Fort Extension and Blockhouse Historical Marker

In 1608, the Jamestown fort, established one year earlier in 1607, was expanded eastward from its original triangular configuration into a larger enclosure. The expanded fort included the colony’s domestic living spaces and gardens within its new five-pointed design. In 1617, a timber-framed church was also added to the enclosure. The east-facing corner of the fort was protected by a two-story blockhouse, a defensive structure that marked the fort’s expansion into what would eventually become "New Towne." The blockhouse may also have been used as a refuge during the harsh winter of 1609-10, when two-thirds of the colonists died.

Beginning in 1994, an archaeological investigation at the site of Jamestown fort revealed evidence of the earliest examples of English agriculture within the American colonies. Approximately twenty miles east of the original fort (established 1607) and connected by palisades, archaeologists identified the existence of planting furrows, or grooves, indicating where the earliest gardens once existed. A hoe or shovel would have been used to create rows, spaced approximately three feet apart, with mounds of earth added to the topsoil, aiding the flow of water to the plants’ roots.

Through analysis of the soil, as well as by examining pollen records, archaeologists were able to infer which plants were most likely grown at the site, providing further information about the diets of the early colonists. As noted in historical records from the Virginia Colony and in the personal accounts of the colonist John Smith, known plants included pineapples, oranges, cotton trees, and sweet potatoes. Smith’s records also attest that the early colonists grew corn. This may have referred to corn provided by Native Americans, or it could have referred to grain crops such as English barley or wheat (also known as 'corn' at that time).

The archaeological investigation of the site also revealed evidence of circular postholes, indicating the previous location of a wooden beams or supporting timbers for a structure no longer extant. These postholes most likely revealed the existence of a blockhouse used for defensive purposes, the presence of which was corroborated by scholars reviewing historical records. The blockhouse may have been used to prevent Native Americans from taking cattle, a source of food for the colonists. Written records also refer to colonists taking refuge in a blockhouse during the winter of 1609-10, a season known as the ‘starving time,’ when two-thirds of the colonists died.

"Exploring 'The Buried Truth'", Fort Site: Historic Jamestowne. Accessed March 19th, 2025. https://historicjamestowne.org/visit/plan-your-visit/fort-site/?srsltid=AfmBOorng2ACs1pTODBczc8FRDufsaHr8XKmpNrgVMUd6gMU8zsc7fa3.

"Fort Extension", Jamestown Rediscovery: Historic Jamestowne. Accessed March 19th, 2025. https://historicjamestowne.org/archaeology/map-of-discoveries/fort-extension/?.

Outlaw, Alain C.. "A 1611 Blockhouse and Earthworks for the Protection of Cattle: Virginia’s Earliest Bovine Husbandry, near Jamestown", The Digital Archaeological Record. January 1st, 2017. Accessed March 23rd, 2025. https://core.tdar.org/document/435279/a-1611-blockhouse-and-earthworks-for-the-protection-of-cattle-virginias-earliest-bovine-husbandry-near-jamestown.

Skillman, Pete. "Fort Extension, Blockhouse Historical Marker", Historical Marker Database. January 30th, 2024. Accessed March 16th, 2025. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=240213.

"Two Finds Have Archaeologists Asking Questions at Jamestown", Popular Archaeology. October 4th, 2013. Accessed March 23rd, 2025. https://popular-archaeology.com/article/two-finds-have-archaeologists-asking-questions-at-jamestown/.