On the southwestern end of the Colonial Parkway lies Jamestown Island, the site of the first permanent English settlement in the New World. In 1607, the settlers leader Captain John Smith, (yes, the one connected with Pocahontas) scouted out the island for possible settlement. They felt they were far enough inland to avoid contact with the Spanish fleet that patrolled the coast. The draft was deep enough in the newly named James River for the colonists to moor their three ships - the Susan Constant, the Godspeed and the Discovery - to trees on the island, convenient for off-loading supplies and ideal to facilitate a speedy getaway if the need arose.

The captain may have had some savvy, but the colonists were ill-equipped to be settling in a wilderness. Many were gentlemen who knew nothing of hard labor, much less how to build a house, or plow a field, fortunately they could hunt and fish, a "sport" they were familiar with in England. However, because of the brackish water, that led to saltwater poisoning and resulting weakness created susceptibility to deadly disease, many of the settlers died from fevers and dysentery. Captain Smith was wounded when his powder bag exploded and was sent back to England, where he wrote his adventurous memoirs which inspired more settlers to cross the sea to Jamestown. During the next few years, even with trained craftsmen and farmers, there were similar cases of illness in the colony. Plans were made to abandon the town in 1610, when only 90 remained of 350 settlers who had come the year before. At that point a new governor arrived and forced the remaining settlers to stay, which succeeded in turning things around and the colony was permanently established.

Historic Jamestowne on Jamestown Island is co-administered by the Colonial National Historical Park (National Park Service) and the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities.The National Park Service also maintains the 1608 Glasshouse, which is located off the Parkway, just before the approach to Jamestown Island. The original town site has been preserved and 20th century bricks outline the excavated foundations of the 17th century homes. The Church Tower of 1639 still stands along side a 20th century reconstruction of the first brick church.

The Jamestowne Visitor Center and Museum contain an extensive collection of 17th century artifacts and more continue to be found on the site. The most exciting part of the Island experience is perhaps the newly-discovered site of the original fort. Excavations are being explored seasonally. Known as the Jamestown Rediscovery Project, the site has yielded over 300,000 artifacts since 1996, and only a portion of the fort has been explored. From the skeleton of a 17th century settler to a 1601 Irish penny, helmets to blue glass beads, the finds are shedding new light on life in the early 17th century. And in just a few years, Jamestown will have gained even more insight to its past, just in time for the celebration of its 400th Anniversary in 2007. (Some Jamestown Island artifacts were damaged in flooding during Hurricane Isabel and are being restored. A new museum construction on the Island is planned for completion by 2007)

Admission to Historic Jamestowne is $6.00 per person (17 and older) / Combination Pass: (Both Jamestown Island & Yorktown Battlefield) $9.00 for adults (17 and over) 757-229-1733 or 757-898-2410 (Golden Eagle Passes, Golden Age & Golden Access Passports are honored)

Jamestown Settlement, administered by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a recreation of life in the area during 1607. Indoor exhibits chronicle 17th century Virginia. The English Gallery describes the situation in the Old World and England which lead to the colonization of the New World. The Powhatan Indian Gallery explores the life of the native people prior to the arrival of the English. The Jamestown Gallery focuses on the life of the colonists from the early beginnings of the settlement to the eventual move of the seat of government to Williamsburg in 1699. An introductory film accompanies the museum viewing.

Three outdoor living-history areas staffed with costumed historical interpreters provide a window to the past. The Powhatan Indian Village displays such processes as crop-growing, tool-making, canoe-building and the preparation of hides. Down the hill from the village are re-creations of the English settlers' three ships, Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery. The fort, with its wattle-and-daub houses, cannons, muskets and armor shows how early settlers survived and eventually thrived in the wilderness.

Admission to Jamestown Settlement is $11.25 for adults and $5.50 for children (6-12) Combination Pass. (Both Jamestown Settlement & Yorktown Victory Center) $16.00 for adults and $7.75 for children (6-12) 757-253-4838

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