On the northeast end of the Colonial Parkway lies Yorktown, a sleepy little Brigadoon that awakens each year on the 19th of October for Yorktown Day.It was here on October 19,1781 that freedom was won after a long series of battles that started with a "war of words and ideas" in Williamsburg's House of Burgesses. Yorktown started as a tobacco port in the mid 17th century. Its deep water channel and sheltered harbor was ideal for warehousing and loading tobacco and other colonial commodities.

This deep water access also brought the British Lord Cornwallis, pursued by Lafayette and his smaller army of Americans, to the tiny village. Cornwallis was hoping to make contact with the British Fleet, which was being sent from New York with supplies for his army. General Washington and French General Rochambeau saw an opportunity to make a combined naval and land battle using the French Fleet, which was sailing northward toward the Chesapeake Bay. Washington hastily moved the bulk of the American and French troops from New York to Yorktown and they laid siege to the village. The French Fleet stopped the British ships outside the mouth of the bay and prevented them from getting near enough to Yorktown to assist Cornwallis. On October 19, 1781, the British acknowledged their plight and surrendered at Surrender Field, just south of town.

The County of York is a fast-growing community that prides itself for its love of history. Today the county is home for many scientists and researchers working for NASA and Jefferson Laboratories—citizens as forward-thinking today as were the revolutionaries of the past. Much of the village of Yorktown is now privately owned, but its character has changed little since its colonial days. Many original structures in and around Yorktown proper still remain and have been restored and maintained by the Colonial National Historical Park (National Park Service).Examples include the Augustine Moore House—a modest home overlooking the York River where the surrender was negotiated—and the more stately Thomas Nelson House, which was the home of a then General of the Virginia Militia, future Governor of Virginia and signer of the Declaration of Independence. When asked, Thomas Nelson directed cannon fire toward his home because he knew Cornwallis was staying there. Some of the cannon balls can still be seen embedded in its brick walls. Also worth visiting are the Victory Monument, which was authorized by the Continental Congress just 10 days after the victory, and Grace Episcopal Church, one of the oldest churches and cemeteries in America.

Introduction to the Yorktown Battlefield (also administered by the National Park Service) begins at the Visitor Center where the original battle plans for both land and sea are presented through a series of exhibits. A short film is followed by an exhibit of many artifacts. A tour through miles of deep woods, fields, hills, lakes and earthworks to sites of encampments, redoubts, caves and Surrender Field can be made by car or bike. Only serious hikers should try walking the entire area. The park service now charges a fee at the Yorktown Battlefield of $4.00 per person 17 and older, (Golden Eagle passes are honored). The tour is fascinating. (757) 898-2410

The Yorktown Victory Center was built by the Commonwealth of Virginia for the Bicentennial in 1976. Outdoor Living-History exhibits show how the inhabitants of the area lived at the time of the Revolution and there are re-enactors who show how the soldiers fared as well. Galleries inside the Museum focus on the reasons for the Revolution as well as the Revolution itself. The Road to Revolution gallery describes the events leading up to the decisions to break from England. Witness to Revolution gallery introduces you to ten individuals who, through their writings, tell what they experienced during the war. Converging on Yorktown gallery describes the Battle and Surrender at Yorktown and continues with a film about those same events. Most popular with museum visitors are Yorktown's Sunken Fleet, about the Cornwallis ship excavations in the York River, and A Children's Kaleidoscope, a hands-on exhibit for children.

Admission is $8.25 for adults and $4.00 for children (6-12) Combination Pass (Both Jamestown Settlement & Yorktown Victory Center) $16.00 for adults and $7.75 for children (6-12) (757) 887-1776

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