These five areas share a rich history connected by the Rappahannock River, which linked their vibrant and vital ports. King George County's Port Conway and Caroline County's Port Royal faced each other across the river. Twenty miles upriver, the port at Fredericksburg was Spotsylvania County's shipping hub and just across the river was Falmouth, the port for King George County and Stafford County.

History books fully document Virginia’s famous sons and battlefields, but the founders of the Heritage Center believed that our area’s grass-roots history was being lost. So they began collecting all types of historical documents from the area, from family correspondence and diaries to birth, marriage, genealogy records and local court cases. An amazing array of documents are being preserved and the information entered into a world-class database that can be searched from this website.

So take a few minutes to delve a bit into the fascinating local history of our region. Whether you have roots in the area or are just a student of Virginia history, you’ll find there is much to learn by searching our website or paying a visit to our archives, where you can see the original documents for yourself.