Northampton County - Created in 1634 as one of eight original Shires under the name of Accawmack. It's name was changed to Northampton in 1642/3. Southernmost of Virginia's two counties that form Virginia's Eastern Shore, it is bounded to the north by Accomack County, VA, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean and to the south and west by the Chesapeake Bay. It's greatest length is 32 miles and mean width, if Atlantic islands are included, about 10 miles. It has about 320 square miles. Population: 1820, 7,705; 1830, 8,644;

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Arlington - Historical home place of the Custis family, on Rt. 13 south of Cape Charles.
	Archeological dig   Photos by Wayne Stith

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Bayford - small community in nw part of county on Elliots Neck at Nassawadox Creek

Bayview - small community in the southern part of the county, near the head of Kings Creek, and east of Capeville.

Belle Haven - small community north of Nassawadox.

  Belle Haven Cemetery  - Click here for the growing section showing photos of Belle Haven Cemetery and the gravestones there.

Belle Haven East Cemetery  -

Birdsnest - small community in northern part of county on Rt 13

Brickhouse Neck - a jut of land on the seaside bounded by Mill Creek and Red Bank Creek, and near Hog Island Bay.

Bridgetown - small community in nw side of county at headwaters of Hungars Creek

Brockenberry Bay - small body of water just north of Mockhorn Bay and south of Ramshorn Bay, on the eastern shore of the county at Oyster.

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Capeville - situated about 12 miles south of Eastville and north of Townsend and south of Seaview. In 1836, its population was 25.
 

Cape Charles - southernmost point of the county

Cape Charles, Town of - situated on the Bayside, the county's largest town. The photograph to the left is of Main Street in 1917. The aerial photograph to the right is contemporary.

 
Cedar Grove - small community in se part of county between Kiptopeake and Townsend, east of RT 13.

Cheapside - small community in sw part of county, west of Rt 13 and due west of Capeville.

Cheriton - small community in middle of county on Rt 13 between Oyster and Cherrystone.

Cherrystone Inlet situated on the nw side of the county, Bay side, abutting Savage Neck, Eyreville Neck, Eyrehall Neck, and Cherrystone. Tributaries include: Old Castle Creek, Eyreville Creek, Eyrehall Creek, and Mill Creek.

Chesapeake - small community in the eastern part of the county between Eyrehall Neck and Brockenbery Bay

Church Neck - a large neck of land on the bayside, nw part of the county, bounded by Hungars Creek, west of Bridgetown.

Cobb Island - large barrier island adjoining the Atlantic and east of Cobb Bay and Ramshorn Bay

Crossroads - a small community in ne part of county, just west of Rt 13.

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Dogwood Neck Plantation - Referred to in early 18th Century deeds, located east of Capeville between Pimino Creek and Purgatory Creek.

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Eastville - situated in the geographic center of the county and serves at the county seat. its population in 1830 was 217.

Elliotts Creek - small creek in sw part of county, Bayside, and south of Old Plantation Creek

Elliotts Neck - a jut of land on the bayside bounded by Church Creek, Nassawadox Creek, and Warehouse Creek, near Bayford.

Exmore - a town on the northern edge of the county on Rt 13, just below the county line
Exmore Baptist Church -  Photo by Wayne Stith	Exmore Coca Cola Plant -  Photo by Wayne Stith
Exmore - The Trawler Restaurant - Site of the Ghotes 2000 Conference. Also, site of some of the best seafood on the Eastern Shore.   Photo by Wayne Stith

Eyre Hall - historic home and grounds located in the middle of the county on the bayside. Click thumbnail to see larger photograph. According to Whitelaw, "...Since the early days of the Eyre ownership the home has been called EYRE HALL. An arrangement sketch of the property on an insurance policy to John Eyre in 1796 shows at the left the larger part with double chimneys, and to the right of it a story-and-a-half wing, as well as a separate brick kitchen. ... The story-and-a-half structure may bave been erected by Littleton Eyre for his first home here. Another policy issued just after 1800 shows that part to have been raised to a full two stories, as in the picture. The date of the large portion is conjectural, but the last quarter of the eighteenth century should be a conservative estimate." (Whitelaw, Vol. 1, pp. 188-191; submitted by Barbara Cox).

Eyrehall Creek - a small creek flowing into Cherrystone Inlet, bounded by Eyrehall Neck.

Eyrehall Neck - a small jut of land on the bayside bounded by Eyrehall Creek and Eyreville Creek, west of Chesapeake.

Eyreville Creek - a small creek flowing into Cherrystone Inlet, bounded by Eyreville Neck.

