National Register of Historic Places

Fort Christanna

Lawrenceville, Brunswick County, Virginia
Listed
July 15, 1980
Type
District
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
80004175

About this property

Fort Christanna was one of the projects of Lt. Governor Alexander Spotswood, who was governor of the Virginia Colony 1710–1722. When Fort Christanna opened in 1714, Capt. Robert Hicks was named captain of the fort and relocated his family to the area. His homestead Hicks' Ford is located near the municipality of Emporia in Greensville County, VA. The fort was designed to offer protection and schooling to the many allied tribes living to the southwest of the colonized area of Virginia. Located in what became Brunswick County, Virginia, near Gholsonville, the fort was completed in 1714 and enjoyed three successful years of operation as the westernmost outpost of the British Empire at the time, before being finally closed by the House of Burgesses in 1718. However, the many resident tribes such as the Tutelo and Saponi continued to live on the allotted land, 6 miles square (36 sq. mi), into the 1730s and 1740s. It is now a Brunswick County park, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Location

Lawrenceville, Brunswick County, Virginia

Categories

PREHISTORICHISTORIC - ABORIGINALCOMMERCEHISTORIC - NON-ABORIGINALMILITARYEDUCATIONEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTARCHITECTURERELIGION
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Fort Christanna

This page lists Fort Christanna. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Fort Christanna report
Or see a real report first

Questions about this property

When was Fort Christanna listed on the National Register?

Fort Christanna was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 15, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Fort Christanna?

Fort Christanna is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Fort Christanna?

The period of significance for Fort Christanna is recorded as the early_republic era.

Can I research the history near Fort Christanna?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Fort Christanna will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Brunswick County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Brunswick County.

Explore BrunswickCounty ›

More historic places in Virginia

Browse all historic places in Virginia.

View Virginiahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Virginia history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Virginiahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Fort Christanna will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report