Attractions in the Middle Peninsula, the Northern Neck, & Other Regions of Virginia

We look forward to welcoming you to the cradle of the United States.  We are History land, past and present and setting the stage for history to be made for the future. Evidence of our past can be found in fossilized shells in fossil beds in several creeks and along the Rappahannock River. These date back to the Miocene Epoch period (5-20 million years BP).  I think we can agree we had an “early start.”

Moving onward to more recent times, our area was documented in early maps by Captain John Smith.  Settlements developed and with land grants and immigration; the area began to grow.  Pocahontas hails from the Gloucester area and her father, Chief Powhatan, headed the Powhatan Confederacy.

Route 17 was carved into the wilderness along the eastern corridor of the state. The significance of this early commerce route is documented in the 1754 map by Dr. John Mitchell.  In 1782 this map was used to settle the Treaty of Paris which established the USA boundaries.  Ironically, the map was used as recently as 1980 to settle disputes “re-establishing Canadian-US Fishery boundaries off the coast of Maine.  The map can be viewed at the Urbanna Museum and Visitors Center.

Oyster is King in our world here and with great pride the town of Urbanna hosts the Urbanna Oyster Festival, which is now is its 63rd year.  Visit the Urbanna website for all the exciting details.

Our little “Crustacean Nation” offers miles of shoreline and fishing opportunities. From campsites to elegant inns, beaches to streams, farms to magnificent homes, remnants of battles fought-won and lost, historic churches, General Chesty Puller’s grave at Christ Church, our sail boating paradise in Deltaville, Reedville’s history of the menhaden industry, the Scottish influence in Kilmarnock, arts flourishing in every little village along the way, the Artisan Trail, tractor and farm museums, sunflower farms, birthplaces of two of the US presidents, outdoor hiking, biking, kayaking on the rivers and the Dragon Run. The Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula can offer good times, good memories, boundless educational opportunities on our history and programs today to protect and preserve our ecosystem.

We hope you find these websites of interest and spark a desire to learn more about Middlesex County, The Middle Peninsula, The Northern Neck and our neighboring counties.