DAMERON MARSH 1999

Dameron Marsh Natural Area Preserve __ On the last day of March, 1999, Dameron Marsh was dedicated as Virginia’s newest natural area preserve. The 316 acres in Northumberland Co. had been purchased by The Nature Conservancy and deeded to the Virginia Dept. of Conservation and Recreation. The purchase was financed through a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with additional funding from the Northern Neck Audubon Society.

“Dameron Marsh is one of the most significant wetlands on the Chesapeake Bay for marsh-bird communities,” said Secretary of Natural Resources John Paul Woodley Jr. “Its pristine beach habitat is very important for the rare northeastern beach tiger beetle.” A portion of the newly purchased Dameron Marsh property had been converted to agriculture. The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation with work with The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to restore the fields to forested habitat that can support a diversity of wildlife and improve water quality in Chesapeake Bay.

The state will build a hiking trail, a boardwalk, an wildlife observation platform, roads and parking on the property. Dameron Marsh will be open to the public by September, 2000. Whit Smith, whose family had owned the land since 1942, said, “I’m glad to see it stay in a natural state because that’s the way we enjoyed it.”

 The Dameron Marsh area is from the real estate flyer that announced the area was for safe.   

Dameron Marsh Natural Area Preserve. 

DAMERON MARSH, 2009

The 316-acre Dameron Marsh Natural Area Preserve is one in a series of protected lands that line the western and eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. This preserve contains one of the most significant wetlands on the Chesapeake Bay for marsh-bird communities, and its pristine beach habitat is highly important for the federally threatened northeastern beach tiger beetle. DCR’s efforts to conserve sites like Dameron Marsh are an effective means to sustain these important coastal ecosystems and both rare and common species. Dameron Marsh supports impressive salt marsh communities, sand beach, and upland forest habitats.

Most upland portions of the property were used for agricultural purposes for over three centuries. However, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and the Army Corps of Engineers, has restored the former fields to forested habitats that now support a great diversity of wildlife and contribute to water quality improvement in the Chesapeake Bay. The Department’s Chesapeake Bay Region Steward oversees the management and restoration activities at the preserve, monitoring marsh and shoreline habitats for birds, tiger beetles, and other natural heritage resources.

Public Access at Dameron Marsh Natural Area Preserve
Public access facilities at the preserve include a small parking area, walking trails, and a boardwalk and wildlife viewing platform overlooking the marsh and Chesapeake Bay. A designated “hand-carry” boat put-in site is also accessible via a short trail that accommodates kayaks, canoes and other small “car-top” vessels. A drop-off point and vehicle turn-around facilitates launching, with vehicles returning to the parking area. An online Dameron Marsh NAP self-guided field trip guide (PDF) is available to help you enjoy your visit.

Seasonal shoreline closures at Dameron Marsh and Hughlett Point natural area preserves
Dameron Marsh and Hughlett Point natural area preserves contain some of the most significant Chesapeake Bay wetlands for marsh birds, and also support pristine sandy shorelines that provide habitat for the federally threatened northeastern beach tiger beetle and nesting sites for rare shore birds. To protect these species and their significant habitats, designated sections of preserve shorelines are closed during specific periods of the year to both land (walking) and water (boat landing) access. Thank you for your help in conserving some of Virginia’s rarest wildlife by observing the posted seasonal closings of designated shorelines at these two Northern Neck preserves.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
From Kilmarnock, go north on VA 200 towards Burgess. Turn right onto VA 606. Turn left at the Shiloh schoolhouse onto VA 605. Turn right onto VA 606, and then left onto VA 693. Follow VA 693 into the preserve.

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Brief Family History – Have you ever wondered where the Dameron-Damron surname originated? This article by Leonard Damron sheds some light on where the name comes from.

Westerfield Manor – Although no proof has yet been found, we believe our family to have moved to the US from the Ipswich area of England in Suffolk. Westerfield is one of the stately manors in the area is associated with a possible  ancestor.

Henley and Henley Hall – Originally three manors that were later combined into one, Henley is another manor in Suffolk associated with the Dameron-Damron surname. There’s no proof that these Dameron-Damrons are our ancestors, but evidence so far seems to show Lawrence Dameron’s family coming from this area.

Lawrence Damron – Learn more about the first proven family ancestor to move to America.

Lawrence Dameron’s Home, Brick Wall – An article about Brick Walls, the second of Lawrence Dameron’s houses, and the land it was on. That land is now a natural preserve called Dameron Marsh.

Lawrence Dameron’s Will – It’s likely that there is no official record of copy of the original will. This version was transcribed by Helen Foster Snow in the 1950s.

Finding Joshua Damron’s Grave – We’ve all had family members buried in cemeteries we aren’t familiar with, have lost over time, or were moved with road work or other construction. This article details how one family member found his grandfather’s grave and became interested in genealogy.

Bethania Owens-Adair – One of the early Dameron women moved out west as a pioneer and later became a doctor. This article tells the story about this fascinating lady.