Wildcard Markers
History of Thalia

Location: Thalia Station Dr, just S of Virginia Beach Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23452

Visited: June 27, 2009, 7:25pm

Transcription of marker:

HISTORY OF THALIA

The word “Thalia” is derived from the Greek “thallein”, meaning to flourish and bloom. The community of Thalia is generally bounded on the west by Thalia Creek, on the east by Lynn Shores Road, on the north by the Eastern Branch of the Lynnhaven River and on the south by the Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway. Thalia is a part of the Edward H. Mosley estate known as “Summerville Plantation”, and appears in the official deed of record book at the Princess Anne County (now Virginia Beach) Courthouse dated 1807. Thalia was a scheduled stop for the Norfolk, Albemarle and Atlantic Railroad. During World War II, Camp Ashby, (aka Camp Thalia) the German Prisoner of War Camp, was located on what is now the site of The City of Virginia Beach Central Library and the property adjoining it.

AUNT PENNY’S PARK

This private park is to honor John J. and Paula L. “Aunt Penny” Collins for their unique contributions to the community of Thalia. They established one of the very first commercial businesses in Thalia, pre-1950. Their “Cabins-in-the-Pines”, at 4145 Virginia Beach Blvd., encompassed a restaurant, tourist court, hardware store and an Amoco gas station They were devoted to the community of Thalia and gave unselfishly of their time in public service. Among other contributions, they played a leading role in establishing the first all-volunteer fire department in the City of Virginia Beach (formerly Princess Anne County) at Thalia in 1952. In 1990, Aunt Penny realized her lifetime dream with the development of Collins Square Shopping Center.

My impressions: I’m not sure I recall ever seeing a marker like this one before. Superficially, the coloring reminds me of the plaques for Canadian national historic sites, but I’m intrigued by what would lead this marker to be placed. I’m guessing (and I could quite easily be wrong) that it was either “Aunt Penny” or her family who placed this marker. And so it’s one that I would take with a grain of salt.  Not only because there wasn’t likely, say, the sort of review procees a state marker or one placed by a city would have, but also because there are some definite leaps to hyperbole or marketing. The last sentence, especially without any explanation of what her “lifetime dream” actually was and how the shopping center development realized it…over the top.

But putting all that aside, I did learn some things about Thalia…I didn’t know there had been a railway station or a POW camp there and the volunteer fire department information was neat to see. Most of all, it was nice to see some private recognition of history in a place that appears turned over to strip malls, traffic, and development. The character of the area may have changed, but the marker is a reminder of earlier days. I just hope that, if the complex ever gets taken over by new owners that the public and visible reminder of the area’s history will remain.

Markeroni status: Logged.

Location: 3133 Virginia Beach Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23452

Visited: June 22, 2009, 5:20pm

Transcription of markers:

Marker #1:

The Francis Land
House
has been registered as a
Virginia
Historic
Landmark
pursuant to the authority vested in the
Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission
Act of 1966.

Marker #2:

Francis Land House
circa 1732
Placed on the
National Register
of
Historic Landmarks
1975

Marker #3:

The Francis Land House
circa 1732
Marked by
Princess Anne County Chapter
NSDAR

Bicentennial project
Nov. 13, 1976

My impressions: This is a very quiet, peaceful place next to the loud and busy Virginia Beach Blvd. One of the things that stuck in my head, as somebody who has only quite recently come to this area and knows the Boulevard as quite a built-up place, is how quiet the area around the Francis Land House was when it was built. While I think very little of stepping onto a bus and arriving in downtown Norfolk a few minutes  later, that trip would have taken days in the 18th century! A very good job has been done of developing the area in such a way that the peacefulness of these historic grounds are maintained and there is little visible sign of more recent development, which is actually close to the grounds.

On a personal note, this place is also special to me, because the only other time I had been here, I was with my parents and my then-fiancée the day before our wedding. (So it was nice to go there un-chaperoned! wink)

It was also nice to log a quick snarf on the way home from supper, on the spur of the moment, especially since my wife and I have both been feeling under the weather for the past several days.

Markeroni status: This was the first time I managed to log a snarf while Markeroni considered it the same day (since Markeroni lives in UTC, so its day ends in early evening).

Location: Alongside Witchduck Rd, in front of Sentara Bayside Hospital at the intersection of Independence Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23455.

Visited: May 19, 2009, 7:10pm

Description: A statue of Grace Sherwood with a small animal. I’d like to do some further research into the animal and its inclusion and how that relates to Sherwood’s story.

The statue sits on a base and there are four plaques, one on each side of the base: I’ll go through each, beginning with the side closest to Witchduck Rd and proceeding counter-clockwise around the statue.

Plaque #1
Letter from Governor Kaine

[Virginia state seal]

Timothy M. Kaine
Governor

Ms. Belinda Nash

Dear Ms. Nash:

I am pleased to join the mayor of Virginia Beach in extending best wishes as you work to promote justice in the 1706 “witch ducking” case of Grace Sherwood.

With 300 years of hindsight, we all certainly can agree that trial by water is an injustice. We also can celebrate the fact women’s equality is that a constitutionally protected today, and women have the freedom to pursue their hopes and dreams.

The historical records that survive indicate that Ms. Sherwood, a midwife and widowed mother of three, survived her “trial by water” in 1706. Those records also indicate that one of my predecessors, Governor Alexander Spotswood, eventually helped her reclaim her property. The record also indicates Ms. Sherwood led an otherwise quiet and law-abiding life until she died at age 80.

Today, July 10, 2006, as 70th Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, I am pleased to officially restore the good name of Grace Sherwood.

