Fox Hill

Fox Hill HISTORY: The first know mention of Fox Hill was in 1625, when Captain Rawleigh Croshow was given 500 acres of land between Fox Hill and Pamukey (York) River. In 1628, Mary Flint was given a patent of 100 acres in Fox Hill. The patents reads, “…100 acres of land in the corp. of Elizabeth City commonly called Foxes-Hill. The early colonists settled in Fox Hill to pursue agricultural pursuits - primarily the growing of tobacco. As the profitability of tobacco grew, many small farms gave way to larger plantations and estates.

Fisherman and boat builders from the Eastern Shore began to settle in the area around 1815. In 1837, the citizens of Fox Hill founded their own school - Fox Hill Academy. The first Francis Asbury School was constructed in 1917. In 1890 Grandview Beach, with a newly constructed hotel and dance pavilion, became a popular resort destination with tourists arriving by boat and wagon. It would become a venue for many of the country's most popular "big bands". Telephones were introduced to Fox Hill in 1902, the first car arrived in 1910 and electricity became widespread in 1914. During this period Fox Hill was a bustling little NEIGHBORHOOD containing eight general stores serving only 350 residents.