Near Urbanna in Middlesex County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Opiscopank
Smith's Mystery Town
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, June 22, 2014
1. Opiscopank Marker
Inscription.
Opiscopank. Smith's Mystery Town. In 1608, Capt. John Smith mapped Opiscopank near here as an Indian town where a chief lived. Oddly, his narratives did not mention visiting the town or how he learned about it. In 1649, Ralph Wormeley patented 3,200 acres here that included the Indian Townes of old and new Nimcock, bounded N.W. upon Rosegill Cr. While the Rosegill plantation later became well known, historical records are silent on what became of the Nimcock Indians who lived at the former Opiscopank. Archaeological research found evidence of Middle to Late Woodland Indian habitation at several locations on the former Rosegill plantation.
In 1608, Capt. John Smith mapped Opiscopank near here as an Indian town where a chief lived. Oddly, his narratives did not mention visiting the town or how he learned about it. In 1649, Ralph Wormeley patented 3,200 acres here that included the Indian Townes of old & new Nimcock, bounded N.W. upon Rosegill Cr. While the Rosegill plantation later became well known, historical records are silent on what became of the Nimcock Indians who lived at the former Opiscopank. Archaeological research found evidence of Middle to Late Woodland Indian habitation at several locations on the former Rosegill plantation.
Erected 2010 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number N-78.)
Location. 37° 37.764′ N, 76° 34.292′ W. Marker is near Urbanna, Virginia, in Middlesex County. It is on Urbanna Road (Virginia Route 227) 0.1 miles east of Mollys Way, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 82 Mariners Way, Saluda VA 23149, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Middle Peninsula. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. 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.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 23, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 22, 2014, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,394 times since then and 66 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on June 22, 2014, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
