Lecture on the Lawn at Arlington Oct. 15th

The Northampton Historic Preservation Society will present a Lecture on the Lawn on Sunday, October 15, at 2:00 p.m. at the site of the Arlington House. The lecture will cover the excavation of the site and the history of the Custis family who lived there.

Guest speaker Nicholas M. Luccketti, Principal Archaeologist for the James River Institute for Archaeology, Inc., will review the 1994 excavation of the Arlington mansion site and contrast it to other archaeological examples of 17th-century houses in Virginia. He will discuss the evidence for English settlement at the site that predated the construction of the Arlington mansion.

Mr. Luccketti will also present an overview of the archaeological work conducted at the Wilsonia Plantation owned by John Custis III and the ongoing excavations at the John Custis IV site in Williamsburg. NHPS Historian David Scott will address the origins of the Custis family and the history of the Arlington Branch of the Custis family.

Directions to the Arlington House and Custis Tomb Site:  From Route 13, turn west at the “Custis Tomb” sign onto Rt. 644, or Arlington Road. (About three miles south of Cape Charles). Arlington Road will turn left at Custis Tomb Road, then keep straight onto Custis Tomb Road (still Rt. 644). Custis Tomb Road will bear right onto Arlington Chase Road. The Arlington site will be straight ahead on the shore of Old Plantation Creek. NHPS “red arrow” signs will be in place to direct you. Please see the NHPS website for further details.