Middlesex County, Virginia Middlesex is located roughly 60 miles east of Richmond and 35 miles northeast of Williamsburg. It contains approximately 140 square miles of mostly rural land stretching some 28 miles from its border with Essex County to the tip of Stingray Point on the Chesapeake Bay. Bordered on three sides by the Rappahannock River, the Chesapeake Bay and the Piankatank River, activities on and around the water have always been a major part of Middlesex life. Fishing, boating and tourism, along with agriculture, are the foundation of the local economy. There is no sprawling industrial or commercial strip in the county and life proceeds at a calm and measured pace. Most people here like it that way. Carved out of the southern part of Lancaster County in 1669 and bearing a name that reflects its English heritage, Middlesex is part of Virginia's historic Middle Peninsula. The county is cradled by the mighty Chesapeake Bay, the picturesque Rappahannock and Piankatank rivers and the pristine Dragon Run, bountiful waters that have helped to shape its destiny. Mathews County, Virginia County History Mathews County is a charming, small, rural community located on Virginia's Middle Peninsula. In 1791, Brigadier General Thomas Mathews, then speaker of the House of Delegates of the General Assembly of Virginia, introduced a resolution for the formation of a new county consisting of the Kingston Parish of Gloucester County. The County was divided from Gloucester effective May 1, 1791. Mathews celebrated its Bicentennial in 1991. The Mathews County seal was adopted on February 11, 1793 and symbolizes the shipbuilding industry, which was of major importance to the economy of the county. The Continental Navy built many of its ships in Mathews during the American Revolution. Many historic homes erected in the 18th Century have been well kept and are still in use, including Woodstock, Providence and Green Plains. The County is also known as the daffodil center of the Middle Peninsula and is known for the annual fall festival on the historic courthouse square (Market Days) which draws visitors from across Virginia. Gloucester County, Virginia Gloucester County's rich history actually dates from just after the settlement at Jamestown in 1607. Though the county would not be formed until 1651, historical events occurred on these lands that were instrumental to the colony's survival. When the English settlers arrived at Jamestown, the Indian fortress of Chief Powhatan was located on the north side of the river in Gloucester. Powhatan had built his home, Werowocomoco, on land that is now in Gloucester County. If the legends are true, then it was here that Princess Pocahontas, daughter of Chief Powatan, saved Captain John Smith's life, earning both of them prominent places in our nation's history books. It was Captain John Smith who proclaimed, "Heaven and earth never framed a better place for man's habitation." Perhaps this was an early forerunner of "the land of the life worth living", Gloucester County's motto today. Some Charles River County land patents were granted as early as 1639, but these lands that were to become Gloucester County were not really considered safe for settlement until after 1644. George Washington's great grandfather received a York County land patent in 1650 for land that became a part of Gloucester the following year. When Gloucester County was formed from York County in 1651, it consisted of four parishes: Abingdon, Kingston, Petsworth and Ware. (Kingston parish became Mathews County in 1791.) Many believe that the county was named for Henry, Duke of Gloucester, third son of Charles 1. Others say it was named for the County of Gloucester in England. Gloucester is pronounced GLOSS-ter in New England, but in Virginia it is GLAW-ster in the English tradition. These lands were a major tobacco producing area in the 1600s and 1700s. During this time, many imposing plantation homes and grand private estates were built. Many of these fine colonial homes remain today in almost perfect condition. One of the only eight churches of colonial Virginia was Abingdon Episcopal Church in Gloucester County, also still standing today. It is said that both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson worshipped here, often at the same service. Washington's maternal grandmother's home (still an active residence today) was in Gloucester and Jefferson spent many nights in Gloucester at Roswell, the home of his friend, John Page. (See the section on Historical Places for more information about these historic homes.) Gloucester's role during the American Revolution was a pivotal one. The southern tip of the Gloucester County peninsula extends into the York River and is directly across from Yorktown. This finger of land, named Tyndall's Point for Captain John Smith's mapmaker, Robert Tyndall, became known as Gloucester Point at the time of the Revolution. A fortification existed here already, built to protect the waterways of Virginia. The British Army refortified the point in August 1781 and British forces occupied the point for much of the War. Gloucester Point is the site of the "Second Surrender" by General Charles Lord Cornwallis to General George Washington at Yorktown. Gloucester County's contribution to the history of the colony, the Commonwealth of Virginia and to our Nation, has been substantial. Northumberland County Northumberland County, Virginia was originally known as Chickacoan, an Indian district on the Northern Neck lying between the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers, tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. In 1648, the “Mother County of the Northern Neck” was organized and named Northumberland from the English County Northumberland, England. The first white settler to make a permanent home in the county was Col. John Mottrom sometime between 1635-1640. In 1648 the county was officially formed by an act passed by the Burgesses in Jamestown, Virginia. It was later divided into three additional counties, Lancaster, Richmond and Westmoreland Counties. Northumberland County has an area of approximately 222 square miles and a population of 12,400 people. For hundreds of years Northumberland remained a county largely isolated from the rest of the state due to the lack of a road network. But in 1926 with the bridge crossing from Essex County to the Northern Neck it provided access to the west, which has attributed growth to the area. Lancaster County Lancaster County was created by the Virginia Assembly in 1651 from land then belonging to York and Northumberland Counties. At the time it spanned both sides of the Rappahannock and extended into what is now West Virginia. Over time, the General Assembly pared down this vast acreage, eventually creating 16 of modern-day Virginia's 96 counties, along with three counties now in West Virginia, from land that belonged at one time to "old Lancaster County." Through it all, Lancaster County's contribution to Virginia-and national-history has remained large.

ERA Bay and River Real Estate, LLC is independently owned and not associated with any other company or franchise other than ERA Real Estate. All information on these webpages is believed to be correct but should be verified for accuracy. By providing your email or phone number to us through this site, you agree that we may contact you to offer our real estate services.

State: County: City: Zip: