66-516: Warner Hall is a historic plantation in Gloucester County, Virginia , United States . Augustine Warner , progenitor of many prominent First Families of Virginia , and great-great-grandfather of President George Washington established the plantation in 1642 after receiving a royal land grant, and would serve in the House of Burgesses , as would many later owners. While Augustine Warner Jr. operated
132-627: A Colonial Revival mansion. It is currently operated as a country inn. The cemetery on the property, which includes graves of the Warner and Lewis families, has been maintained by the Association for Preservation of Virginia Antiquities since 1903. The plantation was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This article about a property in Gloucester County, Virginia on
198-646: A concession stand operated by an independent business that is open during the summer months. Located in Gloucester Point, Tyndall's Point Park was the site of a fort set up by the English in the 1660s to protect the area in case of invasion by Holland. In addition, this location was used as a fort during the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Woodville Park is a large park with walking trails, athletic fields, and
264-465: A fellow victim. Warner had no male heirs, although his daughter Mildred would become the grandmother of George Washington , and his daughter Elizabeth married John Lewis, who assumed the house and surrounding plantation, as well as served in the House of Burgesses, as did their descendants until circa 1820. The house burned in 1840, and the two surviving (and used) outbuildings were joined circa 1900 to become
330-725: A group of early settler families who became a socially and politically dominant group in the British colony of Virginia and later the Commonwealth of Virginia . They descend from European colonists who primarily settled at Jamestown , Williamsburg , the Northern Neck and along the James River and other navigable waters in Virginia during the 17th century. These elite families generally married within their social class for many generations and, as
396-441: A memorial garden. Facilities available include soccer fields, sand soccer, sand volleyball, a memorial garden, a community garden, and a pond. Woodville is the newest park in Gloucester County and some areas are still under development. On October 17–19, 2008, some 2,000 Revolutionary War re-enactors were scheduled to converge on Warner Hall in Gloucester County to commemorate the defeat of Banastre Tarleton and his British legion by
462-533: A number of settlements. The people also gathered nuts, berries and other foods of the region. Around 1570, Spanish Jesuits attempted to establish what was known as the Ajacan Mission on the south shore of the York River across from Gloucester. They were killed by natives led by a Christian convert named Don Luis , who was affiliated with a village known as Chiskiack ( Naval Weapons Station Yorktown much later
528-421: A pre-Revolutionary War economy dependent on the production of tobacco as a commodity crop, the ownership of the best land was tightly controlled. It often passed between families of corresponding social rank. The Virginia economy was based on slave labor as the colony became a slave society. The landed gentry could keep tight rein on political power, which passed in somewhat orderly fashion from family to family. (In
594-461: A result, most surnames of First Families date to the colonial period. The American Revolution cut ties with Britain but not with its social traditions. While some First Family members were loyal to Britain, others were Whigs who supported and often took leading roles in the Revolution. Most First Families remained in Virginia, where they flourished as tobacco planters, and from the sale of slaves to
660-540: A safer, inland location and abandoned the village around 1609, knowledge of this site was lost. Researchers later tried to identify it by Smith's historic writings. The current site of West Point seemed to offer a clue to its location; from there, Smith had noted the distance downstream to Werowocomoco. Based upon his description, at one time scholars thought the former capital was located near Wicomico (site of Powhatan's Chimney ), about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of present-day West Point. Smith also noted that Jamestown
726-410: Is a large park with many trails, located on a reservoir. Hiking, bicycling, boating, fishing, horseback riding and picnicking are available. The Whitcomb Lodge may be leased for special events. The park is home to a collection of geocaches hidden near the trails surrounding the reservoir. Small boats are available for rental, and non-gasoline-powered craft may be launched for a nominal fee. Brown Park
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#1732849011479792-612: Is a small skate park located on Foster Road off of Route 14 near Gloucester Courthouse. The park currently only features skateboarding facilities; however, the Parks and Rec department eventually wants to add disc golf and dog park facilities. Situated on the York River adjacent to the VIMS campus, Gloucester Point Beach Park is a small park consisting of a beach, fishing dock, playground, and boat landing. In addition, there are bathrooms on site and
