Celebrate the “Year of Henricus”

Celebrate the “Year of Henricus” at Henricus Historical Park in Virginia’s Historic Richmond Region
See the past 400 years come to life with events scheduled Sept. 2010-Sept. 2011

Richmond, Va. (Sept. 7) – Beginning Saturday, Sept. 18, the Richmond Region’s Henricus Historical Park kicks off its 400th anniversary commemoration of the establishment of the Citie of Henricus, the second successful English settlement in the New World. During this year-long celebration, Henricus Historical Park invites visitors to explore life as it was 400 years ago in Colonial Virginia. 

In 1611, Sir Thomas Dale, along with soldiers, tradesmen and farmers, ventured from Jamestown to create the Citie of Henricus. Over time leaders of the settlement developed the first English hospital, chartered the first college in North America, established tobacco as the first cash crop in Virginia, and created the village where Pocahontas lived and married John Rolfe.  

Henricus Historical Park’s Publick Days event will ring in the “The Year of Henricus” Sept. 18-19, 2010. Throughout the weekend, visitors will experience the past with living history re-enactments, military drills and musket firings, craftsmen and blacksmiths, 17th-century medicinal demonstrations, Virginia Indian activities, historical children’s games and crafts, storytelling, food vendors and more. This year, 17th-century ship replica, Phoenix, will be docked at Henricus on both days of the event. The sailing vessel is meticulously detailed for the period and will be on display to the public for the very first time. This free event (parking is $5) will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

The 400th Anniversary events at Henricus Historical Park will continue throughout 2010 and 2011. The following events will take a closer look at the first year of the Citie of Henricus and its impact on our culture today. For more information about all events taking place during “The Year of Henricus,” please visit henricus.org or call (804) 748-1613.  

Pocahontas, Rocke Hall and the Powhatan People, Nov. 6-7, 2010, will concentrate on the life of Virginia Indians during the European first contact period. The event will detail the historic events and cultural overviews of two groups with very different ways of life, living in close proximity. The political climate surrounding the capture, conversion and later marriage of Pocahontas to John Rolfe will be detailed in re-enacted scenarios.

The beginnings of the American educational tradition will come to life March 26-27, 2011 during Henricus Colledge 1619. The first University chartered in North America will be explored through lectures, discussions and exhibits. Highlights of the two-day event will include discussions regarding Sir Thomas Dale, the religious and political questions of the day and the Indian Attack of 1622.

Visitors are invited to learn about the science and technology of 17th-century medical care May 7-8, 2011 during the Mount Malady event. Guests will find out how America’s first hospital developed and implemented medical procedures and practices. Topics to be discussed at the event include the influx of a new work force in Virginia, the challenges these workers faced in their new environment and the science behind the medical treatment of their maladies.

July 23-24, 2011 visitors can learn about early Colonial tobacco during Tobacco-The First Successful Commercial Export event. Guests will hear the story of John Rolfe, the man who introduced Spanish tobacco to mainland America, and explore the lives of indentured servants and the arrival of Africans to the New World who worked the tobacco fields. Guests will also discover how agriculture and trade affected the economics, politics and everyday lives of 17th century Virginians at this two-day event.

To culminate the year-long events, the 400th Anniversary of Henricus will be celebrated with Publick Days and the Godspeed Sept. 17-18, 2011. This special event will feature 100 living history interpreters from around the country portraying both English colonists and native inhabitants of circa 1611 Virginia. Interpreters will occupy the English city, the Indian village Arrohateck, and the Godspeed from Jamestown Settlement at the waterfront, demonstrating the commercial, mechanical, agricultural, domestic, and military skills of both cultures as would have been observed between the years 1611-1622.

More than 400 years of history make the Richmond Region an exciting travel destination. From Colonial and Revolutionary history to the Civil War and Civil Rights, the Region’s history captivates audiences of all ages. Beginning with the early colonial settlements 400 years ago, the Region has been the epicenter of many of America’s major milestones.

For visitors, Richmond Region accommodations run the gamut from historical B&B's to five-star, five diamond hotels. Accommodations such as the Jefferson Hotel, the Linden Row Inn, the Berkeley Hotel, the Omni Richmond, the Sheraton Richmond Park South Hotel and the Holiday Inn Koger Conference Center offer great packages at great values. 


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The Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau (RMCVB), the official destination marketing and tourism organization for the Richmond Region, is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the Region to meeting planners, tour operators and leisure travelers. RMCVB operates three Visitor Centers located at the Greater Richmond Convention Center downtown, the Richmond International Airport and Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Hanover County. 

More than 5.7 million people visit the Richmond Region annually, contributing more than $1.8 billion to the local economy. Tourism generates more than 26,000 jobs in the Richmond Region. For more information, visit www.VisitRichmondVA.com. 

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