Rich Neck Plantation facts for kids

Rich Neck Plantation was a large farm or estate located in James City County, Virginia. It was part of the Colony of Virginia a long time ago. Plantations like Rich Neck were important in early American history.

The Story of Rich Neck Plantation

Rich Neck Plantation started around 1632. It was part of a community called Middle Plantation. This area was on a high ridge in the middle of the Virginia Peninsula. This ridge separated the waters flowing into the York River to the north and the James River to the south.

Building a Safe Community

To keep the area safe, a strong fence called a palisade was built. This palisade stretched across the land between Queen's Creek and College Creek. Middle Plantation was right in the center of this protected area.

From Middle Plantation to Williamsburg

In 1699, Middle Plantation got a new name: Williamsburg. This happened after The College of William and Mary was built nearby. Also, the capital city of the colony moved from Jamestown to Williamsburg.

Famous People at Rich Neck

Many important people lived at Rich Neck Plantation over the years. Some were "secretaries of the colony," who helped run the government. These included Richard Kemp, Sir Thomas Lunsford, Thomas Ludwell, and his brother Philip Ludwell.

Later, Reverend Doctor James Blair lived there. He was very important because he founded and became the first president of The College of William and Mary in 1693. Many enslaved people and servants also lived and worked at Rich Neck Plantation.

Rich Neck Today

The original Rich Neck Plantation house is no longer standing. However, in the early 1900s, a lawyer named Vernon Geddy and his wife Carrie built a home on part of the old plantation land. They named their house "Holly Hill" because of all the holly trees nearby.

Today, a neighborhood called Holly Hills is on some of the former Rich Neck Plantation land. As of 2010, Vernon and Carrie's grandson, Vernon Geddy III, lived in the Holly Hill home. He also continued his family's tradition of practicing law in the area.

Discovering the Past

Groups from the College of William and Mary and Colonial Williamsburg have done a lot of archaeological work at Rich Neck Plantation. They dig up and study old objects to learn more about how people lived there long ago.