858-458: Is about 60 miles (97 km) east of Virginia's capital, Richmond . Werowocomoco , capital of the large and powerful Powhatan Confederacy (a union of 30 indigenous tribes under a paramount chief ), was located on this part of the peninsula. In 2003 archeologists established that dense village had been located at this site from AD 1200 to the early 17th century. The county was developed by colonists primarily for tobacco plantations, based on
924-524: Is home to an assortment of parks with a diverse array of activities available. Abingdon Park is a small park located next to Abingdon Elementary on Powhatan Drive in Hayes. Facilities include picnic area, soccer field, softball field, picnic shelter, and restrooms. Ark Park is a medium-sized park located off of US Route 17 near the small community of Ark. Facilities include a basketball court, playground, soccer field, softball field, and restrooms. Beaverdam Park
990-545: Is named for Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester (third son of King Charles I of England ). Gloucester County is included in the Virginia Beach – Norfolk – Newport News , VA– NC Metropolitan Statistical Area . Located at the east end of the lower part of the Middle Peninsula , it is bordered on the south by the York River and the lower Chesapeake Bay on the east. The waterways shaped its development. Gloucester County
1056-486: Is of uncertain origin. Residents in this area have been referred to as "Guineamen" at least since 1730. As noted by George Dow in 1969, London physician George Pinckard referred to the master of a ship containing slaves from the Guinea coast as a "Guinea Man" in letters dating 1795. It is likely this area was called Guinea after being used as a landing site for importation of slaves from that area. Another story, passed among
1122-523: Is self-nicknamed the " Daffodil Capital of the World"; it hosts an annual daffodil festival, parade and flower show. This area was inhabited for thousands of years by successive cultures of hunter-gatherer Indian peoples; artifacts have been dated to at least the late Woodland Period (c. AD 1000). An important village site known as Werowocomoco was occupied by c. AD 1200 by the Algonquian -speaking peoples of
1188-482: Is the College of William & Mary 's Marine Science post-graduate school. Despite an influx in development, Gloucester still maintains a large amount of rural and farmland (especially in the northern end of the county) which contributes to the county's rich agricultural tradition. Gloucester County's Comprehensive Plan cites both Gloucester Point and Gloucester Courthouse as development districts. Gloucester County
1254-425: Is the Virginia public school division serving the county. It comprises nine public schools: five elementary (grades K -5), two intermediate (grades 6–7, grades 8) and one high school (grades 9–12). The five schools are: Classes of about 20 students are assigned to a teacher for an academic year. The middle schools (Peasley and Page) have block scheduling and teams (a division of the grade). Page Middle School
1320-430: Is the graduate school in marine science for the College of William and Mary (the country's second-oldest university), which is headquartered in nearby Williamsburg . VIMS is located at Gloucester Point along the county's shorefront, where samples and measurements for Chesapeake Bay are taken and specimens put on display. The institute's annual Marine Science Day attracts many visitors. Gloucester County Public Schools
1386-612: The 38th Virginia Infantry , Confederate States Army was an uncle of Matoaka Whittle Sims. In 1907, the Jamestown Exposition was held near Norfolk to celebrate the tricentennial of the arrival of the first English colonists and the founding of Jamestown. Preservation Virginia , formerly known as the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, was founded in Williamsburg in 1889 to memorialize Virginia history. In
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#17328490114791452-536: The College of William and Mary ). Gloucester County is rich in farmland. Its fishing industry is important to the state as well. It has a retail center located around the main street area of the county seat . Gloucester County and adjacent York County are linked by the George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge , a toll facility across the York River carrying U.S. Route 17 to the Virginia Peninsula area. Gloucester County
1518-544: The Courthouse regions of Gloucester. Gloucester's Main Street and U.S. Route 17 have served as vital corridors of commercial and community growth in the county. Between 1970 and 2000, the county's population grew by over 60% and this additional influx of new residents encouraged mass commercial and residential development, and subsequently has become an important commercial center for the Middle Peninsula , upper Hampton Roads , and
