The Greate Road - An Early Highway pre-1607-1700s

The Greate Road - An Early Highway pre-1607-1700s (HMB6I)

Location: Williamsburg, VA 23185
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Country: United States of America
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N 37° 12.502', W 76° 46.673'

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Inscription
A few days after he arrived at Jamestown in May 1607, George Percy wrote that he and his party "espied a pathway" and were "desirous to knowe whither it would bring us." Most likely they discovered a trail used by Paspahegh Indians in whose territory Jamestown was located. To the English, the trail became known as the Grate Road, a route that led from James Fort, across the isthmus to the west past Glasshouse Point on the mainland, and eventually to Green Spring and Middle Plantation (Williamsburg).

As New Towne developed, the Greate Road began at the junction of Backstreet and the highway by the river. Over time the trail widened to more than 30 feet as wagons drawn by horses and oxen packed down the top soil and created deep ruts.

Archaeologists found sections of the Greate Road, including a portion north of the church. Stretches are still visible today at Glasshouse Point and along the route to Green Spring.
Details
HM NumberHMB6I
Tags
Placed ByColonial National Historic Park
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, October 8th, 2014 at 1:13am PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 342236 N 4119467
Decimal Degrees37.20836667, -76.77788333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 37° 12.502', W 76° 46.673'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds37° 12' 30.12" N, 76° 46' 40.38" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)757, 202
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 1365 Colonial National Historic Pkwy, Williamsburg VA 23185, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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