Historic Jamestowne
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Location
Jamestown, Virginia
Established
1607
Type
Historic and archaeological site
Managed by
National Park Service & Preservation Virginia
Historic Jamestowne preserves the actual site of the English settlement established at Jamestown in 1607.
The National Park Service identifies Jamestown as the first permanent English settlement in North America. On May 13, 1607, 104 English men and boys selected the site after crossing the Atlantic aboard the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery.[1]
Historic Jamestowne combines archaeological remains, active excavation, museums, reconstructed landscape features, monuments, historic church sites, and the surviving landscape of Jamestown Island.
The site should not be confused with nearby Jamestown Settlement, which is a separate living-history museum operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Why visit Historic Jamestowne?
Historic Jamestowne is where visitors can stand on the physical site of the original settlement rather than a reconstructed version of it.
The experience centers on:
- The original James Fort site
- Active archaeological excavation
- Jamestown Rediscovery
- The Archaearium
- Jamestown Memorial Church
- The 17th-century church tower
- New Towne
- Archaeological foundations
- The Jamestown Glasshouse
- The James River landscape
For visitors particularly interested in archaeology and the material remains of early colonial Virginia, Historic Jamestowne provides a substantially different experience from nearby Jamestown Settlement.
Highlights
Walk the archaeological site of the triangular fort constructed by the English settlers in 1607. Excavations beginning in 1994 demonstrated that most of the fort survived on dry land despite a long-held belief that it had eroded into the James River.[2]
The continuing archaeological project launched in 1994 to locate, excavate, study, and interpret the remains of James Fort and the lives of the people associated with early Jamestown.
An archaeology museum displaying thousands of objects recovered from the James Fort site, including arms, tools, coins, trade goods, personal objects, religious items, food remains, and Virginia Indian artifacts.[3]
Explore the church site associated with some of Jamestown's most significant political and religious events, including the location connected with Virginia's first representative legislative assembly.
Walk through the later 17th-century settlement area where reconstructed foundations reveal portions of Jamestown's homes, businesses, taverns, and other structures.
Visit the site of an early English attempt at industrial glass production in North America and see glassmaking interpreted near the remains of the original furnaces.[4]
James Fort
The English settlers constructed a triangular fort shortly after arriving at Jamestown in 1607.
For generations, historians believed that erosion of the western end of Jamestown Island had carried the fort site into the James River.
That assumption changed dramatically after the launch of the Jamestown Rediscovery archaeological project in 1994.
Excavations demonstrated that most of the fort remained on dry land.
Historic Jamestowne reports that archaeologists have excavated approximately 80 percent of the original 1607 triangular fort and about half of the expanded five-sided fort dating from 1608.[2]
The excavations have identified structures, defensive works, graves, wells, pits, industrial areas, and other features associated with the settlement's earliest years.
Jamestown Rediscovery
Jamestown Rediscovery is the archaeological research program established in 1994 by Preservation Virginia.
The project began with an effort to determine whether remains of the original James Fort survived on land.
Archaeological work subsequently located the fort and transformed modern understanding of Jamestown.
Historic Jamestowne reports that excavations have recovered approximately three million artifacts associated with the settlement's early years.[5]
Archaeological research continues at the site.
Visitors may have opportunities to see archaeologists working in active excavation areas depending on current research activities and conditions.
Archaearium
The Nathalie P. & Alan M. Voorhees Archaearium is Historic Jamestowne's archaeology museum.
The museum focuses particularly on Jamestown during the Virginia Company period from 1607 through 1624.
Its collections and exhibits include archaeological discoveries such as:
- Arms and armor
- Tools
- Coins
- Trade goods
- Personal possessions
- Religious objects
- Food remains
- Tobacco pipes
- Virginia Indian artifacts
Historic Jamestowne states that more than 4,000 artifacts recovered from the James Fort site are exhibited in the museum.[6]
The exhibits are periodically updated as archaeological research produces new discoveries and interpretations.
Jamestown Church
Churches occupied an important location within Jamestown from the settlement's earliest years.
The present Jamestown Memorial Church stands on the site associated with earlier 17th-century churches.
The surviving brick church tower dates from the 17th century and is among the most recognizable surviving architectural features at Jamestown.
The church site is also associated with important events in Virginia's political history.
First representative legislative assembly
In the summer of 1619, Virginia's first representative legislative assembly met at Jamestown.
Governor George Yeardley, his council, and elected burgesses gathered in the Jamestown church.
The National Park Service identifies the assembly as an early development in the tradition of representative government in English North America.[7]
The legislative history of Jamestown is interpreted within the broader archaeological and historical landscape of Historic Jamestowne.
New Towne
As Jamestown expanded beyond the original fort, development stretched eastward along the James River into the area known today as New Towne.
Archaeological remains mark the locations of homes, commercial structures, taverns, warehouses, and other buildings from later Jamestown.
Rather than reconstructing the entire town above archaeological remains, the National Park Service has used exposed or reconstructed foundation outlines to help visitors understand the original settlement pattern.[8]
Walking through New Towne gives visitors a sense of how Jamestown developed from a small defensive settlement into a larger colonial community.
Jamestown Glasshouse
The Jamestown Glasshouse interprets one of the earliest English attempts at industrial manufacturing in North America.
Glass production was attempted at Jamestown beginning shortly after settlement.
The Virginia Company hoped locally produced glass and other commodities could provide profitable exports to England.
