St. Luke’s Historic Church & Museum’s sanctuary dates from the 1600s. It’s touted as the oldest brick church in America, and its burial ground is said to be the oldest open cemetery in the nation. (Photo by Todd Cairns)
Once a Colonial port town on the Pagan River, a tributary of the James River, Smithfield was made famous as the home of Smithfield Foods — a Fortune 500 meat-processing company known for producing and curing hams. At the Isle of Wight County Museum, you can learn about the rich history of Smithfield and Isle of Wight County. If you’re into oddities, this is your chance to see the World’s Oldest Ham and the World’s Oldest Peanut, too.
Castles, Mansions and Porcine Power
Along Main Street, eight life-size hog sculptures painted by local artists add a creative flair and make for fun photo ops for visitors. The town is also an architectural anomaly, colorfully boasting Colonial, Georgian and Victorian architecture, which make it feel more like a movie set than a cozy Main Street community.
The Mansion on Main, a bed-and-breakfast inn, is a testament to the mishmash of architecture found on and around Smithfield’s Main Street. Built in 1889, this Victorian-style mansion looks like it’s been ripped from the pages of a Lemony Snicket book. The owner also owns a popular antique shop — Mansion House Art and Antiques — where you’ll find knickknacks, old oil paintings and other treasures. The B&B has reduced its occupancy and is accepting staggered reservations in keeping with health and safety guidelines related to the pandemic. Masks are required in common areas, and breakfast is served in a socially distanced dining room area.
One more cultural excursion worth exploring is Imagine Art Gallery. The collection features jaw-dropping fine-art canvases and prints by artists from around the country and the globe.
Nature lovers and outdoor adventurers will find Windsor Castle Park — right in the middle of town — a sprawling, 208-acre playground for trail running and hiking, pier fishing, kayaking, mountain biking, and picnicking. Along the trail you’ll find informational tidbits about the habitat and the insects, animals, geology and vegetation within the park. Single and double kayaks are available for rent by the hour. There’s also a circa-1700s manor house and outbuildings on the grounds.
Taste of Smithfield (Photo by Nicole Cohen)
Eats and Treats
Back on Main Street, foodies looking to sample down-home local cuisine can enjoy Taste of Smithfield. This restaurant puts the flavor of the South front and center. Visitors can find smoked chicken wings, fried green tomatoes, a thick-cut bologna sandwich, biscuits and ham, and an array of pork dishes. To wash it down, you can reach for sweet tea or a local brew from the tap.
If you have a sweet tooth, a stop at the Smithfield Ice Cream Parlor is a must. This old-school ice creamery has a vintage drugstore feel, complete with bar stools, cozy booths and wood-paneled walls. While they serve up 32 flavors of ice cream, they also provide a slate of deli foods if you’re in the mood for soup and a sandwich.
A trip to a town like Smithfield would be incomplete without mentioning the craft brewery. Wharf Hill Brewing Co. occupies a space with a history as rich as all of Smithfield. While it’s a brewery and taproom now, the space belonged to an African American fraternal organization for 90 years, and it housed an inn, a pool hall, a dentists’ office, an undertaker and several Black-owned businesses during segregation. Now, visitors to Smithfield can wrap their lips around a pint of Isle of Wheat, Interstellar IPA or Holy Brale, the brewery’s flagship beers. Mixed in with their other in-house brews, they have on tap up to four beers from other craft breweries located around and outside of Virginia.
Restaurants remain open, with revised hours listed on their websites and each following government-recommended safety measures — masks on when in motion, removable when seated. Check in advance for any changes in guidelines.
It's a Fact
Smithfield is in Isle of Wight County, which is named after the English island. Isle of Wight County was known at its founding in 1634 as Warraskoyack Shire, after a Powhatan Confederacy tribe. Since the English settlers couldn’t spell or pronounce the name (it’s war-ah-SKOY-ak), the name was changed three years later.
