VCC Spring 2021

V irginia C apitol C onnections , S pring 2021 24 Virginia’s 40th state park, Machicomoco (mah-chee-CO-mo- co), an Algonquian word meaning “special meeting place,” opened its gates to the public this April. The park spans 645 acres along the York River in southern Gloucester County at what was previously Timberneck Farms. Originally slated to become a low-density, large-lot housing development, the land was purchased by The Conservation Fund (TCF) with money made available from Dominion Energy through negotiations over the Surry-Skiffes Creek Transmission Line Project. Funding was provided for land acquisition, visitor interpretation facilities, and preservation associated with Werowocomoco—the political capital of Chief Powhatan—located just nine miles up the York River. TCF and Virginia Department of Conversation and Recreation (DCR) recognized the tract as an ideal location for a future park, and it was purchased by TCF in December 2017. Enter Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects (NBW). The award-winning firm has over two decades of experience in designing public spaces across the nation and internationally, including the Flight 93 National Memorial, Alethia Tanner Park in D.C., and Duke University’s stormwater management pond to name a few. TCF hired the firm with offices in Charlottesville, New York City and Houston, to oversee the planning and development of the site, and so began the process of bringing the park to life. While the park is not without its recreational opportunities, Machicomoco presents itself most notably as a cultural and historical resource. The park’s mission is to increase awareness and understanding of the Virginia Algonquian tribes’ histories and their futures, their use of the region’s natural resources, and their significance within the larger history of the commonwealth and the nation. Too often, the Virginia Indians are spoken of only in the context of first contact. Rarely are the people or the culture of Indigenous communities discussed in their own right. From the beginning, DCR wanted to ensure the design and presentation of the park be respectful of the site’s cultural heritage and preserve the existing scenic resources. DCR and NBW worked hand in hand with tribal leaders and subject- matter experts in the development of the park. From the materials to the symbolism, the design motifs all honor the culture and traditions of the Algonquian people and the Tsenacomacoh region (home of 32 Virginia Algonquian tribes). “Machicomoco is a prime example of what our mission is at DCR,” said DCR Director Clyde Cristman. “In one hand, we’re preserving this wonderful natural resource, and, in the other, we’re educating the public about the history and culture tied to the land.” Cristman made a point to thank the tribal leaders who contributed to the massive undertaking. “We couldn’t have done this without the support and voices of the Virginia Indian members who contributed to the interpretive material displayed so prominently throughout the park.” That interpretive experience according to Jennifer Jessup, NBW project manager for Machicomoco, begins at a column of oyster shells. “This pillar of oyster shells acts as a beacon of sorts for those just arriving at the interpretive area.” Inspired by the oyster midden (an ancient refuse deposit) discovered within the park, the oyster column embodies the passage of time. “It’s a physical core sample, the evidence left from people stopping for a snack at the oyster colonies here for hundreds of years,” says Jessup. “It’s indicative of persistence—a theme repeated throughout the park.” Once at the column, guests will notice the timeline. The first entry takes visitors back 20,000 years to the last ice age that formed the landscape before them. The Chesapeake Bay, the Tidewater region, Tsenacomacoh, and the Piedmont falling off the Appalachian range An intersection of the natural, cultural and historical: Virginia Indian stories endure at Machicomoco State Park By Andrew Sporrer