Just a two-hour drive from The Inn at Gray’s Landing is America’s Historic Triangle, home to three of America’s most important – and popular – historic sites:
Jamestown, the first permanent (i.e., successful) English colony in America, Yorktown Battlefield, where Lord Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington in what turned out to be the most decisive battle of the revolutionary war, thus giving birth to America, and Colonial Williamsburg, the colonial capital of Virginia, where America’s revolution was first debated and then planned.
Each of these sites is itself worth the short trip from The Inn at Gray’s Landing, which is why the Historic Triangle was a favorite side-trip for Inn at Gray’s Landing guests during the period 1998-2016 when this historic property operated as a B&B.
For example, consider Jamestown.
Even though England’s first attempt at establishing a colony in North America failed – all of the colonists vanished without a trace – its determination to establish a colony in North America succeeded at Jamestown. In large measure, the Jamestown colony was a response to fears of northward expansion by the Spanish, who had established a toehold in Florida decades before. The colony was named after England’s King James, who famously authorized the first translation of the Bible into the English language.
It’s an eerie feeling to stand at the spot where in 1607, the Jamestown colonists watched the ship that brought them to the New World silently disappear beyond the horizon. The sailing of that ship made their decision to remain at Jamestown an irreversible one.
Because the Roanoke colony had completely failed 20 years earlier, the Jamestown colonists essentially were starting “from scratch”. All they really had in addition to some meager provisions was their own labor and the tools they brought with them from England. Arriving in May, they had only a few months to construct housing prior to the coming winter, the severity of which was unknown. Trees had to be quickly felled and sawn. A local supply of food had to be found, while carefully avoiding poisonous plants. This was not an easy task, since the colonists had little knowledge of local flora when they arrived.
If you want to fully appreciate just how fragile and vulnerable the Jamestown colony was, try riding a bicycle around the island on a frigid winter day. The chill that permeates your entire being is what the Jamestown colonists faced – and they didn’t have a warm car or hotel room to return to.
The National Park Service has done an excellent job of preserving the Jamestown colony’s original site. Take your time going through the displays at the Visitor Center. Then go outside and investigate the actual sites where the colonists first eked out their meager existence. An obelisk marks the site of the original Jamestown fort, and the National Park Service reconstructions tell an incredible tale of a small, fragile community carving out an existence at the edge of a vast, unexplored continent.
One of the first things you notice when you approach low-lying Jamestown Island is that it’s actually a semi-island, connected to the “mainland” by an isthmus that inundates at high tide. This allowed the colonists to venture beyond the island at low tide, but ensured their security when the tide was high. This unique feature of Jamestown Island gave the colonists relatively safe access to a larger land mass, a critical factor in procuring protein-rich foods such as meat from deer and wild hogs.
Time-constrained visitors should at the minimum take the paved driving tour of Jamestown Island, which is available in two formats: a complete 5-mile tour and a 3-mile abbreviated version. This tour quickly gives visitors a feel for the size and breadth of the island, as well as the trees, plants, and food available to the early colonists. Visiting the Travis Estate, where the gravestones marking the grave in which a mother and three infants – all of which died by the age of three – are buried together gives you a glimpse of how hard life on Jamestown Island was.
When you depart Jamestown Island, allow yourself some time to visit the Glass House of 1608. While it may seem odd that the colonists located this facility off-island on the “mainland” side of the isthmus, there was a good reason for this. If this structure were to be destroyed by fire – an ever-present danger in glassworks – its location off-island would prevent vital buildings and crops from being destroyed. Established just one year after Jamestown colony itself, the Glass House fabricated glassware of all types for the colonists’ use.
Real-life demonstrations of the techniques used to make colonial glassware in 1608 take place daily, and a small gift shop sells the items produced on-site. A stroll through the gift shop is well worth the effort – regardless of whether you’re inclined to buy a souvenir of your visit or not – as the array of items on display gives you a sense of how the Jamestown colonists lived. Items that have long passed out of use such as bell jars and glass wine flasks offer a fascinating glimpse into the daily life of the Jamestown colonists.
