Historical Gazetteer of New Kent County - A Work in Progress

Acconoc - Indian village

Allen's Run - 

Angel View

Angelview Church - Baptist church in the Weir Creek District of New Kent. Congregation found 1880's. First structure 1887. Present structure 1973. First minister Rev. Louis Davis.

Appocant (Apokant) - "Village of Powhatans on the north bank of Chickahominy River in New Kent County." Word-book of Virginia Folk-speech, Bennett Wood Green, 1912. See also "At the end of forty miles, this river invironeth many low llands at each high water drowned for a mile, where it uniteth it selfe at a place called Apokant, the highest Towne inhabited," John Smith, A True Relation of Virginia.

Appleton

Arm Point Reach - "reach" of the Pamunkey River immediately to the east of Hill Marsh. A reach is a length of a stream or river, usually suggesting a level, uninterrupted stretch. The beginning and ending points may be selected for geographic, historical or other reasons.

Aspen Grove

Attamtuck - "Village of Powhatans between the Chickahominy and Pamunkey Rivers in New Kent County." Word-book of Virginia Folk-speech, Bennett Wood Green, 1912.

Attamuspincke

Bailey's Spring

Baker Creek

Baker's

Ball's Pond

Baltimore Cross Roads

Baltimore Store - A late nineteenth Century/early twentieth century store at Talleysville crossroad.

Barhamsville

Barne's Swamp -  a tributary of Wahrrani Creek

Bassett Town

Beaver Gut -  of Cumberland Thoroughfare- def. of  "gut" in this case probably refers to a small creek

Beaverdam Creek

Beech Spring

Belmont

Bell Isle(Belle Isle)     

Bell Thoroughfare - a cut through of West Island on the Pamunkey River( also "thorofare")

Bender         

Beus Swamp

Big Creek - native name Orapagus

Big Island

Big Swamp

Black Creek- 1) Creek that denotes the boundary of the county with Hanover County. 2) Magisterial district name.

Black's Store

Bleak House Estate

Blisland Parish - also Blissland. Parish of the Church of England roughly corresponding to Weir Creek Districk in New Kent county and Stonehouse District in James City county. Named presumably after the parish in north Cornwall. Upper church was at Wahrani, lower church at Hickory Neck(Toano).

Bock- post office

Bogg's Swamp

Bottom's Bridge

Boulevard- name of the post office at the Windsor Shades railroad stop.

Boxley’s Swamp

Bradenham school - Early twentieth century school in far eastern part of county.

Bradley's Ford

Brick House

Brigg's Landing - landing on the Pamunkey River.

Brigg's Marsh - marsh on the Pamunkey River near Eltham Marsh

Brown's -  early subdivision† in Eltham area.        

Brown's Corner

Buck Springs  

Callowell - farm owned by Christians and later Harris, see advertisement            

Camp Orapax - Y.M.C.A. camp opened in 1926 on land donated by St. John Duval in the vicinity of Dispatch Station.

Camp Mastin - Methodist "child welfare" camp opened in New Kent c.1935.

Carp's Corner - most likely a corruption of Cary's Corner

Cassapecock

Castle Heights - early subdivision† in Providence Forge; earliest reference 1954(PB 2-PG 183). Named after the Mountcastle family.

Catalpa Hill - Named for a genus of flowering tree(also known as the Catawba or Monkey's Cigar tree). 

Cattail Swamp

Cawunkack

Cedar Grove - historic farm and house in St. Peter's District. Home of the Christian family. 

Cedar Hill - farm

Cedar Lane - farm

Chamberlayne Island

Chamberlayne Point -

Chandler Island

Chestnut Grove

Chestnut Grove Landing

Chestnut Hill- farm

Chestnut Hill Run

Chickahominy Shores - early subdivision† in Lanexa area; earliest reference 1958(PB 2- PG 247). 

Chickaominy

Chimokin  ?

Christian's

Clark's- farm           

Claymount                  d

Clopton Swamp

Content

Cook’s Island

Cook’s Landing

Cook's Mill Pond

Cool Well - farm     

Corinth Church - Baptist church founded at the courthouse village in 1877. Original structure destroyed by fire 1910. A new building was constructed in 1911, a wing added in 1954. The current sanctuary was constructed . . (   ). 