The National Park Service states that glassworkers arrived with the second supply in 1608 and began attempting production using locally available materials.[4]
The remains of early furnaces were excavated during the 20th century.
Today visitors can see the archaeological furnace remains and glassmaking demonstrations in an interpretive facility nearby.
The 1607 settlement
The Virginia Company expedition departed England in December 1606 aboard three ships:
- Susan Constant
- Godspeed
- Discovery
In May 1607, the colonists selected Jamestown as their settlement site.
The location offered several perceived defensive advantages. It was located inland from the Chesapeake Bay, was surrounded by water on much of its perimeter, and provided deep water near shore for ships.[1]
The settlement soon faced extraordinary challenges, including:
- Disease
- Poor water quality
- Food shortages
- Drought
- Conflict
- Inadequate preparation
- Difficult relations with surrounding Powhatan communities
The Starving Time
The winter of 1609–1610 became known as the Starving Time.
The Jamestown settlement experienced catastrophic mortality as colonists suffered from shortages, disease, isolation, and conflict.
The survivors attempted to abandon Jamestown in 1610 but encountered a relief force led by the newly arrived colonial governor, Lord De La Warr.
They returned to the settlement and continued the colony.
Virginia Indians
Jamestown was established within the territory of the Powhatan paramount chiefdom.
The English settlers interacted most directly with communities belonging to the Powhatan political and cultural world.
Relations included diplomacy, trade, exchange, conflict, warfare, land pressure, and cultural interaction.
Archaeological evidence recovered at James Fort has contributed substantially to understanding these relationships.
The Archaearium contains a major collection of Virginia Indian artifacts recovered through Jamestown archaeology.[3]
Africans at Jamestown
In 1619, the first documented Africans arrived in Virginia.
Their arrival marked the beginning of a profound chapter in the history of Africans and African Americans in English Virginia.
Labor systems, legal status, race, and slavery evolved substantially during the 17th century, eventually producing a hereditary racialized system of enslavement.
Historic Jamestowne interprets African and African American history as part of the broader story of the settlement and colonial Virginia.
Preservation of Jamestown
Preservation Virginia acquired approximately 22.5 acres at Jamestown in 1893 amid concern that erosion of the James River threatened surviving historical remains.[9]
The National Park Service later acquired much of the remainder of Jamestown Island during the 1930s.
Archaeological research has occurred at the site for more than a century, with the modern Jamestown Rediscovery project dramatically expanding knowledge of the original fort beginning in 1994.
Planning a visit
Wear comfortable shoes
Historic Jamestowne covers a large outdoor archaeological landscape, and visiting the fort, museum, church, New Towne, riverfront, and other areas involves substantial walking.
Allow time for the archaeology
Visitors interested in James Fort and the Archaearium can easily spend several hours exploring the western portion of the site.
Check current programs
Archaeology, ranger talks, tours, demonstrations, and interpretive programs may vary according to date, weather, research activity, and staffing.
Do not confuse the two Jamestown attractions
Historic Jamestowne is the original archaeological site. Jamestown Settlement is a separate living-history museum nearby.
Hours and admission
Historic Jamestowne publishes current operating hours, admission information, closures, programs, and visitor policies through its official websites.
Because schedules, fees, closures, and special programs can change, Virginia.wiki does not maintain a static ticket price.
Visitors should verify current information before traveling.
Official visitor information:
Historic Jamestowne vs. Jamestown Settlement
The two attractions serve complementary purposes.
| Experience | Historic Jamestowne | Jamestown Settlement |
|---|---|---|
| Original 1607 site | Yes | No |
| Active archaeological excavations | Yes | No |
| Original archaeological remains | Yes | No |
| Archaeology museum | Yes | Some archaeological interpretation |
| Re-created James Fort | No | Yes |
| Re-created ships | No | Yes |
| Re-created Paspahegh town | No | Yes |
| Extensive living-history interpretation | Some | Yes |
Many visitors choose to experience both sites.
Nearby attractions
Jamestown Settlement
Living-history museum with galleries, reconstructed ships, a Paspahegh town, and a re-created James Fort.
Colonial Williamsburg
Restored colonial capital featuring historic buildings, museums, trades, gardens, and interpretation.
Williamsburg
Historic city with lodging, restaurants, museums, shopping, and regional attractions.
Colonial Parkway
Scenic National Park Service roadway connecting Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown.
Yorktown
Revolutionary War battlefield, historic village, museums, and York River waterfront.
Jamestown Island
The broader island landscape containing Jamestown's archaeological and historic resources.
Part of the Historic Triangle
Historic Jamestowne forms the western anchor of Virginia's Historic Triangle:
The three destinations are connected by the Colonial Parkway.
See also
- Jamestown, Virginia
- Jamestown Settlement
- Jamestown Rediscovery
- James Fort
- Archaearium
- Jamestown Church
- Jamestown Glasshouse
- Historic Triangle
- Colonial Williamsburg
- Colonial Parkway
- History of Virginia
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 A Short History of Jamestown, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Excavations & Research, Historic Jamestowne. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Archaearium, Historic Jamestowne. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Glasshouse, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Archaeology, Historic Jamestowne. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Visiting the Archaearium, Historic Jamestowne. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ The First Legislative Assembly, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Interpreting Jamestown, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Historic Jamestowne, Preservation Virginia. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
External links
- Historic Jamestowne — National Park Service
- Historic Jamestowne
- Preservation Virginia
- Jamestown Rediscovery archaeology