SMITH'S FORT PLANTATION - VIRGINIA

A single post highlighting an interesting point-of-interest while exploring the coastal Virginia area; A brief history lesson also - after all, this region is where it all started for our young country.

The story-and-a-half brick manor house that stands at the head of the trail was built sometime between 1751 and 1765.

It was laid in Flemish bond brickwork and was home to Jacob Faulcon and his family.

A gabled roof is accented with dormer windows.

It's architectural significance lies in the interior where much of the original woodwork still exists.

This is the second time I have stopped by the Smith Plantation and unfortunately they were closed both times, so I have not had the opportunity to check out the interior.




There is a lot of history in this area. Captain John Smith's old stomping grounds !



Time to ride back to the old fort site. The sign is a bit of an exaggeration; just so happens, I'm on the right bike anyway.



Earthworks: The two-foot high earthworks are considered the oldest English structure in Virginia and are all that remains of the fort.



Not a whole lot left. The site is really nice and secluded though - with a nice overlook.

John Smith earned the title "Captain" serving with the Hapsburg cavalry along the contested border between the Austrian and Turkish empires. Given his experience, Smith no doubt recognized that Jamestown was vulnerable to attack, particularly after exploring the surrounding terrain while trading with the Natives.

In 1609, during his tenure as president of the colony, Smith built a defensive position here. From this bluff above Gray's Creek, the colonists could defend themselves from rebuffs from the Algonquian Natives and the Spanish galleons some feared might come to drive them from the New World.

According to Smith's Generall Historie, he never completed the fort because he was called back to Jamestown when rats infested the corn supply.

Upon John Rolfe's marriage to Pocahontas in 1614, this tract of land was given to the couple by Powhatan.



The Overlook: The bluff at Smith's Fort overlooks Gray's Creek, which provided a perfect view of visitors - invited or not.

For a moment, my mind drifted off - way back in time - before this land was tamed ... and I imagined hostiles approaching in canoes and ....



Time to get down the road - so many places, so little time.