The marker itself is one of three close to each other on Richmond Road north of Williamsburg, on the west side of the road in front of an outlet store, between Centerville Road and Lightfoot Road. The text of the marker gives the basic history:
"Green Spring
On this road, five miles south, is Green Spring, home of Governor Sir William Berkeley. Bacon the Rebel occupied it in 1676. Cornwallis, after moving from Williamsburg by this road on July 4, 1781, was attacked by Lafayette near Green Spring on July 6, 1781. Anthony Wayne was the hero of this fight.
Conservation & Development Commission
1927"
There is a long article giving the history of the site in detail at the National Park Service web page at: (
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A good summary can be found at Wikipedia:
"History
The name Green Spring Plantation originated from the natural spring on the site, which continues over 350 years later to produce huge quantities of very beautifully clear, ultra cold water. The Green Spring produced a flow "so very cold that 'twas dangerous drinking the water thereof in Summer-time," wrote a visitor in the 1680s."
The manor house at Green Spring was built in 1645. The plantation originally encompassed a 2,090-acre (850 ha) experimental farm.
Seeking alternative export products to supplement tobacco, which had become the Colony's mainstay, Green Spring produced flax, fruits, potash, rice, silk, and spirits, which were shipped to markets in North America, the West Indies, Great Britain, and Holland.
Green Spring Plantation witnessed many historic events, including the beginnings of slavery in Virginia, Bacon's Rebellion in 1676, the Battle of Green Spring during the American Revolutionary War in 1781, the emancipation of its slaves in 1803, by the will of William Lee, and the nearby Battle of Williamsburg in 1862 during the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. A second mansion on the site was burned during the Civil War.
Preservation
In modern times, about 200 acres (81 ha) of the original plantation are preserved by the National Park Service (NPS) as part of the Colonial National Historical Park, which acquired the property in 1966. The site includes archaeological and architectural remnants of the manor house and ancillary structures. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 29, 1978.
With archaeological work underway, plans call for construction of a parking lot, a small reception center, water and sewer facilities, and a network of trails, planned to be opened by 2008. The project at Green Spring Plantation is supported by NPS partners, Friends of the National Park Service for Green Spring, Inc. and James City County." source: (
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