| Hampton Roads history and penny postcards? This is really not as strange a combination as it sounds. Prior to 1952, penny postcards were a popular means of short and "quick" communication. Like the telephone, interstate highways, or e-mail of today, postcards were used frequently to "drop a line" to someone at home during the "penny postcard" era. Combine Hampton Roads' beach resorts, excellent fishing, history resources that span from the colonial era through the current space exploration and our regions Military and technology presence and it's easy to envision us as a destination for many. |
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The Hampton Roads region includes the communities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg, and the Counties of Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Southampton, Surry, and York. The history of our region begins with the founding of our nation. Mariners and shipping interests have known our harbor for more than 200 years as a safe and secure port. The name dates from the 17th century English Earl of Southampton, Henry Wriothesley. The area was named in his honor by the first royal governor, Lord de la Ware, in the early 1600s. The James River, Chesapeake Bay and nearby Atlantic Ocean provide an abundance of water recreation opportunities. Our beach resorts offer some of the finest fishing, sun bathing and other amenities available on the East coast. The regional communities and historic neighborhoods offer a comfortable lifestyle. Waterfront homes are surprisingly affordable and there are several golf club communities also. |
| Can you think of a better way to learn a regions history than from the people who experienced it? The penny postcards provide just this - a visitor's perspective about our region. Select a link or use the navigation bar above to begin your penny postcard tour of Historic Hampton Roads. |
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1999-2003 Historic Hampton Roads, Inc. |
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