Cross Street

Cross Street. Urbanna, Virginia. Cross Street extends over the three main streets in town, Watling, Prince George and Virginia streets. Throughout the town's hisotry, these four streets vied for commercial dominance. At the turn of the 20th century, Cross Street, briefly named Bank Street, became the most prominent. Prior to 1900 there were no commercial banks in all of Middlesex County. A. Randolph Howard, a Fredericksburg investor, moved to town about 1900, founded the Bank of Middlesex, and built with others the brick three-story bank building on Cross Street that became the centerpiece of the town's commercial district. At the other end of Cross Street, on Taylor Avenue, Howard also built the Urbanna Manufacturing Co. (UMC), located where Queen Anne's Cove Condominiums are today. Branch Standard Overalls Factory was one division of UMC, employing more than 50 women who lived in and around town. Howard also spearheaded incorporation of the twon, which the Virginia State Legislature approved on April 2, 1902. Cross Street commerce was enhanced by others with waterfront development. George S. Chowning founded a marine railway and boatyard just off Cross Street at the foot of Prince George Street. There boatbuilder Fred Ward built the only sailing schooner ever built in Middlesex County, the Ida Mae, and in 1904 one of the first modernized oyster buyboats, the Cresent. Chowning's Railway evolved into Southside Marine Railway, home to the Urbanna Yacht Club, founded in 1939. The club moved in 1949 to Deltaville and became Fishing Bay Yacht Club.