Poquoson, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Poquoson

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, July 31, 2010

1. Poquoson Marker

Inscription.
Ancient Indian word meaning a great marsh. Recorded in English land patent issued to Captain Christopher Calthorpe, April 26, 1631. Oldest continuously named city in Virginia. Town incorporated 1952; city chatered 1975.

By order City Council - 1979

Erected 1979 by Poquoson City Council.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical date for this entry is April 26, 1636.

Location. 37° 7.516′ N, 76° 24.116′ W. Marker is in Poquoson, Virginia. It is on Victory Boulevard (Virginia Route 171) 0.2 miles east of Elliott Rd, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Poquoson VA 23662, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Peninsula,

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 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); George W. Dickerson (approx. 0.4 miles away); Footeball Quarter Creek Plantation (approx. 1.3 miles away); Miss Becky's Store (approx. 2 miles away); What Is A Dairy? (approx. 2 miles away); Chesapeake Bay Two Log Canoe (approx. 2 miles away); John Deere Tractor (approx. 2 miles away); The Dryden Farmhouse (approx. 2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Poquoson.

Regarding Poquoson.

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Formerly part of York County, it became an independent city in 1975, a peer to the county it separated from. Unlike most independent cities in Virginia, some constitutional services such as the courts, sheriff and jail continue to be shared with neighboring York County.

Also see . . .
1. The “Great Marsh”: Poquoson. 2009 article in Virginia Living by Bill Glose. Excerpt:

Poquoson is a peninsula jutting into the Chesapeake Bay and the oldest continuously named town in Virginia, where crusty watermen mingle with brainy NASA scientists, and where family histories go back to the 1700s.

Once upon a time, the only way in or out of Poquoson was by boat. Fortunately, the tiny peninsula is now connected to Hampton and Yorktown by two roads, but neither carries traffic to anywhere else. People intent on visiting Poquoson are the only ones who enter this quiet city—and the roughly 12,000 residents like it that way.

(Submitted on April 4, 2020.)

2. History of Poquoson. Excerpt:

... The term "poquoson" was used to describe a boundary line between 2 elevated tracts of land. Such a boundary contained a stream, river, or creek with its adjoining marsh which lay between 2 tracts of higher ground. Poquoson was used as a common noun and is found in many deeds along the eastern seaboard.
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, July 31, 2010

2. Victory Boulevard (facing east)
Through the years the term became a proper noun for the land that lies between 2 such poquosons - the Old Poquoson River and the New Poquoson River.

(Submitted on August 4, 2010.)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 3, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 4, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,155 times since then and 91 times this year. It was the Marker of the Week April 19, 2020. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 4, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.