Windsor Castle Farm
About this property
Windsor Castle is a former plantation and now a public park in Smithfield, Virginia, United States. It is located in the Smithfield Historic District. The plantation dates to a land grant of 1,450 acres (590 ha) by the King of England to Arthur Smith in 1637. Arthur Smith's great grandson, Arthur Smith IV, established the town of Smithfield in 1750. The first recorded use of the name "Windsor Castle" dates from 1884. In 2005, real estate developer Lewis McMurran obtained an option to purchase Windsor Castle for $2.2 million. The agreement included a historic easement around the manor house. McMurran proposed to build a 445-unit "New Urbanism" development on the property outside the historic easement. The proposal was withdrawn amidst strong opposition from town residents. In 2007, Joseph W. Luter III donated $5 million to the town for the purchase and development of Windsor Castle as a park. Lewis McMurran then executed his option to purchase the property. The town council voted to pursue the use of eminent domain to obtain the property. In 2009, an out-of-court agreement was negotiated for the town to purchase the property outside the historic easement for $3.8 million and for McMurran to donate to the town the property within the historic easement. The manor house and surrounding 208 acres (84 ha) were dedicated as a public park in 2010. The 46 acres (190,000 m2) immediately surrounding the manor house are protected by a historic easement controlled by the state of Virginia. The park was formally opened during a ceremony officiated by the Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell on May 22, 2010. The park was designed by Mr. Lawrence Pitt and features hiking trails, a dog park, a mountain bike trail, a fishing pier, and a canoe/kayak launch. The manor house overlooks the junction of Cypress Creek and the Pagan River. The King of All Places manor house (circa 1806) can be seen across Cypress Creek from the Windsor Castle property. On April 2, 2013, it was reported in the Virginian-Pilot that the Smithfield Town Council has leased five acres at Windsor Castle Park to Smithfield Winery LLC to establish a vineyard for a small-production winery. The vineyard operation was terminated in 2019. Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight County, Virginia, by John Bennett Boddie, Heritage Books, 1993. Google Books - Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight County, Virginia
Location
Categories
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.
Everything a full report reveals about Windsor Castle Farm
This page lists Windsor Castle Farm. 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:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Nearby Battles
Questions about this property
When was Windsor Castle Farm listed on the National Register?
Windsor Castle Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 1, 2000.
What type of historic resource is Windsor Castle Farm?
Windsor Castle Farm is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Windsor Castle Farm?
The period of significance for Windsor Castle Farm is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Windsor Castle Farm?
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 Windsor Castle Farm will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Isle Of Wight County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Isle Of Wight County.
Explore Isle Of WightCounty ›More historic places in Virginia
Browse all historic places in Virginia.
View Virginiahistoric sites ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Windsor Castle Farm will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.