Historic Hampton Roads through penny postcards

Hampton Roads History and Penny Postcard Tour

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Hampton Roads history begins with the founding of our nation. Mariners and shipping interests have known the Hampton Roads harbor for more than 200 years as a safe and secure port. The name dates from the 17th century English Earl of Southampton, Henry Wriothesley. The area was named in his honor by the first royal governor, Lord de la Ware, in the early 1600s.The Hampton Roads region includes the communities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg, and the Counties of Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Southampton, Surry, and York. The James River, Chesapeake Bay and nearby Atlantic Ocean provide abundant water recreation opportunities. Our beach resorts offer some of the finest fishing, sun bathing and other amenities available on the East coast. The regional communities and historic neighborhoods offer a comfortable lifestyle. Waterfront homes are surprisingly affordable and there are several golf club communities also.

Hampton Roads history from the people who created it. Can you think of a better way to learn history than from the people who experienced it? Inside you will find a penny postcard tour of our region. The penny postcards provide a visitor's perspective about our region. Like the telephone, interstate highways, or e-mail of today, postcards were used frequently to "drop a line" to someone at home during the "penny postcard" era. Select a link to enter Historic Hampton Roads.