In January of 2026, the Patawomeck tribe acquired this 40-acre property from RIVERE, a not for profit corporation that aims to bridge education of native traditional ecological knowledge with scientific research. The property borders the Rappahannock River, and is also adjacent to the Patawomeck Museum and Cultural Center.

 

At this site, the tribe aims to use the natural environment to cultural practices and pass down ecological knowledge. Additionally, one goal of RIVERE’s collaboration with the tribe is to build an educational center that utilizes virtual techniques to display data and information about the Rappahannock river in real time. In essence, RIVERE and the tribe aim to create a co-working space that promotes research and preservation simultaneously.

 

The historical context behind this property is closely aligned with that of the adjacent Patawomeck Museum and Cultural Center. In correspondence with John Smith’s colonial expedition in Virginia, this property is located closest to the ancestral Seckobeck village on the north side of the Rappahannock River, which Smith marked on his map of Virginia.

 

Learn more about the transfer process and plans for this property from Buck Cox, founder of RIVERE, and visit their website at https://www.riverecenter.org/.