Tangier in Accomack County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Patrick Benson House
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, August 13, 2017
1. The Patrick Benson House Marker
Patrick Benson, a ship's captain from Dublin, Ireland, purchased this land in 1879. The middle section of house was completed in 1889. The front section with porch and back section with kitchen and outbuilding were added over the years, but completed before WWII.
After WWII it was owned by Marion Hickle who married Alva Crockett. The Crockett family lived there until Alva's death in 2001. Asbestos siding, indoor plumbing, electricity and central heat were added between WWII and 1970.
The house was left vacant for three years, during which time Hurricane Isabel did considerable damage, before being purchased in 2004 by Donna and Earl Cleveland. The Clevelands have been restoring and updating the house. The Cleveland's have renamed the home Iona, after Donna's ancestral home, an island in the Scottish Hebrides.
The back of the house is at the center of the John Barber painting, August Afternoon.
Erected by Tangier History Museum & Interpretive Cultural Center.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Virginia, Tangier History Museum & Interpretive Cultural Center series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1879.
Location.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is on the Eastern Shore. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, on the Delmarva Peninsula, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: New Testament Congregation (within shouting distance of this marker); Gravestones (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Tangier Volunteer Fire Department (about 400 feet away); Peter Crockett Store (about 400 feet away); The Doctor's House (about 600 feet away); Chesapeake House (about 700 feet away); The Peter Dise House (about 800 feet away); First Mobile Home (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tangier.
Also see . . . Tangier History Museum & Interpretive Cultural Center. Find Your Chesapeake website entry (Submitted on August 14, 2017.)
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 9, 2026
2. The Patrick Benson House Marker
The marker has weathered a bit but remains legible.
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, August 13, 2017
3. The Patrick Benson House Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on May 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 14, 2017, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 534 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 14, 2017, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 2. submitted on May 10, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on August 14, 2017, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
