the state from West Virginia to the Hampton Roads region, a total of . It is notable for crossing the mouth of the harbor of Hampton Roads on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, the first bridge-tunnel to...
. Highway access to most of the area's many businesses and attractions is from U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60 in Virginia
U.S. Route 60 in Virginia runs west to east through the central part of the state, generally close to and paralleling the Interstate 64 corridor, except for the crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and in the South Hampton Roads area....
between the eastern city limits of Williamsburg and the adjacent community of Grove
Grove, Virginia
Grove is an unincorporated community in the southeastern portion of James City County in the Peninsula subregion of Virginia in the United States. It is located in the center of the Historic Triangle of Colonial Virginia, communities linked by the Colonial Parkway; the area is one of the busiest...
, or from Virginia State Route 199, which forms a semi-circular beltway of sorts around Williamsburg's southern side.
Kingsmill Plantation
A prominent member of the Virginia CompanyVirginia Company
The Virginia Company refers collectively to a pair of English joint stock companies chartered by James I on 10 April1606 with the purposes of establishing settlements on the coast of North America...
, Richard Kingsmill, became the namesake of the Kingsmill Plantation. The Virginia Company was a for-profit organization chartered in England which was charged with the founding and settlement of Virginia under the reign of King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
. Richard Kingsmill was given one of the first land grants of 300 acres (1.2 km²) in the southwest area of what later became a much larger plantation. In the mid-1730s, British Colonel Lewis Burwell III established a 1400 acres (5.7 km²) plantation which he named Kingsmill Plantation. It included a mansion, outbuildings and garden. He was the colonial customs inspector for the upper James River. Along the river, Burwell's Landing, site of his inspection station, also featured a tavern, storehouse, warehouse, and ferry house. Quarterpath Road
Quarterpath Road
Quarterpath Road is one of the oldest roads in James City County and the independent city of Williamsburg, Virginia.-Colonial era:Established in the 17th century, Quarterpath Road extended from Middle Plantation through what later became Kingsmill Plantation to Burwell's Landing on the James...
extended between Burwell's Landing and 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...
.
The Kingsmill area saw action during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. The house burned in 1843. Only the office and the kitchen still stand; they are among the earliest brick dependencies still extant in Virginia.
American Civil War
Action during the American Civil WarAmerican 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...
(1861–65) also skirted Kingsmill Plantation lands. In 1862, Union troops under Major General George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
engaged in a failed attempt to seize the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
capital of Richmond. Slowly and carefully, much to the frustration of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, McClellan assembled huge naval forces and a massive siege train of land-based troops, arms and supplies around a staging area based at the union stronghold of Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe was a military installation in Hampton, Virginia—at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula...
at the tip of the Virginia Peninsula
Virginia Peninsula
The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, USA, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name...
, where the harbor of Hampton Roads
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...
had been under federal control via siege for about a year already.
Forces under McClellan for what has become known as the Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
dwarfed all previous American expeditions at the time, transporting 121,500 men, 44 artillery batteries, 1,150 wagons, over 15,000 horses, and tons of equipment and supplies. An English observer remarked that it was the "stride of a giant."
McClellan's plan initially was to utilize the James and York rivers, especially the former, which was known to be navigable to Richmond, in combination with his land-based forces, to attack simultaneously and overwhelm the unknown resources of the rebels at Richmond. However, even as several months were spent through the winter of 1862 training new troops and bringing these many Union assets into position, the portion of the scheme which depended upon control of the James River ran into trouble. In March, the Battle of Hampton Roads
Battle of Hampton Roads
The Battle of Hampton Roads, often referred to as either the Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack or the Battle of Ironclads, was the most noted and arguably most important naval battle of the American Civil War from the standpoint of the development of navies...
between the first ironclad warship
Ironclad warship
An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship in the early part of the second half of the 19th century, protected by iron or steel armor plates. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. The first ironclad battleship, La Gloire,...
s took place. Although the conflict between the two ships was inconclusive, the new technologies were to change naval warfare dramatically, and control of the harbor of Hampton Roads was brought into serious question.
