Gwynn Island Travel Guide

Gwynn Island is a pleasure boating community. When you cross the Gwynn Island Bridge on your right is the Seabreeze Restaurant (closed Mondays). There is a public boat dock adjacent to it with limited boat trailer parking. (especially on weekends) Gwynn Island has a Gwynns Island RV Resort, one store, Rozs Market. You can get gas for your boat at Morningstar Marina formerly the Boatel and gas for your car is located about 4 miles off the island at Zooms Market.
Gwynn Island has a great museum one should visit to learn about the history of Gwynns Island.
There are two Post Offices and a Baptist Church. There is local seafood store, the Island Seafood and there you can buy fresh crabs, scallops, fish and my favorite is the homemade tuna and deviled crabs. Yummy!

The town of Mathews is only about 7 miles up the road and there are stores to shop in, restaurants, pizza eateries, churches, a great library with internet access and a two super markets, one fast food restaurant, gas stations, hardware store, auto dealership, laudromat and more.
I am sure you will enjoy your visit

We have been visiting Gloucester, Va. for over 4 years and was recently told about the Seabreeze Restaurant on Gwynn's Island having some of the best crab cakes around, so we decided to visit for ourselves. We were very surprised at the lovely setting, right on the water, looking out at the Coast Guard Station and at the boats fishing. The people are very pleasant and friendly and made us feel so very welcome. The Food was Excellent. I had the crab cake and shrimp special w/ 2 sides and my husband had the shrimp basket w/ homemade mac & cheese. Both dinners were very reasonalbly priced and we also got 1/2 dozen extra hush puppies, they were to die for. We will definately go again. I just wish it hadn't taken us so long to hear about this place.

Favorite Dish: The crab cakes had very little filler in them and tasted so fresh. Also the shrimp were succulent.

Our Chesapeake Bay guide says that Gwynn's Island has a small museum in a former high school on the island's main road, Route 663 about a mile from the bridge. It has Indian and early English artifacts and stuff the watermen have dredged up like a whale vertebrae.

b1bob (Nate Atkins) has a writeup on this museum with a picture under his

Mathews VA Must See tips

(along with a picture of New Point Comfort lighthouse).

I can find only one web address for this museum. It is free and relies on donations.

The site says "ALL roads lead to the Museum. Take Rte. 223 at Donk's Theater in Hudgins,VA. Cross over the Gwynn's Island Bridge at Cricket Hill. You are now on Rte 633. Follow the road through the Gwynn's Island Cemetery, look for the RUDDER & the MUSEUM SIGN on your left and you're here.
Hours: 1 - 5pm, Fri., Sat. & Sun. May through Oct."

This motel, marina and restaurant is closed temporarily because of Isabel. Apparently people come here by boat and stay in the motel.

There are only two restaurants on the island and this is one of them.

Equipment: The web page says:

"A motel and marina on historic Gwynn's Island. All rooms have a water view; swimming pool, marina, food service on weekends.

"ACCOMMODATIONS
40 rooms, including doubles, mini suites and full suites

"RATES Oct-May May 15-Sep

"Double $ 58 $ 65 weekday $ 79 weekend
Mini Suite $110 $120 weekday $135 weekend

"Full Suite $160 $175 weekday $210 weekend

Favorite thing: Gwynn's Island was originally settled by Col. Hugh Gwynn in 1634. The legend goes that the colonel and two of his servants were admiring the island when they saw a sudden squall upset an Indian girl's small dugout canoe. She turned out to be the daughter of the chief of the Piankatank tribe. In gratitude for her rescue, he was given the island. He also obtained an official grant from the English proprietor.

Some maps and charts (and VT) have the name as Gwynn Island, but island historians insist that it should be Gwynn'S Island, just like Martha's Vineyard.

Fondest memory: During the Revolutionary War, after Lord Dunsmore the Royal Governor burned Norfolk, he assembled a fleet of more than 180 ships loaded with loyal Tories and they took over Gwynn's Island, looting and devouring all the livestock. From here they raided other settlements, notably the eastern shore islands such as Tilghman, James and Sharps. Eventually the local militia drove off Dunsmore's group and mounted a cannon at Cricket Hill on the mainland. Some think that it was the cannon and some think it was the fever which killed more than 500 of the Tories which drove Dunsmore and company off the island. The Coast Guard station now occupies the site of the cannon.

Additional information at Gwynn's Island Museum history page