Colonial National Historical Park

Colonial National Historical Park preserves various sites associated with colonial Virginia, near Williamsburg and Newport News.

Jamestown Island

The park encompasses most of Jamestown Island, the site of the first permanent British settlement, which was founded in 1607. Jamestown National Historic Site is a 20-acre adjacent area owned by, and administered in affiliation with, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. Together, they are now promoted under the name Historic Jamestowne.

The Jamestown Glasshouse is located just north of the island, and has glass blowing demonstrations.

Yorktown

The park includes Yorktown Visitor Center (indoor facilities), the site of the Battle of Yorktown, the decisive 1781 American victory in the American Revolutionary War, the Surrender Field, and a National Cemetery.

The Surrender Field is a part of the Yorktown Battlegrounds. The field is named for the surrender of British General Cornwallis' surrender there in 1781, effectively ending the Revolutionary War.

The surrender took place after the Siege of Yorktown in which Cornwallis' troops laid siege upon Yorktown, Virginia and awaited supply shipments to arrive via the York River, and Chesapeake Bay. The siege was ended when French ships sailed up the York River to Yorktown and shut Cornwallis off from any chance of receiving supplies.

Notable participants in the Siege were; General Cornwallis, George Washington, and Marquis de Lafayette.

Yorktown National Cemetery contains 2,183 American Civil War interments, of which 1,434 are unidentified. Probable date of interments is 1866. Grave space is not available.

Colonial Parkway

The park includes the Colonial Parkway, a scenic 23-mile parkway linking the 3 points of Virginia's Historic Triangle: Jamestown and Yorktown and running through the historic district of Colonial Williamsburg. The Colonial Parkway is located in James City County, York County, and the independent city of Williamsburg.

Other sites

The park also includes two smaller sites in the area:

Green Spring Plantation, the 17th century plantation of colonial governor Sir William Berkeley a few miles from Jamestown in City County.
Cape Henry Memorial, site of the first landing of the Jamestown colonists, located in the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Administrative history

Colonial National Monument authorized July 3, 1930; established December 30, 1930; redesignated a national historical park on June 5, 1936. Cemetery transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service on August 10, 1933. Jamestown National Historic Site designated on December 18, 1940. As with all historical areas administered by the National Park Service, Colonial and Jamestown were listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.

Reference

The National Parks: Index 2001-2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.

External links

Official NPS website: Colonial National Historical Park