Cosby’s Mill

Cottage Grove

Cousaic Marsh

Cousiac Landing

Craddock's 

Crawford State Forest - 258 acre tract of land donated by the will of  Bessie R. Babcock, in the memory of her parents(R. E. Richardson and Julia Richardson) first to the Virginia Outdoor Federation and from that entity finally in 1995 to the Virginia Department of Forestry.(DB 218- PG 540). The tract of land was commonly known as Crawford's.

Crump's Cross Roads -  current intersection of New Kent Highway, Tunstall Road and Airport Road. Sometimes confused in Civil War documents with nearby Baltimore Crossroads.

Crump’s Mill

Crump's Swamp

Cumberland - 1) Magisterial district. 2) Farm

Cumberland Landing

Cumberland Thoroughfare- a cut through of West Island on the Pamunkey River( also "thorofare")

Curles           

Cypress Bank

Dash- Post office

Davis

Davis Cross Roads

Davis Store

Devil's Reach - "reach" of the Pamunkey River. A reach is a length of a stream or river, usually suggesting a level, uninterrupted stretch. The beginning and ending points may be selected for geographic, historical or other reasons.

Devils Three Jump road

Diascund - creek flowing into the Chickahominy River. Originally Tyascun and variants.

Dickerson Swamp

Dillard's

Discontent - farm. Later renamed or also known as, "Content"

Dispatch Station - Railroad stop; first on York River Line(Southern Railway) entering the county from Henrico. It has been suggested that it is named after the Richmond Dispatch to obtain publicity in the paper.

Ebenezer Baptist Church

Eagle Hill

Eastview -  Farm in the area of Providence Forge. Origin of the lane and subdivision of the same name.

Eastwood

Ebenezer Church

Elsworth - farm      

Eltham - 1) Community in Weir Creek district directly across Pamunkey River from town of West Point named for; 2) Historic estate and home of the Bassett family, house totally destroyed by fire in 1875; 3) Marsh named after Bassett estate.

Eltham Marsh

Emmaus Church - Baptist church in the St. Peter’s district of the county. Established 1776, the present brick structure dates from 1852. Used as a Union hospital during the war. Named for a town mentioned in the 24th Chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Pronounced locally as im-ee-us.

Ferry Creek

Filbate's Creek

Fisher's Bridge *

Five Lakes

Ford's

Foster's Castle - also simply "The Castle"

Fox Run Creek - a tributary of the Chickahominy in the area of

Rockahock

Gatbury Gut - (Also Gathbury, Gotbury) a small creek flowing into the York River in the vicinity of Plum Point near Baker's Creek. Presumably deriving from Gadberry family, early colonial settlers in the York River area.

Gayser Levinson's Ford

Geddy's        

Gleave's (Glebe?)

Glenns

Good Hope Church

Good Hope Swamp

Gordon's Pond

Gracewood                               

Greggs

Gregory Bar - bar of the Pamunkey River in the vicinity of The Castle.      

Grove Hill    

Hampstead - two story Federal style mansion built in 1825 in the area of Tunstall by Conrad Webb. Possesses a multi-story flying circular stair case.

Hard Bargain

Hayes            

Hawk Hill

Hawkin's Swamp

Hazel Dell - (or Hazeldell)

Henpeck-

Heights - farm        

Herman Lake

Higgin’s Swamp

Hill Marsh

Hilliard's Quarter

Hilton Creek

Holly Fork

Holly Landing

Holt's              

Holt's Creek

Holt's Forge

Honey Hill

Hopewell Church - established 1848. 

Hopkin’s Mill

Horse Swamp - tributary of the Pamunkey in the vicinity of Cousiac Marsh

Hunkepen - native name for point on the Pamunkey River

Indian Fields- farm              

Johnson Creek

Jones' Bridge

Jones' Run - a tributary of the Chickahominy in the area of Providence Forge. The creek that runs out of Forge Pond/Mirror Lake to the Chickahominy. It is my supposition that the name "Jones" is corruption of Soanes after the 17th/18th Century property owner.

