Entrance to James Fort at Jamestown’s Old Town, Colonial National Historical Park
ATTRACTIONS AT OLD TOWN
Fort Pocahontas (Civil War Fort)
Historic Jamestown Map (click to enlarge)
Old Town and James Fort are the main attractions at Historic Jamestowne. The property has been owned by Preservation Virginia since 1893 when Edward and Louise Barney donated 22 acres to the newly formed historical society. While the land is technically not part of the National Park system, it is inseparable from the Jamestown unit of Colonial National Historical Park, and tourists make no distinction between who owns what.
Preservation Virginia operates the Jamestown Rediscovery website dedicated to its portion of the park. The website has tons of information about the history of Jamestown and the archaeological discoveries that have been made and are still being made today.
Ongoing excavation inside James Fort in Old Town, the original section of Jamestown
James Fort is the fort constructed by English colonists shortly after they landed on what would become known as Jamestown Island on May 13, 1607. The settlement at Jamestown was not England’s first North American settlement, but it was the first not to die an early death; it went on to become a thriving town for nearly one hundred years. In addition to the fort is a brick church tower (the only remaining structure from the 17th century at Jamestown), a memorial church built by Preservation Virginia in 1906, the Voorhees Archaearium (archaeology museum), statues of Pocahontas and Captain John Smith, the remains of a Civil War-era earthen fort, and the Dale House Café.
1922 statue of Pocahontas by William Partridge in Historic Jamestowne
1909 statue of Captain John Smith by William Couper in Historic Jamestown
The entire walk to and from the Jamestown Visitor Center and around both Old and New Town is roughly 1.75 miles. At a leisurely pace it takes about two hours, giving you time to read all of the information panels and snap some photos. This is not to say that a visit to Jamestown only takes two hours, because you will most likely want to join a few of the Guided Tours and peruse the Visitor Center Museum or the Voorhees Archaearium.
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Last updated on July 12, 2024
