In 1652, Surry County was formed from the portion of James City County south of the James River. In 1676, a local Jacobean brick house was occupied as a fort or "castle " during Bacon's Rebellion against the Royal Governor, Sir William Berkeley. Today the landmark is known as Bacon's Castle.
One hundred years later, Surry County became part of the new Commonwealth of Virginia, one of the first 13 United States after winning independence from Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), the Confederate Army included the Surry Light Artillery and the Surry Cavalry.
The county is known for farming, curing Virginia Hams, and harvesting lumber, notably Virginia Pine. For more than 350 years, Surry County has maintained its heritage and rural nature. It is convenient to the Jamestown Ferry and Virginia's Historic Triangle of the colonial era, featuring the major tourist attractions of Jamestown , Williamsburg, and Yorktown , linked by the National Park Service 's Colonial Parkway . The county has several small towns, significant James River plantations , and a state park.