Smithfield

Smithfield, incorporated in 1752, became a busy colonial port and was county seat of Isle of Wight through 1800. British troops under Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold occupied the town on 15 Jan. 1781. During the Civil War, a two-day naval engagement concluded on 1 Feb. 1864 when Confederates captured and destroyed the Federal gunboat Smith Briggs on the Pagan River. Smithfield emerged as a center of the meat-packing industry in the 19th century and became famous for its hams. The Smithfield Historic District is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.