"HAMPTON ROADS" is a condensed version of the original name given by the region’s settlers to the harbor in southeastern Virginia known then as:Southampton's Roadstead.
The term "Hampton" dates from the early 17th century when the first royal governor, Lord de la Ware, named the area in honor of The Earl of Southampton, a major investor of the Virginia Company of London, the financial backers of the Jamestown settlers. And, "Roadstead" is an old English word for a protected harbor.
Some things never change: just as sports stadiums, libraries, and college buildings today are named for major sponsors and donors, so it was then. The third Earl of Southampton, Henry Wriothesley, was not only a Jamestown investor but also a patron of the arts and champion of young William Shakespeare.
"HAMPTON ROADS" refers to the body of water between the Virginia Peninsula (to the North) and Southside, the southern part of southeastern Virginia. It is formed by the confluence of the James, Nansemond and Elizabeth rivers and flows into the Chesapeake Bay whose watershed covers 64,000 square miles and all or part of six states (NY, PA, WV, MD, DE and VA) and DC.
"HAMPTON ROADS" is one of the world’s biggest and deepest natural harbors, the largest in North America, and is home to the world’s largest naval base at Norfolk. “HAMPTON ROADS” has been well known within nautical and maritime communities for centuries.
"HAMPTON ROADS" was widely adopted as the name for the surrounding region in 1984 when two planning districts and Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) merged, placing our region in the nation's top 50.
As a regional moniker, “tidewater” was just too broad. It is a generic term used to describe a coastal plain with rivers that feed a bay or low coastal land that is inundated by water at flood tide. For instance, New Orleans is also a “tidewater.”
There are many “tidewaters” across the nation and the globe, but only ONE "HAMPTON ROADS."
Located in the tidewater of Virginia, we are "HAMPTON ROADS."
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1 comment:
Comment by Reid Greenmun (Blogger ID: http://www.blogger.com/profile/14239185247660230581)
This account/history conveniently omits the aggressive and clandestine role of a hand full of “invitation only” special business interests [removed by editor] in pushing the change from our beloved "Tidewater" name to the much reviled "Hampton Roads" name.
Changing the name of our region should have been decided by all of us that live here, not by some backroom arrangement made by non-elected, self-anointed, co-called "business leaders".The question regarding the name of our region should be placed on the ballot and we should let all of the citizens of Tidewater decide what name WE want for our region. Not some consultant that has a strategy for “mythic transformation" [removed by editor] or an "invitation only" collection of politically influential special interests power brokers that seem to think only their opinions matter.
Editor's Note: In continuing efforts to engage the citizens of Hampton Roads in a positive way, we welcome all commenters, from all perspectives, and encourage opinions and debate. It is not the intent of SmartRegion.org to "manage the message," because is serves the greater good to encourage people to get involved. Trust-building is an important component of civic engagement, for citizens and for elected officials alike.
As per our comment policy, only anonymous comments are not accepted. (i.e. full, actual name and valid email address must be supplied prior to posting) We do, however, reserve the right to remove names and identifying titles that could potentially be defamatory, insulting or offensive in order to maintain the positive, region-building nature of this blog.
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