Lanexa in New Kent County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Fort James

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, January 7, 2010

1. Fort James Marker

Inscription. A mile and a half south of here on the Chickahominy River stood Moysonec, an Indian village. Some of the Chickahominy Indians residing there captured Captain John Smith in 1607. In the wake of the 1644 Indian uprising, the colonists sought to control Native American access to the lower Peninsula. Thomas Rolfe, son of Pocahontas and John Rolfe, constructed Fort James at Moysonec in exchange for the land on which it stood. The colonists manned the fort for only three years.

Erected 1998 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number W-23.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Forts and Castles • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1607.

Location. 37° 25.356′ N, 76° 54.926′ W. Marker is in Lanexa, Virginia, in New Kent County. It is on Pocohantas Trail (U.S. 60) west of North Waterside Drive (Virginia Route 627), on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lanexa VA 23089,

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United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Peninsula

and in Coastal Virginia.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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: Tyree's Plantation (approx. 1.1 miles away); Cooper's Mill (approx. 1.1 miles away); Diascund Bridge (approx. 1.1 miles away); Liberty Baptist Church (approx. 1.2 miles away); Chickahominy Water Trail (approx. 1.6 miles away); Destruction of Chickahominy Indian Towns (approx. 3 miles away); Chickahominy Indians (approx. 3 miles away); Holdcroft (approx. 4.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lanexa.

Another marker is no longer nearby.

Fort James marker on US 60 (facing east) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, January 7, 2010

2. Fort James marker on US 60 (facing east)

New Kent County (was approx. 1.2 miles away but has been permanently removed).

Moysonec Vicinity image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Evan Dwyer, June 12, 2026

3. Moysonec Vicinity

Most of the area described in the marker is either residential, wooded (in private ownership) or in the hands of the Colonial Harbor Marina. This view is of the Chickahominy about 1.25 miles below the marker, a quarter mile north of the area described (but on the same side of the river as the village of Moysonec) - one of the only viewsheds of the area available from public roads.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 9, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 10, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,939 times since then and 131 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 10, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 3. submitted on June 14, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia.