Jamestown in James City County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
James Fort
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 14, 2008
1. James Fort Marker
The English settlers in Virginia soon built a fort in order to protect themselves from raids by the Spanish and local Indians. The fort re-created here was described by an English settler in 1610 as triangular in shape with walls of planks and posts. Bulwarks or raised areas at each corner supported artillery. The earliest colonists were instructed to build the “public” building first – a storehouse to hold supplies and exports, an Anglican church, and a guardhouse as headquarters for military activity.
Activities at James Fort centered upon survival, military drills, the business of government, and attempts at profit-making. Difficulty obtaining a steady food supply often led to disease and death. Military training prepared the site for possible attack. The few women in Jamestown gardened, cooked, sewed, and did laundry. When the Virginia colony became better established, more activities moved outside of the fort walls.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Forts and Castles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1610.
Location. 37° 13.343′ N, 76° 47.198′ W. Marker is in Jamestown, Virginia, in James City County. It can be reached from Jamestown Road (Virginia Route 31), on the left when traveling south. Marker is
this page online
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 walking distance of this marker: Fishing (a few steps from this marker); Boatbuilding (within shouting distance of this marker); Ships (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Susan Constant (about 300 feet away); Godspeed (about 400 feet away); Voyage to Virginia (about 500 feet away); Discovery (about 500 feet away); James River: Life Line to a Colony (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Jamestown.
More about this marker. The marker contains pictures of the construction of the fort, as well as pictures of a colonist and an Indian crop. “The first buildings in Virginia were supported by wooden posts set into the ground.”
Also see . . . Jamestown Settlement. Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation website entry (Submitted on February 13, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 14, 2008
2. Entrance to James Fort
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 14, 2008
3. Inside James Fort
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 14, 2008
4. James Fort
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 14, 2008
5. James Fort Artillery Platform
Bulwarks such as this supported cannon at the three corners of the fort.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 14, 2008
6. Site of James Fort
The site of the actual Fort James is located a few miles southwest of the recreation in Jamestown Settlement.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 20, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 13, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 1,331 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on February 13, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
