Historic Yorktown - Yorktown Battlefield Part of Colonial National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) (2025)

Yorktown was established by the Act for Ports of 1691, passed by the General Assembly at Jamestown (Virginia's government seat for almost a century). The legislation was but another in a succession of disputed and unsuccessful efforts by the colonial government to encourage growth of towns in rural Tidewater Virginia. Yorktown, however, succeeded despite initial delays and frustrations.

Fifty acres of land along the York River for the site of Yorktown were purchased from Benjamin Read of Gloucester County (across the York River from Yorktown) for 10,000 pounds of "merchantable sweet scented tobacco and cask." This land had first been patented 60 years earlier by Nicolas Martiau, Benjamin's grandfather. Martiau had carved his home and plantation from forested frontier wilderness.

York County surveyor Lawrence Smith subdivided the town site into 85 lots which county court-appointed town trustees ("feoffees") offered for sale. Smith left the area between the bluff line and the York River (the waterfront) outside the town limits and called it a "Common Shore." Lot prices were 180 pounds of tobacco and sales contracts carried forfeit provisions if the lot was not developed. On the first day of sale, November 24, 1691, 36 lots were recorded. Within a year, 61 had been sold. Three streets connected Main Street on the bluff to Water Street along the river - Buckner (known as "Tobacco Warehouses Hill"), Read and the "Great Valley." Other streets did not extend through to the river.

In a few years the town began to take root. The better homes, inns and public buildings were developed on the river bluff while "York under the hill" (the waterfront) featured wharves, warehouses, small stores, lodging and drinking places. The York County Courthouse was built about 1697, and the York Parish Church (later York-Hampton Parish and today known as Grace Church) was built in 1697, becoming the area's religious center. Both were key institutions in the new community.

The "Common Shore" (waterfront) was highly valuable and strategic property. By Assembly action in 1738, it became part of the town and functioned for public and private business even though it was managed as "Town Commons" until formally surveyed into lots and sold in 1783.

At about the same time that the town was enlarged to the water's edge, there was expansion, too, on the inland side. New acreage was offered for sale in what is known as the Gwyn Read development, named after the seller Gwyn Read.

Yorktown became an important tobacco port, exporting crops from area plantations. At peak prosperity (1740-1770), Yorktown had several hundred buildings and almost 2,000 residents, making it a substantial 18th century community, and rivaling the size of the nearby colonial capital, Williamsburg. There were men of all types and classes along the streets and on the wharves - merchants, planters, prosperous yeomen, shopkeepers, indentured servants and slaves, travelers and seamen. Apprentices rose to become partners, as in the case of Augustine Moore (in 1781, owner of the Moore House where the surrender terms for the British army were negotiated) in the Nelson firm. Prominent families were united by birth and marriage with the wealthy gentry of the region. The most noted citizen of Yorktown was Thomas Nelson, Jr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Governor of Virginia and commander of the Virginia Militia at the Siege of 1781.

An English visitor to the town in 1736 wrote:

You perceive a great Air of Opulence amongst the Inhabitants, who have some of them built themselves Houses, equal in Magnificence to many of our superb ones at St. Jame's ... Almost every considerable Man keeps an Equipage ... The Taverns are many here and much frequented ... The Courthouse is the only considerable public Building, and is no unhandsome structure ... The most considerable Houses are of Brick; some handsome ones of Wood, all built in the modern Taste; and the lesser Sort, of Plaister. There are some very pretty Garden spots in the Town.

Between 1691 and 1781, fortunes were made at Yorktown in the tobacco trade. No tobacco was better known, perhaps, than the famous "E.D." brand produced on the Bellfield acres (Digges estate), four miles west of Yorktown. (Bellfield Plantation site is located off the Colonial Parkway.) Ships came from Great Britain to get hogsheads of tobacco, which had been examined by government inspectors. Tobacco, and later in the 1700's more diversified cargoes, went out from the town's warehouses. Incoming freight included clothing, wines and liquor, furniture, jewelry and silver plate, riding gear and coaches, swords, firearms, books and slaves. This trade made Yorktown a thriving business center in the eighteenth century - a port that led in Chesapeake commerce for a number of important decades.

Yorktown's growth and prosperity peaked about 1750, though the shops and wharves were busy for perhaps another quarter of a century. The town's future potential was wiped out by the destruction and waste that came with the Siege of 1781, the "Great Fire" of 1814, and the Civil War's Peninsular Campaign of 1862. The soil of the surrounding country was worn thin, the center of tobacco culture moved southwest, and other points of trade developed.

Some of the visual highlights from Yorktown's past are gone. Gone is the windmill that was a point of reference on the high cliff overlooking Yorktown Creek in the 18th century. This cliff is still known as Windmill Point. The colonial fort in mid-century presided from "Fort Hill" over the waterfront, protecting the town and harbor. "Fort Hill" was the bluff extending towards the river beyond Grace Church on the west side of Read Street. The old town pier, of timber and crib construction, was located down river between Read Street and the Archer House-Cornwallis Cave area.

