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

Smith’s Fort Plantation

Captain John Smith’s Adventures on the James

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

1. Smith’s Fort Plantation Marker

Inscription. John Smith earned the title "captain" serving with the Hapsburg cavalry along the contested border between the Austrian and Turkish empires, Given his experience, Smith no doubt recognized that Jamestown was vulnerable to attack, particularly after exploring the surrounding terrain while trading with the Natives.

In 1609, during his tenure as president of the colony, Smith built a defensive position here. From this bluff above Gray's Crock, the colonists could defend themselves from rebuffs from the Algonquian Natives and the Spanish galleons some feared might come to drive them from the New World. According to Smith's Generall Historie, he never completed the fort because he was called back to Jamestown when rats infested the corn supply. The two-foot high earthworks before you are all that remain of the fort, but these are considered the oldest English structure in Virginia.

Upon John Rolfe's marriage to Pocahontas in 1614, this tract of land was given to the couple by Powhatan.

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Lost Town on Gray’s Creek
At the confluence of Gray's Creek and the James River, a town called Cobham was established in

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1691. Active during the 18th and 19th centuries, the remnants of this town are sometimes uncovered by the tractor's plow in what is now farmland. Old foundations, locks, broken china and a long-barreled pistol are among the objects recovered from this lost town.

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Captain John Smith’s Trail
John Smith knew the James River by its Algonquian name: Powhatan, the same as the region's paramount chief. Smith traveled the river many times between 1607 and 1609, trading with Virginia Indians to ensure survival at Jamestown. What he saw of Virginia's verdant woodlands and pristine waters inspired him to explore the greater Chesapeake Bay, chronicling its natural wonders.

Capt. John Smith’s Trail on the James is a 40-site water trail and auto tour for modern explorers.

“The New World” MMI, New Line Productions, Inc. All rights reserved, Photo by Marie Wallace. Photo appears courtesy of New Line Productions, Inc.

Erected by Smith’s Fort Plantation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Exploration • Forts and Castles • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1609.

Location.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

2. Smith’s Fort Plantation Marker

37° 10.071′ N, 76° 49.615′ W. Marker is in Surry, Virginia, in Surry County. It can be reached from Smith Fort Lane 0.1 miles west of Rolfe Highway (Virginia Route 31), on the right when traveling west. The marker is located on the grounds of Smith’s Fort Plantation, the trail to the James River. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 217 Smith Fort Lane, Surry VA 23883, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Coastal Virginia

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Smith’s Fort (here,

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next to this marker); a different marker also named Smith’s Fort Plantation (approx. half a mile away); Surry County War Memorial (approx. 2.1 miles away); Capt. Jacob Faulcon, C.S.A. (approx. 2.1 miles away); Chanco (approx. 2.1 miles away); Surry County Virginia (approx. 2.1 miles away); a different marker also named Smith’s Fort Plantation (approx. 2.2 miles away); Surry County WWII Veterans Memorial (approx. 2.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Surry.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Surry County Confederate Monument (was approx. 2.1 miles away but has been permanently removed).

Also see . . .
1. Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. (Submitted on December 29, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
2. Smith’s Fort: An American Story. (Submitted on December 29, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
3. Smith’s Fort Plantation. (Submitted on December 29, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 29, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 247 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 29, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. Photo of the actual earthworks. • Can you help?