The large Kingsmill Plantation tract in James City County along the James River boasts a series of colonial sites excavated by state archaeologists between 1972 and 1976 under the sponsorship of Anheuser Busch, Inc. The principal site, marked by a pair of brick dependencies, is of the ca. 1736 mansion of Lewis Burwell. Excavations showed the house to have had a formal plan, elaborate paved forecourt, terraced gardens, and numerous outbuildings. Burwell’s Landing nearby contains an 18th-century warehouse and tavern site as well as Revolutionary War and Civil War fortifications. In addition, three 17th-century sites provided information on the material culture in the early colonial period. These and various other sites have been preserved and incorporated into the landscaping scheme of Kingsmill on the James, a residential community developed by Busch Properties, Inc.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia