NEIGHBORING SITES

THE HAMPTON ROADS AREA OFFERS A WEALTH OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE SITES. WHILE YOU’RE VISITING HAMPTON, CONSIDER EXPLORING SOME OF THE EXCELLENT HERITAGE ATTRACTIONS AND LANDMARKS IN OUR NEIGHBORING AREA.

COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG–WILLIAMSBURG

At Virginia’s reconstructed 18 th 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) JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT–WILLIAMSBURG

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) AMERICAN REVOLUTION MUSEUM AT YORKTOWN

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) THE NEWSOME HOUSE MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER–NEWPORT NEWS

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) JAMES A. FIELDS HOUSE–NEWPORT 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) LEE HALL MANSION–NEWPORT 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) VIRGINIA 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) BLACK SOLDIERS MONUMENT–NORFOLK

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 ATTUCKS CULTURAL CENTER–NORFOLK

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. N ow 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)