Elyse Werling

The legacy of colonialism in the United States is strong. It has come in many different shapes and sizes, documented in our past and felt in our present. We must learn to talk about it. English colonialism in the Americas started here on the shores of Cape Henry. Landing on this beach, the English colonists invaded a territory that had been home to Native peoples such as Chesapeake and Nansemond for centuries.

At Bacon’s Castle, we are lucky to have a wealth of primary sources available for our interpreters to explore. The Hankins family owned Bacon’s Castle in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and were great curators of family history. There are about 200 Hankins Family letters cataloged in archives today, and most are held by the VMHC (Virginia Museum of History & Culture).

Mary Willis Ambler Marshall-–known as “Polly” to her family—was born on March 18, 1766 to Jacquelin Ambler and Rebecca Burwell Ambler. Polly’s early years were characterized by her upbringing in a prominent Tidewater family, and by the impacts of the American Revolution. By age 14, Polly’s father was targeted by the British army and her family spent two weeks fleeing the redcoats.

Since 2022, Preservation Virginia has partnered with the College of William & Mary’s Woody Intern program to facilitate a summer internship. In 2024, Faith Page was selected to work with Preservation Virginia’s Director of Interpretation and Collections, Elyse Werling, to further our research on the 19th and 20th century history of Smith’s Fort.