Toano in James City County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Burnt Ordinary

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, March 7, 2009

1. Burnt Ordinary Marker

Inscription. First called John Lewis's Ordinary and then Fox's, Burnt Ordinary received its name in Jan. 1780 when, according to the Virginia Gazette, Fox's Ordinary burned to the ground. Later, in Oct. 1781, when the French army's wagon train passed by, Alexander Berthier wrote that "two old chimneys" stood here in the fork of the road. Also in 1781, Samuel DeWitt, George Washington's cartographer, noted the site of the "Burnt Brick Ordinary" on one of his maps. Elements of Lafayette's army camped two miles south of here at Chickahominy Church after the Battle of Green Spring on 6 July 1781.

Erected 1998 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number W-33.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • War, US Revolutionary. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #01 George Washington, the The Washington-Rochambeau Route, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is July 6, 1781.

Location. 37° 22.913′ N, 76° 48.394′ W. Marker is in Toano, Virginia, in James City County. It is at the intersection of Forge Road and Richmond Road (U.S. 60), on the right when traveling east on Forge Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3140 Forge Rd, Toano VA 23168, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Peninsula,

in Coastal Virginia,

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

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 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Chickahominy Church (approx. ¼ mile away); Hickory Neck Church (approx. 0.8 miles away); Olive Branch Christian Church (approx. 1.2 miles away); White Hall Tavern (approx. 1.3 miles away); The Norge Depot (approx. 2 miles away); a different marker also named Norge Depot (approx. 2.3 miles away); New Kent Road (approx. 2½ miles away); James City County / York County (approx. 3.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Toano.

Another marker is no longer nearby. State Shipyard (was a few steps from this marker but has been confirmed missing).

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, March 7, 2009

2. Burnt Ordinary Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on July 7, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 7, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,857 times since then and 129 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 7, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.