About Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth, Virginia
Virginia's Quaint Historic Seaport
Portsmouth, Virginia is a quaint historic seaport that has managed to hold onto its 18th-and 19th century charm for over 250 years. In 1620, the future site of Portsmouth was recognized as suitable shipbuilding location by John Wood, a shipbuilder, who petitioned King James I of England for a land grant. The surrounding area was soon settled as a plantation community.
Portsmouth was founded as a town in 1752 by an act of the Virginia General Assembly on behalf of Col. William Crawford, a wealthy merchant and ship owner, who dedicated the four corners of High and Court Streets for a church, a market, a courthouse, and a jail. The new city was named for Portsmouth, England.
In 1767, Andrew Sprowle, a shipbuilder, founded the Gosport Shipyard adjacent to Portsmouth. The Gosport Shipyard at Portsmouth was owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia after the American Revolutionary War and was sold to the new United States federal government. During the American Civil War, in 1861, Virginia joined the Confederate States of America. Fearing that the Confederacy would take control of the shipyard at Portsmouth, the shipyard commander ordered the burning of the shipyard. The Confederate forces did in fact take over the shipyard, and did so without armed conflict through an elaborate ruse orchestrated by civilian railroad builder William Mahone (soon to become a famous Confederate officer). The Union forces withdrew to Fort Monroe across Hampton Roads, which was the only land in the area which remained under Union control.
In 1855, the Portsmouth and Norfolk area suffered an epidemic of yellow fever which killed 1 of every 3 citizens. It became an independent city from Norfolk County in 1858.
In early 1862, the Confederate ironclad warship CSS Virginia was rebuilt using the burned-out hulk of USS Merrimack. Virginia engaged the Union ironclad USS Monitor in the famous Battle of Hampton Roads during the Union blockade of Hampton Roads. The Confederates burned the shipyard again when they left in May 1862.
Virginia's Quaint Historic Seaport
Portsmouth, Virginia is a quaint historic seaport that has managed to hold onto its 18th-and 19th century charm for over 250 years. In 1620, the future site of Portsmouth was recognized as suitable shipbuilding location by John Wood, a shipbuilder, who petitioned King James I of England for a land grant. The surrounding area was soon settled as a plantation community.
Portsmouth was founded as a town in 1752 by an act of the Virginia General Assembly on behalf of Col. William Crawford, a wealthy merchant and ship owner, who dedicated the four corners of High and Court Streets for a church, a market, a courthouse, and a jail. The new city was named for Portsmouth, England.
In 1767, Andrew Sprowle, a shipbuilder, founded the Gosport Shipyard adjacent to Portsmouth. The Gosport Shipyard at Portsmouth was owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia after the American Revolutionary War and was sold to the new United States federal government. During the American Civil War, in 1861, Virginia joined the Confederate States of America. Fearing that the Confederacy would take control of the shipyard at Portsmouth, the shipyard commander ordered the burning of the shipyard. The Confederate forces did in fact take over the shipyard, and did so without armed conflict through an elaborate ruse orchestrated by civilian railroad builder William Mahone (soon to become a famous Confederate officer). The Union forces withdrew to Fort Monroe across Hampton Roads, which was the only land in the area which remained under Union control.
In 1855, the Portsmouth and Norfolk area suffered an epidemic of yellow fever which killed 1 of every 3 citizens. It became an independent city from Norfolk County in 1858.
In early 1862, the Confederate ironclad warship CSS Virginia was rebuilt using the burned-out hulk of USS Merrimack. Virginia engaged the Union ironclad USS Monitor in the famous Battle of Hampton Roads during the Union blockade of Hampton Roads. The Confederates burned the shipyard again when they left in May 1862.
Following the recapture of Norfolk and Portsmouth by the Union forces, the name of the shipyard was changed to Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The name of the shipyard was derived from its location in Norfolk County. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard today is located entirely within the city limits of Portsmouth, Virginia. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard name has been retained to minimize any confusion with the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which itself is actually located in Kittery, Maine across the Piscataqua River from Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
At the heart of Portsmouth’s waterfront revitalization is Historic Olde Towne with the largest collection of period homes between Alexandria, VA and Charleston, S.C. The area, located north of High Street, has been listed as the Olde Towne Historic District and is primarily residential.
Nineteenth century Portsmouth relied heavily on shipbuilding. In 1894, the Seaboard Railway came to town. The passenger rail terminal was located at High Street Landing. For the next sixty-years, the railroad dominated Portsmouth, giving the city its motto, “where the rail meets the sea".
At the heart of Portsmouth’s waterfront revitalization is Historic Olde Towne with the largest collection of period homes between Alexandria, VA and Charleston, S.C. The area, located north of High Street, has been listed as the Olde Towne Historic District and is primarily residential.
Nineteenth century Portsmouth relied heavily on shipbuilding. In 1894, the Seaboard Railway came to town. The passenger rail terminal was located at High Street Landing. For the next sixty-years, the railroad dominated Portsmouth, giving the city its motto, “where the rail meets the sea".