Jamestown, a name of first rank among historic names, saw the birth of
English America. Here on an island in the James River in the heart of
tidewater Virginia the English carved a settlement out of the
wilderness. It grew from a rude palisaded fort into a busy community and
then into a small town that enjoyed many of the comforts of daily
living. For 13 years (until 1620) Virginia was the only English colony
on the American mainland. Jamestown served this colony as its place of
origin and as its capital for 92 years--from 1607 to 1699.
After its first century of prominence and leadership, "James Towne"
entered a long decline, precipitated, in 1700, by the removal of the
seat of government to Williamsburg. Its residents drifted away, its
streets grew silent, its buildings decayed, and even its lots and former
public places became cultivated fields. Time passed and much was
forgotten or obscured. So it was when it became a historic area, in
part, in 1893, and when the whole island became devoted to historical
purposes in 1934.
Since these dates, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia
Antiquities and the National Park Service have worked toward the
preservation of all that still exists of old Jamestown, and are
dedicated to learning its story more completely. Thus the American
people can more fully understand and enjoy their historic heritage of
Jamestown. A great deal of study along many lines has been required and
much more is still needed to fill the many gaps. Libraries have been
searched for pictures, documents, and plans. Land records have been
carefully scrutinized and old existing landmarks studied.
Seventeenth-century buildings and objects still surviving in England,
America, and elsewhere have been viewed as well as museum collections. A
key part of the search has been the systematic excavation of the
townsite itself, in order to bring to light the information and objects
long buried there. This is the aspect of the broad Jamestown study that
is told in this publication, particularly as its relates to the material
things, large and small, of daily life in Jamestown in the 17th century.
These valuable objects are a priceless part of the Jamestown that exists
today. Collectively they form one of the finest groups of such early
material that has been assembled anywhere. Although most are broken and
few are intact, they would not be traded for better preserved and more
perfect examples that do exist elsewhere. These things were the property
and the possessions of the men and women who lived, worked, and died at
Jamestown. It was because of these people, who handled and used them in
their daily living, and because of what they accomplished, that
Jamestown is one of our best remembered historic places.
April 6, 1956
CHARLES E. HATCH, JR.
Colonial National Historical Park