Urbanna in Middlesex County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Prince George Street and Old Tavern

Urbanna, Virginia

— The Museum in the Streets® —

Prince George Street and Old Tavern Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 25, 2021

1. Prince George Street and Old Tavern Marker

Inscription. Prince George Street is one of the original streets shown on early 1700s town survyes. The Middlesex County Courtyard backed up to the street and today the colonial "Old Tavern" still stands. Taverns or ordinaries were important to Middlesex's county street. On court days horse and buggy was the only transportation to town by land and sailing vessel by sea. a trip to court by anyone living any distance meant spending nights. In 1793 the town had only nine private dwellings but two taverns. Although the court restricted gaming in taverns, Urbanna, like most Tidwater Virginia communities of those times, had "tipple" (drinking intoxicants) and gaming. The taverns offered card games, dice, backgammon, billiards, horse racing and cock fighting as well as sheeted beds and a clean stall for the horse at night. Through the generations, It has been rumored that famed Virginia patriot, Patrick Henry, spent a night or two at Urbanna's Old Tavern. American patriot Dr. Arthur Lee of Lansdowne owned two lots on the street in 1790. A Methodist Church was built in 1902 on the corner of Prince George and Cross streets. Homes and buildings

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on this street today reflect a mixture of colonial, antebellum, civil war and post civil war architecture.

Erected by The Museum in the Streets®. (Marker Number 6.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Architecture • Colonial Era • Government & Politics • Industry & Commerce • Patriots & Patriotism • Roads & Vehicles • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the The Museum in the Streets: Urbanna, Virginia series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1793.

Location. 37° 38.132′ N, 76° 34.588′ W. Marker is in Urbanna, Virginia, in Middlesex County. It is on Prince George Street 0.1 miles west of Cross Street (Virginia Route 227), on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 261 Prince George St, Urbanna VA 23175, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Middle Peninsula.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

in the Chesapeake Bay Region,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally,

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 25, 2021

2. Prince George Street and Old Tavern Marker

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: Coca-Cola Bottling Plant (within shouting distance of this marker); Landsdowne (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Virginia Street (about 500 feet away); Wormeley-Lee-Montague House and Marble House (about 500 feet away); Old Middlesex County Courthouse (about 500 feet away); Colonial Courthouse (about 500 feet away); Urbanna, Virginia (about 600 feet away); Cross Street (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Urbanna.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 25, 2021. It was originally submitted on November 25, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 541 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 25, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.