Hampton

Colonists from Jamestown settled Hampton on the site of the Native American village of Kecoughtan in 1610, making it one of the oldest continuous English settlements in the United States. It was attacked by pirates in the late 17th century and the notorious English pirate, known as Blackbeard was captured off the coast there. Hampton was shelled during the Revolutionary War, sacked by the British in 1813 and nearly burned to the ground in 1861 by evacuating Confederates who tried to prevent its possession by Union troops.

Some of the most interesting sights in Hampton include Saint John's Episcopal Church, which was originally established in 1610, but later destroyed. The present building dates from 1728. Nearby is a reproduction of a Native American village. Hampton is the seat of Hampton University. The city has a large seafood packing and shipping industry, mostly fish, crabs and oysters, as well as industries that mostly manufacture computers, electronic and transportation equipment, machinery, chemicals and wood products. Not far from Hampton are several military installations including Langley Air Force Base, which was established in 1917 and is the oldest continuously active air force base in the United States and adjacent NASA Langley Research Center, as well as historic Fort Monroe, which was built between 1819 and 1834 to command the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.

There are several hotels and restaurants in Hampton. The city is independent and in no county. Hampton is a port of Hampton Roads at the mouth of the James River in the southeast of Virginia. The city is connected to Norfolk by bridge and tunnel. Hampton is 110 km southwest of Richmond and 215 km south of Washington D.C.