1584-539: The Episcopal churches of Ware (1690) and Abingdon (1755), where Presidents Washington and Jefferson worshiped. Some early colonial buildings at the county seat on Courthouse Green continue to be used for public purposes. During the 17th century, the tip of land protruding into the York River was named Tyndall's Point by Robert Tyndall , mapmaker for Captain John Smith . In 1667, colonists built fortifications there, at what
1650-532: The Northern Neck areas. Canon Virginia has a recycling facility in the White Marsh area of the county, which processes old printer cartridges and recycle their parts for new cartridges. Peace Frogs , based near Gloucester Courthouse is an apparel brand that makes a full line of apparel and accessories sporting frog designs. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science is based in Gloucester Point . VIMS
1716-651: The "Guineamen" is that people on the Guinea Neck were continuing to use golden Guineas to pay for things up from about 1781–1860, the start of the American Civil War . At one time, the name was thought to have derived from the period of the American Revolutionary War. Loyalists quartered Hessian mercenaries here who were attached to Cornwallis ' army; they were paid one guinea per day. The Hessians were thought to have occupied lower Gloucester during
1782-444: The "Johns" of Johns Hopkins University , or where a surname might die out because the last holder only had daughters, Cole Digges was the grandson of William Cole . A mother's maiden name might also be used as a middle name, to document that part of the person's ancestry; or even middle and first as is the case with John Tayloe Lomax , John Tayloe Washington, and John Tayloe Corbin . For example, Lt. Col. Powhatan Bolling Whittle of
1848-470: The 1950s, "the old-time aristocracy [had] not given up, or sunk into decadence as Southern novelists suggest." They adopted modern agricultural technology and co-opted rich "Yankees" into their upper-class, rural horse-estate society. However, mirroring the fortunes of other White Anglo-Saxon Protestant social groups, the political and financial influence of the First Families in Virginia has declined over
1914-566: The 20th century, Preservation Virginia emphasized patriotism by highlighting the Founding Fathers that hailed from Virginia. To commemorate the 350th anniversary of the first settlement at Jamestown, the Order of First Families of Virginia published genealogies compiled by F.A.S.G. Annie Lash Jester and Martha Woodroff Hiden in 1956. The same pair published a second addition in 1964 (also during Virginia's Massive Resistance crisis). The third edition
1980-758: The Act's one-drop rule and remain classified as white. In 1887, following the Reconstruction era after the Civil War , Virginia Governor Wyndham Robertson wrote the first history of Pocahontas and her descendants, delineating the ancestry of FFV families including the Bollings, Clements, Whittles, Blands, Skipwiths, Flemings, Catletts, Gays, Jordans, Randolphs, Tazewells, and many others. Excluded from this history were 'natural children', mixed-race descendants of unions with slaves. Families often used surnames as given names, as in
2046-631: The Duc de Lauzun's legion and Mercer's battalion of Virginia militia grenadiers. The Battle of the Hook cut off Cornwallis's supplies and escape forcing his surrender on October 19, 1781. One hour after the surrender at Yorktown, British and Hessian forces in Gloucester surrendered. The Gloucester Daffodil Festival is held annually. Many visitors visit Gloucester for its notorious local Ice Cream shoppe and Antique Mall The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)
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2112-599: The Jamestown colony. By virtue of many fictional accounts, her marriage was romanticized and became part of the mythology of early American history. Crucially, Pocahontas became a focal point in all First Family genealogies. So great was the importance of Pocahontas in these family trees that, upon the passage of the Racial Integrity Act of 1924 , First Family lobbying resulted in the " Pocahontas Exception ", which allowed white people claiming native descent to circumvent
2178-531: The National Register of Historic Places is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Gloucester County, Virginia Gloucester County ( / ˈ ɡ l ɒ s t ər / GLOST -ər ) is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia . As of the 2020 census , the population was 38,711. Its county seat is Gloucester Courthouse . The county was founded in 1651 in the Virginia Colony and
2244-480: The Virginia Company divided its developed areas into four incorporations, called "citties" [ sic ]. At that time, most of the area which became Gloucester County would have been considered part of "James Cittie" (although it was not yet settled). In 1634, by order of King Charles I the colony was divided into the eight shires of Virginia. First named Charles River Shire by the English, York County