Although the Union never lost control of the entrance to the harbor, and was able to retake Norfolk and Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...
at Portsmouth shortly thereafter, it soon developed that Union ships were unable to move past heavily defended Drewry's Bluff east of Richmond along the James River, and it appeared unlikely that situation would improve. That led McClellan to realize that his plan to take Richmond would almost certainly depend upon his land forces alone.
In early April, 1862, McClellan's massive siege train began moving cautiously westerly up the Peninsula toward the Confederate citadel. Throughout the campaign, McClellan was convinced (erroneously) that he was facing much larger opposing forces than he was. At times, he even estimated these forces to greatly outnumber his own, frequently and bitterly complaining to Lincoln (his Commander-in-Chief), who had withheld from McClellan a much smaller force of federal troops to maintain a defensive position around Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
The Confederate strategy of the early portion of the Peninsula Campaign became one of delays, providing vital time for defenses to be built outside Richmond. The advancing Union forces were confronted with a series of three defensive lines erected across the Peninsula which were manned primarily by greatly outnumbered forces led by General John B. Magruder
John B. Magruder
John Bankhead Magruder was a career military officer who served in the armies of three nations. He was a U.S. Army officer in the Mexican-American War, a Confederate general during the American Civil War, and a postbellum general in the Imperial Mexican Army...
. The first, about 12 miles (19.3 km) north of Fort Monroe, contained infantry outposts and artillery redoubt
Redoubt
A redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, though others are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldiers outside the main defensive line and can be a permanent structure or a...
s, but was insufficiently manned to prevent any Union advance. Its primary purpose was to shield information from the Union about the second line. Known as the Warwick Line
Warwick Line
The Warwick Line was a defensive works across the Virginia Peninsula maintained along the Warwick River by Confederate General John B. Magruder against much larger Union forces under General George B...
, this second, and by far largest of the 3 defensive lines, was about a dozen miles east of Williamsburg, along the Warwick River
Warwick River (Virginia)
The Warwick River is a tidal estuary which empties into the James River a few miles from Hampton Roads at the southern end of Chesapeake Bay in southeast Virginia in the United States...
, and was anchored by Yorktown
Yorktown, 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....
on the north and Mulberry Island
Mulberry Island
Mulberry Island is located along the James River in the city of Newport News, Virginia, in southeastern Virginia at the confluence of the Warwick River on the Virginia Peninsula.- History:...
on the south. consisted of redoubts, rifle pits, and fortifications behind the Warwick River. By enlarging two dams on the river, the river was turned into a significant military obstacle in its own right. The third defensive line was a series of forts just east 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...
, which waited unmanned for use by the army if it had to fall back from Yorktown.
Although greatly outnumbered, defenders along the first and second lines under former thespian "Prince" John Magruder utilized the poor visibility available through the seasonally heavy undergrowth of the naturally-wooded and swampy terrain to utilize elaborate ruse tactics and intimidate McClellan and his leaders into fearing they were facing far larger forces than they were, greatly slowing their progress westward. Stephen Sears, the author of the To The Gates of Richmond, described the demonstrations of his limited troops, which included marching back and forth behind the lines with great fanfare to appear to be a larger force, as "performances of the Prince John Players." Magruder's efforts appeared to have the desired effect, as the ever-cautious McClellan moved very slowly with his forces, which were actually substantially larger than the those of the defenders, even after the arrival of the Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
under General Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career U.S. Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
. Meanwhile, a long defensive line was being built outside Richmond. While there were several armed conflicts with loss of life, after finally overtaking the first line, and meeting only minimal resistance, before the Warwick Line, McClellan chose to carefully amass his troops and plan a major offensive, taking the better part of 30 days to do so. He carefully had huge cannons brought up the York River by ship and installed in a position favorable for his planned assault of Yorktown. Then, the very night before McClellan was finally positioned to launch his major offensive against Warwick Line, the Confederate troops quietly withdrew and retreated toward Richmond, via Williamsburg. Discovering only empty works and Quaker gun
Quaker Gun
A Quaker Gun is a deception tactic that was commonly used in warfare during the 18th and 19th centuries. Although resembling an actual cannon, the Quaker Gun was simply a wooden log, usually painted black, used to deceive an enemy. Misleading the enemy as to the strength of an emplacement was an...
