Powhatan in Powhatan County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Garden Founding
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Agriculture in Powhatan
| | Powhatan Historic Garden | |
Photographed by Mark Parker, December 12, 2024
1. Garden Founding side of marker
Garden Founding
The Powhatan County Historic Garden was opened in 2006 to celebrate our Nation's 400th anniversary from the founding of the first New World colony at Jamestown Settlement in 1607. The garden represents the period between 1777, when the county was established, to 1830 when the Old Jail was built on Courthouse Square. The plants here were most likely present in Powhatan during that time period. During that time, gardens in the Colonies were largely functional rather than decorative, as was more common in Europe. The formal bed concept separates the various types of garden beds and promotes ease of use, but the less formal concept in planting has been retained, as would have been found during that time. George Washington at Mount Vernon and ThomasbJefferson at Monticello had gardens similar to this one.
Agriculture in Powhatan
Powhatan's rich agriculture legacy predates the American colonial era. Native Americans placed a high value on tobacco leaves and local tribes collected surplus corn as a "tax long before Europeans arrived. Early settlers soon learned to raise these crops along with grain as main revenue producers. Tobacco was used as a "levy in many church ledgers in lieu of money. Corn was a major crop in Powhatan. The Native Americans taught the early settlers how to
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Erected by Goochland Powhatan Master Gardener Association.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Horticulture & Forestry. A significant historical year for this entry is 1777.
Location. 37° 32.504′ N, 77° 55.069′ W. Marker is in Powhatan, Virginia, in Powhatan County. It can be reached from Tilman Road (Virginia Route 300) near Scottville Road ( Route 300), on the left when traveling north. The marker is at the Powhatan Historic Garden. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Powhatan VA 23139, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Piedmont, in Central Virginia, and in the Richmond Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. 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 walking distance of this marker: Garden Historical Features / Garden Native Plants (here, next to this marker); Cotton (here, next to this marker); Norton Grape (here, next to this marker); Vegetable Garden (here, next to this marker); The Court House (within shouting distance of this marker); The Courthouse Tavern / Atkinson's Hotel / The Village (within shouting distance of this marker); The Powhatan Troop (within shouting distance of this marker); Memorial to Powhatan Servicemen (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Powhatan.
Photographed by Mark Parker, December 12, 2024
2. Agriculture in Powhatan side of marker
Photographed by Mark Parker, December 12, 2024
3. Garden Founding / Agriculture in Powhatan Marker
Parking lot and intersection at Tilman and Scottsville in the background
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 15, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 175 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 15, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