2310-682: The Werowocomoco site. The research group is a collaborative effort of the College of William and Mary , the Virginia Department of Historic Resources , and Virginia tribes descended from the Powhatan Confederacy. Initial testing included digging 603 test holes 12 to 16 inches (30 to 41 cm) deep and 50 feet (15 m) apart. They found thousands of artifacts, including a blue bead which may have been made in Europe for trading. Combined with
2376-428: The area has been the center of the county's seafood industry. (The Atwell,Shackelford, Rowe, West, Jenkins, Green, Kellum, King and Belvin families are chief among those who have worked in the fishing industry here). Although the industry has declined, it remains a cultural core of the community. The fishermen are known locally as "Guineamen". They speak a distinct form of non-rhotic , Southern English. The name "Guinea"
2442-550: The beach, but the landowner did not want any excavation. Mouer found fragments of Indian ceramics dating to the Late Woodland Period and determined that the area was the possible site of Werowocomoco. More than 20 years later, a different landowner authorized archaeological excavation on the property. Between March 2002 and April 2003, the Werowocomoco Research Group conducted excavations and analysis at
2508-451: The closing days of the Revolutionary War, or to have settled here after deserting the British. Cornwallis sent British troops and cavalry to occupy Gloucester in October 1781; Hessians may have been a part of that contingent due to Gloucester's strategic importance at the mouth of the York River. The history of the daffodil in Gloucester County is nearly as old as the county. When Gloucester
2574-418: The cotton states to the south. Indeed, many younger sons of the First Families were relocated into the cotton belt to start their own plantations. With the emancipation of slaves during the Civil War and the consequential loss of slave labor, Virginia plantations struggled to turn a profit. The First Families, albeit poorer than before, maintained social and political leadership. Marshall Fishwick says that by
2640-554: The county's daffodils are celebrated every year with the annual "Daffodil Festival". The whole county comes out during the first weekend in April to celebrate the county's history. \. Gloucester is a growing and increasingly changing county that is an integral part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. Growth in the Peninsula area has encouraged development in the Gloucester Point and
2706-562: The county's history. Both the newly identified site on Purtan Bay and Powhatan's Chimney at Wicomico are within the territory which Indians have considered as part of Werowocomoco. In the Algonquian language, the "village" of the chief was not defined as a small place, but the term referred to "the lands" where he lived. The custom of the Powhatan tribes was to relocate their villages within a general area to allow lands to recover from cultivation or move to better sources of water and game. In 1619,
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2772-768: The early days of Jamestown emphasized Powhatan's interests in acquiring English objects (particularly copper, which the Indians used to create their own objets d'art . The project is noted for the researchers' consultation and collaboration with members of the local Indian tribes – the Mattaponi and Pamunkey , descendants of the Powhatan Confederacy. Such archeological sites often contain burials and associated sacred artifacts important to these tribes: When I step on this site folks...I just feel different. The spirituality just touches me and I feel it. Gloucester County has celebrated Werowocomoco and other Powhatan-heritage sites as part of
2838-432: The eastern county line. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Gloucester was developed as a major tobacco -producing area; this was the chief commodity crop and the basis of the wealth of major planters. Many of the old plantation houses and private estates have been preserved in good condition. These establishments are periodically open to public visitation during Historic Garden Week. Examples of colonial architecture are
2904-647: The execution of Charles I in 1649, Charles II reputedly called Virginia his "Old Dominion" – a nickname that endures today. The affinity of many early Virginia settlers for the Crown led to the term "distressed Cavaliers ", often applied to the Virginia plantocracy . Some Cavaliers who served under King Charles I fled to Virginia. FFVs often refer to Virginia as "Cavalier Country". These men were offered land or other rewards by King Charles II, but most who had settled in Virginia stayed in Virginia. Many such early settlers in Virginia were called Second Sons. Primogeniture favored
