Preservation Virginia's Blog: 2015 Most Endangered Historic Places: Town of Port Royal

Peyton-Brockenbrough House

The Town of Port Royal - Port Royal, Virginia

Significance: Port Royal, chartered in 1744, is a small town on the Rappahannock River in Caroline County. First inhabited by the Algonquian, it was established primarily as a port for the exportation of tobacco. Port Royal retains over thirty‐five 18th and early 19th century structures, which reflect the critical role it played in the American Revolution and the Civil War. After assassinating President Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth visited the Brockenbrough‐Peyton House and was later shot and killed south of town at the Garrett Farm.

Threat: As another example of one of Virginia’s “bypassed towns,” Port Royal has become increasingly isolated as a result of changing transportation patterns. Several of the oldest structures are currently unoccupied and in need of stabilization, especially the 1854 Lyceum and Town Hall building. Deterioration will continue if a solution is not found.

Solution: Port Royal is creating a strong foundation for heritage tourism. Historic Port Royal, Inc. is actively involved in repair projects including the Colonial Doctor’s Office. Port Royal is committed to revitalizing their town and currently enjoys three museums (with a fourth on the way), self‐guided walking tours with established historical markers, a restored Rosenwald School and the rebuilt historic pier. We encourage the Town and Caroline County to provide greater visibility with additional directional signage and other incentives that could help promote Port Royal as an enticing place to visit and live.

Friends of the Rappahannock installed a new 100-foot-long pier and a soft launch for kayaks and canoes in Caroline.

Photo: Dawnthea Price for The Free Lance Star

Update (8/13/15): Just a couple weeks before the listing debuted, the Town of Port Royal and Historic Port Royal, Inc. held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening of the new Port Royal Museum of Medicine. The museum boasts artifacts that tell the history of the town, and the former consultation room showcases the historic tools of the trade. Additionally, the historic Port Royal Landing recently received a new pier, a soft launch for canoes and kayaks, and a living shoreline. The pier, launch, and shoreline were all installed by Friends of the Rappahannock. The pier and its revived wetlands setting offer new recreational activities that should help draw more visitors to the town and increase interest in its revitalization.