GROVE HISTORY

Grove, Virginia, is a small unincorporated community located in the southeastern part of James City County. Its history is deeply tied to the colonial era and the development of the Williamsburg area. In the early 17th century, the area that is now Grove was part of the larger Powhatan Confederacy, and Native Americans had long inhabited the land. European settlers arrived in the early 1600s, and the region became an important site during Virginia’s colonial period due to its proximity to Williamsburg, which was the capital of the Virginia Colony for many years.
The community of Grove saw significant changes during the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the post-Civil War era, the area became home to freed African Americans, many of whom established tight-knit communities and built churches and schools. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, completed in the late 1800s, passed through the area, spurring some development and connecting the region to larger economic markets. However, despite these advancements, Grove remained a largely rural and agricultural community well into the 20th century.
In the mid-20th century, the landscape of Grove changed dramatically due to the construction of industrial and military facilities. The construction of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s efforts to preserve the history of nearby Williamsburg brought more attention to the area, though industrial development—such as the creation of the Cheatham Annex and other military installations—brought disruption to the local communities. Grove today maintains its rural character but has become more suburbanized, with a blend of historical significance and modern development shaping its identity.
*Approximate location
Above: End chimney at Locust Grove, located where James River Elementary is today. House was built by the Wade family and later owned by Humphrey Harwood who left it to Elizabeth Read Harwood Curtis. She, in turn, gave it to her daughter Sarah Elizabeth Curtis who married William Baker Wynne. Baker Wynne sold the farm in 1872. Later in the 1880s, the Stryker family purchased the farm and built a large, two-story home in front of the original home. If you look closely to the left of the chimney, you can see the windows of the two-story home. The son of the Strykers, Morris Stryker, was a well-known dentist in Williamsburg and also mayor of the city.
The farm was later sold to Baker and Lucy Curtis West, who with their family, lived there for many years. JONES, MATILDA FAMILY CEMETERY at Locust Grove- Frederick Boelt
Wheatland house taken in the 1930s. The house was sometimes referred to as the Skiffe's Creek house. The right-hand portion of the brick house (front door and two windows) was built in the first quarter of the 18th century. The left-hand portion of the brick building was added in the late 18th - early 19th century, and the wooden addition was added in the late 19th century. - Frederick Boelt
*Thank you to Frederick W. Boelt who is the main provider of the information and pictures above. Mr Boelt's mother was born in Grove and she moved to Williamsburg when she was 15. Mr Boelt grew up in Williamsburg, and has lived on a farm in Toano for the last forty-eight years. He's in the hospitality industry in; managed Heritage Inn and adjunct properties for thirty-five years. Served on numerous historical, genealogical boards, and Co-authored two volumes on JCC cemeteries. Boelt is a member of the JCC Historical Commission and Historian for the Toano Historical Society as well as a member and treasurer of Hickory Neck Episcopal Church