RELIC has extensive files, books, pictures, and maps on various topics available for researchers, such as roads and streets in Prince William County. The Local History Tour Group recently visited Neabsco Regional Park; after going through the history of the location here in RELIC, a common theme came up: the Kings Highway.
The history of Kings Highway is just as significant to the history of Prince William and colonial America as some of the historical buildings surrounding it. It has evolved along with the settlements that used it; however, its origins begin with the Indigenous people and their pathways through the coastal interior and waterways. The waterways were used for the transport of goods and people. The interior pathways were efficient for bringing messages to and from various settlements. According to various sources, the name of this pathway was Potomac, but it may have had a name that was more in keeping with the Indigenous people who used it.
During colonial times, these pathways were not useful to the European settlers due to the incompatibility of their forms of transportation, such as carts, wagons, and horses. Communication and transportation between the spread-out colonies were done by using ships that were not meant for short-distance travel, and this sometimes led to sinking or losing their way.
The Kings Highway was ordered by King Charles II, and work began in the mid-17th century and was completed in the 18th century. It was not a perfect solution due to poor maintenance, but it led to colonial Virginia’s passing of one of the first road maintenance laws.
We will continue the history of this road in future newsletters.
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