Jordan's Neck - farm            

Keninesmore - farm

Kent Lake - Lake formed from the damming of Toe Ink(Tohick) Creek during the construction of the improved Rt. 60 in the late 40's. Woodhaven subdivision was then built around the lake.

Kentucky

Kentwood - Early subdivision† in Eltham area; earliest reference 1938(PB 1-PG 24)

Kitchen Creek - a tributary of the Pamunkey River in the area of Waterloo far..

Lacey Creek - tributary of the Chickahominy

Lake Jackson

Lake Sertoma

Laurel Hill     

Lanexa - Post office on eastern of the county near the Chickahominy River.  According to the historical society of Lenexa, Kansas(note the 'e'), "According to legend, Lenexa is derived from the name of Shawnee Chief Thomas Blackhoof's wife, who was variously recorded on census records as Na-Nex-Se and Len-Ag-See."

Lebannon School

Lee's Reach

Liberty Church

Liberty Hall  

Lily Point Creek - tributary of the Pamunkey River.

Lindsey's

Little Island

Little Mountain

Little Wyanoke Creek- tributary of Black Creek

Lofty Retreat

Long Bridge

Long Reach Ford

Lynn Lake

McKenseys

Makemie Woods - A Presbyterian Camp in the Barhamsville area open from 1964 to 2017.

Manhattan - Planned community on the York river across from West Point developed in the early twentieth century, presently Plum Point.

Mann Page Lodge - Masonic lodge in Providence Forge which was moved there from Charles City Courthouse in the early Twentieth Century.

Marengo - 

Marshfield

Marl Bank    

Martin's        

Maisley's Swamp

Matadequin Creek - 

Matchut - "One of Powhatan's houses 2) A village on the Pamunkey River in New Kent County Matchcot." Word-book of Virginia Folk-speech, Bennett Wood Green, 1912

Matchemeedes

Matton Creek - 

Matunsk

Maysonec - "Powhatan tribe on the north bank of the Chickahominy River in New Kent County." Word-book of Virginia Folk-speech, Bennett Wood Green, 1912. John Smith describes it in his True Relation, "a Peninsule of 4. miles circuit, betwixt two rivers joyned to the main by a neck of 40. or 50. yards, and 40. or 50 yards from the high water marke." 

Mencughtas

Mercer's       

Mill Creek - Previous name Tankes Queen (1654)

Minitree Branch

Minitree Hill 

Morgan Landing- Landing on the Pamunkey River across from Cohoke Marsh

Morris Church - 

Moss Side - 

Mount Cavalry Church -

Mount Nebo Church - see Numbers 32:3; Jeremiah 48:1, 22; I Chronicles 5:8; Isaiah 15:2, etc

Mount Olive Church -

Mount Pleasant Church -

Mountcastle School

Mountcastle's - Railroad stop on the C&O railroad immediately to the west of Providence Forge.

Mt. Folly

Mt. Pisgah - sometime translation of Mt. Nebo (see Deuteronomy 34:1–4)

Mt. Prospect

Nantupcoy

New Branch Church

New Elam Church

New Kent

New Kent Chapel

Newkirks - (sometimes New Kirks)

North Garden

North Green

Northberry

Oak- post office in the current vicinity of Saude Creek Winery.

Oakland

Old Forge Pond

Old Town

Old Quarter - section along the Pamunkey River formerly part of the White House estate of the Custis's. "Custis’s lands, some of which he owned outright and others of which he was renting while they were in dower to Martha Washington . . ." 

"The four plantations in New Kent County, totaling 6,264 acres, were Rockahock, on the Pamunkey River about five miles west of New Kent Court House; Brick House, near where the Pamunkey enters the York River; Old Quarter, below Rockahock; and Harlow’s."

 Custis at this time also rented a property called "New Quarter" in York County. 
http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-16-02-0085


Old Quarter Spring

Olivet Church

Orapax - (also Orapaxe, Orapaks). Village of Powhatan confederacy, supposedly place near where John Smith was captured. Bennett Wood Green in Word-book of Virginia Folk-speech states the meaning as "the wild or solitary water place." Approximate location is believed to be under Interstate 64 in the vicinity of Bottom's Bridge.

