2016 Map of Ware Neck

About this map

Fort Nonsense stands as a focal point in the upper landscape of this coastal Virginia region, where the intricate tidal fingers of the Chesapeake Bay meet the agricultural interior of Gloucester and Mathews counties. The map captures a complex web of land-water interfaces, characterized by numerous points and necks like Ware Neck and Deacons Neck that reach into the surrounding waters. Small settlements such as Hockley, Zanoni, and Schley are connected by a dense network of local roads and family-named wharfs, reflecting the long-standing maritime and rural economy of the Middle Peninsula. Genealogists and local historians can trace legacy sites through numerous family and community burial grounds, including Locust Grove Cem and Pole Bridge Cem. The geography is defined by small waterways like Burke Mill Stream and North End Branch, which historically powered local industry and dictated the early patterns of colonial and post-colonial settlement.