Sincerely,

[signed]
Timothy M. Kaine

Patrick Henry Building, 1111 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 786‑2211, TTY (800) 828‑1120
www.governor.virginia.gov

Plaque #2

Grace White Sherwood
Born 1660 Died 1740
Married April 1680 to James Sherwood
James died 1701
Survived by sons,
John, James, and Richard

Sentara Healthcare

has graciously provided this site in
recognition of their community, and
the history that surrounds us.

This 21st day of April 2007

Sculptor
Robert Cunningham

Plaque #3
The Trial of 1706

At Witchduck Point, 10am July 10th 1706 Grace Sherwood, the daughter of a carpenter and the wife of a planter in the County of Princess Anne, was accused by neighbors of witchcraft. Grace was tried in the second Princess Anne County courthouse, found guilty, and consented to the traditional trial by water, Grace was tried crossbound and dropped into water above man’s depth. If she were to sink and drown she was innocent and could be buried on holy ground, Grace did float, thus was guilty as the pure water was casting out her evil spirit. She was incarcerated in the local jail just beyond this statue. After her release, Grace paid the back taxes on her property in 1714, returned to her farm and worked the land until her death at age 80 in the autumn of 1740. Grace Sherwood, Virginia’s only convicted witch tried by water, she lays claim to Witchduck Road. Her legend lives on as “The Infamous Witch of Pungo”

Plaque #4
Major Donors

[not transcribed here, but pictured below]

My impressions: I really like this statue and the plaques around it. I like the way it tackles an injustice, facing up to what happened, while admitting that an injustice was done. I also found that the texts here humanized Grace Sherwood far more than the dry state marker a couple of hundred feet away. It’s markers like this that make me want to dig around and find more of the real story behind them.

Notes for future snarfers: This and state marker K 276 are both accessible from the Bayside hospital parking lot.

Where do I go from here: I’m off to figure out how to log this. I’m pretty sure it’s a wildcard (a site not on Markeroni’s existing lists), but I’m not sure whether I should be logging the whole thing as one, or whether I’d log plaques #1 and #3 separately (#2 doesn’t appear to me to qualify and #4 definitely doesn’t).

So I’ll have some questions for Markeroons more experienced in the ways of Markeroni than I, and I’ll report back here when all is properly decided and logged.

Update (6/2): Yesterday, The Virginian-Pilot published a brief article by Kathy Adams about the name Witchduck Road which mentions Grace Sherwood’s story, as well as the statue described above.

The Testing of Grace Sherwood

Location: In front of Sentara Bayside Hospital at the intersection of Independence Blvd & Witchduck Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23455

Visited: May 19, 2009, 7:05pm

Transcription of plaque:

The witchcraft case of Grace Sherwood is one of the best known in Virginia. She was accused of bewitching a neighbor’s crop in 1698. Allegations grew over time until the Princess Anne County government and her accusers decided she would be tested by ducking, since water was considered pure and would not permit a witch to sink into its depths. Sherwood’s accusers on 10 July 1706 tied her hands to her feet and dropped her into the Western Branch of the Lynnhaven River near what is now known as Witch Duck Point. Sherwood floated, a sign of guilt. She was imprisoned, but was eventually released. Sherwood lived the rest of her life quietly and died by 1740.

My impressions: I must confess that there is a certain detachment in the text of this marker that strikes me. It seems to stick to such a bare bones recitation of facts that it leaves out a whole lot of the impact of the story. I do wonder if part of that is because of the (newer) statue which stands nearby (and which I’ll discuss in my next post here), which appears focused on the no-win situation of a choice between death or guilt and how unjust that was to Sherwood.

Notes for future snarfers: The Bayside hospital parking lot is convenient for viewing this marker (and it is at the far end of the lot from the building, right near the intersection itself, alongside Independence Blvd).  Also accessible from this parking lot is the statue of Sherwood, which I’ll discuss in my next post.

Since moving to Virginia Beach, I’ve been attending Old Donation Episcopal Church, and given that it qualifies on multiple criteria, I wanted to make it my first snarf. But as it happens, I didn’t actually get my camera out when I was at the church last night, but afterwards, we went a short piece down the road to a state historical marker about the church’s history.

Old Donation Church

State Historical Marker
Virginia K 280
Old Donation Church

Location: In front of the Bayside branch of the Virginia Beach Public Library, 936 Independence Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23455

An interesting note about the location of this marker is that it is approximately a half-mile or so from the church itself and the church can not be seen from the marker and vice versa. This is especially interesting, because the church is visible from the location of the second marker I snarfed last night (which will follow in another post later today).

Visited: May 19, 2009, 7:00pm

Transcription of plaque:

Just east stands Old Donation Episcopal Church, built in 1736. It is the third building to serve the colonial era Lynnhaven Parish, established by 1642. The second church, once adjacent to the current building, was converted into a school in 1737. The church received its present name in the early 19th century likely in commemoration of a gift of land. An 1882 fire left only portions of its brick walls standing. The building was restored in 1916 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

My impressions: Maybe it was the advantage of the lighting only an hour before sunset, but I found the plaque’s location surprisingly beautiful, especially considering it was between a busy highway and a fairly new looking brick library. But there were some nice, big trees between the sidewalk of Independence Blvd and the library parking lot. The other nice thing about the location is its prominence. We’ve driven by this marker several times. Even though we hadn’t stopped until last night (partly, I expect, because it isn’t immediately clear from Independence Blvd where one can park), I think visibility is a good thing to keep us remembering history.

I also can’t wait to share with you some photos of the church and its grounds at some point. It’s a very pretty place and one I enjoy very much.

Notes for future snarfers: The library parking lot is very handy for this marker (including accessible spots for those who require them). From Independence Blvd, follow the library signs to the parking lot. (Enter the parking lot from E Honeygrove Rd.) The marker is between the library and Independence Blvd.