African American Heritage Trail, Washington, DC

African American Heritage Trail, Washington, DC ”is designed for residents and tourists seeking an introduction to the wealth of African American historic and cultural sites in Washington, DC.
The nearly 100 historic places selected are clustered in 15 distinctive neighborhood trails. Most offer an easy walk and are accessible by public transportation. A map at the center of this guide locates each trail within the city, along with major routes from one trail to the others. Maps in each neighborhood section plot exact locations of sites and nearby Metro stations.”

For the complete text in this 30-page booklet click on this link or the image above.

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Phoebus Historic District, Hampton, Virginia

Click on the National Register of Historic Places — Final Nomination Form — Phoebus Historic District, Hampton, Virginia and scroll to the last page to view the full map.

“Hampton’s Phoebus Historic District has its roots in a 17th-century settlement along the waterway of Mill Creek, but it was not formally incorporated until 1874 when it was named Chesapeake City. In 1900 the name was changed to Phoebus, in honor of Harrison Phoebus, who developed the well-known Hygeia Hotel as a resort adjacent to the town and Fort Monroe. The settlement originally developed as a stopover between Hampton and Norfolk, as it was perfectly situated adjacent to Old Point Comfort and the ferry crossing for the Hampton Roads waterway. The railroad constructed through Phoebus during the Reconstruction period hastened the town’s growth; therefore, the vast majority of the existing buildings date from this period onward. In 1952, Phoebus was annexed by the City of Hampton. The Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, which opened in 1957, created a natural bypass around Phoebus and led to a decided downturn in the local economy and construction that lasted into the early part of the 21st century. This permanently changed the commercial and residential character of the community, leaving the Phoebus Historic District’s architecture, a mix of styles from the Late Victorian to the modern, little changed since the middle of the 20th century.”
The text above is from Phoebus Historic District, Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
For more information click on National Register of Historic Places — Final Nomination Form — Phoebus Historic District, Hampton, Virginia — #114-5002

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Clara Barton & the American Red Cross

“Clara Barton dedicated her life and energies to help others in times of need – both home and abroad, in peacetime as well as during military emergencies. Glen Echo was her home the last 15 years of her life and the structure illustrates her dedication and concern for those less fortunate than herself.”*

During the Civil War, she provided nursing care and medical supplies to wounded soldiers. With the permission of President Lincoln she opened the Office of Missing Soldiers in Washington, DC to help connect soldiers with their families. Click here or on the image above to get to the website for the National Park Service Clara Barton National Historic Site; scroll down the page for a chronology about her life and acommplishments

Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross in in 1881. Read Clara Barton: Visionary Leader and Founder of the American Red Cross on their website.

*This quote appears on the website for the National Park Service Clara Barton National Historic Site.

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Cape Charles Lighthouse, Northampton County, Virginia

This image appears in an educational module in the Document Bank of the Library of Virginia. The original photograph “Cape Charles Light, 1890” is at the Eastern Shore Public Library (Accomack, VA.), Eastern Shore Virginia Room.

“Cape Charles Light Station was constructed in 1894 on Smith Island in Northampton County, replacing an earlier 1864 structure. The Light Station is positioned on the southern tip of the Delmarva peninsula where it marks the east side of the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. The octagonal pyramidal exoskeleton cast-iron tower stands 191 feet tall and continues to serve the maritime community as a signal beacon today.”
Click here to read the rest of the summary published by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

“Cape Charles was a busy seaport in the early 19th century. With the advent of the railroad, it became an important juncture for cargo bound for Norfolk and passengers to be ferried between trains … The keepers and their families lived in the keeper’s quarter built within 100 feet of the light tower. After 1939, when the Coast Guide took over the station, the personnel served four days on the island and then had a two-day break. Their families lived off the island.”
Click here to read the entire National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form.

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Warwick County Courthouses

By Asa Gillard – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia)

“The Warwick County court square complex exemplifies the development of such complexes in Virginia during the nineteenth century. In 1810 the square contained a courthouse, clerk’s office, and jail. In 1884 a new courthouse was built; the old jail was replaced in 1899.. After 1904 the old clerk’s office was demolished. The square now contains only the two courthouses and the Confederate monument that was unveiled in 1909. For over three quarters of a century the square was the governmental center of county life, until its importance was eclipsed after 1881 by the dominance of the port of Newport News.”

The paragraph above is from the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for the Warwick County Courthouses, specifically, the statement of significance on page three of the 14-page document. The registration form describes the building’s history and selected events e.g a letter from a Union soldier to his brother describing his unit’s encampment at the location.

Of special note, the Tidewater Genealogical Society (TGS) maintains its library at the 1884 Warwick County Courthouse. Information about the society, its library, and activities can be found on the TGS website.

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