Kingsmill, human settlement in Virginia, United States of America
Kingsmill is a historic plantation in James City County, Virginia, spread across a large area along the James River with remains from the colonial period. The original manor house from around 1736 burned down in 1846, but brick dependencies, terraced gardens, and foundations of outbuildings like the kitchen, coach house, and stables remain visible today.
Gabriel Archer proposed this location to the first colonists as a settlement because it lay near Jamestown and offered ships a good anchorage. The plantation was later named after Richard Kingsmill and then taken over by Colonel Lewis Burwell III, whose family held it across multiple generations.
The name Kingsmill comes from Richard Kingsmill, an early settler and member of the Virginia Company of London, whose descendants managed the property for generations. The place served as a center for social life and commerce, with Burwell's Ordinary functioning as a tavern where travelers could eat, rest, and stable their horses.
Most historic buildings and sites are private property and not always open to the public, so visitors should respect the owners' privacy. Today you can see the remains from nearby roads or paths and explore the grounds through existing walking trails.
A well shaft discovered in the 1970s by archaeologist Dr. William Kelso on a cliff overlooking the James River led to a three-year excavation of over 15 sites on the grounds. These digs uncovered more than two centuries of history from the colony's early days and revealed details about daily life and the structures that once stood here.
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