Colonial Parkway

In 1930, Congress established Colonial National Monument, designated Colonial National Historical Park in 1936, to preserve and interpret the beginning and end of the British colonial experience in North America at Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement, and Yorktown, the last major battle of the American Revolution. The Colonial Parkway, designed by Charles E. Peterson, connects those two sites and Williamsburg as a picturesque scenic route with expansive views of the York and James Rivers and brick overpasses so visitors could travel between the three historic sites without encountering modern intrusions. Construction began at Yorktown in 1931, reached the Williamsburg tunnel, and then stopped at the outbreak of World War II. The Jamestown section was completed in time for Jamestown's 350th anniversary in 1957. The parkway extends from this parking lot to the Yorktown Battlefield parking lot, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is designated an All-American Road.

Virginia · United States