Neighboring Sites
TH E H A M PT O N RO A D S A RE A O FFE RS A WEA LT H O F A FRICA N A M ERICA N HERITA GE SI TE S. WH IL E Y O U ’ R E V I S I T I N G HA MP T O N , C O NSIDER EXPLO RING SO M E O F T HE EXCELLENT H E R I TAGE AT T RA C T I O N S A N D L ANDM A RK S IN O UR NEIGHB O RING A REA . C OL ON I A L W I L L I A M SB UR G– W IL LIA M SBU R G At Virginia’s reconstructed 18th century capital, you can see history through the eyes of the free and enslaved African Americans who made up one-half of the town’s population. Historical interpreters and craftspeople bring to life this remarkable chapter of American history. (800/228-8878 or 800/HISTORY)
JAM ESTO W N SE T TL E ME N T– W IL LIA M SBU R G Learn of America’s first permanent English colony (1607) through comprehensive indoor gallery exhibits and outdoor re-creations of Powhatan Indian village, 1607 ships and colonial fort. The museum tells the stories of the cultures that converged in 17th-century Virginia, including the first Africans, who arrived in 1619. (888/593-4682; www.historyisfun.org)
AM ER I C A N R E VO L U TI O N MUS E UM AT YOR K T O W N Comprehensive, immersive indoor exhibits and outdoor living history offer a truly national perspective, conveying a sense of the transformational nature and epic scale of the Revolution and the richness and complexity of the country’s Revolutionary heritage. (888/593-4682; www.historyisfun.org)
T HE NE W SO M E H O U S E MUS E UM AND CU LT U R A L C E N T E R – N E W P O RT N E W S This restored 1899 Victorian landmark was once the home of Joseph
Thomas Newsome, a prominent attorney, journalist and civil leader. For years his elegant Queen Anne residence served as the hub of the local black community from which Newsome led the fight for social justice within the Commonwealth. (2803 Oak Avenue, Newport News 757/247-2360 or 757/247-8950)
J A ME S A. FIEL DS HOUSE– N E W PO RT NEWS Fields (1844-1903) was the first black Commonwealth’s Attorney for Warwick County (now Newport News). He was a teacher, lawyer, and member of the Virginia House of Delegates. The house served as Fields’ law office and primary residence from 1897-1903. Today, this restored home gives visitors a glimpse into the life of the AfricanAmerican community in Newport News during the early 1900s. (617 27th Street, I-664, exit 6. 757/245-1991)
LE E H A LL MANSION– N E W PO RT NEWS Completed in 1859, Lee Hall was home to affluent planter Robert Decauter Lee. One of the last remaining Antebellum homes on the Virginia Peninsula, Lee Hall was used as a headquarters by Confederate generals Joseph E. Johnston and John B. Magruder during April and May of 1862. (163 Yorktown Road, I-64, Exit 247. 757/888-3371)
VIRG INIA WAR MUSEUM– NEWPORT NEWS Military history unfolds in the galleries of the Virginia War Museum, with more than 50,000 artifacts that document America’s wars from 1775 to the present. A permanent display interprets the role of the black soldier. (9285 Warwick Boulevard, Newport News 757/247-8523)
BL ACK SOL DIERS MONU M E N T – NORFOL K Visit the Civil War Monument to African American Union soldiers and sailors located in Elmwood Cemetery. The soldier depicted represents the first African American Medal of Honor recipient, Sgt. William Carney. (Princess Anne Road, Norfolk)
CRISPUS AT T UCKS CULT UR A L CENT ER–NORFOL K This landmark was the center of entertainment for Norfolk’s African American community when it opened in 1919, featuring such entertainers as Cab Calloway, Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters. Named for Crispus Attucks, who was killed in the Boston Massacre of 1770, the Center is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and National Register of Historic Places. Now renovated to its former glory, the theater stands as a shining tribute to Norfolk’s cultural past and boasts a 675-seat theater, plus meeting and banquet facilities. (1010 Church St., Norfolk 757/623-1111)
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