Kennon's Landing
Posted by: 
xptwo
N 37° 19.558 W 076° 59.719
18S E 323215 N 4132900
Historical marker telling the story of Kennon's Landing, located south of the marker on a site on the James River. The history of Kennon's Landing goes back to the 1700s when shipping by river was the most efficient and effective means of transport.
Waymark Code: WMEZFD
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 07/28/2012
Views: 4
The land where Kennon's Landing is located is also the site of the Civil War Fort Pocahontas, which was built to safeguard Union shipping on the James River. It is part of the property purchased by President Tyler's grandson in 1996 with the objective of preservation and archaeological research. The only information I found was a web site with the historical background on the application for the National Register of Historic Places. The site is listed below.
The historic marker is one of four markers located on John Tyler Memorial Highway (Virginia Route 5) a few miles from the site of the fort and Charles City, Virginia. The site is located on Sturgeon Point Road which is west of the marker location on John Tyler Memorial Highway.
The text of the marker reads:
Located 1 1/2 miles south on the James River is Kennon's Landing. Richard Kennon married Anne Hunt about 1735 and lived there until his death in 1761. Anne Hunt's father was Captain William Hunt whose father William Hunt, a supported of Nathaniel Bacon, is buried directly across the bay at Bachelor Point. The colonial government of Virginia opened a tobacco warehouse and inspection station at the landing in 1742. Hogsheads of tobacco were weighed, inspected for quality, and stored for shipment there. During the Revolutionary War, on 4 Jan. 1781, American-turned-British Gen. Benedict Arnold landed some of his troops at Kennon's and others at Westover, then marched to Richmond.
Department of Historic Resources
1997
Marker Number: V35
Marker Title: Kennon's Landing
Marker Location: John Tyler Memorial Highway near the intersection with Sturgeon Point Road
County or Independent City: Charles City
Web Site: [Web Link]
Marker Program Sponsor: Department of Historic Resources
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