Archaeology reveals history of City Farm
Former jail appears to be site of Warwick Towne, a failed 17th century settlement
NEWPORT NEWS — The grass and weeds at the former City Farm Jail in Newport News have grown tall and unruly.
But walking around the less dense parts of the site — which contains waterlogged pits that archaeologists combed for artifacts and some digs that may be explored again — city archaeologist Aaron Lamb still finds some interesting things, no tools required. In just a few minutes of surveying the ground while chatting about the history of the scenic spot on the James River, he finds a stoneware jug handle, a piece of a pipe stem and a shotgun shell.
Earlier this year, New South Associates published its findings from several months of work at City Farm in 2018. The more than 800-page report shares archaeological findings, invokes historical context, notes conclusions and further questions and maps sites for future investigation.
It also catalogs thousands of items found at several sites within the property, tracing them back to Native Americans, residents of what is believed to be the Warwick Towne settlement founded in the 17th century and Confederate soldier who spent a winter of the Peninsula Campaign camped at
the site, making use of an expansive waterfront view to keep an eye out for enemy ships.
Archaeologists uncovered brick building foundations, pieces of glass and pottery and even a few completely intact wine bottles and other glass containers. Lamb showed a piece of the shell of an exploded Napoleon cannonball from the Civil War, an item that raises questions because there’s no records of combat occurring there.
The city commissioned New South to investigate a handful of locations within City Farm with the main objective of finding evidence that the site was the location of WarwickTowne. TheVirginia Town Act of 1680 established Warwick Towne, along with Hampton and Yorktown, but it never really took off. A city study from 1992 stated Warwick Towne “never developed into more than a ‘remote and isolated spot in a rural landscape,’” and declined significantly after the American Revolution.
Lamb said based on records and other resources, the city was “90% sure” the site was once Warwick Towne, and NewSouth’s findings — brick foundations and artifacts date back to the 17th and 18th centuries — have strengthened that conviction.
“I think we’ve proved our case,” Lamb said.
Once New South finished its work at the site, Lamb continued on his own. He still wonders about the brick foundations they’ve uncovered, which are believed to be the basement of a tavern, also called an ordinary.
Glazed bricks in the basement seem odd to him — why would more expensive bricks be in the basement? And while the former jail is demolished, its foundations are still in the ground, potentially covering other structures from Warwick Towne. Of interest to archaeologists is the location of the courthouse, which may have been the center of the town.
New South’s report refers to an 1807 document that states “the present courthouse stands on the bank of (the) James River and at the extreme end of a point where Deep Creek and Warwick River form a junction and empty into the James River.” The report posits that “the courthouse was closer to the Warwick River than the excavations, which would put it under the 1930s prison.”
Earthworks from the Civil War and historical accounts indicated City Farm was once a camp for soldiers, but the amount of Civil War artifacts was surprising, Lamb said. Most of those artifacts came from a site that was most recently used as a cow pasture, which helped protect some artifacts. The story of the camp indicated that the soldiers left in a hurry, leaving many items behind, including bottles, found intact more than 150 years later, and a cannonball. The archaeologists discovered traces of 10 winter huts and two cooking pits as well.
They connected the site and the artifacts to the 15th Regiment of Virginia Infantry, the 5th Regiment of Louisiana Infantry and Gen. John B. Magruder’s forces that occupied the area from fall 1861 to spring 1862.
What’s next for City Farm?
Eyes in the city turn to City Farm not only for archaeological reasons.
The site and its sweeping vistas of the James River have long drawn questions of what maygo there if the jail were to close. Not long after it did close in 2015 came an unsolicited bid to develop the property with waterfront condos and an organized response by many in the city to stop any development and make the entire property public.
Besides the demolition of the jail buildings and archaeology, not much has happened in recent years. Advocates of making the entire site an extension of Riverview Farm Park were fixtures of City Council meetings until the pandemic, organizing in large numbers multiple times to advocate for the designation of the land as park in planning documents. That move did not lock in the future of City Farm — leaders of the group Citizens for Riverview Farm Park said the change helped their cause by setting an expectation for the land.
The City Council hasn’t taken much action related to City Farm beyond adopting the change park advocates fought for. Prior to that vote, council members had said they would not discuss the proposal until completion of New South’s report.
The report, which is dated May of 2020, is available online. It hasn’t been presented in a City Council work session or meeting. Mayor McKinley Price said he had been told it was complete but had not reviewed the report or received a summary.
In the past, Price has said he wants to take a methodical approach to City Farm, getting as much information and ideas for the site as possible before making decisions about it. He said his thoughts about the site haven’t changed.
The city’s draft capital improvements plan projects $7.1 million over the next few years for work at Riverview Farm Park. Most of that money would come from the Hampton Roads Sanitation District, which is working with the city on a deal to expand its facility next to the park.
HRSD’s Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow, or SWIFT, is an effort across the region to replenish the massive Potomac Aquifer. In exchange for about 10 acres of the park, which is about 300 acres,
HRSD pitched building a waterfront trail that would go along City Farm and tie into existing trails at the park.
HRSD made that pitch to the council at the end of 2019, and the idea got support from the city and advocates of City Farm becoming a park. Leila Rice, an HRSD spokesperson, said the agreement is in final review by city and HRSD staff. They hope to send an agreement to the City Council by end of the year.
“The HRSDdeal is big,” said Dale Goode, a Newport News resident and member of Citizens for Riverview Farm Park. He feels an agreement between the city and HRSD is likely the fastest way to allow for the public onto some portion of City Farm.
He said as well that the New South report’s completion is another step toward the city making decisions for the property.
Goode said that in the pandemic, the citizens group went somewhat dormant but is reactivating, with members planning to reconnect with city staff about City Farm in the near future.
Part of the money slated for Riverview Farm Park in the capital improvements plan draft would support formalizing a process and group to begin planning the park, City Manager Cindy Rohlf said.
Lamb sees plenty of opportunities for public engagement at the archaeological sites at City Farm, maybe one day hosting educational programs or welcoming the public to observe or even participate in digs. He’s already identified spots he’s excited to explore based on his own work and the recommendations of New South.
“With all that we’ve found, what’s the next thing we’ll get?” he asked, gesturing to his mask. “You can see I’m grinning.”