Burgess means business

The village of Burgess, which lies at the intersection of two of the Northern Neck’s major highways, has always been about commerce. In fact, its original name was Burgess Store.

Not long after the end of the Revolutionary War, St. Stephen’s Parish sold a 306 acre tract called the Fairfield Glebe, containing what is now Glebe point and extending northward. The buyer later sold it to Samuel Benedict Burgess, a Methodist circuit rider who came to the area in 1810. He opened Burgess Store and became the community’s first postmaster in 1829.

Rev. Burgess remained a prominent citizen of Northumberland County throughout his life, and served on the county’s board of supervisors and as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. Burgess dropped the “Store” from its name in recent years, but still remains a growing center of business activity in lower Northumberland County. One of the oldest existing businesses still bears the Burgess name.

“My father opened this business in 1956, with three employees, counting me,” said Billy Burgess, owner of Burgess Motor Company and a direct descendent of the community’s founder.

Burgess Motor Company sits on Jessie DuPont Memorial Highway (Route 200), which connects Northumberland County with Kilmarnock and lower Lancaster County, and is one reason for the community’s recent commercial growth.

The Burgess business community includes two banks, two dental offices, three real estate firms and a variety of stores and restaurants. Newsome’s Lunches is a Northumberland institution, with local business people flocking daily to dine on Newsome’s legendary sandwiches. T&T’s, which opened less than a year ago, has become the county’s favorite breakfast spot. Burgess is also something of a publishing center, as the Chesapeake Angler and the Northern Neck Buyers Guide are both located there. Part of the draw for businesses’ is the location.

“There’s no question that Burgess is ideally located,” said Bank of Northumberland president Louis Reynolds, whose bank happens to sit on the most ideally located spot in Burgess, the southwestern corner of Northumberland Highway and Jessie DuPont Memorial Highway. The bank is located on the site of the old Burgess Store.

“When we acquired the property in the mid 1980s, the store was still standing but had been deserted for years and was overgrown with weeds and vines,” he said.

Directly behind the bank, fronting on Route 200, is Virginia Waterfront Real Estate, which has been a Burgess landmark for over 30 years. “We’ve certainly seen a lot of changes,” said agent Betty Hall.

Owner/broker Ed Rice agreed, pointing out that he and Betty have been selling real estate in Burgess for a combined total of years of, well, let’s just say more than either of them wants to think about! Betty grew up near Burgess and remembers the school bus stopping in front of Downing’s Store, where she and her friends would buy candy. The summer carnival, she remembers, always set up across the street in the area where the Northern Neck State Bank is now located. Downings store is still there, on the southeast corner of Route 360 and Route 200, empty, except for memories.

Meanwhile, Burgess has been undergoing a growth spurt. In 2002 Peggy and April Jones opened Wildest Dreams on Route 200, a mother-daughter clothing boutique and salon. They bought their building at auction, where they were the only bidders. Such a scenario is highly unlikely today, as Burgess is quickly becoming a business location of choice. RiverTowne Properties, a growing real estate firm based in Kilmarnock, opened a Burgess office on Northumberland Highway last September.

“It’s been great. The traffic has been better than expected and we’re delighted with the way the office has worked out,” said Sandra Hargett, who along with Beverly Shultz, is a partner in the company. “Several of us at RiverTowne live in Northumberland County and love it. The area is really growing and Burgess is in the center of it all,” Sandra added.

Virginia Henry, who opened Virginia Land and Development Company in Burgess earlier this year, also chose Burgess for its growth potential, but appreciates its down-home charm.

“Many of the houses along Route 200 are charming old farm houses. Some have been here for 100 years or more,” Virginia said.

To understand Burgess’ small town charm, stop by the post office and chat with Postmaster Lisa Rentzell, who has been on the job for four years.

“Burgess is a wonderful, close knit community. I’ve gotten to know so many people who stop in every day,” Lisa said. And how does it feel to be the latest in a long line of Burgess Postmasters, going all the way back to Samuel Benedict Burgess in 1829?

“It’s an honor,” she said.

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