| Loretto, Virginia | |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated community | |
  Loretto  Loretto | |
| Coordinates: 38°04′34″N77°03′02″W / 38.07611°N 77.05056°W Coordinates: 38°04′34″N77°03′02″W / 38.07611°N 77.05056°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Essex |
| Elevation | 161 ft (49 m) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Area code(s) | 804 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1495873 [1] |
Loretto is an unincorporated community in Essex County, in the U.S. state of Virginia.
Essex County is a county located in the Middle Peninsula in the U.S. state of Virginia; the peninsula is bordered by the Rappahannock River on the north and the Dragon swamp on the south. As of the 2010 census, the population was 11,151. Its county seat is Tappahannock.
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are currently 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory and shares its sovereignty with the federal government. Due to this shared sovereignty, Americans are citizens both of the federal republic and of the state in which they reside. State citizenship and residency are flexible, and no government approval is required to move between states, except for persons restricted by certain types of court orders. Four states use the term commonwealth rather than state in their full official names.
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States located between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" due to its status as the first English colonial possession established in mainland North America and "Mother of Presidents" because eight U.S. presidents were born there, more than any other state. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, which provide habitat for much of its flora and fauna. The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond; Virginia Beach is the most populous city, and Fairfax County is the most populous political subdivision. The Commonwealth's estimated population as of 2018 is over 8.5 million.
Brooke's Bank, Elmwood, Port Micou, Vauter's Church, and Wheatland are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [2]
Brooke's Bank is a historic plantation house located near Loretto, Essex County, Virginia. It was built in 1751, and is a two-story, five bay, brick dwelling with a hipped roof in the Georgian style. It has two 20th century one-story brick wings. The original interior woodwork of Brooke's Bank survives almost completely intact. During the American Civil War. it was shelled by the USS Parmee, a Union gunboat on the Rappahannock River.
Elmwood is a historic plantation house located near Loretto, Essex County, Virginia. It was built in 1774, and is a two-story, five bay, brick dwelling with a hipped roof and shallow central projecting pavilion in the Georgian style. It features a Palladian window and a one-story porch extending the length of the facade. The house was remodeled in 1852, much of which was later removed. It was the birthplace and home of Muscoe Russell Hunter Garnett, and was the home and burial place of his grandfather James M. Garnett.
Port Micou is a historic 18th and 19th trading center on the Rappahannock River near Loretto, Essex County, Virginia. There are two remaining buildings, both built between about 1825 and 1850. They are a large 1 1/2-story, wood-frame granary, and a 1 1/2-story, frame dwelling with a tall raised basement.
