America's First Distillers and
The James River
SPIRITS Museum is pleased to present our latest virtual exhibition: America’s First Distillers and The James River. This is the first of three exhibitions in a series that centers Virginia as the birthplace of American spirits, highlighting the state’s long history of liquor production. In this exhibition, we take a look at early English settlements established along the James River and discuss how their residents became the country’s first distillers, bringing both distillation equipment and technical know-how across the Atlantic.
Curated by Clanci Jo Conover — Exhibition Design by Clara Candalor
Colonial Virginia was the site of many firsts, but what may come as a suprise is that it was also where America's first distillers practiced. The banks of the James River, a major waterway flowing across the state from the Appalachian mountains out to the Chesapeake Bay, was home to many of these distillers. Clear evidence from these riverside settlements like Jamestown and Martin's Hundred confirms distillation was being conducted here from the beginning of the 17th century. "America's First Distillers and the James River" presents an overview of these early distillers and their settlements.
The first English settlement along the James River was at Jamestown, indicated by the little island to the West on this map, near Williamsburg. The colonists would have sailed in through the Chesapeake Bay, navigating up the James to find a defensible spot that could be reached by ship. En route, they stopped at what would become “Archer’s Hope,” a contender for settlement slightly downriver from Jamestown. However, the large ships could not get close enough to shore due to the sandbar, so they continued on to arrive at their chosen destination of Jamestown. Archer’s Hope would be settled by 1619 as a type of rural planter community by gentlemen including Richard Kingsmill.
Within the first 10 years after Jamestown’s founding, settlements started to appear on the “upper” James towards the Fall Line, where there is a geological change from hard rock to soft sediment. Large ships could not navigate past the Fall Line, essentially limiting the area of settlement along the river. Bermuda City (later Charles City) became a relatively successful tobacco community, and by 1616 was the second largest settlement in Virginia. The settlement at Curls Neck was another desirable location for colonists, where the rebel Nathaniel Bacon patented land.
The early distillers had considerable interest in Virginia's botanicals, as they could be used for myriad purposes. Thomas Hariot, a botanist who sailed with the Roanoke colonists in the 16th century, explored all over the coast looking for plants that could be used for some salient purposes. Distillers could use these plants as ingredients for perfumes, medicines, or spirits, so the presence of these skilled workers in new settlements was valued. While not every settlement had the equipment to conduct distillation, fermentation would have been a more accessible practice. Ingredients for beer could prove challenging to grow or source, so many colonies favored wine of cider production.
Virginia flora was of great interest to early settlers, as it presented an opportunity for a new enterprise, especially in distiling: attractive perfume scents, exotic spices, and magical cure-alls could be exploited and shipped back to eager European consumers. Sassafras became a wildly popular plant for export, as it was a proven cure for syphilis. Virginia Governor Thomas Dale reported that his cargo ship carried six products from his settlement to England, one of which being sassafras. In the colonies, the plant could be used as a substitute in wine making – just as persimmons could be used in brewing beer. Sassafras was relatively prevalent in the state and was notably available at the Martin’s Hundred settlement, among others.
Martin’s Hundred was established 7 miles downriver from Jamestown when the ship The Gift of God carried 220 settlers in 1618 to occupy a plantation of 20,000 acres – the largest at the time. This colony was industrious; they set up a kiln, experimented with different crops, built hogsheads (barrels) – compared to Jamestown, their primary concern was creating a thriving community rather than developing exports for financial gain. According to the scholar David Muraca, “all items designed to improve the quality of life of the settlers were the industries of Martin’s Hundred.” A still head was found at this site, and is the oldest known evidence of distillation equipment made in America rather than imported. It is unclear what exactly the colonists were trying to create, but given their insular focus, they may have produced some kind of brandy or whiskey.
