Yorktown in York County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Site of the Home of Nicolas Martiau
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 30, 2015
1. Site of the Home of Nicolas Martiau Marker
who was born in France 1591
Came to Virginia 1620
and died at Yorktown 1657
He was a captain in the Indian uprising
A member of the House of Burgesses
Justice of the County of York
In 1635 a leader
in the thrusting out of Governor Harvey
which was the first opposition
to the British colonial policy
The patentee for Yorktown
and through the marriage
of his daughter Elizabeth
to Col. George Reade he became
the earliest American ancestor of both
General George Washington
and Governor Thomas Nelson
Marked by the Hugenot Society of Pennsylvania in cooperation with the National Federation of Hugenot Societies and the Yorktown Sesqui-centennial Commission
Erected 1931 by The Hugenot Society of Pennsylvania.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1591.
Location. 37° 14.205′ N, 76° 30.511′ W. Marker is in Yorktown, Virginia, in York County. It is at the intersection of Ballard Street (Virginia Route 1020) and Main Street, on the left when traveling north on Ballard Street. Touch for map.
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: Yorktown (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); York County War Monument (about 400 feet away); York Hall (about 400 feet away); Grace Church - circa 1697 (about 400 feet away); Colonial Grace Church (about 400 feet away); Swan Tavern (about 400 feet away); Grace Episcopal Church (about 400 feet away); Nicolas Martiau and 16 of His Family Members (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Yorktown.
Also see . . . Nicolas Martiau. Wikipedia (Submitted on May 31, 2015.)
Additional commentary.
1. The House
Nicolas Martiau's home is long gone; the current house on the site was built in the 1930s and is known as the Slaight House.
— Submitted February 19, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia.
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 30, 2015
2. Site of the Home of Nicolas Martiau Marker
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 30, 2015
3. Site of the Home of Nicolas Martiau Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,616 times since then and 92 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 31, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
