The Tale of Two Gloucesters

My hometown of Gloucester Massachusetts is one of America's oldest settlements and is considered its oldest seaport, with fishing operations beginning in the year 1623. Thousands of its men have been lost at sea in the fishing trade in order to supply the world with codfish while great men like Longfellow and Kipling used the town as a backdrop for their works. Visitors will quickly notice that its history is well established and visible all around you. From the historic houses of Middle Street and the West End, to the cannons at Stage Fort Park to the empty cellar holes on the moors of Dogtown, Gloucester's past can be found everywhere. So imagine my surprise when planning for a trip to Virginia's Historic Triangle that I stumbled across another historic Gloucester, a short drive from Yorktown on scenic Route 17. It did not take much to convince my wife, also a history buff, that this could be an exciting side trip.

What would we find in Gloucester Virginia? Friends and relatives who visited the area told us not to expect much but we both felt the need to discover on our own. Before leaving for our trip, I did some research and learned that Gloucester, Virginia is almost as old as my hometown, dating to the 1650's. I also learned that Gloucester Point, a few miles south on the York River played a prominent role in the battle of Yorktown. But what else was there? How much is left? And what of its people? Do they have the same pride that my city seems to evoke, the same die-hard dedication? Does anyone leave or do they never "leave the bridge" like Gloucester, MA? Well the two of us did not get the chance to have all of these questions answered on our first trip, but we did have fun discovering the town and as always, there were a few surprises as well.

The first difference we noticed as we drove north on Route 17 from Yorktown is that Gloucester, Virginia is a county, not just a town. What could be called the town center, Gloucester Courthouse is the county seat set amid the area's tidy little historic district. As we entered the historic district, we found it a little funny that most of Gloucester's old buildings are located on a small roundabout, what we up in Massachusetts call a rotary. What made this so funny to us is that we too have a rotary built upon our ancient Town Green in Gloucester, MA but ours has no sign of historical significance, just the rush of cars and trucks arriving off Route 128. In fact, our Gloucester moved the historic houses of our Green to make way for the highway back in the 1950's. One of these, a Saltbox house that once served as our tavern (also known as an Ordinary)was moved and until recently, forgotten.

Contrast this to Gloucester, Virginia where one can find six historic court buildings, one of the oldest Masonic Lodges in the country as well as an historic brick tavern that now serves as the Gloucester Museum of History. At an early date the residents of Gloucester, MA moved the center of town away from our Green and from then on, the Harbor became the focus. Today visitors to our hometown can see plenty of our history there, but it is indeed sad that the 17^th Century part of our hometown is nothing more than a traffic circle.

As we walked along the historic district of Gloucester, Virginia we took in the old courthouse - one of the oldest still in use, the debtors prison, the clerks office and the fine old brick buildings along Lawyers Row. The Masonic lodge is actually slightly older than our town's lodge and is housed in a much more appropriate-looking building. While the Tyrean Masonic Lodge of my hometown is of historic importance -Paul Revere signed the charter into existence- the building they use is by no means historic. Gloucester, Virginia's lodge looks as one would expect a Masonic lodge to look.

During this short visit, we did not get a chance to meet any life-long residents of Gloucester. However, the friendly old gentleman by the name of Ed Drechsel from the visitors center who showed us around the historic district was a great guide and made sure we left with plenty of pamphlets on local history. What surprised us most was that he was not originally from Gloucester, Virginia, but from our neck of the woods - Worcester, Massachusetts! Yet another Northern transplant we met here in friendly Virginia. Regardless of where he was from, the man knew his local history and told us many fun facts about the area. What was by far the most amazing piece of history he taught us was that Gloucester, Virginia is believed to be the site of Werowocomoco, capital of the powerful Indian Chief Powhatan. If legends can be trusted, it was close by that the imprisoned Captain John Smith was spared at the behest of Powhatan's daughter Pocahontas.

Of course, we were not only interested in the history of this other Gloucester; we wanted to know what the place is like today. Again Mr. Drechsel filled us in, letting us know of their popular Daffodil Festival in March, the History and Adventure trails, the excellent camping, canoing and fishing close by, the beach at Gloucester Point and of course, where to eat. Unfortunately, our schedule only allowed for one of his suggestions and so we hit his recommended lunch spot: Olivia's, just a short walk from the historic district, next to the volunteer fire department. Besides getting a kick out of eating in another town named Gloucester, in a restaurant with the same name as my youngest sister, we both really enjoyed this local eatery. It was busy with visitors and locals, a great friendly staff that were having a lot of fun, and a fried oyster sandwich that had perfectly light breading and homemade tartar sauce. Portions were large too, we could have split my wife's open-faced tuna melt and prices were very reasonable for lunch.

As we left Gloucester county heading North on Route 17 we both had the feeling that we should return. There was much more to see and do besides visiting the Courthouse and the historic district, especially for history lovers and outdoors people. The two of us have already vowed to return to the Historic Triangle area since we left plenty to do on future trips and even though Gloucester County is across the river it is definitely worth visiting. While growing up in Gloucester, MA I was always amazed at how many people come as visitors only to become residents after a few visits. Well, after experiencing some of that Virginia charm, its colorful history and beautiful scenery, my wife and I may be spending a little more time in this other Gloucester.