Jordan’s Point, also known as Jordan’s Journey or Beggar’s Bush, was a settlement founded on the south side of the James River in Weyanoke territory. The British encroached on indigenous territory through either force or diplomacy as they expanded along the river. The settlement here was named after Samuel Jordan, an ancient planter (classification given to planters in Virginia prior to 1616), whose wife Cicely Jordan was also one of few women considered an ancient planter. This photograph comes from an excavation of Jordan’s Point carried out in the 1990s, showing intact wine bottles from what archaeologists considered an architecturally elaborate outbuilding. The photograph shows “two clear sleeper/joist stains, indicating a timber-framed compartment, perhaps a wine bin.” Wine production in the region had become relatively popular – we know that grapes were grown at Martin’s Hundred, French wine growers had settled in Hampton, and wine was produced at plantations closer to Richmond – so it was likely happening at Jordan’s Point as well.
Settlement along the James River could be divided into the Upper James and Lower James regions. The Lower James encompasses modern-day Newport News past Williamsburg, while Charles City to Chesterfield County (near Richmond) comprises the Upper James. Records from the 1700s show that the Upper region was Virginia’s primary exporter of tobacco and hemp, while the Lower region exported more shipbuilding material (pitch, tar, turpentine) and livestock. Ingredients for medicines and perfumes were exported from both localities, as well as rosewater - a distilled product. Thousands of gallons of both rum and wine were also exported, centering the James River as a major waterway in the grand scheme of the American colonies.
The James River was home to thousands of Algonquin-speaking inhabitants prior to European colonization. Most of these tribes were united under Tsenacomoco, the Powhatan chiefdom, but some, like the Chikahominy, remained mostly independent of the chiefdom’s rule. The Chickahominy traded with John Smith and taught the English how to grow and preserve food. Indigenous life along the James was largely disrupted in the 1600s, with three different Anglo-Powhatan wars occurring in the first half of the century. Despite a 1646 peace treaty that allotted land for the tribes, they were continuously displaced by aggressive European expansion, until finally many chose to leave the banks of the James and assimilate into tribes further West or in North Carolina.
Before Europeans settled along the James, it was a thriving landscape of indigenous life. Tribes such as the Weyanoke (which Powhatan, Pocahontas’ father hailed from), Paspahegh, Chickahominy, and Pamunkey were just a few of the 30-some tribes that made up the great Powhatan Chiefdom, or Tsenacomoco. For Tsenacomoco, the river was a constant part of life, for those living on the James or elsewhere – towns were situated on riversides, and land was only cleared for farming while the forests were used for hunting. The intricate waterways that feed into the Chesapeake Bay served as a means of travel, communication, trade, and war. The First Anglo-Powhatan war occurred from 1609-1614, and saw much fighting with colonists along the river. The conflict was brought to a tenuous end with the diplomatic marriage of Pocahontas to planter John Rolfe.
Between 1614 and 1622, Tsenacomoco (the Powhatan Chiefdom) gradually lost power as the English encroached on their lands, disrupted trade, and formed alliances with various tribes that undermined the Chiefdom’s authority. After Powhatan’s death, Opechancanough took control and led a strategic uprising in 1622, attacking settlements along the James and killing many English inhabitants. Some of these settlements, like Martin’s Hundred, were devastated to the point of abandonment, and the attack changed how settlements were constructed and fortified. This was the start of the Second Anglo-Powhatan War that would last for 10 years. Despite these efforts to push the English out, they continued to colonize more land, paving the way for industry to arise. Opechancanough launched a final hail mary attack in 1644 that failed, and many indigenous people fled Tsenacomoco. Opechancanough’s successor finally struck a truce with the invaders, making all of Tsenacomoco subject to the English king.
Today, the James River is just as important to Virginians as it was back in the 17th century. According to the James River Association, it is the state’s largest river and “…is home to one-third of all Virginians who live in its 39 counties and 19 cities and towns.” Tribes whose ancestral homes were located on the James or its tributaries, like the Upper Mattaponi or Chickahominy, are working to preserve their heritage and educate the public on both their histories and futures. The James still serves as a source of recreation, commerce, and transport for its denizens, providing a natural habitat for diverse life forms. Wineries, breweries, distilleries, and even one meadery can be found on the banks of the river, echoing a past filled with bustling plantations and an industrious spirit of survival.
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