National Register of Historic Places

Yorktown Wrecks

Yorktown, York County, Virginia
Listed
October 8, 1973
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
73002069

About this property

The Yorktown Wrecks is an expansive archaeologically sensitive area of Virginia's York River, in whose waters significant naval remnants of the American Revolutionary War are located. As a result of surveys conducted in the 1970s, at least ten sunken vessels sunken or scuttled around the time of the 1781 Siege of Yorktown have been identified. In the days preceding the siege, American and French naval forces sank a number of British vessels off Yorktown, and General Charles Cornwallis ordered the scuttling of other ships. At the end of the siege and the British surrender, at least twenty-six British vessels were unaccounted for, and are believed to lie in the York River. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973; it was the first underwater listing on the register.

Location

Yorktown, York County, Virginia

Categories

HISTORIC - NON-ABORIGINALMILITARYMARITIME HISTORY
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.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
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The Community
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Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Points of Interest
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Timeline
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Questions about this property

When was Yorktown Wrecks listed on the National Register?

Yorktown Wrecks was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 8, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Yorktown Wrecks?

Yorktown Wrecks is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Yorktown Wrecks?

The period of significance for Yorktown Wrecks is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Yorktown Wrecks?

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