Windsor Castle is a former plantation and now a public park in Smithfield,

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. It is located in the Smithfield Historic District.

History

The plantation dates to a land grant of by the

King of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiw ...

to Arthur Smith in 1637. Arthur Smith's great grandson, Arthur Smith IV, established the town of Smithfield in 1750. The first recorded use of the name "Windsor Castle" dates from 1884. an
''Accompanying photo''
/ref> In 2005, real estate developer Lewis McMurran obtained an option to purchase Windsor Castle for $2.2 million. The agreement included a historic easement around the manor house. McMurran proposed to build a 445-unit "

New Urbanism New Urbanism is an urban design movement which promotes environmentally friendly habits by creating walkable neighbourhoods containing a wide range of housing and job types. It arose in the United States in the early 1980s, and has gradually inf ...

" development on the property outside the historic easement. The proposal was withdrawn amidst strong opposition from town residents. In 2007, Joseph W. Luter III donated $5 million to the town for the purchase and development of Windsor Castle as a park. Lewis McMurran then executed his option to purchase the property. The town council voted to pursue the use of eminent domain to obtain the property. In 2009, an out-of-court agreement was negotiated for the town to purchase the property outside the historic easement for $3.8 million and for McMurran to donate to the town the property within the historic easement. The manor house and surrounding were dedicated as a public park in 2010. The immediately surrounding the manor house are protected by a historic easement controlled by the state of Virginia. The park was formally opened during a ceremony officiated by the Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell on May 22, 2010. The park features hiking trails, a dog park, a mountain bike trail, a fishing pier, and a canoe launch. The manor house overlooks the junction of Cypress Creek and the Pagan River. The King of All Places manor house (circa 1806) can be seen across Cypress Creek from the Windsor Castle property. On April 2, 2013, it was reported in the ''

Virginian-Pilot ''The Virginian-Pilot'' is the daily newspaper for Norfolk, Virginia. Commonly known as ''The Pilot'', it is Virginia's largest daily. It serves the five cities of South Hampton Roads as well as several smaller towns across southeast Virgini ...

'' that the Smithfield Town Council has leased five acres at Windsor Castle Park to Smithfield Winery LLC to establish a vineyard for a small-production winery. The vineyard operation was terminated in 2019.PRESS RELEASE - Smithfield Winery, LLC , www.smithfieldva.gov
/ref>

Gallery

File:Windsor castle smithfield manor house 3.jpg, Manor house and kitchen File:Windsor castle smithfield manor house 2.jpg, Front porch of manor house File:Windsor castle smithfield cypress creek overlook.jpg, Bench along Cypress Creek File:Windsor castle smithfield fishing pier.jpg, Fishing pier on Cypress Creek File:Windsor castle smithfield bridge to smithfield station.jpg, Bridge to Smithfield Station File:Windsor Castle, Smithfield, Isle of Wight County, Virginia by Frances Benjamin Johnston.jpg, ''Windsor Castle'' by

Frances Benjamin Johnston Frances Benjamin Johnston (January 15, 1864 – May 16, 1952) was an early American photographer and photojournalist whose career lasted for almost half a century. She is most known for her portraits, images of southern architecture, and various ...

, 1935.

References

External links

Google Books - Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight County, VirginiaPreliminary Windsor Park PlanVisitors Bureau Windsor Castle Park Map
{{National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Houses completed in 1750 Parks in Isle of Wight County, Virginia Greek Revival houses in Virginia Georgian architecture in Virginia Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Houses in Isle of Wight County, Virginia Protected areas established in 2010 National Register of Historic Places in Isle of Wight County, Virginia Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Virginia

History

Gallery

References

Further reading

External links