Orapagus - Native name of Big Creek

Orchard Grove

Oquonock

Osborne's- farm    

Osborne Landing

Otters

Otter Swamp

Pamunkey

Pamunkey Church

Param Cray- plantation on the Chickahominy River. Also Palma Grey, Palmer Grey, Palmer Crey, Parma City. We entertain the possibility of an origin in the Algonquin word "pawcohiccora," meaning "hickory run." The approximate site of Ed Allen's Campground today.

Parham’s

Patterson's Store

Pea Hill(Pea Hall?)- farm

Peach Park

Pear Cottage - farm  

Peach Tree Corner- aka The Peach Tree Corner

Peck Level          

Pelham Swamp

Philbate’s

Picknut Hill -  farm of the Dandridges on Old Roxbury Road

Pillbox House, The - Also known as The Apperson House. built early 1700's.

Piney Branch

Piney Point

Pitt's

Plum Point

Pocahontas Trail

Point Breeze -  farm 

Polish Town Road - named for the substantial Polish community that existed in the area in the early Twentieth Century. Poles had immigrated to the area from areas of partition Poland in the early 1900's to work in the town of West Point.

Pollard's        

Poplar Grove 

Potaucao -"Village of Powhatans in New Kent County between the Pamunkey and Chickahominy River." Word-book of Virginia Folk-speech, Bennett Wood Green, 1912. Also Potauncac.

Pott's Landing -   

Providence Hall - Old mansion formerly in Providence Forge. The former location is approximately the site of the present stoplight and intersection. The building was disassembled and moved to Colonial Williamsburg

Providence Forge - Village on the C&O railroad along the Chickahominy River possessing a post office and formerly a train depot. Long time crossing of the Chickahominy River. Site of colonial forge. The "Providence" in the name presumably comes from the Presbyterian origins of the site.

Providence Methodist Church

Providence Presbyterian church

Pullback Swamp

Putney         a

Putney's Mill

Quinton -  a train station of the Southern Railway. Originally called Summit Station. Various "folk" etymologies for the name. There is the Algonquin word "acquinton" meaning "canoe" that could be found in creeks in King William and King and Queen Counties. The name Acquinton remains as a feature name in King William.

Rainbow- farm

Ratcliffe's     a

Red Bird Cage- farm

Richardson Swamp

Righkahauk - "Village on the west bank of the Chickahominy in New Kent County." Word-book of Virginia Folk-speech, Bennett Wood Green, 1912 

River View

Rising Mt. Zion

Rockahock - From the Algonquian word for sand bar. 1) An estate on the lower Chickahominy 2) A site on the middle reaches of the Pamunkey. A house on the site was the supposed honeymoon place of George and Martha Washington.  NB there is also a  Rickahock on the middle reaches of the Mattaponi in King and Queen County.

Rockahock Bar

Rockland - farm      

Roots

Rose Cottage - farm            a

Rose Garden- farm             a

Rosenthall’s

Rough n' Ready - farm

Rumley Marsh

Saint James Church - also Saint James Chapel. Ante-bellum Episcopal chapel built by the Duval family in the Dispatch Station area. After the War between the States the chapel was moved to Church Hill in Richmond where it became the Chapel of the Good Shepherd of Saint Philip's Episcopal Church.(Richmond Times-Dispatch, Nov. 21, 1926)

Saint Peter's - Magisterial district.

Saint Peter's Church

Sales

San Domingo

Schiminoe Creek - Creek flowing into the Chickahominy just west of Providence Forge. See Skimino.

School No. 1

Scottsville - farm

Scruggs         

Second Liberty Church

Second Mount Zion Church

Senora Hill - House and former farm on Rt. 249. Supposedly built in 1855. Also has been known as the "Crump House and "Vintager Inn." Named, presumably, for the wife of the nineteenth century owner Emmett Tunstall Crump, Senora Crump née Parlsey.(m.1885)

Shamapint

Sherman's 

Shingle Swamp

Shuttlewood 

Silver Hill -  also Silver Hall

Skimino- Creek in James City County which was original eastern boundary of New Kent. also Scimino, Skiminoe.

