Fort Eustis in Newport News, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Native Americans on this Land
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, May 4, 2024
1. Native Americans on this Land Marker
Native Americans made the land that is now Fort Eustis their home for most of the past 10,000 years. From earliest times people hunted and gathered wild plants for food. Shellfish became an important food source, and several sites on the installation are covered with thousands of oyster shells testifying to the importance of oysters to the Native people. Eventually people began growing some of their food and staying in settled villages for longer periods of time.
No large villages are known to have existed on Mulberry Island. This area was probably part of the hunting and gathering zone for one or more towns along the James or York rivers. Most settlements were temporary camps where people lived while hunting or gathering other resources. These were often located on the riverbanks or along one of the many streams and creeks that crisscross the installation.
Erected by Fort Eustis Cultural Resources Management.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.
Location. 37° 9.18′ N, 76° 36.559′ W. Marker is in Newport News, Virginia. It is in Fort Eustis. It is on Harrison Road north of Back River Road
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Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Peninsula, in Hampton Roads, in Coastal Virginia, and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. 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: Colossian Baptist Church (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Landship (Building 415) (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Civil War on Fort Eustis (approx. Ό mile away); John Rolfe (approx. half a mile away); The Lee Hall Balloon School (approx. half a mile away); Matthew Jones House (approx. 0.6 miles away); a different marker also named Matthew Jones House (approx. 0.6 miles away); Felker Army Airfield (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Newport News.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 5, 2025, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 152 times since then and 15 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on March 5, 2025, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
