Welcome to Urbanna
by Larry S. Chowning
The Town of Urbanna was created on paper by the British Act of Cohabitation in 1680 in an effort by the English to establish towns, centers of commerce and appropriate locations for custom houses to regulate a growing tobacco trade in the Virginia colony.
Throughout the town’s history, Urbanna Creek’s deep-water harbor has fueled the local economy. From its conception, the town lived off the tobacco trade until the custom house was closed by the state in the 1830s.
In colonial days, British ships off-loaded goods and supplies at the port of Urbanna in March of each year. The ships were then loaded with hogsheads of tobacco to make the ocean voyage home.
The town was named Urbanna in 1704 and was named for Queen Anne of England. The community flourished in the mid-1700s and was made the county seat of Middlesex in 1748.
Since then the town has had a fluctuating economy. Its low came in 1852 when the county courthouse was moved to Saluda. Another economic boom high occurred in the 1940s and 50s when the Rappahannock River oyster trade filled pockets of area citizens.
Urbanna is known statewide for the Urbanna Oyster Festival, a tribute to the history and impact the Rappahannock River oyster made on the community and the local economy. The festival is the “official oyster festival” of the State of Virginia.
Every year on the first Friday and Saturday in November, the Oyster Festival defines the end of the tourist season in town with a huge celebration that brings 60,000-plus people to town over the weekend.
Year around, many people visit Urbanna by boat as the town has a modern town dock and marina facility on Urbanna Creek. Just a short walk up the hill on Virginia Street are the town’s shops and restaurants. It’s one of the few towns on the Chesapeake Bay that has mooring and shopping in such close proximity to one another.
From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the town has a trolley that carries passengers throughout town and to and from Bethpage Camp-Resort, which is within a half-mile of town limits.
Urbanna has a variety of eateries and shops, some located in 19th-century buildings. The oldest retail store in Middlesex County, R.S. Bristow Store, which was established in 1876, still operates on the corner of Cross and Virginia streets.
The walk through town is like stepping back in time. Virginia Street and Prince George Street were the main roads when the town was laid out in the early 1700s and there are homes and tidbits of history left behind from those days.
Lansdowne, a large brick mansion once owned by the American patriot Arthur Lee, stands right in the center of town. The old Custom House and the historic Tobacco Warehouse, which now houses the town visitor’s center, are across the road from each other on Virginia Street.
The Old Tavern on Prince George Street still stands and was the main ordinary in town when people came from far and wide to attend court days in Middlesex County. The colonial courthouse building still stands on Virginia Street and now houses the Middlesex Woman’s Club.
There are two public parks in town. Taber Park on Rappahannock Avenue has a playground, tennis courts, a large grassy area and the town swimming pool. The town’s farmers’ markets and outdoor concert series are held in Taber Park each summer.
Waterman’s Park is at the end of Colorado Avenue and overlooks the Rappahannock River. The park has a picnic table for public use.
The Urbanna Branch of the Middlesex County Public Library is on Grace Street.
The Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department and Central Middlesex Volunteer Rescue Squad are both in Urbanna.
The town is home to Middlesex County’s only newspaper, the weekly Southside Sentinel, which was established in 1896.
In addition to a variety of restaurants and retail shops, there are several marinas, a grocery store, an ABC store, two banks, three churches, a post office, a drug store, real estate offices, art galleries, a gas station, bed and breakfasts, a motel, and other service businesses within walking distance of each other.
There are no fast food restaurants or stoplights.
Urbanna is truly a Tidewater Virginia treasure that can be found by either water or highway, and is a piece of Americana like no other.
- Thursday, November 4—Education Day at the Waterfront at the 53rd annual Urbanna Oyster Festival.
- Friday, November 5—Historical and environmental displays at the waterfront, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Friday, November 5—Urbanna Oyster Festival begins at 10 a.m.
- Friday, November 5—Crowning of the Urbanna Oyster Festival Queen and Little Miss Spat, 4 p.m. in Taber Park.
- Friday, November 5—Urbanna Fireman’s Parade, 7 p.m.
- Friday, November 5—Urbanna Fireman’s Dance behind firehouse with music by “The Janitors,” 8 p.m.-midnight.
- Saturday, November 6—Urbanna Oyster Festival, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Saturday, November 6—Virginia Oyster Shucking Contest behind Urbanna Firehouse, 11 a.m.
- Saturday, November 6—Oyster Festival Parade, 2 p.m.
- Friday, December 3—Food served at Urbanna Firehouse as part of Urbanna Christmas Parade activities, 5-8 p.m.
- Friday, December 3—Illumination of Urbanna Honor/Memory Tree at Urbanna Firehouse, 6 p.m.
- Friday, December 3—Urbanna Christmas Parade sponsored by the Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department, 7 p.m.
- Friday, December 3—Children visit and have photos taken with Santa at Urbanna Firehouse, 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, December 4—Historic Urbanna Holiday Homes Tour, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Visit five waterfront homes, an 18th century residence and a festive tablescapes exhibit at the Middlesex Woman’s Club. Tour-goers will receive a gift bag of coupons to cash in at Urbanna shops and restaurants, parking and transportation. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 on tour day and go on sale November 1. Proceeds benefit Town of Urbanna beautification projects. Visit http://www.facebook.com/UrbannaHouseTour for more details.
