Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads (HM91X)

Location: Newport News, VA 23607
Buy Virginia State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 36° 58.941', W 76° 23.764'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 437 views
Inscription

World's Largest Natural Harbor

Preface: Newport News was a small community located in Warwick County until late in the 19th century. Established as a town in 1880, it was incorporated as a city in 1896. Warwick County, one of the eight original Virginia shires formed by 1634, became extinct in 1952 when it was designated the city of Warwick. It merged with Newport News in 1958.


This body of water before you is the world's largest natural harbor. Hampton Roads is formed by the confluence of the Elizabeth, James, and Nansemond rivers. The English settlers named this waterway jointly in honor of the Earl of Southampton (a stockholder in the Virginia Company of London) and for the nautical term "roadstead." At Hampton Roads, the colonists shipped their tobacco crops to England and imported European manufactured goods. The value of the cargo was immense, and the English established fortifications at Old Point Comfort to the east and Newport News Point to the west. Despite these defenses, Hampton Roads attracted pirates and foreign invaders.

The Dutch sent an expedition into Hampton Roads in 1667. This engagement was part of the Second Anglo-Dutch Naval War, which was a struggle for command of the English Channel and worldwide trade. Colonel Miles Cary, Sr., the colony's ranking militia officer, died while defending Old Point Comfort from the Dutch. The Dutch were pulsed, but the local planters and merchants still contended with pirates who operated from various inland waterways along the Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads. The colonial government took stern measures against these brigands and hanged many of them as examples.
Details
HM NumberHM91X
Tags
Year Placed2007
Placed ByNewport News Founders' Trail
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Tuesday, September 16th, 2014 at 9:09pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 375751 N 4093825
Decimal Degrees36.98235000, -76.39606667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 36° 58.941', W 76° 23.764'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds36° 58' 56.46" N, 76° 23' 45.84" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)804, 757
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 1548-1598 State Rte 167, Newport News VA 23607, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. This marker needs at least one picture.
  9. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  10. Is the marker in the median?