Virginia Beach HistoryThe Virginia Beach History is exciting and essential reading if you want to really understand and appreciate this beautiful city.
The history of Virginia Beach, Virginia goes back to the Native Americans who lived in the area for thousands of years before the English colonists landed at Cape Henry in April 1607 and established their first permanent settlement at Jamestown a few weeks later.The Colonial Virginia period extended until 1776 and the American Revolution, and the area has been part of the Commonwealth of Virginia ever since. Virginia Beach has since grown to become the most populated of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads, which are each linked by the Hampton Roads Beltway which crosses the harbor of Hampton Roads through two large bridge-tunnels. Native American (American Indian) inhabitants of the area now known as South Hampton Roads in Virginia during the Woodland Period and later prior to the arrival of the English settlers in 1607. They occupied an area which is now the Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach areas. To their west were the members of the Nansemond tribe. Archaeologists and other persons have found numerous Native American artifacts, such as arrowheads, stone axes, pottery, beads, and skeletons in Great Neck Point that extends the Virginia Beach History.  The expedition that founded the first permanent settlement set sail on December 19, 1606 from Blackwall, England on three ships commanded by Captain Christopher Newport. It consisted of 105 men and boys sponsored by the proprietary London Company section of the Virginia CompanyOn April 26, 1607, they made their first landfall at Cape Henry, in the northeastern part of today's independent city of Virginia Beach, a point where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. However the settlers left the area under orders from England to seek a site further inland which would be more sheltered from ships of competing European countries, know as Jamestown Settlement. Today, the site of their "First Landing" is within the boundaries of Fort Story, a U.S. Army installation used for training by the Army, Navy, and Marines. A memorial cross near the landing site and the historic Cape Henry, are accessible to the general public. First Landing State Park nearby was named to commemorate this event. Historical Landmarks and Attractions Adam Thoroughgood House - Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum - Cape Henry Lighthouse, - Cape Henry Memorial - Ferry Plantation House - Francis Land House - Lynnhaven House - Military Aviation Museum - Norwegian Lady Statues - Ocean Breeze Water Park - Old Coast Guard Station Museum - Virginia Aquarium - Historic Villages at Cape Henry More About Virginia Beach << from Virginia Beach History back Home to Virginia Beach Vacations
|
Please subscribe to my montly e-zine so you don't miss a thing.