The original Virginia was built in 1607–08 by settlers at the short-lived Popham Colony, located at the mouth of the Kennebec River in present-day Maine. Though the colony lasted only about a year, the Virginia was a remarkable achievement—strong enough to cross the Atlantic at least twice and later sail to Jamestown, Virginia, and is a significant part of early American maritime history.

Over 400 years later, a group of passionate volunteers set out to rebuild Virginia in Bath, Maine, a city with deep shipbuilding roots. Using traditional wooden boatbuilding techniques and historic tools, they worked slowly and carefully over the span of two decades to construct the new ship by hand. Now complete, the new Virginia is more than a reconstruction—it’s a floating classroom, a hands-on museum, and a symbol of community spirit.