Fox Hill - Grandview in Hampton, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Fox Hill

Back River Lighthouse

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, June 14, 2020

1. Fox Hill Marker

Inscription. The Back River Lighthouse was a familiar Fox Hill landmark for more than a century, guiding boats around dangerous shoals at Grandview and into the entrance of the York and Back rivers. The lighthouse was built in 1829 on four acres of land the government purchased from Preston and Margaret Watson for $100. Winning bidder Winslow Lewis built a 30-foot-high conical brick tower, with an elevated footbridge over the marsh to connect to the keeper's house. In 1855, a new revolving lamp with 21 parabolic reflectors was installed. The light was automated in 1915 and then deactivated in 1936 and left to the mercy of the elements. The final blow was delivered by Hurricane Flossy in 1956, leaving only a pile of stones to mark the remains.

Legend has it that when Christopher Newport and his crew explored the lower bay, they stopped on a nearby shore and exclaimed about the grand view it offered. Whether true or not, later arrivals to these shores marveled at the vistas offered by Fox Hill's northeast corner, Grandview, and danced the night away on its shores.

The Grandview Hotel, built in about 1890, was the centerpiece of

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a popular resort. By 1920, the area included a bath house, dance pavilion and amusement park. The buildings were wiped out by the 1933 hurricane, but new dance pavilions followed, the last of these in 1948 north of the present fishing pier near Beach Road. Famous big bands like those of Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey held forth at the pavilion until Hurricane Hazel arrived in 1954 and demolished all but memories of this grand place. Today there are more than 475 acres of salt marsh, tidal creeks and unspoiled beach that grace Grandview Nature Preserve.

(captions)
Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage and Back River Lighthouse All images courtesy of Fox Hill Historical Society

The Grandview Hotel in 1890 by Mr. Charles F. Elliott

Back River Lighthouse

Erected by Bringing History to Life in partnership with Virginia Civil War Terails.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Entertainment • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lighthouses series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1812.

Location. 37° 4.782′ N, 76° 16.648′ W. Marker is in Hampton,

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, June 14, 2020

2. Fox Hill Marker

Virginia. It is in Fox Hill - Grandview. It can be reached from the intersection of State Park Drive and Adriatic Drive when traveling north. Located in the Grandview Nature Preserve. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hampton VA 23664, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Peninsula

and in Coastal Virginia.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named Fox Hill (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Fox Hill (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Fox Hill (within shouting distance of

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this marker); a different marker also named Fox Hill (within shouting distance of this marker); Back River Lighthouse Ruins (approx. ¼ mile away); Buckroe Beach (approx. 2.8 miles away); Buckroe (approx. 2.8 miles away); a different marker also named Buckroe Beach (approx. 2.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hampton.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 15, 2020, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 838 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 15, 2020, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.