Early History of Suffolk

Early History of Suffolk is a Virginia historical marker in Suffolk County, dedicated 1998.

North Main Street, just south of the Nansemond River

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A community developed here in the 1720s around John Constant's wharf, dwelling, and tobacco warehouse. The Virginia House of Burgesses chartered the town of Suffolk in 1742. It was incorporated as a town in 1808 and as a city in 1910; in 1974 it merged with Nansemond County. American troops occupied Suffolk during the Revolutionary War and a British force burned it on 13 May 1779. The Marquis de Lafayette visited the town in February 1825 during his American tour. Union forces held Suffolk for most of the Civil War. The town suffered disastrous fires in 1837, 1885, and 1888 but was quickly rebuilt each time.

Maps this old were drawn largely by eye, so places on them can sit miles from where they really are. The pin is ours and marks the marker's location today.

TodayHistorical map

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Historical maps covering this location

1708 · Carte Particuliere de Virginie, Maryland, Pennsilvanie. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1746 · A Map of the British Empire in America. (Sheet 10). (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1755 · Virginie, Maryland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1795 · North-Carolina. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1919 · Suffolk, Virginia (USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection)

A Map of the British Empire in America. (Sheet 10), 1746, covering the location of Early History of Suffolk, with a pin at the marker's coordinates — A Map of the British Empire in America. (Sheet 10), 1746, covering this location. David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries. The pin is ours, placed from the marker's coordinates.

Example

For example, one family's tree showed the Articles of Confederation marker in Pennsylvania standing under a mile from where William Gabby lived in the 1760s.

What that marker records spans 1777 to 1789, overlapping William Gabby's years there.

From one family's 77-marker roster

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The marker isn't at this spotOur pin may be off. If you know where it stands, tell us.I couldn't find the markerWe record what the source recorded. We have not been to look.The sign reads differentlyThat would be an error, and we can pass it to the program.The historical map looks wrongThe period map behind the pin, not the marker itself.Something else

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Marker program managed by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

More markers nearby

First Suffolk Churchunder 1 mi
Oak Lawn Cemeteryunder 1 mi
Siege of Suffolkunder 1 mi
Booker T. Washington High Schoolunder 1 mi