The history of the property now known as the Berkeley Plantation begins back in 1619, only 12 years after the establishment of Jamestown. A small group of European explorers would land at a tranquil spot on the banks of the James River and dubbed the land Berkeley Hundred, after a noble family from England. The men, led by Captain John Woodlief, were eager to establish the area as a new settlement. As they took to shore, Woodlief would lead his men in a religious service to give thanks “to Almighty…