Eyreville Neck - a jut of land on the bayside bounded by Old Castle Creek and Eyreville Creek, west of Simpkins.

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Fairview - small community in southern part of county, east of Cape Charles.

Fisherman's Island - southernmost island of the county, currently serving as home to Fisherman's Island National Widdlife Refuge and is first landfall for northbound traffic on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

Franktown - small community in nw part of county, w of Rt 13 near Warehouse Creek.

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Great Neck - a small jut of land into the Chesapeake Bay, on the southern end of Church Neck.

Greens Creek - small creek in ne part of county flowing into Machipongo River

The Gulf - creek located on the Bay side, nw side of county separating Old Town Neck and Savage Neck, just west of Eastville.

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Hadlock - a small community in ne part of county on Rt 13 just south of Exmore

Hare Valley - small community in northern part of county on Rt 13 north of Nassawadox

Hog Island - large island located between Atlantic Ocean and Hog Island Bay.

Hog Island Bay - large body of water between Hog Island on the ocean side, Upshur Neck to the north, Ramshorn Bay and Outlet Bay to the south, and the eastern shore of the county, east of Marionville and Nassawadox

Holt Creek - small creek emptying into Ramshorn Bay, near Martins Siding

Holt Neck - a seamarsh island on the seaside adjacent to Ramshorn Bay

Hungar's Creek - large creek on the Bay side, nw part of county, separating Wilsonia Neck and Church Neck. Tributaries include: Jacobus Creek,

Hungars Parish Church -One of the oldest churches on the Eastern Shore, located north of Eastville on the Bayside Road. Current structure dates to Mid 1700s.   
Photo by Ray Griffin

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Indiantown Neck - body of land on the seaside adjacent to Taylor Creek and Ramshorn Bay and due east of the Town of Eastville.

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Jamesville - small community in nw part of county on Occohannock neck

Johnsontown - small community in nw part of county, w of Rt 13 and west of Hungars Creek

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Kendall Grove - small community in ne part of county, east of Rt 13 and north of Indian Town Neck.

Kings Creek - large creek on the Bayside just north of Town of Cape Charles

Kiptopeake - small community in southern most part of county

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Machipongo - small community in ne part of county, e of Rt 13

Machipongo River - separates Northampton and Accomack Counties, flowing into Hog Island Bay

Magothy Bay - Body of water between Smith Island and the sea marshes and the eastern shoreline of the county, east of Capeville, Townsend, and Kiptopeake. Often referred to in old land patents and deeds. Variant spellings include: Magotha,

Marionville - small community in ne part of county, e of Rt 13 and Weirwood.

Martins Siding - small community in ne part of county, e of Rt 13, and near Shadyside.

Mattawoman Creek - located on the Bay side and nw side of county, separating Wilsonia Neck and Old Town Neck.

Mill Creek - creek in ne side of county, emptying into Ramshorn Bay above Webbs Island

Mockhorn Bay - body of water between Mockhorn Island and the sea marshes and the eastern shore of the county, east of Seaview and Oyster, and immediately north of Magothy Bay and Brockenberry Bay.

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Nassawadox Creek - large creek on the Bay side adjoining Occohannock Neck, Wellington Neck, Chruch Neck and Elliotts Neck. Tributaries: Church Creek, Warehouse Creek,

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Oakland Park - small community in ne part of county s of Willis warf on Parting Creek

Old Neck - a small jut of land on the bayside off Occohannock Neck, extreme nw part of county, and bounded by Occohannock Creek.

Old Plantation Creek - large creek on the Bay side, sw part of county, south of Cape Charles

Old Town Neck - a large land mass on the Bayside bounded by Mattawoman Creek and The Gulf, northwest of Eastville.

Occohannock Creek - large creek in nw corner of county separating it from Accomack County, on Bayside.

Occohannock Neck - a large jut of land on the bayside, nw part of county, bounded by the Chesapeake Bay and Nassawadox Creek.

Old Neck - a jut of land off Occohannock neck at Killman Cove on Occohannock Creek

Oyster - small community on the seaside, middle part of county at Mockhorn Bay

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Park Hall Historic Home located in Eastville.

  and Cemetery - 
Photos by Wayne Stith

Parting Creek - in ne part of county, east of Exmore and serves are dividing line between Northampton and Accomack Counties

Pear Valley - supposedly one of the oldest structures on the Shore, ca. 1740s; however, its exact location unkown to this writer. Know where it is? Please email us with details at rgriffin@gamewood.net

Phillips Creek - small creek in ne part of county flowing into Hog Island Bay

Pimeno Creek - a small creek, or cut, on the seaside, se part of county at Capeville, located between Mill Creek (now Andrews Creek) and Pugatory Creek (now Walls Landing Creek).