For visitors facing few time constraints, nearby Jamestown Settlement offers an extensive indoor re-creation of life at the Jamestown colony.
One of the most interesting features of the Historic Triangle – and one most often missed by casual visitors proceeding directly to Colonial Williamsburg – is the 23-mile-long Colonial Parkway, which connects all of the Historic Triangle’s three sites. A true delight to drive, this historic roadway – first used by Native Americans traveling on foot and later by colonists traveling on horseback and in wagons – is paved with dirt-colored pea-gravel embedded in earth-toned concrete to simulate the dirt path used by indigenous peoples before the arrival of the colonists, and later by the colonists themselves.
The illusion the Colonial Parkway provides of traveling in the same manner as the early colonists is complete. The entire roadway is devoid of lane-delineating painted lines, though its width is generous enough to safely allow passing when permitted. Signage is kept to a minimum, and what signage does exist is low-key. In short, driving this ancient roadway puts travelers into a semi-hypnotic state that encourages reflection on America’s colonial past.
It’s a pleasant 9-mile drive on the Colonial Parkway from Jamestown Island to Colonial Williamsburg, the town where the American revolution was first debated and then planned. At one point, what is now Colonial Williamsburg’s historic district had fallen into ruin, the entire area being littered with a hodge-podge of shops, gasoline stations, and auto repair garages. Fortunately, this historic treasure was restored by the Rockefeller family, which single-handedly funded its restoration. Although the family remains tight-lipped about the cost of the restoration, judging from the result, it’s most likely measured in billions of 2022 dollars.
Restoration of Colonial Williamsburg’s historic district was so painstakingly done that the sense of American colonial history it offers is complete. Re-enactors in period dress demonstrate the technologies used to produce items used by the colonists in daily life, while others convincingly re-create the political debates of the day. The younger intellectuals then debating whether or not to fight a bloody war to separate the 13 colonies from England primarily hailed from the College of William and Mary, the oldest institution of higher learning in English-speaking North America, which connects seamlessly with the historic district.
Another venue for the political debates that preceded the revolution was the Virginia colonial capitol building. This lovingly restored structure – which once also lay in ruins – is located a mile from the College of William and Mary at the far end of Duke of Gloucester Street, Colonial Williamsburg’s “main drag”. The colonial-period re-enactors who lead the tour of the capitol building are particularly skilled at bringing the vibrancy of this special time in American history to life.
Also on hand at the expansive green space near the Armory is the re-enactor who “plays” General Lafayette, who explains the extensive role the French played in America’s defeat of British forces. Colonial-period cannons fired during his presentation and marching fife-and-drum bands further bring this re-creation of revolutionary fervor to life.
For those eager for a complete Colonial Williamsburg experience, spending the night in one of the reconstructed colonial houses is a must, as is dining at one of the four taverns that in colonial times offered both food and lodging to travelers. Hands down, the favorite colonial dining experience of most Inn at Gray’s Landing guests is the basement of Shield’s Tavern, which among other colonial menu selections offers Peanut Soup, George Washington’s favorite. The King’s Arms and the taverns that in colonial times were owned by Josiah Chowning and Cristina Campbell also offer a wide selection of colonial fare.
Another 13 miles up the Colonial Parkway at its northern terminus is Yorktown Battlefield, the legendary spot where George Washington defeated Lord Cornwallis, thus winning the most decisive battle of the revolutionary war and ensuring America’s birth.
This legendary battle took place on a raised promontory that overlooks the York River, the waterway Lord Cornwallis used to access Yorktown where his troops landed in their quest to defeat Washington and Lafayette. But Cornwallis’ landing at Yorktown was far from peaceful. It was only successful after the bloody Siege of Yorktown, during which most of the town was destroyed.
The northern terminus of the Colonial Parkway seamlessly connects you with legendary Yorktown Battlefield, where the National Park Service Visitor Center is located. Both the visitor center and the battlefield itself are well worth the several hours it takes to explore them.
The first thing visitors notice when exiting the Colonial Parkway and approaching Yorktown Battlefield is the astonishing amount of earth that had to be moved to construct the embankments and trenches used during the decisive, historic battle that ultimately gave birth to America. While soldiers performed some of the back-breaking labor necessary for moving such an incredible amount of earth, it was members of the enslaved community who completed most of it.
