Near Charles City in Charles City County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

First English Thanksgiving in Virginia

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, December 2, 2013

1. First English Thanksgiving in Virginia Marker

Inscription. On 4 Dec. 1619, Capt. John Woodlief, a member of the Virginia Company, arrived aboard the ship Margaret with 35 men to take charge of Berkeley Hundred. An experienced former Jamestown settler, he became Berkeley's first governor. He bore instructions that the day of his ship’s arrival “be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to almighty God.” Beginning in 1958, the Virginia First Thanksgiving Festival commemorated this directive as the first English Thanksgiving in North America with an annual reenactment at Berkeley Plantation.

Erected 2012 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number V-70.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Colonial Era. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical date for this entry is December 4, 1619.

Location. 37° 19.861′ N, 77° 11.442′ W. Marker is near Charles City, Virginia, in Charles City County. Marker is on John Tyler Memorial Highway (Virginia Route 5) 0.3 miles east of Kimages Road (Virginia Route 658), on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Charles City VA 23030, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Emanuel Quivers (here, next to this marker); Berkeley Plantation or Harrison's Landing

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(here, next to this marker); Westover (a few steps from this marker); Herring Creek & Kimages (a few steps from this marker); Stuart's Ride (approx. 0.2 miles away); Herring Creek (approx. half a mile away); Berkeley and Harrison's Landing (approx. one mile away); Willie Johnston (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charles City.

Also see . . . Berkely Plantation. (Submitted on December 2, 2013.)

New Market Road image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, December 2, 2013

2. New Market Road

Shrine marking spot of First Thanksgiving in America, in 1619 image. Click for full size.

By Joe Orbin (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons, August 9, 2016

3. Shrine marking spot of First Thanksgiving in America, in 1619

It is on the grounds of the nearby Berkeley Plantation.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 2, 2013, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,474 times since then and 96 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 2, 2013, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 3. submitted on December 2, 2023, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.