Historic Jamestowne
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jamestown National Historic Site | |
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IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
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 A statue commemorating the site of the first permanent English settlement in the New World. |
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| Location | James City County, Virginia, USA |
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| Nearest city | Jamestown, Virginia |
| Coordinates | 37°12′35″N 76°46′44″W / 37.20972°N 76.77889°WCoordinates: 37°12′35″N 76°46′44″W / 37.20972°N 76.77889°W |
| Area | 20.63 acres (8.35 ha) |
| Established | December 18, 1940 |
| Governing body | APVA Preservation Virginia (in partnership with NPS) |
Historic Jamestowne is the official name used for promotional purposes for the original site of the 1607 James Fort and the later 17th century city of Jamestown, located on the James River at Jamestown, Virginia, an attraction operated by the U.S. National Park Service.
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[edit] History
Jamestown, first established in May 1607, was the site of the first permanent English[1] settlement in North America. Jamestown was the capital of the Virginia Colony, and saw Bacon's Rebellion in 1676, when the statehouse was burned. After a second burning in 1698, the capital was relocated to higher ground at Middle Plantation in 1699, which was then renamed Williamsburg.
In the 19th century, Jamestown Island reverted to little-used farmland, and became the site of Confederate earthworks during the American Civil War intended to provide rivers defenses against Union gunboats. The Ambler Farm was burned by escaped slaves, who found the desolate island to be a haven.
[edit] Preservation
By 1893 the site of Jamestown was owned by Mr and Mrs Edward Barney, who donated 221⁄2 acres (9.1 ha) of land, including the 1639 tower of the Jamestown Church, to the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (now APVA Preservation Virginia). 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 was constructed in 1900 to protect the area from further erosion. Thanks to the years of study and dogged persistence of the former Director of Archaeology at Monticello, Dr. William Kelso convinced the caretakers of the property, APVA, to permit a limited archaeological dig because he firmly believed, contrary to popular thought, that James Fort still existed. It is because of his devotion to this project that the archaeological remains of the original 1607 fort, which had been protected by the seawall, were discovered in 1994. The site was designated Jamestown National Historic Site on December 18, 1940, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. April 4, 2009 marks the 15th anniversary of Dr. Kelso's original "spade in the ground" that proved the consensus belief wrong; the fort had been found. He began finding artifacts from the first moment. Those finds continue. Dr. Kelso and his team of experienced archaeologists have uncovered over 1.5 million artifacts from John Smith's original fort. Nearly 50 years of excavation remain before the extent of just the APVA property will be properly excavated. 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.
In 1934, Colonial National Historical Park obtained the remaining 1,500-acre (610 ha) island and partnered with the APVA to preserve the area and present it to visitors in an educational manner. In 2006, many preparations were underway for the Jamestown 2007 event celebrating the 400th anniversary of the settlement. Queen Elizabeth II visited Historic Jamestowne on May 4 2007 — she had previously visited the park in October 1957.
[edit] Gallery
 Reconstruction of the barracks at James Fort |
 Graves of settlers who died in 1607 |
 Seawall along the James River |
 Boardwalk and visitors' center at Jamestown National Historic Site |
 Swampland at Jamestown |
 Archaearium and memorial to those buried beneath it |
 Reconstruction of Jamestown Fort, hidden by trees |
 Yeardley House, home to the Jamestown Reconstruction project's offices |
 Historic Jamestowne seen from the James River Ferry |
 Jamestowne Tercentennial Monument near the historic settlement |
[edit] See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Historic Jamestowne |
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[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Historic Jamestowne official website
- NPS Historic Jamestowne official website
- Jamestown 2007 website
- APVA.org: History of Jamestown
- APVA.org: Satehouse Site and Early Burial Ground
- National Geographic Magazine Jamestown Interactive