in the abandoned fortifications on May 3, McClellan sent his cavalry troops racing after the escaping confederates. He also loaded a division of infantry aboard ships to sail up the York River to the west in an attempt to outflank the Confederate's apparent retreat toward Richmond.
There were only two roads leading from the abandoned Warwick Line for the massive equipment and troops of the Union siege train to utilize in pursuing the fleeing Confederates, who had a head start. These were the Williamsburg-Yorktown Road and the Williamsburg-Lee's Mill Road. They converged about 1 miles (1.6 km) east of Williamsburg. The weather had been rainy, and both armies slogged along the dirt roads of the sandy terrain, which undoubtedly only became only more muddy and even less easy to traverse.
The Williamsburg Line was the third line of defensive fortifications across the Peninsula. It was anchored by College Creek
College Creek
College Creek is located in James City County in the Virginia Peninsula area of the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia in the United States...
, a tributary of the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
, on the south and Queen's Creek
Queen's Creek
Queen's Creek is located in York County in the Virginia Peninsula area of the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia in the United States...
, a tributary of the York River
York River (Virginia)
The York River is a navigable estuary, approximately long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. It ranges in width from at its head to near its mouth on the west side of Chesapeake Bay. Its watershed drains an area including portions of 17 counties of the coastal plain of Virginia north...
on the north. Under the leadership of local farmer and president of the College of William and Mary Benjamin S. Ewell, a series of 14 redoubts were built along the line. Named Fort Magruder
Fort Magruder
Fort Magruder was an high earthen fortification straddling the road between Yorktown and Williamsburg, Virginia, just outside the latter city during the American Civil War...
, Redoubt Number 6, was the center of the convergence of the roads from Yorktown and Lee's Mill, surely a key location. It was shaped as an elongated pentagon, with walls 15 feet (4.6 m) high and nine feet thick. The earthworks were protected by a dry moat nine feet deep. It mounted eight guns. Several of the redoubts were located just east of the Quarterpath Road, which lead from Williamsburg to the landing for Kingsmill Plantation on the James River.
Despite the significant head start of the southern forces, cavalry forces from each side met, and began skirmishing on May 4. General George Stoneman's cavalry encountered and began skirmishing with Brig. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart
J.E.B. Stuart
James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was a U.S. Army officer from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names. Stuart was a cavalry commander known for his mastery of reconnaissance and the use...
's cavalry, the Confederate's rearguard. Learning of this, and frustrated by the slow progress of his own forces which were just then passing through Williamsburg, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career U.S. Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
detached a portion of his troops to confront the advancing Union troops. On May 5, 1865, the single-day Battle of Williamsburg
Battle of Williamsburg
The Battle of Williamsburg, also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder, took place on May 5, 1862, in York County, James City County, and Williamsburg, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War...
took place. During the day, several groups of Union troops battled with Confederates near the Williamsburg line, with much of the action at or near Fort Magruder. Confederate casualties, including the cavalry skirmishing on May 4, were 1,682. Union casualties were 2,283.
Although McClellan claimed a Union victory in his reports, and he was able to take the Williamsburg Line within slightly more than 24 hours, most historians rate the Battle of Williamsburg as a Confederate victory. Essentially, the Williamsburg Line had served its intended purpose. The primary goal of the defenders had been to enable to continued retreat of the main Confederate force to the defenses of Richmond, and this was accomplished. Another group of Union forces (the ones which had been sent up the York River by McClellan in another effort to stop the fleeing rebels) also met limited success. Their conflict on May 7 resulted in what became known as the Battle of Eltham's Landing
Battle of Eltham's Landing
The Battle of Eltham's Landing, also known as the Battle of Barhamsville, or West Point, took place on May 7, 1862, in New Kent County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. Brig. Gen. William B. Franklin's Union division landed at Eltham's Landing and was attacked...
