By: Carolyn Davis, Historic Port Royal, Inc. and
Sonja Ingram, Field Representative, Preservation Virginia
Catlett House 1760 |
Powers-Holloway House 1775 |
Town Hall Lyceum and Masonic Lodge |
Port Royal, in Carolina County, Virginia has more authentic
18th century homes than Williamsburg, yet not many people know about
it. This small, historic town on the
Rappahannock River is a dream for history and architecture buffs, but it is also
in need of help because several of its most historic buildings are unoccupied
and falling into disrepair.
Port Royal Residence 1745 |
In February 2014, staff members of Preservation Virginia and
the Virginia Department of Historic Resources visited Port Royal and were
welcomed by Cleo Coleman, Phyllis Carpenter and Carolyn Davis, members of Historic Port Royal; Kathy Beard,
the Caroline County Tourism
Director and two other Port Royal residents.
Cleo Coleman, President of Historic Port Royal, gave the
group a brief talk about the history and significance of Port Royal. Some of
the interesting facts Cleo discussed included:
- Port Royal was established in
the 1650s along the Rappahannock River as a port for shipping goods to
Scotland, England and Jamaica;
- Dorothy
Roy, the first woman to own and operate a tobacco warehouse in the
colonies, lived at Port Royal. Today,
all that remains of her home are two tall chimneys on Route 201; however
the chimneys have been stabilized and interpreted and can be seen by all
who drive on Route 301;
- Port Royal has the 2nd oldest
Masonic Charter in Virginia;
- John Wilkes
Booth fled to Port Royal from Maryland on April 24, 1865 seeking shelter
at the Brockenbrough-Peyton House after he assassinated President Lincoln.
Brockenbrough-Peyton House 1765 |
Our group was given a tour of the town as well as inside two of
Port Royal’s houses-- the Powers-Holloway House (tour lead by Billy Booker,
grandson of the current owner) and the Brockenbrough-Peyton House . In 1865, after killing President Lincoln, John
Wilkes Booth fled Washington D.C. to Maryland and then to Virginia where he crossed
the Rappahannock River at Port Royal and sought refuge at the Brockenbrough-Peyton
House.
As the story goes, three confederate soldiers rode up to the house seeking
overnight lodging for their friends Booth and Davy Herold; but Sarah Jane Peyton
(1830-1907) wary of the strangers, denied their request. They then continued
west of town to the Garrett Farm where Booth was later killed.
Historic Port Royal, Inc. has done an enormous amount of work
to protect and interpret Port Royal including installing interpretive kiosks around
town and operating the local
museum which has collections ranging from local Native American artifacts
to White House China. The museum also has a fabulous Toleware
collection. If that wasn’t enough, a fully restored Rosenwald
School sits beside the museum on Route 301 which is used by students today for
living history programs.