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History · Willis Wharf

Willis Wharf’s post office opened in 1902, and 26% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1943 on.

1902first post office
0on the National Register
26%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: self · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How Willis Wharf began

When was Willis Wharf founded?

1902

The Willis Wharf post office opened in 1902, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 210124 years
Founding year: the first Willis Wharf post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Willis Wharf’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Willis Wharf are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Willis Wharf’s homes were built before 1948.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Willis Wharf’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Willis Wharf’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story so far

Willis Wharf, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Willis Wharf yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Willis Wharf is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Northampton County, Virginia, United States. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 210.

Its first post office opened in 1902.

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

Willis Wharf, decade by decade

Today5 recent
Willis Wharf, shacks along the water2018Willis Wharf, shacks along the waterWelcome sign for2018Welcome sign forLooking down towards the sea2018Looking down towards the seaHouses in2018Houses inHouse in2018House in
On the map

Willis Wharf on the map, 1943 to 1992

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Willis Wharf. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Willis Wharf on the 1943 USGS mapWillis Wharf on the 1968 USGS mapWillis Wharf on the 1977 USGS mapWillis Wharf on the 1992 USGS map1943Exmore sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Willis Wharf.

Famous people

Famous people close to Willis Wharf

Nobody well known was born in Willis Wharf itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Ralph NorthamGovernor of Virginia from 2018 to 2022 · b. 1959
Henry A. WiseUnited States Congressman and governor of Virgi… · b. 1806
Charles I. StengleAmerican politician · b. 1869
Tyler WebbAmerican baseball player · b. 1990
Adrian CustisAmerican basketball player · b. 1974
Thomas H. B. BrowneAmerican politician · b. 1844
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Exmore2 historic placesC+

Questions about Willis Wharf’s history

What year was Willis Wharf founded?

The Willis Wharf post office opened in 1902, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (5), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.