. However, in reality, that conflict in New Kent County
New Kent County, Virginia
At the 2000 census, there were 13,462 people, 4,925 households and 3,895 families residing in the county. The population density was 64 per square mile . There were 5,203 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
was little more than a heavy skirmish. There were 194 Union casualties and 48 Confederate. The remaining battles McClellan's effort would be fought either outside the gates of Richmond or during his later retreat to the protection of the Union Navy at Harrison's Landing (better known in modern times as Berkley Plantation).
In the areas along the Williamsburg Line, including the Quarterpath Road north of modern-day Virginia State Route 199
Virginia State Route 199
Virginia State Route 199 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known for most of its length as Humelsine Parkway, the state highway runs from Interstate 64 and SR 646 in Lightfoot to SR 641 near Williamsburg. SR 199 forms a western loop of Williamsburg in York and James...
and along U.S. Route 60, portions of the redoubts including the core of Fort Magruder (in James City County on today's Penniman Road) were preserved. Several additional preserved redoubts remain along the Colonial Parkway
Colonial 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...
north of Fort Magruder.
Williamsburg: the closest center of commerce
Located along a ridge of higher ground along the Virginia PeninsulaVirginia Peninsula
The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, USA, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name...
midway between the York River
York River (Virginia)
The York River is a navigable estuary, approximately long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. It ranges in width from at its head to near its mouth on the west side of Chesapeake Bay. Its watershed drains an area including portions of 17 counties of the coastal plain of Virginia north...
and James rivers, Williamsburg had been originally established in the early 17th century as a fortified settlement known as Middle Plantation
Middle Plantation
Middle Plantation in the Virginia Colony, was the unincorporated town established in 1632 that became Williamsburg in 1699. It was located on high ground about half-way across the Virginia Peninsula between the James River and York River. Middle Plantation represented the first major inland...
. During the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, under the leadership of Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, the capital of Virginia was located many miles inland to Richmond, located at the fall line
Fall line
A fall line is a geomorphologic unconformity between an upland region of relatively hard crystalline basement rock and a coastal plain of softer sedimentary rock. A fall line is typically prominent when crossed by a river, for there will often be rapids or waterfalls...
on the James River.
Although the Quarterpath Road did lead to the James River at Burwell's Landing, (as did the old Jamestown Road), the travels to reach the landings and the river were significant distances in the era before railroads or motor vehicles. Also, in differing directions by land from Williamsburg, and nowhere near as far, one could also attain other landings on the College Creek or Queen's Creek which would lead to the very navigable portions of the James and York rivers, respectively. However, these were obstacles which were seen as inhibiting trade and competition with other communities with better water access.
An early plan to establish a relatively short canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
to enable shipping to Williamsburg from either or both of the navigable waterways a dozen or less miles nearby was initiated, and some construction undertaken, but was never completed. Instead of a possible achievement which could perhaps one day have been attributed to the last Royal Governor John Murray, better known as Lord Dunmore
John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore
John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore was a British peer and colonial governor. He was the son of William Murray, 3rd Earl of Dunmore, and his wife Catherine . He is best remembered as the last royal governor of the Colony of Virginia.John was the eldest son of William and Catherine Murray, and nephew...
, the proposed canal instead became a little-known footnote in Williamsburg's history.
