10 Things You Might Not Know About Surry County, Virginia

Chippokes Plantationn Farm, June 2016.  Photo by Russ McCullough

My good friend Jack and I recently spent a day in Surry County, VA exploring it's rich history and culture.

Here are 10 things we discovered:

1. There's a free ferry to Surry County from Jamestown just across the James River.
2. Surry County was part of James City County until 1652.
3. Surry County was originally considered part of Jamestown as Jamestown was designed to replicate London on the Thames which runs through the middle of the city.
4. A large portion of Surry County was given by Chief Powhatan to his son-in-law, John Rolfe, who married his daughter, Pocahontas.
5. Surry County was once the economic engine of the New World producing both corn and tobacco. As such, Surry County was home to many of the wealthiest families in America in the mid 17th century.
6. Capt. John Smith built a fort in Surry County on Gray's Creek to defend the colony against possible Spanish attacks.
7. Surry County was front and center in America's first revolution, "Bacon's Rebellion," in 1676.
8. The oldest still standing brick home in America is in Surry County.  It is also the only remaining example of "Jacobean" architecture in America,  Popularly known as "Bacon's Castle," the Arthur Allen House also has the oldest existing English formal garden in America.
9. The oldest continuously working farm in America is in Surry County.  "Chippokes" was land-granted in 1619 and has been farmed ever since.
10. Surry County is home to Edwards Ham, "perhaps" the only remaining American owned pork producer in Virginia since the Chinese bought Smithfield and it's family of companies in 2013.

Visit Surry County soon!  You won't be disappointed!

For more information: http://surrycountytourism.com/

Chippokes Plantation garden June 2016  Photo by Russ McCullough