Jamestown, Virginia

Jamestown (a.k.a. Jamestown Island) was established in 1607 on the James River in what is currently James City County, Virginia, about 40 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean and the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay and about 45 miles (70 kilometers) downstream and southeast of Richmond, Virginia. Both the James River and the new settlement were named for King James I, who granted the private proprietorship to the Virginia Company. That company's Virginia Colony, which was first established at Jamestown, was the first permanent English colony in what is now the United States to survive. It followed the failure of 18 earlier attempts including the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island to the south in what is now North Carolina. Jamestown is second only to St. Augustine, Florida as the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the present-day United States, the latter having been founded 42 years earlier (1565) by Spain.

Throughout the 17th century, the capital and major point of the Virginia Colony was Jamestown, and to many, the names were synonymous. Gradually, other less important points emerged especially along the James River as the colony grew. Since the economic basis was primarily agriculture, in the early period, other than Jamestown, most developments were large plantations rather than traditional towns, usually located near the waterways such as the James River, and many had their own wharfs. However, by 1619, the House of Burgesses ordered that each county establish a principal town which would have warehouses for both imports and exports, and some concentrated housing.

Sketch of Jamestown c. 1608

Although Jamestown was an important centre of government and commerce in the 17th century, the location was plagued by mosquitoes, brackish tidal river water which was unsuitable for drinking, and offered limited space for major expansion. Several times during contingencies, such as fires and Bacon's Rebellion, the seat of government for the colony was shifted temporarily to nearby Middle Plantation, which was a fortified location on the high ridge approximately equidistant from the James and York Rivers on the Virginia Peninsula. When the Colony was finally granted a long-desired charter for a college in 1693, Middle Plantation was chosen as the site of the new College of William and Mary, named for the British king and queen who granted the royal charter. After another accidental state house fire at Jamestown in 1698, the capital of the Colony was permanently relocated to Middle Plantation in 1699. The new capital town was soon renamed Williamsburg, in honor of the current British king, William III.

Jamestown began a gradual loss of prominence after the capital was relocated, and eventually reverted to a few large farms. It became a significant point for control of the James River during the American Civil War (1860-1865), and then slid back into seeming oblivion until the early 20th century. Renewed interest in the historical aspects began around 1907 with the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. However, the general area of Jamestown itself was not very accessible in a day of rail travel before automobiles were common. Thus, the 1907 Jamestown Exposition was held about 30 miles downstream near the mouth of the James River at Sewell's Point on Hampton Roads, a site accessible by both long-distance passenger railroads and local streetcar service, with considerable frontage on the harbor of Hampton Roads, which proved ideal for the naval delegations which came from points all around the world. The Exposition site later formed the first portion of the large U.S. Naval Station Norfolk in 1918 during World War I.

However, by 50 years later, conditions had changed and the 350th anniversary celebration was held at Jamestown itself in 1957. Although erosion had cut off the land bridge between Jamestown Island and the mainland, the isthmus was restored and new access provided by the completion of the Colonial Parkway which led to Williamsburg and Yorktown. Other major projects were developed by non-profit, state and federal agencies, as well as improvements of state highways. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Prince Phillip attended and the 1957 event was considered a great success, and tourism became continuous.

While Jamestown has been the site of several continuing historical attractions since at least 1957, recent archaeological work and discoveries have generated a great deal of new interest. In preparation for the upcoming Jamestown 2007 event commemorating America's 400th Anniversary, new accommodations, transportation facilities and attractions were planned, and the celebration began in the Spring of 2006 with the sailing of the replica Godspeed to six major East Coast cities, where several hundred thousand people viewed it. Major corporate sponsors of Jamestown 2007 include Norfolk Southern Corporation and Anheuser-Busch.

The two major attractions at Jamestown are separate, but complimentary to each other. The state-sponsored Jamestown Settlement near the entrance to Jamestown Island includes a recreated English Fort and Native American Village, as well as extensive indoor and outdoor displays and features the three popular replica ships. On Jamestown Island itself, the National Park Service operates Historic Jamestowne. Over a million artifacts have been recovered from the ongoing archaeological work, including a number of exciting recent discoveries. Several monuments and a loop road around the island are also popular attractions. The Colonial Parkway provides access directly to these, as well as State Route 31, which extends to nearby Williamsburg, as well as crossing the free Jamestown Ferry to areas south of the James River.

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