With the reality that the location was not along a major waterway nor transportation pathway, throughout the formative years of the United States, Williamsburg did not become a major center of commerce of any great significance. For at least 140 years after 1781, Williamsburg was best-known as the home of the often struggling College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
(established by Royal Charter by England's only joint monarchy in 1793) and the first mental hospital in what became the United States, a pioneering institution which whose modern successor became later known as Eastern State Hospital. Williamsburg seemed somewhat forgotten and "passed by" and was the subject of occasional humor along those lines. On June 26, 1912, the Richmond Times-Dispatch
Richmond Times-Dispatch
The Richmond Times-Dispatch is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond the capital of Virginia, United States, and is commonly considered the "newspaper of record" for events occurring in much of the state...
newspaper ran an editorial which dubbed the town 'Lotusburg' for "Tuesday was election day in Williamsburg but nobody remembered it. The clerk forgot to wake the electoral board, the electoral board could not arouse itself long enough to have the ballots printed, the candidates forgot they were running, the voters forgot they were alive."
In the early 1880s, through the vision and efforts of railroad builder and industrialist Collis P. Huntington
Collis P. Huntington
Collis Potter Huntington was one of the Big Four of western railroading who built the Central Pacific Railroad as part of the first U.S. transcontinental railroad...
and his associates, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...
(C&O) had been extended from Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
through Williamsburg to reach Newport News Point, at the confluence of the James River and the Elizabeth River
Elizabeth River (Virginia)
The Elizabeth River is a tidal estuary forming an arm of Hampton Roads harbor at the southern end of Chesapeake Bay in southeast Virginia in the United States. It is located along the southern side of the mouth of the James River, between the cities of Portsmouth and Norfolk...
in Warwick County
Warwick County, Virginia
Warwick County was a county in Southeast Virginia that was created from Warwick River Shire, one of eight created in the Virginia Colony in 1634. It became the City of Warwick on July 16, 1952...
, where near coal shipping facilities were established. Soon, a new town quickly grew up which became the new City of Newport News
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
in 1896. A great shipyard, which became Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company was also established there.
The railroad had been built primarily as transportation conduit to enable shipping of bituminous coal
Bituminous coal
Bituminous coal or black coal is a relatively soft coal containing a tarlike substance called bitumen. It is of higher quality than lignite coal but of poorer quality than Anthracite...
from the rich coalfields of southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, but it did link Williamsburg, as well as James City and Warwick counties, with the expanding transcontinental railroads of the country. Passenger and freight services were provided, and stations were built along the line, including one at Grove Station, located a few miles north and east of Kingsmill near the adjacent Carter's Grove Plantation at Grove, Virginia
Grove, Virginia
Grove is an unincorporated community in the southeastern portion of James City County in the Peninsula subregion of Virginia in the United States. It is located in the center of the Historic Triangle of Colonial Virginia, communities linked by the Colonial Parkway; the area is one of the busiest...
.
Carter's Grove Plantation and Carter's Grove Wharf were the next major feature immediately east of Kinsgmill along the north bank of the James River. However, while Carter's Grove was still an active plantation at this time, by the early 20th century, the Kingsmill Plantation and surrounding properties had fallen into ruins and disuse. With much of it primarily both wooded and hilly, the land at Kingsmill was not particularly well-suited to agriculture, and stood largely vacant and unused as major changes began at Williamsburg and the nearby region beginning in 1926.
Colonial Williamsburg
In the first half of the 20th century, much of the property in the area of the old Kingsmill Plantation was acquired by Standard OilStandard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
heir John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
John Davison Rockefeller, Jr. was a major philanthropist and a pivotal member of the prominent Rockefeller family. He was the sole son among the five children of businessman and Standard Oil industrialist John D. Rockefeller and the father of the five famous Rockefeller brothers...
and his associates and by 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 —...
.
Championed initially by the Reverend Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin, who was affiliated with both Bruton Parish Church
Bruton Parish Church
Bruton Parish Church is located in the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. It was established in 1674 in the Virginia Colony, and remains an active Episcopal parish.-History of Bruton Parish Church:...
(which he helped restore in 1907 in time for the Jamestown Exposition
Jamestown Exposition
The Jamestown Exposition was one of the many world's fairs and expositions that were popular in the United States in the early part of the 20th century...
), and working with the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
's president at the time, J.A.C. Chandler, the Colonial Williamsburg project was funded and endowed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., along with his wife, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, , was a prominent socialite and philanthropist and the second-generation matriarch of the renowned Rockefeller family...
