Surry County

Just a 20-minute ferry ride from the place of the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown on the southern banks of the James River begins 306 square miles of ravines and level lands, fresh water streams and creeks, and scenic views of Virginias longest river. Surry was formed in 1652 and was most likely named by early colonists in honor of the English county of Surrey and in recognition of its location, as it lay across the Thames from London, as did Surry from Jamestown. For more than 350 years, Surry has depended on an agriculture economy and small businesses that developed around the meat processing industry, lumber harvesting, and farming. Residents, state officials, and now this photographic collection help to preserve this wonderful slice of American history.