Sherry Hamilton

PHIL DUNN PHOTOGRAPHY Poplar Grove, the late 18-century manor house in Mathews where Confederate Capt. Sally Tompkins was born, presents a proud façade to the East River it fronts. The house is undergoing restoration with the hope of bringing it back to its former glory and making it available to the public as an educational and event venue.

SHERRY HAMILTON / GAZETTE-JOURNAL Restoration of Timberneck House, c. 1793, has been ongoing since 2021, with Tom Karow, center, president of the Fairfield Foundation, taking on many projects himself. Shown with him, from left, are staff archaeologists Dr. Oliver Mueller and Sarah Edwards, volunteer Dr. Anita Olsen, and outreach coordinator Rachel Alwine.

The Mathews County Board of Supervisors has called a special meeting for 1 p.m. Tuesday in order to determine whether to place a voter referendum on the November ballot regarding levying an additional 1 percent sales tax in Mathews to support the schools. The meeting will be held in the historic courthouse.

Ceremonies will be held this morning, Thursday, July 9, in Mathews to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Cricket Hill, a battle that marked the end of British royal authority in Virginia. The program begins at 10 a.m. at the actual site of the battle, on the grounds of Morningstar Marinas, 249 Mill Point Road, Hudgins. The public is invited to attend. Cricket Hill was a pivotal battle in the Revolutionary War, said Mathews VA250 Committee member Michael Rhodes, who was charged with organizing the event. It was the first battle after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the action drove Lord Dunmore, the last royal governor, out of Virginia for good. The battle has long been commemorated annually by the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), the 7th Virginia Regiment, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), and the Children of the American Revolution (CAR), but this year’s event is special because of the nationwide celebration of the 250th annivers...

The Mathews County Board of Supervisors, meeting briefly on Tuesday, voted unanimously to have a voter referendum during the November 2026 general election on whether to levy an additional 1 percent sales tax in the county. The tax, if approved by the voters, is expected to generate approximately $1 million annually and would be restricted to paying for either new school construction or major school renovations. According to County Attorney Andrea Erard, it could also be used to pay down the school renovation portion of the $12 million debt the county took on this year, beginning next April, when the tax would go into effect. During discussion of the matter, supervisors expressed their intention to use any revenue generated by the tax to pay down the bond debt. Since the sales tax is paid by visitors as well as residents, board members were all supportive of the opportunity to “take some of the weight off the homeowners,” as supervisor Pat Beattie said. “I think it’s great that we’re g...

Work on rehabilitating the North End Bridge in Mathews has been extended by two months because of additional support measures that had to be taken after the project was underway. The original completion date for the work was June 8, but that has been pushed back to Aug. 12, according to Kelly Hannon, communications manager for the Fredericksburg District. Hannon said that retaining walls were built to support the road as part of the project, but after construction began, it was discovered that additional support would be needed for the walls because of the soil composition in the area. Crews installed 30-foot-long wooden piles to support the retaining walls along Route 14 eastbound, she said, adding that they were necessary “for the long-term condition of the road to serve the next generation of travelers.” Construction began on the project last April, and it has included replacing the bridge deck and travel surface, girders, and rails, said Hannon in the release. It’s being funded thr...

A fire on Sunday afternoon at Colonial Point Apartments in Gloucester Point left a 40-year-old man on life support, took the lives of two pets (a cat and a dog) and resulted in the displacement of 18 individuals from their homes. Four apartments at the complex were heavily damaged by fire, while four more sustained smoke and water damage. Abingdon Volunteer Fire and Rescue Chief David Townsend said the call came in at 1:37 p.m. and the first unit arrived five minutes later to observe multiple residents escaping from their apartments. Firefighters assisted the last of them out and evacuated the entire 24-unit, three-building complex as they began their attack on the fire. A “quick knock-down” contained the fire to four center units, two up and two down, and the fire was under control in around 25 minutes, he said. Townsend said that neighbors witnessed one person jumping from a second-floor window and others jumping from a balcony to escape the flames. The man who was burned had extrica...

SHERRY HAMILTON / GAZETTE-JOURNAL The U.S. Coast Guard held a change of command ceremony for Station Milford Haven on Monday. Here, USCG Sector Virginia Captain Peggy Britton, at right, reads the official orders for outgoing Officer in Charge CPO Adelynn Drescher. In the background are Chaplain Lee Farmer and incoming OIC CPO Justin Peed.

Mathews resident Gabrielle Patrice was recently appointed to the position of executive director of the Mathews County Visitor and Information Center. She succeeds Kat Larkin, who accepted a position as executive director of the Gloucester Main Street Association. Patrice is responsible for encouraging tourism in Mathews, letting people know about local businesses and events, the vibrant beauty of the county’s landscapes, and the unique Chesapeake Bay culture that permeates the community. She said she’s also responsible for obtaining grant funding and developing fundraising opportunities for various projects that promote growth in the county as well as stewardship of the county’s assets. Developing a stronger social media presence is one area that Patrice will be focusing on, leveraging Facebook and Instagram accounts and keeping MCVIC’s community events page up to date. She said the events page has served as a way for her to connect with and get to know more people. Patrice said she co...

The 250th anniversary of the Battle of Cricket Hill/Gwynn’s Island was celebrated in Mathews last Thursday with flags, patriotic music, cannon fire, the unveiling of markers, and inspirational addresses by a range of dignitaries and officials to a crowd of over 300 people.Michael Rhodes, past president of the Richard Henry Lee Chapter of the Virginia Society of Sons of the American Revolution and organizer of the event, called the ceremonies to order and oversaw their execution.Fred Lyon, chair of the Mathews VA250 Committee, told those gathered that it had been clear from the initial statewide meeting of VA250 committees that Mathews, “because of its historical significance, was going to play an important part.”Among the reasons for this, he said, was that Capt. Louis d’Ohicky Arundel was the first French officer in the Continental Army to be killed in the Revolutionary War after the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. He died on July 9, the same date that the...