“So with a town where every man owns his own home, with a drive at the front door and water at the back- a real picturesque community of model fishermen-an absence of liquor, employment for all, it is not odd for us to hug ourselves and express our delight with all the world, besides.”
—Captain Dan F. Overton (1901)
Afishing village at the southeastern-most tip of Northumberland County turns 150 in 2024 and will spend a three-day holiday weekend celebrating the milestone. The annual Reedville 4th of July celebration, including a golf cart parade, a grand feature parade, 5K run and Independence Day activities will have as its theme the sesquicentennial.
Village history
Elijah Reed purchased 33.3 acres of land for $1,000 and on March 2, 1874, he brought his wife from Maine to Virginia to see that point of land. Tragically, just after arriving, his wife fell ill and died. She was buried at the still standing tall marble obelisk in the center of town, but later was moved to Roseland Cemetery. The memorial to Reed and his family is surrounded by a decorative wrought iron fence and stands as a reminder of the man who lost but gained so much.
Reed had five plentiful menhaden fishing seasons in a row and was able to purchase the first steam powered fishing vessel on the Chesapeake Bay, known as the Starry Banner.
Originally known as Windmill Point—not to be confused with the one in Lancaster County—Reedville once had a lone windmill that stood on the point. The steady and strong winds off the bay made this a perfect location for one.
During the same year of Reed’s death, his son George Reed was appointed postmaster at Windmill Point. He changed the name to Reedville after his father’s death. It was a fitting tribute to the man who blazed a trail in operating the first menhaden enterprise in Virginia.
Millionaire’s Row
By 1885, 15 factories operated on Cockrell Creek. Menhaden fishing was to Reedville what oil was to Houston. Correspondingly, the families who’d flourished because of the industry, had built impressive Victorian mansions on Millionaire’s Row by 1911. In 1912, the town collected money to put in sidewalks and in that year had earned the ranking of the richest in the United States.
Some 70 years later, a visitor to Reedville may have thought it deserted. All the affluence and extravagance had been removed from the village. And today, 150 years later, Reedville and its century-old structures are home to a mix of longtime residents and retirees seeking relaxation. The village is on the National Historic Registry.
Celebrate Reedville Schedule
Friday, July 5
- Packet pickup for the 5K, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum (RFM)
- Golf cart parade competition, 6 p.m. on Main Street
- DJ, food trucks, beer garden, 7-9 p.m. under the Wendell G. Haynie Pavilion
Saturday, July 6
- 5K, 6:45-7:45 a.m. at Fairfields Volunteer Fire Department
- 5K run/walk, 8 a.m. at Festival Halle
- Claud Somers Sail, 10:30 a.m. at Crazy Crab
- Children’s activities, 10 a.m.-noon at RFM
- Beer garden, DJ, grilled food, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at RFM
- Tours of Rescue III by Smith Point Sea Rescue, 1 p.m. at RFM docks
- Firemen’s parade, 3 p.m. on Main Street
- Fireworks, starting at dusk (between 9-9:30 p.m.)
Sunday, July 7
- Festival Chorale Patriotic Concert, 3-4 p.m. Bethany UMC
