Jamestown, VA and environs
November, 2008
We found our way to a lovely little city park in Hampton known as Gosnold’s Hope Park. Everything we needed plus well situated for visiting the places that interested us. We skipped over Yorktown and Williamsburg both by conscious and conscientious choice and due to doing other things of interest.
Historic Fort Jamestowne, actual site of the first permanent English settlement in North America, was settled on May13, 1607 by 104 men and boys on the banks of the James River. They had been sent to establish the colony of Virginia with Jamestowne as the capital under a charter granted to the Virginia Company of London. We were able to see the on-going archeological excavations of the original fort and to talk to some of the professional volunteers who lovingly work there year after year.
On our walkabout we visited the 17th century church tower, the only remaining original structure from the beginning period of the colony.
Next we saw the adjoining commemorative1907 Memorial Church and the soaring granite monument. Built for the 300th anniversary celebration the church was constructed directly over the stone foundation of the first permanent church. There are very few human remains from this first period so the small church yard has only 23 graves spanning approximately 100 years, mute testimony to the struggles of these original founders of Virginia’s first capitol.
The Fort’s wooden walls or balustrades are reconstructed upon the very footprints of the original fortifications. These early efforts to guard against Indians and the possibility of Spanish or British soldiers were actually no protection at all from the real killers of the first colonists – poor leadership, an unhealthy environment and the worst drought in 800 years leading to starvation and disease.
It is notable that the entire fort was only one small acre within the triangular design. There has been much ground lost to the erosion of the James River. I was astounded to learn from one of the volunteer archeologists that the shore line has receded nearly 300 feet from the original tree line where they tied up their ships.
Of course, most of us remember the story of the Powhatan Princess Pocahontas and how she saved John Smith. Her commemorative statue is a nice piece of work and one can see by the wear patterns how visitors love to hold her hand when they are having their picture taken. In 1614 she married Englishman James Rolfe, the man who developed a tobacco variety that grew well in Virginia, helping to establish the all important tobacco trade with Europe. This lucrative trade established the character and guaranteed the survival of Jamestown through the 1600’s. Pocahontas died in 1617 while visiting England and is buried at St. George’s Church, Gravesend, England leaving many of us to succumb over the centuries to her husband’s legacy.
Discoveries and the artifacts that tell the Fort’s story are on display in the new Voorhees Archaearium. Built over some graves and the foundations of rowhouses the building was designed with sensitivity to history and the historical environment. The display of artifacts attests to the struggles and pleasures of the generations that built Jamestowne and Virginia – from the indentured first laborers and captured African slaves to the burgesses and businessmen. I could have spent several days just looking and reading.
Learning of the importance of Jamestown as it became a port of entry and provincial administrative center, we traveled the next day over to the recreated Jamestown Settlement. Here we were able to walk the streets and enter the daub and wattle buildings of the 16th century town, visit a Powhatan Indian village and climb aboard replicas of the three ships that brought the colonists to our shores. This day was certainly a rich experience of watching docents reenacting the daily routine of the village, listening to crewmen tell of the running of their ships or waiting for a soldier’s musket to fire.
Jamestown
Powhatan Village
Harbor
The large and active Visitor’s Center is an architectural banquet with wonderful timeline displays, a movie theater, a bookstore, a cafe and a gift shop. There are several monuments around the grounds that were erected for the different celebrations down through the decades. The 300th anniversary in 1907 brought the church in Historical Fort James and the marble monument. The 350th anniversary erected a brick tower but the Visitor’s Center is the culmination of the 400th anniversary.
Our next step back into history was to walk along the old road to the Glassmaker’s Shop. This is a functioning recreation of the original structure and melting ovens from 1608. There is a glassblower’s apprentice program here that teaches young artisans this ancient art and we were lucky enough to find one of them blowing a series of 17th century style wine bottles. The gift shop here sells only the works created by these artisans and some of them are amazing works!
To round out another great day in this historic area we took the drive back to Hampton via the Colonial Parkway. This 23 mile scenic byway links Virginia’s Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown. We caught glimpses of the James and York Rivers as well as more of the continuing beauty of fabulous fall foliage.
We actually stayed a number of days in this area as we loved the little campground and we were staying out of harm’s way as the Alaska cold front moved down over the area. Our goal was to head south into North Carolina, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and anything else we could find. You know we will keep you posted as we trek ever onward, going where no two grey-hairs have ever gone before……..
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