Port Royal Harbor

After the chartering of the town of Port Royal in 1744, this excellent harbor served the large tobacco trade between local plantations and London, with a warehouse and ferry nearby. During the Civil War, Union gunboats and troops took possession of and evacuated the town. After the assassination of President Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth sought refuge here and was killed two miles outside the town. Regular steamboat service included stops here from 1828 to 1932, but the construction of railroads caused the harbor to dwindle in usage and importance.

Port Royal, Virginia · United States