The second public meeting on the proposed designation of Gwynn’s Island as a historic district will be held at 6 o’clock tonight, Thursday, Aug. 17, at the Gwynn’s Island Civic Center at 1996 Old Ferry Road.

A handout prepared by Marc Wagner of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources provides facts about the island and answers to some questions that were raised at a recent Gwynn’s Island Civic League meeting.

Wagner noted that the Gwynn’s Island Historic District would cover history from early colonial settlement to the Revolutionary War, as well as the island’s boat building and waterman heritage, among other things. He emphasized that not every community is eligible for historic designation and that being listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places “is a tremendous honor for a community.”

“It’s a patriotic recognition that a community or large area represents significant history in the commonwealth,” he said.

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