Old Port Royal
Historical highway marker N-17 · Caroline County
The town was established in 1744 and was one of the principal shipping points on the Rappahannock River in colonial times. In December, 1862, Burnside, commanding the Army of the Potomac, considered crossing the river here but finally moved up to Fredericksburg. Union gunboats, attempting to pass up the river at that time, were driven back by D. H. Hill.
Conservation & Development Commission, 1928