Olde Towne in Portsmouth, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Glasgow Street Park
Path of History
| | Portsmouth, VA | |
Glasgow Street Park, a historic site and cemetery of Monumental United Methodist Church, holds the grave of Adj. William Ball Jr. He was one of a total of about 30 Monumental members and others, so buried at this site prior to the 1840s.
Ball, 20, adjutant of the 4th Virginia Militia of the Winchester Rifles company, was shot and killed on May 24, 1813 by a sentinel during the siege period prior to the Battle of Craney Island on June 22. Ball was carrying orders from Portsmouth's Fort Nelson to Norfolk's Fort Norfolk. At the trial, the sentinel was sentenced to 18 years in the state penitentiary because evidence showed that he killed Ball out of dislike. Ball's unit paid for his gravestone which said that he was "inhumanely shot by a sentinel."
Monumental, founded in 1772, bought this site in 1792. The congregation worshipped here from 1792 to 1833 and built and moved to its present site, 450 Dinwiddie Street Portsmouth. From 1831 to 1856 this site was shared with African American members, now Emanuel AME, now at 637 North Street Portsmouth.
Portsmouth's park is one of nine Portsmouth sites and one of 103 statewide on Virginia's War of 1812 Heritage Trail. The trail commemorates Virginia's part in the war confirming America's independence.
Erected by City
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Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Religion & Religious Structures • War of 1812. In addition, it is included in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 24, 1813.
Location. 36° 50.254′ N, 76° 18.114′ W. Marker is in Portsmouth, Virginia. It is in Olde Towne. It is on Glasgow Street east of Dinwiddie Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 425 Granada St, Portsmouth VA 23704, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Hampton Roads, specifically 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: A different marker also named Glasgow Street Park (here, next to this marker); Watts House (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Yellow Fever of 1855 (about 300 feet away); Pre-Fabricated Houses (about 300 feet away); Elks Lodge (about 400 feet away); The Founding of Edmarc (about 400 feet away); Court Street Baptist Church (about 500 feet away); Gaskins Silversmith Shop (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Portsmouth.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 5, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 5, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 5, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
