Gloucester County Museums & Historic Sites Driving Tour
1.Abingdon Episcopal Church & Cemetery
4645 George Washington Memorial Highway | 804-693-3035 | www.abingdonchurch.orgAbingdon Parish was established in 1651. The current church building was constructed in 1755 on land donated by Col. Augustine Warner, the maternal grandfather of George Washington. An active congregation remains.
2978 Hickory Ford Road | 804-693-2477 | www.bethelbaptistgloucester.org2.Bethel Baptist Church & Cemetery
One of the oldest African American churches in Gloucester. Bethel Baptist was established in 1867 and remains an active congregation today. T.C. Walker, the first African American lawyer in Gloucester, is interred in the cemetery.
3.Buck’s Store Museum
8850 Guinea Road | www.guineaheritage.orgThis store was operated by C.B. Rowe, Sr. and his son “Buck” from 1920 until his death in 2005. Today, it is a museum and interprets the history of the Guinea section of Gloucester.
4. Center of Archaeology Preservation & Education (CAPE)
6783 Main Street | 804-815-4467 | www.fairfieldfoundation.orgThis 1930s service station serves as Fairfield Foundation’s headquarters. The foundation is the preeminent archaeological research and preservation organization in the region.
5. Edge Hill House
Built in the 1750s, this building has housed retail stores, carriage shops, including a blacksmith, and a family home. Today, it is home to the Gloucester Woman’s Club.
6805 Main Street | www.theedgehillhouse.org
6. Gloucester Museum of History
6539 Main Street | 804-693-1234 | www.gloucesterva.info/820/Museum-of-HistoryLocated on Main Street, the museum is housed in a tavern built in 1770 and interprets the history and culture of Gloucester County. Admission is free.
7. Visitor Center & Historic Court Circle
6504 Main Street | 804-693-3215 | www.gloucesterva.infoThe court circle includes six buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. The 1766 courthouse is one of the oldest in the nation still in use. Gloucester’s Visitor Center includes travel information, a gift shop, and an exhibit featuring Werowocomoco.
8. Machicomoco State Park
3601 Timberneck Farm Road | 804-642-2419 | www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/machicomocoThis state park has camping, yurt rentals, kayak launch sites, and trails. An interpretive pavilion provides information on the culture, landscape, and movement of Virginia Indians.
9. Nuttall Country Store
6495 Ware Neck Road | 804-693-3067 | www.nuttallstore.comThis store has been in continuous use since 1877. It remains the social center of the Ware Neck community. It houses a post office, grocery store, deli, local art, and sells crabbing and fishing supplies.
10. Pocahontas Museum
7339 Lewis Avenue | 804-693-2795 | (Pocahontas Statue located near 6262 Main Street)
The Pocahontas Museum includes displays that commemorate her legacy with collections of memorabilia, music, art, pop culture, and crafts. Open by appointment.
11.Rosewell Ruins & Visitor Center
5113 Old Rosewell Plantation Road | 804-693-2585 | www.rosewell.orgBuilt in 1725, this home was one of the largest of the colonial period. It was a victim of fire in 1916. Extensive ruins remain, and the Visitor Center includes exhibits, a gift shop, and tour information.
12.Tyndall’s Point Park
1376 Vernon Street | 804-693-2355 | www.gloucesterva.info/1368/Parks-RecreationThe English colonists called this area Tyndall’s Point for Captain John Smith’s mapmaker, Robert Tyndall. Fortifications were built here in 1667 and were rebuilt many times from colonial days through the Civil War.
13. Ware Episcopal Church & Cemetery
7825 John Clayton Memorial Highway | 804-693-3821 | www.warechurch.orgThis brick church was built around 1720 and is the oldest in Gloucester. It has walls that are three feet thick. Beautiful old trees shade the historic cemetery. An active congregation remains
14. Walter Reed’s Birthplace
4021 Hickory Ford Road | 804-815-4467Dr. Walter Reed was born in this cottage in 1851. He is known as the “Conqueror of Yellow Fever.” Special events and tours are held here throughout the year.
15. Woodville School
4310 George Washington Mem Hwy | 757-509-2671 | www.woodvillerosenwaldschool.orgThis Rosenwald School for African American students was built in 1923. Julius Rosenwald, CEO of Sears, Roebuck & Co., funded 5,300 schools across the nation. It is the only surviving Rosenwald School in Gloucester.
16. Zion Poplars Baptist Church & Cemetery
Built in 1894, this church houses one of the oldest independent African American congregations in Gloucester. It is named for seven united poplar trees where the founding members first met in 1866. An active congregation remains.
7000 T C. Walker Road | 804-693-4821