Popes Creek Plantation

Augustine Washington settled here in 1718 because the site offered slightly elevated, well-drained ground suitable for farming, abundant fresh water from numerous springs, rich supplies of fish, crabs, waterfowl, deer, and other game, and access to the Potomac River a mile to the northeast as a commercial lifeline. In an economy of fluctuating crop prices and easily depleted soil, land brought security and often wealth, and although his holdings were moderate, he aspired to join Virginia's propertied elite. His success depended almost entirely on slaves and indentured servants laboring in tobacco fields, workshops, and in the kitchen and manor house, and the whole operation resembled a small village.

Montross, Virginia · United States