Before many years pass, Gloucester will have a national park, Werowocomoco, site of Chief Powhatan and his people at the time of contact with English settlers in 1607.

Here is a case in which everyone has done something right.

1. Let us give posthumous credit to farmers of the past who preserved the 260+ acres without development. Although unaware of the significance of the soil they turned, they kept it intact.

2. Primarily let us recognize the extraordinary commitment of recent owners Bob and Lynn Ripley to do the right thing. For details on this topic, there is more below.

3. Let us be thankful that in a time of budget squeezes and national rancor in which almost nothing gets done, the acquisition of this beautiful site on the York River actually took place. For this, many individuals whom Gloucester will never know flexed hidden hands to obtain the funds and to make it happen.

Wow. Those are a lot of thoughts in a very small place. But we also have to recognize the cooperative work and support of many agencies in the past to preserve and to explore this wonderful find: the College of William and Mary, Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Preservation Virginia, all come to mind.

Back to the beginning: As the 21st century dawned, Lynn Ripley, daily walking her dog, discovered artifact upon artifact. Their curiosity piqued, the Ripleys wanted to find out more.

Archaeologists Dave Brown and Thane Harpole came aboard, explored the property, and found it saturated with artifacts dating from the contact period. They uncovered features that correlated with maps and writings of the early settlers.

The site was determined to be Werowocomoco. 

The Ripleys reached out to officials of various Indian tribes, sensitively obtaining their counsel on how to pursue the discovery while respecting the Indians’ sacred site. And they have insisted everyone follow these protocols.

They put a conservation easement on the land to ensure its preservation forever.

And finally, slightly more than a decade since discovery, the National Park Service has obtained Werowocomoco.

History is a mighty force that not only defines our past, but also works in unseen ways to shape our future. The great things that took place at Werowocomoco 409 years ago will become freshly important as the nation comes here to see.

A national park. We are so proud to possess one, even in its embryo stage, and so grateful to all who made this happen.