Richneck

The Cary family of Warwick County owned the large plantation dwelling that once stood on this site. In 1646, Miles Cary, Sr., arrived from England and quickly gained political power and social prominence. Among his many political offices, he served as a member of the House of Burgesses (Virginia's legislature), as well as the county sheriff, justice, militia colonel, and tax collector. Cary was killed during a Dutch raid on Hampton Roads on June 10, 1667. Cary's sons inherited and divided his considerable estate of 5,637 acres.

Miles Cary II (1655-1709) inherited the Richneck portion of his father's estate here near Stoney Run. He built an imposing cruciform brick house where the county held court sessions in the summers. Cary continued his father's legacy of political leadership, holding several county offices and also serving as a burgess, surveyor general, naval militia officer, registrar for the vice-admiralty court, and rector of the College of William and Mary. His descendants owned this land for another four generations, and the house stood until it burned in 1865. A family member who visited here in 1868 reported, "The mansion was a pile of ruins, though from the remains of the walls still standing, I could estimate its former extent. It was a long-fronted, two storied brick building with the usual outbuildings and must have been very commodious." The Richneck Plantation Archaeological Site is listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.