The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Tangier Island was likely used as a hunting and fishing ground by Native Americans prior to European arrival. A number of Native American artifacts and a large oyster midden have been found on the island, but the island was not inhabited when it was visited in 1608 by John Smith. Smith called the region the "Russel Isles", but it is unclear whether this name was applied originally to Tangier, the nearby Watts Island, or both.
In 1670, Ambrose White, a tavern owner from Accomac, Virginia, received a patent for the island. The next year, it was transferred to Charles Scarburgh and John West, two prominent estate owners from Accomack County who used the island to graze livestock.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Start Tangier’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Tangier’s history is told.
0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Tangier, decade by decade
2000
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Commons2000-06-10 02 Watermen unloading lobsters on Tangier Island…2000
Commons2000-06-10 01 Watermen returning from lobster fishing to Ta…20002 historic places in Tangier
Tangier has 2 listings on the National Register, and they protect 231 historic buildings, because Tangier Island Historic District alone counts 230.
Where they are
When they were listed
Then & now
When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.
Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (12). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.