Poorhouse - built for the county's poor after the Revolution. Current structure is pre-civil war. The section build for the county's Black population is post Civil War. The Slaughter house dates to the mid 1700s. The Kitchen is in what is known as the Powell House, thought to be the oldest house on the Eastern Shore, dating from the ca. 1650s. Located on Rt. 13 North of Eastville. Now home to the Barrier Islands Conservancy.

Poorhouse for whites pre Civil War	Poorhouse for blacks ca 1870s
Poorhouse Slaughterhouse ca mid 1700s	Poorhouse Kitchen aka Powell House ca 1650s
Photos by Ray Griffin

Purgatory Creek - a small creek on the seaside, se part of county at Capeville, located just south of Pimeno Creek, now known as Walls Landing Creek.

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Ramshorn Bay - large body of water just north of Brockenberry Bay, south of Webbs Island, west of Cobb Island and the sea marshes, and on the east side of the county, just east of Indiantown Neck, Holt Neck. The thumbnail photograph is of Ramshorn Chanel. Click the thumbnail for the full size view. Thanks for Olde Ghote Bill Wilkins for this beautiful photograph.

Red Bank - small community ne part of county on Red Bank Creek near Hog Island Bay

Red Bank Baptist Church - the third Baptist Church founded on the Eastern Shore, located at Marionville in northeastern part of the county.
Click here for a brief history of Red Bank Church.
Click here for a news article account of Red Bank Church, 13 Oct 1939 (submitted by olde ghote Dr. Bill Burton)
Click here for the Gravestone Inscriptions, Red Bank Church.
Click the thumbnail map for a detailed area map of the Marionville, Red Bank, and Nassawadox area.
Click the thumbnail sketch of the Church for a full size view of the print.

Red Bank Church  
Photo by Wayne Stith

Red Bank Creek - small creek in ne part of county flowing into Hog Island Bay

Red Bank Landing - located in Red Bank at the water's edge. Built ca. 1841 when the County Commission wanted to build a public landing. The property upon which the landing was built into estimation as well the use of the lands to be laid open for such road as the additional fencing which will thereby be rendered necessary." Submitted by Will Brown. It is further noted that "The landing was made of red brick and small rocks used as ballast. There were no other rocks there and it gave off a red appearance." Submitted by Ruth Williams.

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Savage Neck - a large jut of land on the bayside bounded by the Bay, Cherrystone Inlet, and The Gulf. Savage Neck was the home of the first permanent English settler on the Eastern Shore, Ensign Thomas Savage.

Highway marker Photo by  Millard J. Driscoll

Seaview - small community on the seaside, west of Mockhorn Bay and east side of Rt 13.

Shadyside - small community in nw part of county, w of Rt 13 and east of Wilsonia Neck

Simpkins - small community in the ne part of county, east of Rt 13 and near Taylor Creek.

Sparrow Point - located on Occohannock Neck at Occohannock Creek at Chesapeake Bay

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Taylor Creek - small creek on seaside, emptying into Ramshorn Bay at Indian Town Neck

Townsend - small community se part of county between Cedar Grove and Capeville, east of Rt 13

Treherneville - small community in ne part of county, ne of Johnsontown.

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Upshur Creek - small creek in ne part of county, near Nassawadox, flowing into Machipongo River

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Walls Landing Creek - see Purgatory Creek

Wardtown - small community in nw corner of county on Occohannock neck

Weirwood - small community in ne part of county, e of Rt 13, between Nassadox and Birdsnest.

Wellington Neck - a jut of land on the bayside, in the nw part of the county, bounded by Warehouse Creek and Nassawadox Creek, west of Franktown.

Willis Warf - small community in ne part of county, e of Rt 13 and se of Exmore

Wilsonia Neck - a large mass of land on the bayside bounded by Mattawoman Creek and Hungars Creek.

Woodlawn Historic Home and Thomas Cemetery - located on the Seaside Road south of Exmore. A beautifully restored home dating to the mid 1700s.

Woodlawn House, ca mid 1700s

Thomas Graves at Woodlawn

photos by Ray Griffin

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Submit updates and corrections! This page is constantly under construction: Researchers, family historians and local folks, etc., are requested to submit suggestions for additions and/or corrections to the gazetteer. NOTE: It is critical that those familiar with geographic references provide information if this project is to be truly meaningful and useful to Eastern Shore researchers.

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