Historic Jamestown is the

cultural heritage Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by soci ...

site that was the location of the 1607 James Fort and the later 17th-century town of Jamestown in America. It is located on

Jamestown Island Jamestown Island is a island in the James River in Virginia, part of James City County. It is located off Glasshouse Point, to which it is connected via a causeway to the Colonial Parkway. Much of the island is wetland, including both swamp and ...

, on the

James River The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...

Jamestown, Virginia The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the northeast bank of the James (Powhatan) River about southwest of the center of modern Williamsburg. It was ...

and operated as a partnership between

Preservation Virginia Founded in 1889, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities was the United States' first statewide historic preservation group. In 2003 the organization adopted the new name APVA Preservation Virginia to reflect a broader focus o ...

(formerly known as the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities) and the U.S.

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

as part of

Colonial National Historical Park Colonial National Historical Park is located in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia and is operated by the National Park Service of the United States government. The park protects and interprets several sites relating to the Colony of Virginia ...

. The site was designated Jamestown National Historic Site on December 18, 1940 and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on October 15, 1966. It was also designated
National Historic Chemical Landmark
in 2007 by the American Chemical Society. It is adjacent and complementary with

Jamestown Settlement Jamestown Settlement is a living history museum operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia, created in 1957 as Jamestown Festival Park for the 350th anniversary celebration. Today it includes a recreation of the original James Fort (c. 1607 to 1614 ...

, a living history museum built run by the

Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United Stat ...

to interpret the early colony.

History

Jamestown, first established in the

Virginia Colony The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colonial empire, English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey GilbertG ...

at Jamestown, on May 13, 1607, was the site of the first permanent English settlement in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. Upon arrival, the hundred-some colonists set about constructing a fort to protect themselves from the nearby Virginia Indian tribes and from a potential attack from the Spanish settlements in Florida. Between 1609 and 1610, lack of local food and replenishment of supplies from England, and inability to cope with

disease A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

led to the "starving time", which only 60 colonists survived. The colony was resupplied with new colonists, and over the next several decades became the center of government for the English colonists. The port received additional arrivals from England to the new land, with about 500 people living in or around it at its peak. In 1619, the first Africans arrived in the colony; one of their number was a woman called Angela, who was purchased by Captain William Peirce. Jamestown was the capital of the Virginia Colony. During

Bacon's Rebellion Bacon's Rebellion was an armed rebellion held by Colony of Virginia, Virginia settlers that took place from 1676 to 1677. It was led by Nathaniel Bacon (Virginia colonist), Nathaniel Bacon against List of colonial governors of Virginia, Colon ...

in 1676, much of Jamestown was burned down, but the town was rebuilt. After an accidental second burning in 1698, the capital was relocated to higher ground at Middle Plantation in 1699. This was renamed as Williamsburg. After being superseded, Jamestown rapidly declined as a settlement. By the 1750s, the land was owned and extensively cultivated primarily by the Travis and Ambler families. Due to its location on the

, the island saw some action during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

(1776-1781). The area was used as a military post where American and British prisoners of war were exchanged. In the 19th century, Jamestown Island reverted to little-used farmland. In 1862 it was developed as the site of ''Doller's Point Battery'', a

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

earthworks during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

intended to protect Richmond against

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-steam ...

s. Swann's Point Battery was a

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

battery located at Swann's Point, above the mouth of Gray's Creek on the James River, opposite Jamestown Island, from 1862-1865. The Ambler Farm was burned by escaped

slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

, who found the desolate island to be a haven. The area reverted to farmland until preservation efforts began at the end of the 19th century.

Mission

According to their website, Jamestown Rediscovery is "committed to supporting preservation, education, and the archaeological investigation of Historic Jamestowne, the original site of the first permanent English settlement in America."

Preservation

Late in the 19th century, Jamestown became the focus of new historical interest, and by 1893, the site of Jamestown was owned by Mr and Mrs Edward Barney, who donated of land on

, including the 17th-century tower of the

Jamestown Church Jamestown Church, constructed in brick from 1639 onward, in Jamestown in the Mid-Atlantic state of Virginia, is one of the oldest surviving building remnants built by Europeans in the original thirteen colonies and in the United States overa ...

