Chippokes Plantation State Park

Welcome to one of the oldest operating farms in the United States, Chippokes Plantation State Park. This is a living history museum located on the banks of the James River in Surry Virginia. Aside from being a place of history, the park also boasts multipurpose trails, a visitor center, a swimming pool, and picnic areas.

Park History. The first record of ownership for this land was for a Captain William Powell who was granted 550 acres in 1619. In 1646 it was owned by a Colonel Henry Bishop who increased the holdings to over 1,400 acres. In 1845 the parks mansion was built by Albert Carroll Jones. This land was one of the few legal distilleries in the commonwealth and it is said that it survived the Civil War because Jones sold his brandies to soldiers of both armies. In 1918 the plantation was purchased by Thornton Jeffress of Rochester, New York and V.W Stewart of Wilson, North Carolina. The Stewart's put much effort into restoring the property and compiling a detailed history. When Mr. Stewart passed away his widow donated the property to the State of Virginia in memory of him in 1967 and a decade later in 1977 the state legislature created the Chippokes Plantation Farm Foundation to maintain the property. Come on out and have a blast!

The park has 32 developed campsites as well as cabins for overnight stays. To contact the park office please call 757-294-3728.