2970-614: The first sons' inheriting lands and titles in England. Second or third sons went out to the colonies to make their fortune, or entered the military and the clergy. Tidewater Virginia evolved as a society descended from second or third sons of Englishmen who inherited land grants or land in Virginia. They formed part of what became the Southern elite in Colonial America. In some cases, longstanding ties among families in England were carried to
3036-527: The historical descriptions by English colonists of Werowocomoco, researchers believe these discoveries have established the site of the ancient capital. "We believe we have sufficient evidence to confirm that the property is indeed the village of Werowocomoco," said Randolph Turner, director of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources' Portsmouth Regional Office in 2003. Two Gloucester-based archaeologists, Thane Harpole and David Brown, have worked at
3102-601: The labor of enslaved Africans imported in the slave trade. Tobacco was one of the first commodity crops but fishing also developed as an important industry. The county was home to numerous planters who were among the First Families of Virginia and leaders before the American Revolutionary War . Thomas Jefferson wrote early works for Virginia and colonial independence while staying at Rosewell Plantation , home of John Page (his close friend and fellow student at
3168-501: The last century. The English colonists who eventually became the First Families emigrated to the new Colony of Virginia . Their migration took place from the settlement of Jamestown through the English Civil War and English Interregnum period (1642–1660). Some royalists left England on the accession to power of Oliver Cromwell and his Parliament. Because most of Virginia's leading families recognized Charles II as King following
3234-494: The more modern mercantile economy of the north, social mobility became more prominent. The power of the elite was muted by newcomers who gained wealth in the market economy .) Pocahontas (1595–1617), a Native American , was the daughter of Chief Powhatan , founder of the Powhatan Confederacy . According to Mattaponi and Patawomeck tradition, Pocahontas was previously married to a Patawomeck weroance , Kocoum, who
3300-468: The mother country and with each other. A thin network of increasingly interrelated families made up the planter elite and held power in colonial Virginia. "As early as 1660, every seat on the ruling Council of Virginia was held by members of five interrelated families," writes British historian John Keegan , "and as late as 1775, every council member was descended from one of the 1660 councillors." The ties among Virginia families were based on marriage. In
3366-611: The new colony, where they were reinforced by marriage and other relations. For instance, there were ancestral ties between the Spencer family of Bedfordshire and the Washington family; a Spencer secured the land grant later purchased by the Washingtons, where they built their Mount Vernon home. These sorts of ties were common in the early colony, as families shuttled back and forth between England and Virginia, maintaining their connections with
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#17328490114793432-414: The numerous emerging tribes in the area. Before the late 16th century, the Powhatan Confederacy had been formed. It was made up of an estimated 30 tribes in the coastal region, who spoke distinct but related languages, and was led by a paramount chief, known as the Powhatan. The Powhatan Confederacy was estimated to total 12,000 to 15,000 people across the coastal region of present-day Virginia. Werowocomoco
3498-449: The plantation and served as speaker of the House of Burgesses, rebels associated with Bacon's Rebellion sacked and looted it, as well as made it their headquarters after they sacked Jamestown. Warner sought compensation for goods valued at £845, or the equivalent of what 40 slaves or servants would produce in a year, which led to litigation with fellow burgess William Byrd, whom Warner blamed for supporting Bacon but who portrayed himself as
3564-540: The site since 2002 and continue to participate in the excavations. Archeologists have discovered a dispersed village community occupying the site from AD 1200 through the early 17th century. They recovered artifacts (including native pottery and stone tools), as well as floral and faunal food remains from the large residential community. The research group has also recovered English trade goods produced from glass, copper, and other metals originating in Jamestown. The colonists' accounts of interaction at Werowocomoco during
3630-412: Was 12 miles (19 km) from Werowocomoco "as the crow flies." Using that measure, the site near Wicomico is about 12 miles from Jamestown. In 1977, archeologist Daniel Mouer of Virginia Commonwealth University identified a site on Purtan Bay as the possible location of Werowocomoco; it was also about 12 miles from Jamestown. He was able to collect artifacts from the surface of plowed fields and along