Many prominent homes have also disappeared. The Lightfoot Mansion, owned by Philip Lightfoot and his family, stood near the corner of Ballard and Main Streets. Of the three large Nelson homes, only Thomas Nelson, Jr.'s remains. Missing is the home of Secretary Thomas Nelson (son of "Scotch Tom" and referred to as Secretary because he held this position on the colonial council) which stood on present-day Zweybrucken Road. Some of its foundations are marked. Lord Cornwallis had his headquarters here at the beginning of the 1781 siege. The home of William Nelson (another son of "Scotch Tom" and father of Thomas Nelson, Jr.) was a large H-shaped structure which stood across Main Street from Thomas Nelson, Jr.'s mansion, and was destroyed in the 1814 fire. Also on Main Street, the home of Richard Ambler (a successful merchant, who by marriage acquired extensive Jamestown holdings) next to the Customhouse garden is gone, having burned during the Civil War.

Many important reminders of Yorktown's 18th century past still exist. On Main Street is the Nelson House, the Georgian Manor style home of Thomas Nelson. Jr.; built by his grandfather, Scotch Tom Nelson in the early 18th century, it is the most prominent of the remaining 18th century structures. Nearby is the Dudley Digges house, built in the mid-18th century by Yorktown lawyer Dudley Digges, who held several important positions in Virginia's colonial and state government. Also along Main Street is the Customhouse. where taxes were collected on imported and exported goods passing through the port, and the Sessions, Pate and Somerwell houses. On nearby streets are Grace Church and the Smith and Ballard houses. Reconstructed 18th century buildings, including the Swan Tavern, also help preserve Yorktown's historical atmosphere.

Surrounding the town are the earthworks that were first built by the British in 1781. In 1861-1862, during the Civil War, Confederate fortifications were constructed over these Revolutionary War earthworks. In the Siege of 1862, Confederate forces in Yorktown held off a larger Union army for over a month. Once the Confederates evacuated the town, Union troops occupied the area through the end of the Civil War.

Though Yorktown no longer appears as it did when it was an important 18th century port city or when the British were trapped within its boundaries during the Siege of 1781, it is still a place of national importance - a place where independence for the United States of America was won.

Historic Yorktown - Yorktown Battlefield Part of Colonial National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) (2025)

FAQs

Can I use my national park pass at Yorktown? ›

Annual Entrance - Park

The Colonial Annual Pass admits passholder and three accompanying adults unlimited admittance to both NPS areas at Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown Battlefield during regular operating hours.

Is Colonial Williamsburg part of the National Park Service? ›

Colonial Willsburg is not a national park. It is maintained by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. nps.gov is the website of the National Park Service.

Can you visit Yorktown for free? ›

What are the hours of operation? Historic Yorktown is an area that is always open and available to the public at no charge.

Is Yorktown Battlefield free for the military? ›

Military – Free museum admission to veteran, active duty, reserve and retired military personnel and up to three direct family members with military identification on Yorktown Day, October 19; Veterans Day, November 11; Jamestown Day, May 18; and Memorial Day, May 27.

How much does it cost to get into Yorktown? ›

Get an entrance pass
PassPrice
Standard Pass$15.00
Annual Pass$45.00
America the Beautiful Pass (includes Senior Passes)FREE–$80.00
Dec 5, 2023

Do you have to pay to drive on Colonial Parkway? ›

Colonial National HIstorical Park charges an entrance fee for access to: Yorktown Visitor Center and Battlefield Tour Roads, Jamestown Visitor Center, Glasshouse and Island Drive Tour Road, and recreational areas along the Colonial Parkway .

Is Yorktown Battlefield worth visiting? ›

Whether you tour the area by car or on foot, it's well worth taking a day trip during your stay to Yorktown, the very place where our nation's freedom took root and flourished.

How long does it take to drive through Yorktown Battlefield? ›

Note: This 10+ mile-long tour covers the essentials of Yorktown Battlefield in 1-2 hours.

How long is the Yorktown trolley ride? ›

About the Yorktown Trolley

The trolley route takes about 20–35 minutes to compete. For convenience, riders are encouraged to download the SPOT ETA app which provides an estimated wait time at each stop.

How long is the Yorktown Battlefield tour? ›

Head out on this 10.8-mile loop trail near Yorktown, Virginia. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 3 h 20 min to complete.

How much does it cost to tour Jamestown? ›

Group Admission Fees
Adult (16 & over) (National Park Service portion)$15
Adult (16 & over) (Preservation Virginia portion)$15
Preservation Virginia Member (Preservation Virginia portion)Free
Child (6-15) (Preservation Virginia)$5
Child (5 & under) (Preservation Virginia)Free
1 more row

Can you walk around Jamestown for free? ›

Visitors are required to purchase two separate tickets: one from Jamestown Rediscovery (Preservation Virginia) and one from the National Park Service. An NPS ticket is required to pass through the Visitor Center and pedestrian footbridge to access Jamestown Rediscovery (Preservation Virginia).

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Lidia Grady

Last Updated:

Views: 5886

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (65 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Lidia Grady

Birthday: 1992-01-22

Address: Suite 493 356 Dale Fall, New Wanda, RI 52485

Phone: +29914464387516

Job: Customer Engineer

Hobby: Cryptography, Writing, Dowsing, Stand-up comedy, Calligraphy, Web surfing, Ghost hunting

Introduction: My name is Lidia Grady, I am a thankful, fine, glamorous, lucky, lively, pleasant, shiny person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.