Slatersville

Smiths          

Soldier’s Rest

Southern Branch

Spring Hill

Stage Road

Stone House - The name of a magisterial district in James City County. The district is named after the ruins of a sandstone building on Ware Creek dating probably from the period of Bacons Rebellion. Until 1767 this location was in New Kent. 

Summit

Summit Station - Early rail road station on York River line. Name later changed to

Quinton.

Sweeney's -

Sycamore Springs

Tabernacle Church

Talleysville

Tankes Queen 

Taylor's

Terrapin Point

The Forge

The Neck

Thorofare

Timber Swamp - First notation found 1965 USGS topo map.

Tohick (Toe Ink)

Tom Brooks Lake - Named after New Kent lumberman and developer of Five Lakes subdivision, Thomas M. Brooks.

Tough Times

Triangle

Tsena Commoko Church

Tunstall

Turner Neck

Turner's Bridge

Tyascun -  native village

Tyree's          

Union Church- a "union" church is a church shared by more than one congregation for cost reasons.

Vaiden's        

Vaiden's Pond

Vandell's

Venus

Virginia Methodist Children's Home 

Wahrrani( Warreneye) - also Wahrani, Warrani . . .and One Eye.

Wake Forest

Walkers - a station on the Peninsula Extension of  completed in 1881 along the Chickahominy River. Named after Harmon B. Walker (1831–1887) the owner of Rockahock  Plantation overlooking the site.  This was the second of the four Walkers of that name.

Walker's Dam- Dam built after the Second World War by the United States government to provide an adequate water supply to Newport News. See Walker's Landing.

Walker's Landing - Landing on the Chickahominy River 

Wall's School

Wallsworth Lodge #206 - (also Wadsworth Lodge)

Walnut Grove

Walnut Hill - farm  

Ware Creek - Tributary of the York River forming county's northern boundary with James City County. Creek is spelled Ware Creek; Magisterial district is spelled Weir Creek.

Warreneye School

Waterloo - 

Waverly

Webb's          

Weir Creek - Magisterial district. One of the four townships created in the 1870 Constitution. Creek is spelled Ware Creek; Magisterial district is spelled Weir Creek.

Werawahon - "Village of Powhatans on the north of Chickahominy River in New Kent County." Word-book of Virginia Folk-speech, Bennett Wood Green, 1912, See Wahrrani ?

West Island - Island in the Pamunkey River named after John West acting colonial Governor of Virginia from 1635 to 1637.

Weyanock Swamp

White Hall

White House

White House School

White Oak- a branch of Black Creek

White Oak Landing

Whites

Wigwam

Wilkins

Windsor Forest

Windsor Shades - 1) Farm. 2) Railroad stop and community on C&O railroad line approximately four miles east of Providence Forge.

Windsor View

Woodburn  

Woodbury - farm  

Woodhaven - early subdivision†; earliest reference 1959(PB 3A- PG 14) "Plans for a large resort subdivision with 800 building sites surrounding a man-made lake covering 150 acres have been announced by Kenneth F. Gorman. president of the American Realty Service Co. of Springfield, Mass."(Richmond Times-Dispatch June 18, 1959)            

Woodward's               

Wright's Corner

Wyanoke Stream -a branch of Black Creek. also shown as "Little Wyanoke." In Hendren's  Government and Religion of the Virginia Indians, it is defined as "the going around place."

Youghtanund

a

b -Defining the Greater York River Indigenous Cultural Landscape, Scott M. Strickland, Julia A. King, Martha McCartney- St. Mary’s College of Maryland 201

c - Word-book of Virginia Folk-speech, Bennett Wood Green, 1912.

d

e

† - "Subdivision" is defined in the Code of Virginia as " . . . unless otherwise defined in an ordinance adopted pursuant to § 15.2-2240, means the division of a parcel of land into three or more lots or parcels of less than five acres each for the purpose of transfer of ownership or building development, or, if a new street is involved in such division, any division of a parcel of land." Sec 15.2-2240 merely says "The governing body of every locality shall adopt an ordinance to assure the orderly subdivision of land and its development."