Kempsville

Virginia Beach County · dedicated 2002 · 5200 block of Princess Anne Road, west of Witchduck Road

Originally known as Kemp's Landing, Kempsville is located at the head of the eastern branch of the Elizabeth River. By the middle 1700s, it had become an important port community. Colonial Governor Lord Dunmore's forces fought the Princess Anne County militia at Kemp's landing on 14/15 Nov. 1775 for possession of the strategically important bridge there. After a brief engagement, the militia retreated. Established as a town in 1783, Kempsville served as the county seat of Princess Anne County from 1778 to about 1823. Princess Anne County was consolidated with the City of Virginia Beach in 1963 and the town became part of the city.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

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under a mile from where William Gabby lived in the 1760s

what this marker records spans 1777 to 1789, overlapping William Gabby's years here

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More markers nearby

Skirmish at Kemp's Landingunder 1 mi
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Filipinos in the U.S. Navyunder 1 mi
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