Green Spring Plantation, 17th century plantation in James City County, United States
Green Spring Plantation is a 17th-century estate in James City County that contains natural springs, open fields, and archaeological remains of colonial buildings spread across 190 acres. The site preserves foundations and artifacts from multiple structures that reveal how wealthy colonists lived and organized their land during the earliest decades of English settlement.
Governor William Berkeley founded Green Spring in 1645 as a place to test different crops suited to Virginia's climate, including tobacco, rice, silk, and spirits. The estate became an important experiment in colonial agriculture that influenced agricultural practices across the region during the following decades.
The plantation grounds contain foundations of multiple buildings that demonstrate architectural patterns later reflected in Virginia county courthouses.
The site is open to the public as part of Colonial National Historical Park and can be explored through connecting trails from nearby roads. Visitors should allow time for walking through the grounds and examining the building foundations at a leisurely pace.
The natural spring on the grounds remains so cold that colonial-era visitors considered it risky to drink during hot months. This distinctive feature made the water itself a point of curiosity for those exploring the property.
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