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49-574: The museum complex is located adjacent to Historic Jamestowne , on Jamestown Island , which is run in partnership by the National Park Service and the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation, a private nonprofit branch of Preservation Virginia dedicated to the archaeological mission. Historic Jamestowne is established in the original James Fort and Jamestown Colony, the first successful English settlement on

98-433: A failed settlement or a historical footnote, Jamestown's contributions were brought into sharper focus. Jamestown's legacies of democracy, free enterprise and cultural diversity linked the nation's earliest days to contemporary American life. Claims to these legacies were supported by new archeological discoveries by William Kelso at Historic Jamestowne and new scholarly research by respected historians such as James Horn of

147-616: A settlement. By the 1750s, the land was owned and extensively cultivated primarily by the Travis and Ambler families. Due to its location on the James River , the island saw some action during the American Revolutionary War (1776–1781). The area was used as a military post where American and British prisoners of war were exchanged. In the 19th century, Jamestown Island reverted to little-used farmland. In 1862 it

196-588: A vast amount of artifacts have been recovered by the Jamestown Rediscovery project with ongoing archaeological work, including ongoing excavations, reconstructions, and renovations (e.g., Jamestown Church ). It is also next to the Jamestown Glasshouse . 37°13′21.90″N 76°47′10.43″W  /  37.2227500°N 76.7862306°W  / 37.2227500; -76.7862306 Historic Jamestowne Historic Jamestown

245-579: A western bulwark to river erosion. In 2006, many preparations were underway for the Jamestown 2007 event celebrating the 400th anniversary of the settlement. The site was visited by several dignitaries, including President George W. Bush and Dick Cheney . Queen Elizabeth II visited to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the landing on May 4, 2007 – she had previously visited the park in October 1957. As noted by Queen Elizabeth during her state visit to

294-691: Is now the United States of America. America's 400th Anniversary was an 18-month-long commemoration including 10 Signature Events, hundreds of community programs and dozens of partner and programs and events. Activities took place throughout Virginia , in major cities along the East Coast , and in the United Kingdom . The 400th anniversary commemoration helped redefine Jamestown's role in American history. Long regarded by many Americans as

343-634: Is the cultural heritage site that was the location of the 1607 James Fort and the later 17th-century town of Jamestown in America. It is located on Jamestown Island , on the James River at Jamestown, Virginia , and operated as a partnership between Preservation Virginia (formerly known as the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities) and the U.S. National Park Service as part of Colonial National Historical Park . The site

392-586: Is the 410th Anniversary of the founding of the settlement, scheduled for mid-May 2017, entitled Jamestown Day . Similarly, Pocahontas Imagined will commemorate the 400th Anniversary of the death of Pocahontas in July 2017. Further, the American Indian Intertribal Powwow will be held there in October 2017. On nearby Jamestown Island itself, the National Park Service and Preservation Virginia , operate Historic Jamestowne where

441-667: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation . One of the commemoration's greatest achievements was active participation by the three Jamestown cultures - the European-American colonists, African-Americans and Virginia Native Americans . While major Jamestown observances have been held every 50 years since 1807, America's 400th Anniversary marked the first time representatives of all three cultures developed their own events and messages. The Discovery , one of Jamestown Settlement's re-created ships,

490-706: The Norfolk Southern Railway's predecessor railroads, including the Norfolk and Western Railway and the Virginian Railway , provided major transportation services for attendees at the 1907 Jamestown Exposition ). The commemoration was launched in May 2007 with the 2006 Godspeed Sail, a visit of the replica ship to Alexandria, VA, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Boston and Newport, RI. Other major events included Tavis Smiley's 2007 State of

539-673: The U.S. Mint , the U.S. Postal Service , the Virginia Arts Festival and Virginia Tech . Jamestown Partners included the National Park Service , the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities , and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. Some members of Virginia Indian tribes did not attend the festivities, out of concern over what they perceive the settlement to represent for their people. In November 2006, Queen Elizabeth II of

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588-705: The Virginia Colony at Jamestown , on May 13, 1607, was the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America . Upon arrival, the hundred-some colonists set about constructing a fort to protect themselves from the nearby Virginia Indian tribes and from a potential attack from the Spanish settlements in Florida . Between 1609 and 1610, lack of local food and replenishment of supplies from England, and inability to cope with disease led to