, to

historic preservation. By this time, erosion from the river had eaten away the island's western shore; visitors began to conclude that the site of James Fort lay completely underwater. With federal assistance, a

sea wall A seawall (or sea wall) is a form of coastal defense constructed where the sea, and associated coastal processes, impact directly upon the landforms of the coast. The purpose of a seawall is to protect areas of human habitation, conservation ...

was constructed in 1900 to stabilize and protect the area from further erosion. In 1907, with the site's 300th anniversary in mind, the present

was rebuilt by the

National Society of the Colonial Dames of America The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America is an American organization composed of women who are descended from an ancestor "who came to reside in an American Colony before 1776, and whose services were rendered during the Colonial Pe ...

, re-using the surviving 17th century tower. In 1932, George C. Gregory discovered the foundation of the first capitol building, circa 1646, at Jamestown. In 1934,

obtained the remaining of the island and partnered with Preservation Virginia to preserve the area and present it to visitors in an educational manner. The site was designated Jamestown National Historic Site on December 18, 1940, and listed on the

on October 15, 1966. The

maintains the remaining portions of the island with recreations of building foundations of the post-1610 Jamestown port town. In 1957, with the site's 350th anniversary in mind
''New Discoveries at Jamestown''
was published. In 1994, with the quadricentennial year approaching, Preservation Virginia agreed to fund a 10-year archaeological project called

Jamestown Rediscovery Jamestown Rediscovery is an archaeological project of Preservation Virginia (formerly the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities) investigating the remains of the original English settlement at Jamestown established in the Virgin ...

to search for any remains of James Fort, led by

William Kelso William M. Kelso, C.B.E., Ph. D., F.S.A. (born 1941), often referred to as Bill Kelso, is an American archaeologist specializing in Virginia's colonial period, particularly the Jamestown colony. Personal life A native of Lakeside, Ohio, Kelso ea ...

. By 1996, they had found James Fort, which had only lost a western bulwark to river erosion. In 2006, many preparations were underway for the

Jamestown 2007 Jamestown 2007 is the name of the organization which planned the events commemorating the 400th anniversary (quadricentennial) of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia in 1607, the first permanent English-speaking settlement in what is now the Un ...

event celebrating the 400th anniversary of the settlement. The site was visited by several dignitaries, including President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

and

Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He is currently the oldest living former U ...

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

visited to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the landing on May 4, 2007 – she had previously visited the park in October 1957. As noted by Queen Elizabeth during her state visit to the U.S. in 2007, Jamestowne was the beginning, not just of America, but of the British Empire.

Significant structures

The Historic Jamestowne area of

includes several important structures, both historical and modern.

Old Town

This area includes the ruins within the original 1607 James Fort, the restored

, and the ruins of the Statehouse.

New Town

Situated to the east of the Old Towne area, this area includes the Ambler Mansion ruins, the rowhouse, and Governor Harvey House.

Monuments

The tall Tercentenary Monument, which resembles the

Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk shaped building within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and the ...

in Washington, was placed on

by the United States government in 1907 for the 300th anniversary of the settlement. It cost $50,000 at the time, stands 103 feet (c.31 meters) tall, and is made of New Hampshire granite. The north face inscription reads: ''Jamestown - The first permanent colony of the English people. The birthplace of Virginia and of the United States - May 13, 1607''. The General Assembly Monument was unveiled on July 31, 1907, as a gift of the Norfolk branch of the APVA. Located near the church, it is a small obelisk designed to commemorate the first meeting of Virginia's General Assembly in July 1619. A horse trough, a gift from the Society of Colonial Wars in 1907, was installed in a place now just outside the Yeardley House offices of the ''Jamestown Rediscovery'' project. It was designed by architect

Harold Van Buren Magonigle Harold Van Buren Magonigle (1867–1935) was an American architect, artist, and author best known for his memorials. He achieved his greatest success as a designer of monuments, but his artistic practices included sculpture, painting, writing, ...