. The Rockefellers officially developed Colonial Williamsburg to celebrate the patriots and the early history of the United States
History of the United States
The history of the United States traditionally starts with the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776, although its territory was inhabited by Native Americans since prehistoric times and then by European colonists who followed the voyages of Christopher Columbus starting in 1492. The...
. Many of the missing Colonial structures were reconstructed on their original sites during the 1930s. Others were restored to estimates of 18th century appearance, with traces of later buildings and improvements removed. Dependency structures and animals add to the ambiance. Most buildings are open for tourists, with the exception of buildings serving as residences for Colonial Williamsburg employees.
Notable structures include the Capitol
Capitol (Williamsburg, Virginia)
The Capitol at Williamsburg, Virginia was the first Capitol building in America in 1705. A reconstructed version is a centerpiece of Colonial Williamsburg.-Original building 1705-1780:...
and the Governor's Palace, each recreated and landscaped as to what is known of their late 18th century condition, as well as Bruton Parish Church
Bruton Parish Church
Bruton Parish Church is located in the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. It was established in 1674 in the Virginia Colony, and remains an active Episcopal parish.-History of Bruton Parish Church:...
and the Raleigh Tavern
Raleigh Tavern
Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg, Virginia, gained some fame in the pre-American Revolutionary War Colony of Virginia as a gathering place for the Burgesses after several Royal Governors officially dissolved the House of Burgesses, the elected legislative body, when their actions did not suit the Crown...
. The Wren Building
Wren Building
The Wren Building is the signature building of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. Along with the Brafferton and President's House, these buildings form the College's Historic Campus....
on the campus of William and Mary was one of the first buildings to be restored.
The Rockefellers had many homes in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. However, it was not long before the couple came to regard Williamsburg as their favorite and the town as one in which they felt "at home" according to statements the that effect made by their children and grandchildren. This is also evidenced by many of their actions as well as those of their family and other members of the patriarch of the Rockefeller family
Rockefeller family
The Rockefeller family , the Cleveland family of John D. Rockefeller and his brother William Rockefeller , is an American industrial, banking, and political family of German origin that made one of the world's largest private fortunes in the oil business during the late 19th and early 20th...
who have continued the sentiment. Their love and concern for the citizenry of the area may be shown in many ways which extend beyond the principal missions and direct accomplishments of Colonial Williamsburg.
Notable among these was Abby's efforts to facilitate educational opportunities for persons of African-American heritage during a very difficult period for such efforts in Virginia, notably her role with the establishment of the Bruton Heights School complex, which went far to equalize educational opportunities for blacks in the Greater Williamsburg community many years before judicial rulings and governmental mandates brought similar efforts elsewhere.
At the urging of Dr. Goodwin, John and Abby Rockefeller made their home at Bassett Hall, located between the northern end of the historic Quarterpath Road and the southeastern edge of the Historic District. Their funds helped acquire vast tracts of land throughout the area, including property which extended east to include the old Kingsmill Plantation. It has been said that they had dreams of acquiring one of the old working James River plantations still extant in their lifetimes, but that goal apparently eluded them.
After Abby and John D. Rockefeller Jr. had each died, beginning in the 1960s, their son Winthrop Rockefeller
Winthrop Rockefeller
Winthrop Rockefeller was a politician and philanthropist who served as the first Republican Governor of Arkansas since Reconstruction. He was a third-generation member of the Rockefeller family.-Early life:...
served as chairman of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. He was also governor of the state of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. During his dual tenures, he became aware of an opportunity to acquire Carter's Grove Plantation, located adjacent to Colonial Williamsburg's extensive last holdings near the old Kingsmill Plantation lands, and still extant as both a home and working farm. Also established by a Burwell (in 1755), Carter's Grove had most recently been owned since 1928 by Pittsburgh industrialist Archibald McCrea and his wife Mary "Mollie" Corling (Johnston) Dunlop McCrea, originally of Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
. It was purchased from her estate by an arm of the Rockefeller Foundation and eventually transferred to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. For many years during Winthrop's tenure, Carter's Grove was used to host dignitaries visiting Colonial Williamsburg, as well as enable archaeological research as well as host some public presentations for Colonial Williamsburg patrons.