3696-710: Was born on January 30, 1615. He married and had a family: his descendants married into other elite families. Pocahontas was much celebrated in London, where she was welcomed with great ceremony at the Royal Court. She died young but became legendary as the first Indian from Virginia to become Christian, marry an Englishman, and have a known child from such a marriage (there were no doubt mixed-race children born to lower-class colonists and Algonquian women, although they may have been neither married nor Christian). She became an important symbol of friendly Native American-English relations of
3762-432: Was captured and taken to Chief Powhatan at Werowocomoco, his eastern capital. According to legend, Powhatan's daughter Pocahontas saved John Smith from being executed by the natives; however, some historians question the accuracy of much of Smith's account of that incident. Smith was accompanied by other Englishmen when he returned in a later visit to the Powhatan at Werowocomoco. After the Powhatan moved their capital to
3828-586: Was considered safe for settlement. By that time, Algonquian peoples had been pushed out of the area by colonists after many died in epidemics of infectious diseases. They had no immunity to the new diseases carried by the Europeans. George Washington 's great-grandfather received a Gloucester County land patent in 1650. Gloucester County was formed from York County in 1651. No legislative enactment has been found for its formation. Gloucester County consisted of four parishes: Abingdon, Kingston, Petsworth and Ware. It
3894-447: Was damaged by a tornado on April 16, 2011, which destroyed most of the eighth-grade wing. It has since been demolished, with students relocated to temporary classrooms on the high-school campus. In 2015 a new school was built across the street from the old location. Gloucester High School (GHS) is in the process of being renovated. Its mascot is a Duke. First Families of Virginia The First Families of Virginia , or FFV, are
3960-503: Was developed at this site in present-day York County; the historic village site has been preserved.) When English settlers founded Jamestown in 1607 on the James River to the north, they soon came into conflict with local Indians. The newcomers competed for land, game and other resources in the Powhatan territory, and the two cultures did not understand each other's concepts of property, particularly in land use. In late 1607, John Smith
4026-401: Was formed in 1651 from part of York County, early settlers brought daffodils from England. Settlers soon discovered the soil and weather conditions were good for them. The bulbs were passed from neighbor to neighbor, naturalizing by the beginning of the 20th century. The daffodil industry (which earned the county the title "Daffodil Capital of America") developed during the 1930s and 1940s. Today,
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#17328490114794092-497: Was murdered by Englishmen when Samuel Argall abducted her on April 13, 1613. Educated among the English of Virginia and converted to Christianity during her captivity in Henricus , Pocahontas married colonist John Rolfe at a church in Jamestown on April 5, 1614. Rolfe had become prominent and wealthy as the first to successfully develop an export cash crop for the colony with new varieties of tobacco. Their only child, Thomas Rolfe ,
4158-513: Was named for Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester , third son of Charles I. Gloucester County figured prominently in the history of the colony and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Kingston parish was renamed as Mathews County in 1791, after the American Revolutionary War and independence of the United States. The remaining three parishes were retained in Gloucester; the county was split on what is now
4224-600: Was renamed in 1642 during the English Civil War . The Pamunkey called the river of their territory "Pamunkey"; residents retained that name for the portion upstream from West Point. The English first named the major river the Charles River; during the English Civil War, it was renamed as the York River). The colonial government granted early land patents in the area in 1639, but it was not until after 1644 that Gloucester
4290-410: Was the stronghold and capital of this confederacy, located on the north side of the York River in what is now Gloucester. This complex, stratified society had developed in part due to the cultivation and processing by women of varieties of maize, beans and squash . With these crops, the women produced a surplus that, together with the game and fish collected by the men, supported a dense population in
4356-461: Was then called Gloucester Point. These defenses were rebuilt and strengthened many times from the colonial period through the American Civil War . This site is also known for the "Second Surrender" by General Lord Charles Cornwallis to General George Washington at Yorktown. One area of Gloucester County is known as Guinea; it includes the unincorporated communities of Achilles, Maryus, Perrin, Severn, and Big Island. Located near Gloucester Point ,
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