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Small Town America ~Comments on the new ‘Onancock’ page
AND, it was raining - AGAIN!
Onancock is a nice quiet town, one of the nicest on the Shore. It’s citizens are also some of the highest taxed on the Shore - it’s not that nice! It’s also one of the largest towns. I have been given to understand that its water treatment plant could use some work.
The Natives called the peaceful creek and its immediate land area, Onancock - 'the place of Fog'. The Natives didn’t realize just how foggy it would get for them. It was originally called Port Scarburgh - named for Charles Scarburgh who donated the land (guess you could say the Natives ‘donated’ it first). One must remember that Charles was the son of Edmund, the Native slayer. Lot of blood on the land around Onancock.
The wharf is 300+ years old and lookin’ good. Pretty well maintained. Some visitor traffic in and out. It’s peaceful and quiet on the wharf. The only crime here seems to be the condition of a Virginia Historic Landmark, Hopkins and Brothers Store. It’s been where it is since the ‘60s. It was moved from just around the corner where it had been since the middle 1800s. It has served as a store and it was a restaurant when I came here 20 years. Some other business is there now,
but the building’s a disgrace! I guess its upkeep is low on the list of priorities. But a new roof would at least stave off disaster.
Lot of old homes in Onancock, dating from way, way back. One of the more noteworthy is Scott Hall. I’m not sure how old, maybe from around 1780. I won’t tell which one it is. I don’t want to be the cause of their door being knocked at more often. It has trap doors, ‘hidy’ holes and is purported to be haunted. Gotta love history. The early (1800) brick one in the photos is Kerr Place. AND as anyone in Onancock will tell you, that’s CAR Place - the auto, not the dog! A bunch of folks are working hard to fix up the old homes here just like in Cape Charles. And like there - it’s not easy, nor is it cheap. Hats off to these people.
One of the quintessential ‘small town’ places in Onancock is the little park a couple of blocks from the wharf. It feels like chautauquas and summer evenings. Rumor has it that somewhere in the park is buried a revolutionary flag. I can not attest to the truth of this and, indeed, have to wonder at its condition after all this time. I really do like this little island in the present with its flavor of the past. But higher taxes? I dunno.
Onancock has a theater group called the North Street Players and it has a movie theater that is only open on weekends. Good for them!.
There is not enough room to do Onancock on one page. I’ve just hit the downtown area. It has quiet tree lined streets that I didn’t photograph. It seems like a nice place to live, but bring money.
I’m tired talkin’ now. The rest you can see for yourselves.
Onancock is a nice quiet town, one of the nicest on the Shore. It’s citizens are also some of the highest taxed on the Shore - it’s not that nice! It’s also one of the largest towns. I have been given to understand that its water treatment plant could use some work.
The Natives called the peaceful creek and its immediate land area, Onancock - 'the place of Fog'. The Natives didn’t realize just how foggy it would get for them. It was originally called Port Scarburgh - named for Charles Scarburgh who donated the land (guess you could say the Natives ‘donated’ it first). One must remember that Charles was the son of Edmund, the Native slayer. Lot of blood on the land around Onancock.
The wharf is 300+ years old and lookin’ good. Pretty well maintained. Some visitor traffic in and out. It’s peaceful and quiet on the wharf. The only crime here seems to be the condition of a Virginia Historic Landmark, Hopkins and Brothers Store. It’s been where it is since the ‘60s. It was moved from just around the corner where it had been since the middle 1800s. It has served as a store and it was a restaurant when I came here 20 years. Some other business is there now,
but the building’s a disgrace! I guess its upkeep is low on the list of priorities. But a new roof would at least stave off disaster.
Lot of old homes in Onancock, dating from way, way back. One of the more noteworthy is Scott Hall. I’m not sure how old, maybe from around 1780. I won’t tell which one it is. I don’t want to be the cause of their door being knocked at more often. It has trap doors, ‘hidy’ holes and is purported to be haunted. Gotta love history. The early (1800) brick one in the photos is Kerr Place. AND as anyone in Onancock will tell you, that’s CAR Place - the auto, not the dog! A bunch of folks are working hard to fix up the old homes here just like in Cape Charles. And like there - it’s not easy, nor is it cheap. Hats off to these people.
One of the quintessential ‘small town’ places in Onancock is the little park a couple of blocks from the wharf. It feels like chautauquas and summer evenings. Rumor has it that somewhere in the park is buried a revolutionary flag. I can not attest to the truth of this and, indeed, have to wonder at its condition after all this time. I really do like this little island in the present with its flavor of the past. But higher taxes? I dunno.
Onancock has a theater group called the North Street Players and it has a movie theater that is only open on weekends. Good for them!.
There is not enough room to do Onancock on one page. I’ve just hit the downtown area. It has quiet tree lined streets that I didn’t photograph. It seems like a nice place to live, but bring money.
I’m tired talkin’ now. The rest you can see for yourselves.
posted by Shore Towns folk at
8:55 PM
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