Fort Boykin has been a part of American history since 1623 when a fort known as the Castle was constructed to protect the Jamestown colonists from Native Americans and raiding Spaniards. Atop a bluff overlooking the James River, the sites commanding ... Read More

For more than a decade The Mansion at Fort Chiswell has been lovingly restored. Now this private residence, listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and as a Virginia State Historic Landmark, is ready to be shared with you. From the ... Read More

The notable history of Fort Chiswell began in 1760 when over 650 soldiers were stationed at the fort during the French and Indian War. Important Cherokee leaders converged at the fort for peace talks and trade, establishing marks on land that would s... Read More

This simple, worn earthwork of Fort Cricket Hill in Mathews County is the tangible remnant of the event that marked the end of the last vestige of British rule in the Virginia colony. In July 1776, Virginia troops commanded by Gen. Andrew Lewis took ... Read More

With a long history, Fort Monroe has witnessed some of our nation's most significant events. Located at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay you can enjoy the panoramic waterfront views, nature trails, historic homes and buildings, restaurants, and beache... Read More

Fort Nonsense Historical Park, a joint project of Mathews County Historical Society, Inc., the County of Mathews and the Virginia Department of Transportation, celebrated its grand opening May 10, 2014. The creation of this gateway park to Mathews Co... Read More

Fort Norfolk is the last remaining of 19 harbor-front forts authorized in 1794 by President George Washington. The fort's four-acre site, located in Ghent, overlooks the Elizabeth River and includes earthwork embankments, ramparts, a dungeon, officer... Read More

It is the site of the May 24, 1864 land-naval "Action at Wilson's Wharf," the first major clash between U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) of Major General Benjamin F. Butler's Army of the James and General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. The eart... Read More

A Confederate fortification located six miles east of Lynchburg in Amherst County, Fort Riverview is strategically situated atop a steep ridge overlooking the James River. This well-preserved defensive work contains artillery emplacements that defend... Read More

A bright and welcoming community museum, enabling visitors to explore life in 19th Century Fort Valley. Exhibits include a school, church, store, and home display as well as Seven Fountains Resort, Iron Furnaces, local valley pottery and the farmstea... Read More

Fort Ward was one of the largest of the U.S. Army forts in the Civil War Defenses of Washington and was strategically located to guard the major access routes into Alexandria. After the war, newly emancipated African Americans began settling near the... Read More

Constructed nearby about 1756 as a wooden palisaded fort, Fort Young, originally known as Dickinson’s Fort, stood near the Jackson River. It was one in a series of forts authorized by the Virginia General Assembly to be built on the frontier to prote... Read More

See the exhibit that was inspired by the the Musical Hamilton, and learn more about the man who overcame all odds to shape, inspire, and scandalize the newborn America. The exhibit runs through May 31. Founding Frenemies: Hamilton and the Virginians ... Read More

Site of militia position during Benedict Arnold's 1781 raid, and British rest stop. Currently part of the Virginia Capital Bike Trail with parking, restrooms, trail access, and historic markers about colonial and Civil War History.... Read More

In the early 19th century numerous small plantations growing tobacco as the principal cash crop were established in south central Virginia. Each plantation was normally served by an unpretentious frame dwelling house surrounded by a cluster of outbui... Read More