Cape Henry Memorial

Address:Yorktown, Virginia
Tel: (757) 898-2410

The beginnings of English settlement in North America are commemorated through monuments and self-education at the Cape Henry Memorial near Virginia Beach, Virginia. The quarter-acre memorial marks the site of the first British landing, which eventually developed into the English conquest of North America. The memorial offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the significance of the site, climb to the top of the lighthouse, or simply enjoy the scenery.

In April 1607, British colonists landed at and named Cape Henry. To commemorate their landfall, these early colonists set up a cross before proceeding up the James River towards the future site of Jamestown. In 1781, during the American Revolution, the Battle of the Virginia Capes was fought nearby, with the French navy successfully preventing the British from reinforcing General Cornwallis and helping to ensure an American victory at Yorktown. In 1935, the Daughters of the American Colonists set up a stone cross to commemorate the site of the landing. The memorial marks the First Landing, the very beginning of what would become British North America and subsequently Anglo Canada and the United States of America.

Visitors to the Cape Henry Memorial can enjoy the history of the site in a variety of ways. The cross commemorates the site where the original wooden cross was erected in 1607. A statue of Admiral Comte de Grasse at the site memorializes the admiral who led the French fleet to victory against the British in 1781. The three-way interpretive panel at memorial helps explain the importance of the site throughout the modern history of North America. The lighthouses at Cape Henry, though not officially part of the Cape Henry Memorial, have overseen much of American history since the first lighthouse was constructed in 1791. After a self-guided tour of the Cape Henry Memorial, visitors can find plenty of restaurants in modern Virginia Beach, including fast food, health food, and Chinese cuisine.

To get to the Cape Henry Memorial, take I-64 to U.S. 13, and take Route 60 South, then turn north onto Atlantic Avenue and enter through Gate 1 of the Fort Story Military Reservation.