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Hampton
Hampton takes pride in being known as "America's First." It was the first point of land touched by the English colonists who continued up river to settle Jamestown. Hampton was later settled in 1610 and became America's first continuously English-speaking settlement.
Many other firsts followed, such as America's first free education has its roots here and America's first astronauts were trained at the NASA Langley Research Center. The city was also the site of America's first Christmas, America's first continuous Anglican Church, America's first formal trading post, America's first national seafood festival and the first site for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the precursor of National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
It's the hub for Hampton Roads, with more than 100 attractions within arm’s reach. But modern day frolickers were not the first to discover Hampton’s easy accessibility. Its banks once served as a hub for New World traders and pirates.
Hampton is home to two military installations: U.S. Army Post, Fort Monroe, and Langley Air Force Base. Hampton continues to be home to NASA Langley Research Center. During the Civil War, the iron-clads Merrimac and Monitor exchanged futile cannon fire over this Confederate stronghold.
Hampton is home to two institutes of higher education; Thomas Nelson Community College and Hampton University.
Hampton's mild winters encourage a long tourism season. The average daily temperature for January/February is 48 degrees. It’s simply in the center of it all and a great place to live, work, study, buy a home and raise a family.
