Fall RIVAH 2011 - The Rappahannock Record

History
Middlesex County was formed around
1669 from Lancaster County, which makes
it one of the oldest English settlements in
the United States. Many plantation homes
still stand from the Colonial era. The
county is rich in history that spans nearly
350 years.
Bordered by the Rappahannock and
Piankatank rivers and the Chesapeake
Bay, much of its history centers around the
water. The town of Urbanna was formed
in 1680 as a center for shipping tobacco
from surrounding plantations.
Urbanna was the county seat until 1852
when it was moved to Saluda, a more central
location for area citizens. Throughout
the county are homes built in the 1700’s
and wartime stories abound dating back
to the Revolutionary and Civil wars.
During these wars, plantations such as
Providence and Rosegill were bombarded
and looted.
Stingray Point near Deltaville gained
immortal fame as the spot where Captain
John Smith was nearly killed by a stingray.
Three centuries ago ships from London,
Liverpool, Bristol and Glasgow were
common sights on Urbanna Creek. Just
across the creek from Urbanna is Rosegill,
one of the oldest plantations in America.
The annual Holly Point Art and Seafood Festival at the Deltaville Maritime
Museum will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, October 8, and will feature
over 70 professional artists, a variety of seafood, boat cruises and a car show
(above). Admission is free; $5 parking fee. 776-7200
It was for many years a center of influence
in the Colony and a power in the political
and commercial life of this area. It was
the home of five generations of Wormeleys,
one of the most influential families in
the colony. Colonial governors Sir Henry
Chicheley and Lord Howard of Effingham
made Rosegill their home.
During the Civil War, General George
McClellan formulated a plan of attack to
take Richmond by starting from Urbanna.
The plan was named the Urbanna Plan,
but it was never instituted.
In 1862, several Yankee warships bombarded
the town but legend has it that the
only thing the Yanks killed was an old hare.
One of the cannonballs did hit the old
courthouse, which today is the Middlesex
Woman’s Club building on Virginia St.
During the bombardment the townsfolk
congregated on the creek bank near
where the Urbanna Bridge is located
today. Legend has it that an old man by
the name of Montague stood at the top
of the hill and whenever he saw a flash of
a cannon firing he would scream “squat”
Middlesex County
and the townsfolk would squat down to
the ground.
Today Middlesex County has a population
of 9,600 and is home to the popular
Urbanna Oyster Festival, which draws
thousands to enjoy a weekend of music
and mollusks every November.
Government
Middlesex County offices are in the
Woodward Building at the Courthouse
Complex in Saluda. www.co.middlesex.
va.us. 758-4330. Middlesex has one
town, Urbanna: 758-2613.
Libraries
Middlesex Public Library Urbanna Branch,
758-5717. Deltaville Branch, 776-7362.
For Visitors
Old Tobacco Warehouse in Urbanna.
Listed on the National Register of Historic
Places. Serves as a visitors center today. 45
Cross St. www.urbanna.com. 523-4711.
Don’t Miss
s Urbanna Oyster Festival, Nov. 4-5
s Urbanna Christmas Parade, Dec. 2
s Christmas Cruise on Jackson Creek,
Dec. 9
Northumberland County
History
Northumberland County is called the
Mother County of the Northern Neck.
Presumably settled by the English
in 1640, Northumberland was officially
established by an act of the Burgesses in
Jamestown in 1648. It was later divided
into three additional counties, Lancaster,
Richmond and Westmoreland Counties.
At its heart is Heathsville, the county
seat. Located between the headwaters of
the Coan and the Great Wicomico rivers,
in 1679 it was chosen as the site of the
county courthouse. The building was completed
and county justices were moved in
1681.
In 1797, citizens established a 20-acre
town around the courthouse square
naming it in honor of citizen leader John
Heath who lived just down the road at
Springfield, an historic plantation mansion
still standing and occupied today.
In 1992, the National Register of Historic
Places designated Heathsville an Historic
District, along with the original courthouse
and tavern, now a restaurant, gift shop
and museum. The courthouse square also
includes a blacksmith shop, transportation
museum, old jail and carriage house.
Northumberland was once dependent
upon tobacco as its major cash crop and
currency. Later, most of its residents relied
on the water for their livelihoods. Today,
there are many charter boat captains. And
cruises, like those to Tangier and Smith
Island, are major tourist attractions.
The quaint fishing village of Reedville,
with its “Millionaire’s Row” of Victorian
homes, remains a tribute to the area’s heritage.
The Reedville Fisherman’s Museum
provides a comprehensive overview of the
village’s fishing industry, both past and current.
Burgess is home to the Northern Neck
Farm Museum, which features the area’s
agricultural history, from the Indians who
All summer and into the fall fresh crabs are harvested from area waters for
steamin’ and pickin.’
roamed the lands to the large commercial
canneries that once lined the shores.
Visitors can learn about agriculture, view
the tools that assisted the farmers and
learn the impact of these industries on the
people of this region.
With more than 556 miles of scenic
shoreline, more than 12,300 call
Northumberland County home.
Government
The Northumberland County seat is
on Rt. 360 in Heathsville. 580-7666 or
co.northumberland.va.us. The sheriff’s
office can be reached at 580-5221.
Libraries
Northumberland Public Library is at 7204
Northumberland Highway in Heathsville,
580-5051. High speed wireless internet
access available.
For Visitors
The Northumberland County Chamber
of Commerce Visitors Center,129
Northumberland Hwy. (Rt. 360) in Callao is
open Wed., Thurs. and Sat., 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
and Fri., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 529-5031.
Don’t Miss
s Woodstack 2 to benefit the Save
The Stack effort in Reedville will be
held from noon to 9:30 p.m. October
15 at Buzzards Point Marina in
Reedville.
s The 22nd annual Reedville Fishermen’s
Museum Oyster Roast will be
held from 2 to 5 p.m. November 12 on
the museum grounds at 504 Main Street
in Reedville.
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