Additionally, while serving as both Governor of Arkansas and chairman of Colonial Williamsburg, Winthrop learned that Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
head August Busch, II
Gussie Busch
August "Gussie" Anheuser Busch, Jr. was an American brewing magnate who built the Anheuser-Busch Companies into the largest brewery in the world as company chairman from 1946–75, and became a prominent sportsman as owner of the St...
was considering establishing a brewery and possibly other developmental investments in eastern Virginia. While the details are unknown publicly, he and Bush apparently collaborated on a deal which resulted in the brewing conglomerate's development of diversified activities in the Williamsburg area, which grew to include not only the brewery, but the Busch Gardens Williamsburg theme park, and Kingsmill Resort
Kingsmill Resort
Kinsgmill Resort is premier vacation, conference and golf resort which located in James City County, Virginia. It is located on a portion of the Kingsmill Plantation first established in the late 17th century. The original plantation structures and their successors have long been in ruins...
, the Kingsmill on the James residential planned community
Planned community
A planned community, or planned city, is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are less frequent in planned communities since...
, and several large commercial parks. To help negotiate the deal, the land which had once been Kingsmill Plantation was made available for purchase. Along with the later acquisition of smaller nearby water park, the A-B developments this fostered in the Williamsburg community generated thousands of new jobs and millions of dollars of new tax revenues.
Both Winthrop Rockefeller, who died in 1973, and August Busch II, who died in 1989 have been credited by some historians with helping develop the Greater Williamsburg area into one of the top tourism destinations in the world. They apparently felt that augmenting the attractions of the Historic Triangle of Colonial Virginia (Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, and Yorktown) with other attractions would help draw future families to the region, as well as help balance out the local economy, stimulate the hospitality industry (restaurants and lodging), and add employment opportunities.
Due to operational logistics, Carter's Grove Plantation was eventually sold (with restrictive covenants regarding use and future development) by Colonial Williamsburg. The global economy also eventually resulted in A-B setting out to divest its theme parks, the resort and other developments to new ownership.
Modern times: Kingsmill area
As of 2010, Colonial Williamsburg and the developments initiated by the Rockefellers and Busch family, continued to provide Williamsburg, James City County, and much of the surrounding area with a substantial base of employment and economic activity.Major Kingsmill area developments include:
- Busch Gardens Williamsburg theme park
- Quarterland Commons Commercial ParkMcLaws CircleMcLaws Circle is a Busch Business Park located adjacent to the Kingsmill development of Anheuser-Busch in James City County, Virginia near the City of Williamsburg. It is managed by Busch Properties, Inc.....
- Kingsmill ResortKingsmill ResortKinsgmill Resort is premier vacation, conference and golf resort which located in James City County, Virginia. It is located on a portion of the Kingsmill Plantation first established in the late 17th century. The original plantation structures and their successors have long been in ruins...
golf resort - Kingsmill on the James planned community (Notable and/or notorious residents have included Curtis StrangeCurtis StrangeCurtis Northrup Strange is an American professional golfer. He is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. He spent over 200 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between their debut in 1986 and 1990.-Early years through college:Strange and his...
, Sam WallaceSam WallaceSamuel Kip Wallace is a New Zealand actor, born in Howick, Auckland.- Early years :Sam's first big break came when filming The Ugly, a New Zealand film when he was aged 14. He attended Westlake Boys High School, where he was involved with Basketball...
, David Heath, Donald Regan, Marv LevyMarv LevyMarvin Daniel Levy is a former American and Canadian football coach, front office executive and author.He is a former professional football coach, in the CFL as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes , and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills , coaching the Bills...
, and John W. Hinckley, Jr.)