Markers of History

State Historic Marker
Virginia Q-8I
City of Portsmouth

Location: US Route 17 at bor­der between the cities of Portsmouth and Chesapeake, High St W, oppo­site Academy Ave, Portsmouth, VA, 23703

Visited: July 4, 2009, 9:50am

Transcription of marker: The site of this city was patented in 1659 by Captain William Carver. Established as a town in 1752 and named by its founder, Lt. Col. Wm. Crawford. Chartered as a city in 1858, it has the country’s old­est naval ship­yard. Established 1767, the nation’s old­est naval hos­pi­tal, com­menced 1827, and is the birth­place of the world’s largest naval installation.

Virginia State Library, 1959

My impres­sions: After all the mark­ers I’ve found in the older areas of Portsmouth, it came as a sur­prise to hear my wife say she’d spot­ted one as we were dri­ving past a sea of fast-food out­lets and busi­nesses. (You can see the Wendy’s in the back­ground of the photo, even.) Though the set­ting seems a lit­tle incon­gru­ous, what bet­ter place to recount the his­tory of the city but as you enter it? (OK, we were leav­ing, but it was on the far side of the road, intended for those enter­ing, I’m sure.) That said, I think there are other mark­ers to com­mem­o­rate nearly every event described on this marker, so it almost seems super­flu­ous. Then again, this is right on US 17, and not every­body is going to ven­ture to the older part of town, so per­haps it has ben­e­fit for get­ting more eyes on the city’s history.

Markeroni sta­tus: Visit logged.