The site for Jamestown was picked for a few reasons, all of which met criteria the Virginia Company, who financed the settlement, said to follow in picking a spot for the settlement.

The site was encompassed by water on three sides (it was not completely an island yet) and was far inland; both implied it was effortlessly solid against conceivable Spanish assaults. The water was likewise sufficiently profound that the English could tie their boats at the shoreline - great stopping! The site was additionally not possessed by the Native populace.

Once the spot was picked the directions sent by the Virginia Company, with the rundown of the chamber individuals (picked by authorities in England), was perused. The names were kept in a fixed box on the ship (each ship had a fixed duplicate). The primary President of the new Virginia settlement was to be Edward Maria Winfield. The other six board individuals were: Bartholomew Gosnold, Christopher Newport, John Martin, John Ratcliffe, George Kendall, and John Smith.

By June 15, the fortress was finished. It was triangle molded with a defense at each corner, holding four or five bits of ordnance. The pioneers were presently ensured against any assaults that may happen from the neighborhood Powhatan Indians, whose chasing land they were living on.

In 1698, fire struck Jamestown once more. The fire was clearly begun by a detainee anticipating execution in the adjacent jail. The fire pulverized the jail and the statehouse, however a large number of the general population records were spared. In 1699, the legislature and capital were moved from Jamestown to Middle Plantation, renamed Williamsburg. Individuals kept on living on Jamestown Island and possessed homestead lands, however it stopped to be a town.

Today, Jamestown Island is a noteworthy site, however there is as yet a private home on the island. It is safeguarded by the National Park Service and Preservation Virginia for guests to find out about the significance of Jamestown and what was resulting from its being the principal lasting English settlement in North America.