Historic Triangle
The Historic Triangle includes three historic colonial communities located on the Virginia Peninsula of the United States and is bounded by the York River on the north and the James River on the south. The points that form the triangle are Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, and Yorktown. They feature many restored attractions and are linked by the Colonial Parkway in James City and York counties, and the City of Williamsburg.
Describing the significance to the United States of the three main points of the Historic Triangle, the Reverend Dr.
Colonial Parkway
The
Near the
The Parkway starts in Yorktown, passes through Colonial Williamsburg and ends in Jamestown. No commercial vehicles are allowed to use the parkway for transportation, although commuter traffic has increased dramatically in the early 21st century.
Jamestown Ferry
Some visitors from the South travel to the area across the
During favorable weather and daylight hours, northbound passengers usually see the Jamestown Island much as the first colonists may have approached it. Replicas of Christopher Newport's three tiny ships, Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery are docked near the northern ferry landing at Glass House Point.
The state-operated Jamestown Ferry service is toll-free.
Jamestown
The first permanent English settlement in the New World was established at Jamestown on May 13, 1607.
Williamsburg
In 1699, the capital of Virginia was moved from Jamestown to a location on high ground at
In 1780 during the revolution, the capital and government were moved to a more secure location at
Today, the result of those efforts, Colonial Williamsburg, is a large living museum of early American life. It has 88 original buildings and dozens of restored and recreated buildings and re-enactors. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The Visitor's Center (right off the Colonial Parkway) features a short movie. It has a parking area, as automobiles are restricted from the restored area. A wheelchair-accessible shuttle bus service is provided.
Yorktown
The third point of the triangle is Yorktown, where General Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington in 1781 in the last land battle of the American Revolution. There are two large visitor centers, battlefield drives, and a waterfront area. The historic area of downtown has numerous buildings from the pre-Revolutionary era.
Commercial enterprises
The three Historic Triangle areas (and the Colonial Parkway between them) have been restored to promote a sense of the past. Nearby are many modern hotels, motels, campgrounds, restaurants, shops and stores, gasoline stations, and amusements.
Other major attractions include:
- Busch Gardens is a theme park located near in James City County.
- Williamsburg Pottery Factory is nearby on U.S. Route 60 a few miles west of Williamsburg in James City County.
- Water Country USA (Williamsburg) is a water park, located near Williamsburg in York County.
- The Williamsburg Winery is the Commonwealth of Virginia's largest winery, located on a 320-acre (1.3 km2) farm in historical Williamsburg, Virginia.
- Go-Karts Plus is another theme park located near Williamsburg in James City County next to the Williamsburg Pottery Factory on U.S. Route 60.
See also
References
- ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 148.
External links
- Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's official site
- The College of William and Mary
- APVA web site for the Jamestown Rediscovery project
- Historic Jamestowne
- Jamestown 2007 Celebration Archived 2006-02-02 at the Wayback Machine
- Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center
- Virtual Jamestown
- National Park Service: Jamestown National Historic Site
- York County Virginia Local Government
- Williamsburg Area Convention and Visitors Bureau - The Official Website
- Jamestown 1607
- Local Bus Transportation to Historic Triangle
- Creative Children's book about Willi a dog that wanders through the Historic Triangle as he learns about our the founding of this nation