Northern Neck

Northern Neck

Coordinates: 37°58′N 76°38′W / 37.967°N 76.633°W / 37.967; -76.633

Map of Virginia highlighting Northern Neck2.png

The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas (traditionally called "necks" in Virginia) on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This peninsula is bounded by the Potomac River on the north and the Rappahannock River on the south. It encompasses the following Virginia counties: Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland.[1] The inclusion of King George in the Northern Neck varies among commentators.[2] Historically the grant for the Northern Neck included all land between the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers including far upstream of King George. The boundaries of King George and Westmoreland Counties have changed radically since their establishment with significant exchanges of territory. Significant portions of the early King George lay in what is now Westmoreland county.[3]

Contents

Geography

The region is rich in scenic beauty, with 1100 miles of shoreline containing beaches, marinas, old steamship wharfs and small towns that date back to colonial times. Today small farms, vineyards and wineries are interspersed with retirement communities and rural businesses that share the land. Since the 1970s wine-making has become an increasingly important vocation in the Northern Neck and the United States, government has established the Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace American Viticultural Area as a sanctioned wine appellation for wines grown in the five counties. Significant portions of the Rappahannock River National Wildlife Refuge lie in the Northern Neck. It is also home to five state parks/natural areas. These include Caledon Natural Area, Bush Mill Stream Natural Area Preserve,[4] Dameron Marsh Natural area, Westmoreland State Park, and Belle Isle State Park and one national park, the George Washington Birthplace National Monument.

Museums[2]

Festivals

In 2004, the Menokin Bluegrass Festival was launched in Richmond County at the ruins of Francis Lightfoot Lee's (a signer of the Declaration of Independence) ancestral home, Menokin. The festival attracts thousands of bluegrass fans every year in a celebration of the Northern Neck's musical and historical heritage. The Richmond County Fair was started in 1889 was dubbed the "biggest Little Fair in the South".[2] It is held the last full week of August in Warsaw. The King George Fall Festival is held the second weekend of October in King George. All proceeds from this event go to support the King George Fire & Rescue. The Fall Festival Committee is made up of representatives from all of the county's community organizations that work together to organize and put on the Fall Festival. Committee meetings are held the fourth Thursday of each month at the King George Fire Station. DECA (an Association of Marketing Students) at King George High School is a member of this committee and prepares and serves the Bar-B-Que lunch for this event on Saturday. The Fall Festival also includes a parade through town, a carnival, a craft fair, a dance, and the Fall Festival Queen Pageant. The King George Fall Festival began in October 1959. Stratford Hall hosts an annual Historical Haunts program. Activities include ghost tours of the Great House, pumpkin painting, various Halloween crafts, picture-taking with Frankenstein and a witch, and an 18th-century fortune teller.

Tourism

Tourism is a significant source of economic activity in the Northern Neck region and centers around natural attractions and history and heritage of the peninsula. Natural attractions include national parks, state parks, and agri-tourism while a number of historic sites related to the nation's founders are open to the public. Colonial Beach, Westmoreland State Park, Rappahannock River National Wildlife Refuge and many other locations provide water access for fishing, boating, and yachting. There are twenty-seven marinas in the region.

Nine wineries are in the region and may be found on the Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail.

Other popular Northern Neck attractions include Stratford Hall, the birthplace of Robert E. Lee and a fine example of a Virginia plantation, George Washington's Birthplace, the Westmoreland Berry Farm, and the Westmoreland State Park with its beautiful Horsehead Cliffs. The historic Christ Church near Irvington dates back to 1735 and is one of the finest examples of an Anglican parish church in colonial Virginia.

See also

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ a b c The Official Guide of Virginia's Northern Neck (2007), Northern Neck Tourism Council
  3. ^ King George County Courthouse Wall Map
  4. ^ Town & County Magazine January 26, 2008

External links


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