Henry Town facts for kids
Henry Town was an early English settlement in what is now Virginia Beach, Virginia. It was located near Cape Henry, which is the southern entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. This area was part of the Colony of Virginia, one of the first English colonies in America.
An archaeologist named Floyd Painter first dug at the site in 1955. For many years, people weren't sure exactly what the site was. But in 2007, scientists from the United States Army looked at the old items found there. They finally confirmed it was Henry Town. There aren't many old written records about Henry Town.
The settlement was located east of Norfolk, Virginia and north of Chesapeake. It was near a place called Lake Joyce, which used to be connected to the Lynnhaven River.
.jpg)
History and Discoveries
Henry Town was first mentioned in a letter from 1613. This letter was written by Samuel Argall, who was a leader in the Virginia Colony. He wrote about sending a fishing ship to "Henries Towne" to help the people living there.
Other old papers from as early as 1610 talk about forts at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Henry Town might have been one of these forts. This means Henry Town was settled around the same time as Jamestown. Jamestown was founded in 1607 and was the first permanent English settlement in Virginia. It was located across the bay on the James River.
Captain John Smith of Jamestown explored the Chesapeake Bay in 1608. He wrote about returning to Cape Henry. However, he didn't say exactly why or where he went.
What Archaeologists Found
Most of the items found at the Henry Town site are from the middle of the 1600s. This is a bit later than when Jamestown was founded. Some archaeologists thought the finds were from as early as 1610. But others, including experts from the Jamestown Rediscovery project, disagree. They think the items are from later.
For example, a dig in 2005 didn't find anything older than the 1620s. Also, pieces of pottery from the Netherlands and Portugal were found. These types of pottery usually point to later settlements. Pieces of tobacco pipes were also found. They are similar to pipes from the nearby Province of Maryland that date to about 1650.
Some discoveries suggest the site is linked to Adam Thoroughgood's nearby tobacco farm. That farm was started around 1635.
Finding and Developing the Site
Before it was identified as Henry Town, the site was known by other names. These included the Lake Joyce site or the Chesopean site. Its discovery in 1955 got a lot of attention. But it wasn't until the 2007 review of the evidence, especially Samuel Argall's letter, that it was officially identified. An archaeological team from the Fort Eustis army base helped with this identification.
Because Henry Town is important to the early history of the English colony in Virginia, there are plans to recreate parts of it. Near Cape Henry, a group called the First Landing Foundation is working on a project. They plan to build several structures and an outdoor stage. This will allow them to put on historical plays and teach people about the past.