Ironically, the runaway slaves promised freedom by the British in exchange for helping them build the embankments Lord Cornwallis used to launch his assault ended up being handed back to their former masters at the battle’s conclusion. In sharp contrast to the fate of the once-runaway slaves who helped the British, Lord Cornwallis’ defeat ensured freedom from British Rule for their masters.
The herculean effort necessary for defeating the British extended far beyond building embankments and trenches. To fully appreciate the effort required for winning American independence, avoid the temptation to head directly to the Victory Monument from Yorktown Battlefield and then down the embankment to Yorktown. Instead, make a left turn at the stop sign when you exit the visitor center, and follow the small signs marked “Historical Tour”.
This tour is a fascinating labyrinthine drive through all of the support areas required for winning the revolutionary war. You’ll be amazed at how extensive and vital the support of the French was in defeating Lord Cornwallis, without which the colonists’ bid for independence would have failed. You’ll drive through facilities where cannons were repaired, the wounded cared for, hungry soldiers fed, and militiamen and officers housed. The hour and a half necessary for completing the historical tour is well worth the effort, particularly since it’s free of charge.
Once you’ve completed the historical tour, you’ll have a much greater appreciation for what befell the colonists during the Siege of Yorktown, following which only 67 of the town’s original 250 buildings remained. Fortunately, the structures that did survive have been lovingly restored.
To get a feeling for the degree of violence the Siege entailed, visit Secretary Nelson’s home, and view this lovely mansion from Nelson Street. Look upward to the first and third stories and you’ll see the cannon balls that still remain lodged in its brick exterior. Few of Yorktown’s buildings were so fortunate as to still remain standing.
Plan on spending at least an hour to explore Yorktown’s river front, with its upscale shops and restaurants. Driving a bit further down-river (in an easterly direction away from the sprawling overhead York River Bridge), you’ll reach Yorktown’s swimming beach and park. Take some time to explore the historic features of this now-peaceful place, which include the cave where Lord Cornwallis hid during the most violent days of the Siege. The cave is located between the pier and Archer Cottage, the small white clapboard building adjacent to the roadway.
It’s likewise worthwhile to park your car and walk down to the exhibits that recount the history of the 12 million Africans who were captured by slavers and forcibly transported to Yorktown and other colonial ports. The exhibits are located just below the raised parking lot, across from Archer Cottage.
In all, two million of the total 12 million Africans transported across the “Middle Passage” from Africa to America died en route. It was death on this scale that led to the saying that if the Atlantic Ocean were drained, one could easily find his or her way from Africa to America’s slave ports by following the trail left by their bones.
At the opposite end of the road that leads to the swimming beach – past Yorktown’s famous windmill and up a raised promontory – is America’s Revolutionary War Museum. In addition to visiting the museum itself, you’ll want to take some time to explore the ingenious redoubts constructed along the cliff by the British, which held for days during the Siege.
Without doubt, the most pleasant way to explore the Historic Triangle using The Inn at Gray’s Landing as a base is via Rolfe Highway. Traveling toward Petersburg from Courtland, Virginia on Highway 35, take the right turn on to Rolfe Highway (also called “Wakefield Road”) a few miles after leaving Courtland. This interesting roadway – which at times is so narrow that its centerline completely disappears – passes through the historic towns of Wakefield and Surrey, Virginia, ultimately ending at the southern terminal of the Scotland-Jamestown car ferry.
The ferry – which runs approximately every half hour on the half hour – is free of charge. After a 20-minute crossing, the ferry reaches its northern terminus near Jamestown Settlement. Pay close attention to the signage once you disembark the ferry and reach the far end of the ferry loading causeway, as it’s easy to miss the right-hand turnoff (just after the Jamestown Settlement parking lot) that leads to the southern end of the Colonial Parkway. Once on the Parkway, turn right to visit the Glass House of 1608 and Jamestown Island, or left if you’re initially headed to Colonial Williamsburg or Yorktown Battlefield.