637-479: The "starving time", which only 60 colonists survived. The colony was resupplied with new colonists, and over the next several decades became the center of government for the English colonists. The port received additional arrivals from England to the new land, with about 500 people living in or around it at its peak. In 1619, the first Africans arrived in the colony; one of their number was a woman called Angela, who

686-431: The 21st century as part of the Jamestown 2007 quadricentennial celebration. A special exhibition named "The World of 1607" was created to showcase 17th century Virginia and featured rare artifacts that were on loan from international collections and major museums. Additionally, new permanent exhibits were added while existing materials were refreshed, and a new introductory film was added. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and

735-649: The Ambler Mansion ruins, the rowhouse, and Governor Harvey House. The tall Tercentenary Monument , which resembles the Washington Monument in Washington, was placed on Jamestown Island by the United States government in 1907 for the 300th anniversary of the settlement. It cost $ 50,000 at the time, stands 103 feet (31 meters) tall, and is made of New Hampshire granite. The north face inscription reads: Jamestown - The first permanent colony of

784-633: The Black Union, the American Indian Intertribal Festival and Jamestown Live!, a webcast reaching more than a million students. The centerpiece of the commemoration was America's Anniversary Weekend, a three-day festival and observance held on the weekend of Jamestown's 400th anniversary (May 11–13, 2007). In January 2007, the Virginia General Assembly held a session at Jamestown, where a speech

833-654: The British Ambassador and U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon . Full-sized replicas were constructed of the three ships that brought the colonists: the Susan Constant , Godspeed , and Discovery . They were built at a shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia and relocated to nearby Glass House Point for the festival. There were nearly 25,000 visitors at the Festival Park on October 16, 1957, and

882-705: The Duke of Edinburgh were invited and attended the Jamestown Settlement on May 14, 2005 as part of a two-day royal visit to Virginia. Their itinerary included visits to the state capital in Richmond, Virginia, Colonial Williamsburg, and Historic Jamestown. Approximately 1,200 invited guests, educational groups, and members of the community were in attendance. The celebration of Jamestown was held in Jamestown, Virginia. The Jamestown Settlement galleries provide

931-588: The English in America. Officially named the Nathalie P. and Alan M. Voorhees Archaearium , or simply the Voorhees Archaearium , it is a museum with excavated artifacts and exhibits about Jamestown. The building is located over the excavated remains of the last Statehouse in Jamestown, which visitors can see. The museum onsite opened just prior to the 400th anniversary and displays objects that belonged to Jamestown colonists 400 years ago, unearthed from

980-565: The English people. The birthplace of Virginia and of the United States - May 13, 1607 . The General Assembly Monument was unveiled on July 31, 1907, as a gift of the Norfolk branch of the APVA. Located near the church, it is a small obelisk designed to commemorate the first meeting of Virginia's General Assembly in July 1619. A horse trough , a gift from the Society of Colonial Wars in 1907,

1029-521: The Jamestown Settlement as well as the Yorktown battlefield and the Revolution. Late in the 18th century, Jamestown became the focus of renewed historical interest and efforts at preservation . In 1893, a portion of the island was donated to Preservation Virginia for that purpose, including the ruined church tower . In the early 1900s, a seawall was constructed with the intention of preserving

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1078-595: The U.S. in 2007, Jamestowne was the beginning, not just of America, but of the British Empire . The Historic Jamestowne area of Jamestown Island includes several important structures, both historical and modern. This area includes the ruins within the original 1607 James Fort, the restored Jamestown Church , and the ruins of the Statehouse. Situated to the east of the Old Towne area, this area includes

1127-519: The UK for the anniversary has been "A New World: England’s first view of America", running from 15 March to 17 June 2007 at the British Museum and focussing on the drawings of John White . [2] In February 2006, it was announced that retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor would become the honorary chair of America's 400th Anniversary . (In October 2005, she had accepted

1176-531: The United Kingdom announced that she and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , would make a state visit to the U.S. in May 2007, her first since 1991. She arrived in Virginia on May 3, 2007. Elizabeth II was not only a direct descendant of James I of England , the settlement's namesake, but also the direct descendant of George III of the United Kingdom , under whose reign Great Britain lost

1225-574: The ceremonial role of becoming the 23rd chancellor of the College of William and Mary , which was founded in nearby Williamsburg in 1693.) The Commonwealth of Virginia made a major commitment to Jamestown 2007 and enlisted the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation as well as large corporate sponsors such as Verizon Communications and the Norfolk Southern Corp. (which itself has a rich Virginia history, being involved in early railroads;

