Essex County:
Nestled in the middle of the southern part of Virginia, Essex County was established in 1692 from the old Rappahannock County. In the 1600s Jacob Hobbs established a trading post in the county area. To learn more about the history of the county, take the Historic Town Walking Tour that will take you all the way back to the 17th century. You can see buildings like Scots Arms Tavern, dating back to 1680, all the way to the Old Clerk’s office, which dates back to 1808. All of these are within three blocks of one another in downtown making it an adventure you just can’t afford to miss.
Essex County is a county located in the Middle Peninsula in the U.S. state of Virginia; the peninsula is bordered by the Rappahannock River on the north and King and Queen County on the south. As of the 2010 census, the population was 11,151. Its county seat is Tappahannock.
Essex County was established in 1692 from the old Rappahannock County, Virginia (not to be confused with the present-day Rappahannock County, Virginia). The county is named for either the shire or county in England, or for the Earl of Essex.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 286 square miles (740 km2), of which 257 square miles (670 km2) is land and 29 square miles (75 km2) (10.1%) is water.[3] Its main town, Tappahannock, is focused at the Rappahannock River.
Found only 100 miles south of DC and 95 miles north of Norfolk, it is the perfect mix of everything you could want. Boating and fishing are regular parts of everyday life here with a rural and relaxing atmosphere to bask in. Little league for the kids, golfing for dad, and so more including horseback riding. The public parks, such as Tappohanock and Marsh Street Park, offer locations for the family to come together and play. Rappahannock means “rise and fall” of the water and Rappahannock River Cruises are offered Tuesdays through Sundays in the months from May to October for those interested in that water experience. Essex is the place you’ll come to visit and make your home.
County Public Schools system:
Tappahannock Elementary School (Grades PK – 4th)Essex Intermediate School (Grades 5th – 8th)
Essex High School (Grades 9th – 12th)
Other schools located in Essex County include:
St Margaret’s School (Grades 8th – 12th, girls only)
Tappahannock Junior Academy (Grades K – 10th)
Aylett Country Day School (Grades PK – 8th)
Notable persons form Essex County:
Chris Brown, Grammy Award-winning R&B pop star, actor, songwriter, dancer
Lorenzo Bundy, Major League Baseball coach
Bill Dennis, NASCAR driver, Winston Cup Rookie of the Year, 1970
Darryl Hammond, Arena Football Hall of Fame member
Audrey Long, actress, attended school in Tappahannock
William “Bill” Moore, blues artist[20]
Stacy Tutt, former New York Jets running back[21]
Tappahannock:
Located on the Rappahannock River, Tappahannock is the county seat of Essex County. Its name comes from an Algonquian language word lappihanne (also noted as toppehannock), meaning “Town on the rise and fall of water” or “where the tide ebbs and flows.” In 1608 John Smith landed in Tappahannock and fought with the local Rappahannock tribe. After defeating them, he later made peace.
In 1682 a local man, Jacob Hobbs, established a trading post in the now extinct Rappahannock County (in the vicinity of present-day Tappahannock). This area became known as “Hobbs Hole”. The town comprised 50 acres (20 ha) divided into half-acre squares. The port was established at Hobbs Hole and called “New Plymouth”, later changed back to the Native American name “Tappahannock”. As part of the Tobacco Inspection Act of 1730 public warehouses for inspection and exportation of tobacco were established at Hobbs Hole.
The Tappahannock Historic District and Sabine Hall are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Tappahannock is older than Richmond, Fredericksburg and even Williamsburg. Captain John Smith landed here in 1608, but was driven back to his ship by the local Indians. Tappahannock (“Tappahannocke”) is an Indian name meaning “on the rise and fall of water.” Rappahannock, the name of the river, means “rise and fall of water.” In the early 1600’s, Jacob Hobbs established a waterhouse and trading post here and this area was known as “Hobbs His Hole” and later, for a short time, “New Plymouth.” England desired to establish a port of entry in each county and Benjamin Goodrich sold the crown 50 acres of land for the town site. Today, thirteen homes and buildings are included in Tappahannock’s Historic Landmark District.
The Farmers’ Market is one of the top requested services that the Tappahannock Main Street Program could help to provide. We believe the Farmers’ Market will provide an important gathering of the community and fulfill a mandate to create events that encourage consumers and investors to live, work, shop in and enjoy our traditional historic district. These events will improve consumer and investor confidence in the town and offer an opportunity to highlight unique charm of Tappahannock and forge a positive image in the region.
The Tappahannock Main Street Program, the Town of Tappahannock and Essex County have planned a series of monthly Farmers’ Markets to be located in historic downtown Tappahannock. The markets will be held from 9-1 pm on the third Saturday of each month starting April and running through November.
The Markets feature: vegetables and fruits; meats, cheese and seafood; bread and baked goods; garden plants, flowers and accessories; homemade crafts and fine arts; local wineries wine tasting area; and an assortment of restaurant and food vendors, as well as, music by local performers and featured guest artists.
Started in 2010, the Markets are located on Cross Street, on Fountain Green, and have expanded into the Courthouse Green, in historic downtown Tappahannock. The dates are on the calendar on the web site.
If you live in town and surrounding county please join us on market days to help make this venture a success and put some energy and innovation into our community. Please make a note of the date and join us either as a Vendor or as a Visitor! Better still think about joining our volunteer farmers’ market group and become a founding member of this enterprise!
The Tappahannock Main Street Program is a grass roots community effort initiated by local citizens, business and property owners, and members of civic groups, to promote the revitalization and historic preservation of downtown Tappahannock.
