LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
Welcome to the new gateway for the plantations, Malvern Hill Battlefield, Jamestown, Williamsburg and Presquile National Wildlife Preserve via the scenic Rt. 5 byway.
Shirley Plantation, settled in 1613, is the oldest active plantation in Virginia and said to be the oldest family-owned business in North America, dating back to 1638. Occupied by the Hill family and their descendants since 1738. The mother of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Anne Hill Carter, was born at Shirley and in 1793, married Light Horse Harry Lee in the mansion’s parlor.
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The Battle of Malvern Hill, also known as the Battle of Poindexter's Farm, took place on July 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, was the sixth and last of the Seven Days Battles (Peninsula Campaign) of the American Civil War. Gen. Robert E. Lee launched a series of disjointed assaults on the nearly impregnable Union position on Malvern Hill. The Confederates suffered more than 5,300 casualties without gaining an inch of ground. Despite his victory, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan withdrew to entrench at Harrison's Landing on the James River, where his army was protected by gunboats, ending the Peninsula Campaign.
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Jamestown, located on Jamestown Island in the Virginia Colony, was founded on May 14, 1607. It is commonly regarded as the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States of America, following several earlier failed attempts. It was founded by the Virginia Company, headquartered in London.
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The motto of Colonial Williamsburg is "that the future may learn from the past." The Historic Area is meant to be an interpretation of a Colonial American city, with exhibits including dozens of authentic or accurately-recreated colonial houses and relating to American Revolutionary War history. Prominent buildings in Colonial Williamsburg include the Raleigh Tavern, the Capitol, The Governor's Palace, and Bruton Parish Church..
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Presquile National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is one of four refuges that comprise the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The Refuge is a 1329-acre island in the James River, located approximately 20 miles south of Richmond, Virginia. Established to protect habitat for wintering waterfowl and other migratory birds, Presquile is an important component in the network of refuges on and around the Chesapeake Bay, our Nation's largest estuary.
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