Near Smithfield in Isle of Wight County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Surry County
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Isle of Wight County
Photographed by Laura Troy, September 23, 2007
1. Surry County Marker
Surry County. Surry County, named for the county of Surrey in England, was formed from James City County about 1652. The Quiyoughcohannocks, whose villages were primarily situated in present-day Surry County, were among the first Virginia Indians the English encountered in 1607. By 1609 the English had begun settlements in the county at Hog Island and Smiths Fort, a defensive fortification erected on the south side of the James River along Grays Creek. One of the nations outstanding examples of high-style 17th-century domestic architecture, Bacons Castle, a Nation Historic Landmark, is located here. The County seat is Surry.
Isle of Wight County. Originally called Warrosquyoake County, for the Warraskoyack Indians who lived here. Isle of Wight County was one of the original eight shires (counties) recognized in Virginia by 1634. It was renamed Isle of Wight in 1637, probably for the island off the south coast of England. Led by Capt. Christopher Lawne, the English first settled here in 1619 on Lawnes Creek. A part of the county became Southampton County in 1749 while a portion of Nansemond County was added to Isle of Wight County in 1769. St. Lukes Church, a National Historic Landmark, is located here. Isle of Wight is the county seat.
Erected 2003 by Department
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Colonial Era • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Political Subdivisions • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the National Historic Landmarks, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1652.
Location. 37° 4.492′ N, 76° 41.597′ W. Marker is near Smithfield, Virginia, in Isle of Wight County. It is on Colonial Trail E (Route 10), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4540 Old Stage Hwy, Smithfield VA 23430, 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, 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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Fort Huger (approx. half a mile away); Pooles Funeral Home (approx. 1.1 miles away); Old Town (approx. 1.6 miles away); Lawnes Creek Church (approx. 2.1 miles away); The Smokehouse (approx. 2.9 miles away); The Slave & Tenant House (approx. 2.9 miles away); Bacons Castle (approx. 2.9 miles away); 1701 Barn (approx. 2.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Smithfield.
Photographed by Forest McDermott, July 24, 2008
2. Isle of Wight County Marker
Photographed by Forest McDermott, July 24, 2008
3. Surry County / Isle of Wight County Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on July 7, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 23, 2007, by Laura Troy of Burke, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,619 times since then and 83 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 23, 2007, by Laura Troy of Burke, Virginia. 2, 3. submitted on July 9, 2010, by Forest McDermott of Masontown, Pennsylvania. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.
