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Gloucester: America took root here Date published: 8/16/2003
ALITTLE GEM of a getaway day trip from home--that's what I found last weekend in Gloucester. At almost an even 100 miles each way, the drive to Gloucester from Fredericksburg may seem a bit far for one day, in which case I'd suggest making it an overnighter at one of the county's bed-and-breakfasts. Actually, the drive down rural, four-lane U.S. 17 is easy. A friend and I left home at 8 a.m. and were back 12 hours later, including a relaxed dinner there. Relaxed is what this outing was all about: a few hours at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at Gloucester Point, a stop at the melancholy ruins of one of Colonial Virginia's handsomest estates, and several hours exploring the exquisitely preserved historic village of Gloucester itself. I'll skip VIMS for now since it's to be the subject of a column of its own soon. Suffice to say this major educational and research facility on the York River is alone worth the drive down if you're interested in this kind of thing, and there is a visitors center. Colonial Virginia and the fledgling United States had their beginnings in this region, close to the better-known Colonial Williamsburg and the Yorktown battlefield. But Gloucester, easily bypassed on the road to those other historic hot spots, is more than worth a trip for itself. The heart of historic Gloucester today is its picturesque Courthouse Circle, a miniature, walled campus of mostly original brick structures that formed the core of the county in the mid-18th century. A good starting point might be the county history museum, just outside the Circle on Main Street and itself a historic structure of note. It was originally built in 1766 (some sources say 1770) as a tavern and inn on what was once the main route from Williamsburg to Alexandria. If the museum is closed, as it was when we stopped there, you can still pick up brochures to guide your visit.
1. Be respectful. No personal attacks.
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