Town Point Park in Norfolk, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway
Photographed By Laura Troy, November 4, 2007
1. Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Marker
Inscription.
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. . Off this point in the Elizabeth River is the zero mile buoy marking the beginning of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. In colonial times water transportation was the principal mode for moving cargo. The idea of a canal connecting the Elizabeth River in Virginia with the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina originated with Colonel William Byrd II of Virginia in 1728 when he was surveying the Virginia-North Carolina border. The Dismal Swamp Canal was authorized by Virginia in 1787 and by North Carolina in 1790. Construction began in 1793. The Canal was complete in 1805 but was so shallow that it could be used only by small flat bottomed boats. Widening and deepening were completed in 1828. A second canal, the Albemarle and Chesapeake, was authorized in 1772, but construction did not begin until 1855. When it opened in 1859, the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal could accommodate larger vessels and increased waterway traffic. Both canals are part of the Intracoastal Waterway today, providing inland passage for both commercial vessels and pleasure boats.
Off this point in the Elizabeth River is the zero mile buoy marking the beginning of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. In colonial times water transportation was the principal mode for moving cargo. The idea of a canal connecting the Elizabeth River in Virginia with the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina originated with Colonel William Byrd II of Virginia in 1728 when he was surveying the Virginia-North Carolina border. The Dismal Swamp Canal was authorized by Virginia in 1787 and by North Carolina in 1790. Construction began in 1793. The Canal was complete in 1805 but was so shallow that it could be used only by small flat bottomed boats. Widening and deepening were completed in 1828. A second canal, the Albemarle and Chesapeake, was authorized in 1772, but construction did not begin until 1855. When it opened in 1859, the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal could accommodate larger vessels and increased waterway traffic. Both canals are part of the Intracoastal Waterway today, providing inland passage for both commercial vessels and pleasure boats.
36° 50.73′ N, 76° 17.692′ W. Marker is in Norfolk, Virginia. It is in Town Point Park. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Waterside Drive and Boush Avenue. This marker is located in Town Point Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Norfolk VA 23510, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. This marker is part of the Norfolk Heritage Cannonball Trail.
Photographed By Brandon D Cross, January 18, 2022
2. Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Marker
Photographed By Laura Troy, November 4, 2007
3. View from marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 26, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 11, 2007, by Laura Troy of Burke, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,044 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on November 11, 2007, by Laura Troy of Burke, Virginia. 2. submitted on January 18, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. 3. submitted on November 11, 2007, by Laura Troy of Burke, Virginia. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.