1274-652: The creation of the Colonial National Historical Park in 1940 and the uncovering of the old fort in 1996 by archaeologists of the Jamestown Rediscovery project. A return to Jamestown itself was considered feasible by 1957, in time for the 350th anniversary of the founding of the London Company settlement at Jamestown. Attractions were developed by the National Park Service and the Commonwealth of Virginia which included

1323-415: The desolate island to be a haven. The area reverted to farmland until preservation efforts began at the end of the 19th century. According to their website, Jamestown Rediscovery is "committed to supporting preservation, education, and the archaeological investigation of Historic Jamestowne, the original site of the first permanent English settlement in America." Late in the 19th century, Jamestown became

1372-528: The entrance to the Archaearium museum was erected by the APVA in 1957 to honor the settlers who died in first years of the settlement. The inscription reads: To the Glory of God and in grateful memory of those early settlers, the founders of this nation who died at Jamestown during the first perilous years of the colony. Their bodies lie along the ridge beyond this cross, in the earliest known burial ground of

1421-675: The first Anglican minister of the colony. It was designed by Ralph Adams Cram. The shrine frames a bas-relief depicting the 1607 service. It was first set with its back to the James River, but in 1960 it was rotated to face the river from the northern earthwork of the Civil War's Fort Pocahontas . Its inscription, taken from John Smith, reads Our factions were oft qualified, and our wants and greater extremities so comforted that they seemed easie in comparison of what we endured after his memorable death. ... The wooden cross that stands near

1470-467: The focus of new historical interest, and by 1893, the site of Jamestown was owned by Mr and Mrs Edward Barney, who donated 22.5 acres (9.1 ha) of land on Jamestown Island , including the 17th-century tower of the Jamestown Church , to Preservation Virginia historic preservation. By this time, erosion from the river had eaten away the island's western shore; visitors began to conclude that

1519-558: The foundation of the first capitol building, circa 1646, at Jamestown. In 1934, Colonial National Historical Park obtained the remaining 1,500-acre (610 ha) of the island and partnered with Preservation Virginia to preserve the area and present it to visitors in an educational manner. The site was designated Jamestown National Historic Site on December 18, 1940, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. The National Park Service maintains

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1568-491: The highlight for many was the visit and speech of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip . Queen Elizabeth lent a copy of Magna Carta for the exhibition. Other events in 1957 included army and navy reviews, air force flyovers, ship and aircraft christenings, and an outdoor drama at Cape Henry , the site of the first landing of the settlers in April 1607. Jamestown Settlement facilities and programs were greatly expanded early in

1617-420: The long-lost James Fort site, in a 7,500 sq ft gallery space that integrates both life and death experiences of the colonists and the landscape they shaped. Jamestown 2007 Jamestown 2007 is the name of the organization which planned the events commemorating the 400th anniversary (quadricentennial) of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia in 1607, the first permanent English-speaking settlement in what

1666-533: The mainland of North America , founded on May 14, 1607. Colonial Williamsburg and The American Revolution Museum in Yorktown , additional living history sites, follow the next centennial of Virginian and American history up to the American Civil War. The Colonial Parkway connects all of these sites. The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation is a Virginia state agency that administers the education aspects of

1715-505: The past" in re-creations of a Powhatan Indian town and the 1610-14 colonial fort. The park also allows visitors to board replicas of the three ships that sailed from England to Virginia in 1607. In the outdoor areas, costumed historical interpreters describe and demonstrate daily life in early 17th-century Jamestown. Regular events are held to link with the colonial-related themes of the area - such as military re-enactments, historic trades fairs, lectures, or anniversaries. The next major event

1764-579: The reconstructed Glasshouse, the Memorial Cross, and the visitors center. The National Park Service's Colonial Parkway was also completed in April 1957 linking the Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Williamsburg , and Yorktown , including the construction of a land bridge to Jamestown Island . The 1956 celebrations continued from April 1 to November 30 with more than one million participants, including dignitaries and politicians such as

1813-492: The remaining portions of the island with recreations of building foundations of the post-1610 Jamestown port town. In 1957, with the site's 350th anniversary in mind, New Discoveries at Jamestown was published. In 1994, with the quadricentennial year approaching, Preservation Virginia agreed to fund a 10-year archaeological project called Jamestown Rediscovery to search for any remains of James Fort, led by William Kelso . By 1996, they had found James Fort, which had only lost

