On Friday, August 19, we walked through Windsor Castle park to the historic downtown. Windsor Castle park is made up of over 3.8 miles of walking trails, mountain bike path, fishing pier, kayak/canoe launch, picnic area, dog park, orchard, and the Manor House. It takes up 208 acreas of which most was the Windsor Castle farm established in 1637 by Arthur Smith, an ancestor of the town's founder, Arthur Smith IV. It is unknown how the name Windsor Castle became attached to the property.

Once we were on Main Street, we were surrounded by Victorian homes. This one was built by a local contractor for his family around 1899. He built many of Smithfield's elaborate Victorian residences and some of the left-over pieces are said to have been used in his own home.

We toured the Isle of Wight County Courthouse which was built in 1750 from land owned by Arthur Smith of Windsor Castle. It features a distinctive semicircular apse popular in English churches of the era. We stopped in at the Visitor's Center to pick up brochures and view artwork by local artisans. We wandered in and out of shops including the HAM store. And lastly, we toured the Isle of Wight County Museum which is the home of the world's oldest edible cured ham. The 1902 pork product exemplifies the patented Smithfield curing process. It may also be the home of the world's oldest peanut -- 1820 is written on the shell.