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Pick up the November/December print edition of PL, now available throughout Virginia's River country, for the rest of this article
West Point Schools
Among all its other pluses, West Point Public Schools is another much-loved asset to the area. The school district averages about 800 students per year in grades K-12 and a graduating class usually includes fifty to sixty students. “The school system is a gemstone of West Point,” Hudson says. West Point resident Laura Shreaves says the school system is one reason she wanted to move to West Point. She knew people growing up who had been through West Point schools were very well prepared for college. Theresa Redd, who was once a teacher for the district says, “A lot of young families have moved here for the schools.” US News & World Report has ranked West Point High School among the top high schools in the country, and the West Point Public School Division has been awarded the State Board of Education’s Excellence Award and is recognized by the Department of Education as a Distinguished Title I Division.
Superintendent Jeffery O. Smith thinks there are three key factors contributing to the school division’s excellence. “I believe that it is, first, the staff’s commitment to excellence; second, our focus on preparing students for future success beyond their K-12 experience; and third, the commitment of our parents and the community at-large.” Part of what makes an independent school system (separate from the rest of the county) possible is the tax base provided by the mill. Mayor Jim Hudson says that the school system is the most expensive part of the town’s budget. He thinks the school system is one of the best things about West Point and is very proud of the good relationship between the town council and the school board.
Things to Do
 The excellent school system is just one of the town’s hidden gems. There are many things to do in the West Point area that people don’t notice when driving through on the highway. Visitors can enjoy the Pamunkey and Mattaponi Indian museums and Chelsea Plantation before strolling or biking from the Glass Island boat launch parking area on the River Walk trail. The trail follows the shore of the Mattapoini River, past the area where the village of Citquotek stood. Historians believe that John Smith was captured there in 1607. A new section of the trail, which will continue to 8th Street near the site of ferry landings and wharves from the 1800’s will be installed this fall.
A great way to see the downtown area is to stop in at Town Hall and pick up the self-guided Historic Walking Tour. The tour takes visitors on a loop through the downtown and includes write-ups about points of interest and different architectural styles on display. One stop is at Beach Park, once the sit of the 200-room Terminal Hotel, which offered recreation facilities to thousands during the nineteenth century, including a boardwalk, amusement park, skating rink and dance pavilions. Beach Park also provides a fantastic view of the confluence of the Mattaponi and Pamunkey Rivers into the York River. The “Jammin’ on the Point” summer concert series has been a successful attraction, and the Arts Alive organization adds a cultural flair to the town. Hershberger says that West Point is reinventing its image, portraying itself as “a place to come for recreational purposes, cultural purposes, even for tourism purposes.”
Great Shopping
Although encouraging more retail development in town is a goal, there are already a variety of interesting shops visitors to the town won’t want to miss. Owners of the various shops think the town is developing and are beginning to see signs of a reviving downtown.
Divin’ off the Dock is a new addition to the West Point business community that is bringing people from all over Virginia and beyond. The three sisters who run the shop, Diane Rilee, Pam Taran, and Janie Dzula, are delighted to have a store that brings people into historic, downtown West Point. Rilee describes residents’ enthusiasm at showing their friends the shop, saying, “It’s been such a long while that West Point has not had a lot to offer in terms of gifts. This is their source of pride. People are proud of the shop. ‘Look at our shop,’ customers say.” Rilee says part of what they do is provide a fun shop where people can buy gifts. “The other component of what we do is giving back to the community. We believe as a business in town it is our responsibility to give as much as we can back to the community, so we support as much as we’re capable of doing.”
Like other community members, Joann Tisi, owner of Ps & Qs Primitives and Quilts store, laments the slow development of retail downtown: “Many small towns have been converted to tourist destinations. We’re still waiting.” Tisi was attracted to the quaint Main Street, but has discovered that many locals don’t shop downtown, while people from out of town aren’t aware of the retail stores on Main Street. “The trouble is, no one knows about West Point. When they hear ‘Main Street,’ they think of the road between the two bridges.”
Bill Cawley, who owns West Point Antiques with his wife, Juanita Cawley, says that the couple moved to West Point because “they were looking for a small town experience, and West Point is great for that.” They also liked that it’s just a forty-minute drive to Richmond, Williamsburg and other interesting places, and the town’s proximity to so much water. “The original reason we bought the store is because we wanted to see something going on in West Point,” and they thought antiques would be popular. Since opening, they’ve had local customers and shoppers from distant locations. Cawley agrees with other local business owners that “a unique restaurant and more specialty shops would probably draw more people downtown.”
Nancy Allen Waldrop, who owns The Watering Can, a florist and gift-shop in West Point, has been in business for fourteen years. She was drawn to West Point because she liked the town and architecture. She says that downtown redevelopment became a focus after she bought her business. She is starting to see some effects but thinks more is needed.
Wyatt-Ogg Furniture on Main Street is run by Stephen Ogg, a lifelong resident of the town. “We’ve been here for fifty-three years and we’re happy with the town and the people and the local government. It’s just a nice place to live a do business.” Most of Wyatt-Ogg’s customers come from West Point and the surrounding fifty miles. Ogg likes the town’s small-town atmosphere and the good local doctors, school board, fire department, and other services.
A Renaissance in the Making
 Memebers of the local government, local shop owners, and residents alike agree that West Point is on the cusp of a renaissance. And everyone who lives there seems to love it. “It’s very much overlooked,” says Hershberger. However, he thinks there are great plans in place and he’s excited to execute them. Then he adds, “Even without the things we’re working on, it’s great.” Bland points out that 20,000 cars drive through each day on Rt. 33, but [West Point’s] an unknown to most people who travel through. People just don’t make that turn [onto Main Street.]” He thinks though, that there’s a sense of pride in the community that seems to be catching on and spreading. “I hope more people will take the opportunity to turn off and see it,” says Shreaves. There’s already plenty to see and do in West Point, and in the next few years there will be even more. It’s a unique town and well worth visiting, but as Diggs points out, “You can’t get the feel in a day or a week or a month.” Hudson captures resident’s feelings when he describes driving across the bridge and looking out as he reached the crest: He thought, “My God, this is a beautiful town.”
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