. The APVA Gates, a brick and iron entrance to the land owned by the APVA, was presented on May 9, 1909 by The Colonial Dames of America. They were relocated to its present location northeast of the Memorial Church in 1957. The bronze John Smith statue was unveiled on May 13, 1909, and was a gift from Joseph Bryan and his wife, Isobel, early supporters of the APVA. William Couper, from Norfolk, designed the statue. It has a granite base, and measures 20 feet tall. The inscription on the base reads: ''John Smith, Governor of Virginia, 1608'' and features Smith's adopted coat of arms and motto, ''vincere est vivere'' ("to live is to conquer"). The bronze

Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, known as Matoaka, 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of ...

statue was unveiled in June 1922, and stood south of the church, where it could "welcome" visitors coming from off the ferry. It was moved to the low rock base near the APVA entrance gate for the 350th celebration in 1957. In 2014 it was moved slightly to the west to make way for archaeological work. Also in June 1922, The Colonial Dames of America erected the Hunt Shrine (dedicated to Robert Hunt), the first Anglican minister of the colony. It was designed by Ralph Adams Cram. The shrine frames a bas-relief depicting the 1607 service. It was first set with its back to the James River, but in 1960 it was rotated to face the river from the northern earthwork of the Civil War's

Fort Pocahontas Fort Pocahontas was an earthen fort on the north bank of the James River at Wilson's Wharf, in Charles City County, Virginia which served as a Union supply depot during the American Civil War. The fort was constructed by African-American soldiers ...

. Its inscription, taken from John Smith, reads

Our factions were oft qualified, and our wants and greater extremities so comforted that they seemed easie in comparison of what we endured after his memorable death. ...

The wooden cross that stands near the entrance to the Archaearium museum was erected by the APVA in 1957 to honor the settlers who died in first years of the settlement. The inscription reads: ''To the Glory of God and in grateful memory of those early settlers, the founders of this nation who died at Jamestown during the first perilous years of the colony. Their bodies lie along the ridge beyond this cross, in the earliest known burial ground of the English in America.''

Voorhees Archaearium

Officially named th
Nathalie P. and Alan M. Voorhees Archaearium
or simply the ''Voorhees Archaearium'', it is a museum with excavated artifacts and exhibits about Jamestown. The building is located over the excavated remains of the last Statehouse in Jamestown, which visitors can see. The museum onsite opened just prior to the 400th anniversary and displays objects that belonged to Jamestown colonists 400 years ago, unearthed from the long-lost James Fort site, in a 7,500 sq ft gallery space that integrates both life and death experiences of the colonists and the landscape they shaped. Additional archaeological materials from James Fort were featured in the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

's limited exhibition
Written In Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake
from February 7, 2009 to January 6, 2013 at the

National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. In 2021, with 7 ...

Washington DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Gallery

File:Historic Jamestowne Visitor Center, Colonial National Historical Park, Jamestown, Virginia (14424182042).jpg, Map of the site File:JamestownBoardwalk.jpg, Boardwalk and visitors' center at Historic Jamestowne File:JamestownBarracksReconstruction.jpg, Reconstruction of the barracks at James Fort File:JamestownGraves.jpg, Graves of settlers who died in 1607 File:JamestownSeawall.jpg, Seawall along the James River File:Voorhees Archaearium.jpg, Archaearium File:JamestownfromtheJamesFerry.jpg, Historic Jamestowne seen from the James River Ferry File:Jamestown 2007 07 02.jpg, Pocahontas statue, July 2007 File:Jamestown Tercentennial Monument.JPG, 1907 Tercentennial Monument File:HuntShrine.jpg, Hunt Shrine File:Pocohontas Statue, Historic Jamestowne, Colonial National Historical Park, Jamestown, Virginia (14238948410).jpg, Dig taking place at Jamestown

References

External links

Preservation Virginia official website for Historic JamestowneNPS official website for Historic JamestowneJamestown 2007 website
* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jamestowne 1607 establishments in Virginia 1940 establishments in Virginia

Archaeological sites in Virginia This is a listing of sites of archaeological interest in the state of Virginia, in the United States. {{Commons cat, Archaeological sites in Virginia Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlant ...

Populated places on the James River (Virginia) Colony of Virginia Tourist attractions in James City County, Virginia James River (Virginia) National Historic Sites in Virginia Populated places in colonial Virginia Museums in James City County, Virginia Archaeological museums in Virginia History museums in Virginia Parks in James City County, Virginia Populated places established in 1607 National Register of Historic Places in James City County, Virginia Colonial National Historical Park Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Historic American Engineering Record in Virginia Historic American Buildings Survey in Virginia Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia