Jamestown was the first successful English settlement on the mainland of North America. Named for King James I of England, Jamestown was founded in the Colony of Virginia on May 14, 1607. Created as part of the 350th anniversary celebration in 1957 as Jamestown Festival Park, the museum is adjacent and complementary to the Historic Jamestowne on Jamestown Island which is the actual historic and archaeological site where the first settlers landed and lived that is run by the National Park Service and Preservation Virginia.
Late in the 19th century, Jamestown became the focus of renewed historical interest and efforts at preservation. In 1893, a portion of the island was donated to Preservation Virginia (formerly known as The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities) for that purpose. The actual location of the 1607 fort was thought to be underwater, lost due to erosion. A seawall was constructed, which preserved the site where the remains of the original "James Fort" were to be discovered by archaeologists of the Jamestown Rediscovery project beginning in 1994, a century later.
In 1907, the Jamestown Exposition was held to mark the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown in 1607. Due to transportation and other considerations which made the site of Jamestown impractical, the celebration was held at Sewell's Point in Norfolk, Virginia, on the harbor of Hampton Roads. During World War I, the Exposition site became part of the US Navy base now known as Naval Station Norfolk. Jamestown is a well known colony.
No comments:
Post a Comment