The Greate Road – An Early Highway pre-1607-1700s

A few days after arriving at Jamestown in May 1607, George Percy wrote that he and his party “espied a pathway” and wanted to know where it led. They most likely had found a trail used by Paspahegh Indians in whose territory Jamestown stood. The English came to know this trail as the Grate Road, a route leading from James Fort across the isthmus west past Glasshouse Point on the mainland and eventually to Green Spring and Middle Plantation (Williamsburg). As New Towne developed, the Greate Road began at the junction of Backstreet and the highway by the river. Over time, the trail widened to more than 30 feet as horse- and ox-drawn wagons packed down the topsoil and created deep ruts. Archaeologists found sections of the Greate Road, including a portion north of the church, and stretches remain visible at Glasshouse Point and along the route to Green Spring.

Virginia · United States