The People, Places, and the History of The Northern Neck of VA

  • Welcome to A Pixie From Kilmarnock

    Explore the rich heritage and vibrant culture of the Northern Neck of Virginia. Hear interviews with many diverse and interesting people. Experience the beauty and heart of a paradise that we from "The Neck" call home.







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A Pixie From Kilmarnock

Hello and welcome to “A Pixie From Kilmarnock,” a website devoted to the people, places, and the history of the Northern Neck of Virginia.

In case you’re wondering, yes, Pixie is my real name and finding out my middle name has become a decade’s long pursuit for many of my friends and family. I think it was an inside joke as I was born in a town named after one of Scotland’s greatest poets, Robert Burns. Both towns of Kilmarnock have their Pixies.

I grew up in a segregated Northern Neck. In the face of hatred and denial, also cultivated and harvested were activism, perseverance, excellence, and unity.

Some of the people I interviewed are the elderly. Phone interviews were ideal, especially during the quarantine to ask questions about the place I know as home.

What occurred were the most fascinating conversations with some very fascinating people. Before long, I had a treasure trove of stories. Some were short, some were longer, but all the participants were gracious in sharing their time and memories.

I want to share with you these stories in hopes you are touched by “A Pixie From Kilmarnock.”

Pixie as a model for website

Recent Episodes

Listen to the latest stories and insights from the Northern Neck of Virginia on the newest episodes of ‘A Pixie From Kilmarnock’ audio series.

What is the Northern Neck?

Affectionately called “The Neck,” The Upper Peninsula made up of Westmoreland, Richmond County, Northumberland and Lancaster counties are part of the northern most of three peninsulas that is surrounded by the Rappahannock and the Potomac Rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.

The other two peninsulas are the Middle Peninsula, those counties being Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, King William, Matthews, and Middlesex and the towns  Tappahannock, Urbanna and West Point bounded by the Rappahannock River on the north and the York River on the south with the Chesapeake Bay to the east.

And lastly, the Virginia Peninsula, also known as the Lower Peninsula, which has James City and York counties and the cities Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg with waterways of the James River to the south, York River to the north, and the Chesapeake Bay to the east.

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History of the Northern Neck

There are four counties within the Northern Neck: Richmond County, Westmoreland, Northumberland, and Lancaster.

Native people who once thrived here are the Pamunkey, Mattaponi, and Powhatan nations.

There are descendants of slaves on “The Neck” that share the same names and blood of those who declared and decided what independence of the New World Order will be… the pursuit of happiness, freedom and equality…for some.

There are generational families that either harvested the waters or the land of the Northern Neck. The waterways are very important. They are a way of life for many people.

Watermen fished, crabbed, and tonged for oysters in the rivers and Bay. Menhaden boats harvested the little fish that fueled the world and made some people very rich. Others left the waters of the Commonwealth using their skills and talents to harvest other waters in order to support their families because of limited opportunities in Virginia.

Agriculture is another way of life on The Neck. Tomato crops, once a thriving industry, have been replaced with soybeans and field corn as predominant crops.

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