1862-695: The same territory in the American War of Independence . Jamestown is also the subject of two United States commemorative coins celebrating the 400th anniversary of its settlement. A silver dollar and a gold five dollar coin were issued in 2007. Surcharges from the sale of the coin were donated to Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Secretary of the Interior and Preservation Virginia to support programs that promote

1911-514: The setting for a varied collection of objects relating to the nation’s beginnings in 17th-century Virginia. The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation collection has been developed to support the museum’s storyline and includes objects representative of the Powhatan Indian, European, and African cultures that converged in 1600s Virginia. More than 500 artifacts are exhibited at any one time in the galleries. In Living History, visitors can "journey to

1960-529: The site around the original "James Fort", even though the actual location of the original 1607 fort was thought to be underwater and lost to erosion. In 1907, the Jamestown Exposition was held to mark the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, but the celebration was held at Sewell's Point in Norfolk, Virginia on the harbor of Hampton Roads , due to transportation and other considerations. The area came back into national prominence with

2009-537: The site of James Fort lay completely underwater. With federal assistance, a sea wall was constructed in 1900 to stabilize and protect the area from further erosion. In 1907, with the site's 300th anniversary in mind, the present Jamestown Church was rebuilt by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America , re-using the surviving 17th-century tower. In 1932, George C. Gregory discovered

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2058-529: Was designated Jamestown National Historic Site on December 18, 1940, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. It was also designated a National Historic Chemical Landmark in 2007 by the American Chemical Society. It is adjacent and complementary with Jamestown Settlement , a living history museum built run by the Commonwealth of Virginia to interpret the early colony. Jamestown, first established in

2107-471: Was developed as the site of Doller's Point Battery , a Confederate earthworks during the American Civil War intended to protect Richmond against Union gunboats . Swann's Point Battery was a Union Army battery located at Swann's Point, above the mouth of Gray's Creek on the James River, opposite Jamestown Island, from 1862 to 1865. The Ambler Farm was burned by escaped slaves , who found

2156-629: Was given by then U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney , and Virginia's Governor at the time Tim Kaine delivered the "State of the Commonwealth" speech. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip attended the main ceremonies in May 2007. Participating dignitaries included Queen Elizabeth II , President George W. Bush , retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor , actor James Earl Jones , journalists such as Jim Lehrer , Gwen Ifill and Tavis Smiley , and musicians Bruce Hornsby , Ricky Skaggs and Chaka Khan . The commemoration's major partners included Colonial Williamsburg , NASA ,

2205-559: Was installed in a place now just outside the Yeardley House offices of the Jamestown Rediscovery project. It was designed by architect Harold Van Buren Magonigle . The APVA Gates , a brick and iron entrance to the land owned by the APVA, was presented on May 9, 1909, by The Colonial Dames of America. They were relocated to its present location northeast of the Memorial Church in 1957. The bronze John Smith statue

2254-528: Was purchased by Captain William Peirce. Jamestown was the capital of the Virginia Colony. During Bacon's Rebellion in 1676, much of Jamestown was burned down, but the town was rebuilt. After an accidental second burning in 1698, the capital was relocated to higher ground at Middle Plantation in 1699. This was renamed as Williamsburg . After being superseded, Jamestown rapidly declined as

2303-711: Was replaced in early 2007 with a more historically accurate version. The older ship was then transported to the London Docklands , where she has been moored outside the Museum in Docklands in conjunction with the "Journey to the New World: London 1606 to Virginia 1607" temporary exhibition. This exhibition focussed on connections between London and the Virginia settlement, and ran from 23 November 2006 to 13 May 2007. [1] Another major special exhibition in

2352-512: Was unveiled in June 1922, and stood south of the church, where it could "welcome" visitors coming from off the ferry. It was moved to the low rock base near the APVA entrance gate for the 350th celebration in 1957. In 2014 it was moved slightly to the west to make way for archaeological work. Also in June 1922, The Colonial Dames of America erected the Hunt Shrine (dedicated to Robert Hunt ),

2401-427: Was unveiled on May 13, 1909, and was a gift from Joseph Bryan and his wife, Isobel, early supporters of the APVA. William Couper, from Norfolk, designed the statue. It has a granite base, and measures 20 feet tall. The inscription on the base reads: John Smith, Governor of Virginia, 1608 and features Smith's adopted coat of arms and motto, vincere est vivere ("to live is to conquer"). The bronze Pocahontas statue

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