The Virginia Oyster: 400 Years of History

“There’s nothing quite like an oyster,” says Travis Croxton. “You pluck it from the sea, shuck it and eat it. You don’t need spices or sauces.  It’s perfect just the way it is.”

Croxton should know. He’s one of the people who is bringing back craft Virginia oysters, making them among the tastiest and most famous shellfish in America.  Croxton is co-owner of the Rappahannock Oyster Co. with his cousin, Ryan, and is one of the leaders of a new craft industry — aquaculture. 

We all know agriculture, people who grow food from land, but aquaculture is the new kid on the block — people who grow food from water. And like other craft food producers, aquaculture farmers live by the philosophy of “good food, grown well.”

Oyster farming goes back to Roman times, and has been the principal way oysters are harvested in France since 1860. But in Virginia, the practice of “oyster gardening” wasn't popular until recent times. That’s because the Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in North America, and is also very shallow. The old joke is, if your boat sinks in the Chesapeake, just get out and walk back to shore.

The shallowness means the sun penetrates the water, allowing grasses to grow and filling the bay with nutrients for fish, crab, and oysters. When the first colonists arrived in Virginia in 1607, the waters of the Bay were teeming with delicious things to eat. There were literally trillions of oysters, which would be named Crassostrea virginica, in honor of Virginia.

Fun Fact: Crassostrea virginica is the only oyster that it is legal to grow on the East Coast.

Oysters Through Virginia’s History

The Oyster Rush

Following the Civil War, the economy of the South was poor. Virginia oyster farming became the equivalent of a gold rush. By the 1890s, half the world’s supply of oysters came from Virginia — some 24 million bushels in the record year. Virginia oysters were canned and shipped around the world.

Oystering was so profitable that there were even “oyster pirates,” who would steal other people’s oyster beds. Armed ships patrolled the Chesapeake Bay and there were pitched battles between oystermen and pirates.

Go Deeper: Follow the story three female oyster pirates who outsailed the navy on the ship The Dancing Molly and fled from the clutches of the governor of Virginia. 

Decreasing Oyster Populations 

But the glory days of oystering were ending. The take-all-you-can-get farming practices of dredging the sea bottom and fishing with tongs were not sustainable. By 1899, Virginia realized it had a problem with decreasing numbers of oysters. The state began leasing land to those who would grow oysters rather than just dredge them from public reefs. 24-year-old James Croxton leased two acres of Rappahannock River bottom, and collecting wild spat (baby oysters) from reefs, he began growing them on his leased river bottom to be harvested later with crude tongs or by dredging.

The decades that followed would see the oyster industry stay afloat, but it was far from booming. By the 1960s, some 5-7 million bushels of oysters were still being harvested, but through disease, hurricanes, and over-fishing, the bottom fell out. By 2001, oyster harvesting in Virginia collapsed to just 23,000 bushels, and it was estimated that only one percent of the historic population of oysters still survived.

James Croxton’s two-acre lease on the Rappahannock had been expanded by his son Bill to more than 200 acres, but with the oyster industry collapsing, no one really wanted the leases. That’s where cousins Travis and Ryan stepped in. They were intrigued by the idea of keeping the family business alive, but knew nothing about oyster farming. In their online research, they discovered a whole new world of craft oyster farming.

Oyster Farming Introduced

Instead of harvesting oysters from the sea bottom, new aquaculture farmers were putting spat in cages on six-inch legs, so grasses would grow underneath and around them, providing more nutrients. The cages would be placed underwater so they would not be an eyesore from land, but they could be easily removed from the water with hydraulic lifts without disturbing the bottom.

Spat could be produced year-round by putting oysters in warm water, “tricking” them into thinking it was mating season. Because spat is so vulnerable in the sea, oysters wildly over produce spat. You can hold thousands of spat in your hands, so large numbers of spat can be grown in tanks until they are large enough for the cages. Over time, the cages can be periodically pulled from the sea for the growing oysters to be separated by size until they are 18-24 months old and large enough for harvesting.

Meanwhile, while growing underwater in cages, the oysters also send natural spat out into the sea, helping to restore Virginia’s wild oyster population. It’s a “win-win” for the environment and for consumers, who love tasty oysters year-round.

In March 2002, Ryan and Travis Croxton planted their first 3,000 oysters. By 2007, their oysters had gained fame and were being served in prestigious restaurants around the country. They also opened their own restaurants in Richmond, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and Charleston. Small craft oyster farmers like the Croxtons have saved the industry and grown the reputation of Virginia oysters—tens of millions of dollars of oysters are sold each year in the Commonwealth. 

What Makes Virginia Oysters So Delicious?

Oysters filter enormous amounts of water — around 24-96 liters per day. So what they eat, what waters they are in, how they are grown, and the method they are harvested are all factors that will influence flavor. It is exactly like how grapes for fine wines are influenced by the quality of the soil, sunlight, rain, drainage, and temperature. The French call this “terroir” — the “tasting of the earth,” since the earth plays such a key role in the final wine product.

So when the Croxtons opened their first oyster tasting room, it had to be named Merroir — a “tasting of the sea,” giving credit to the crucial factors that influence an oyster’s taste. Today, Merroir is an informal place of outdoor tables, with a tiny open-air bar and dining room. The tasting room is surrounded by oyster cages, sea views, squawking seagulls, boats coming and going, docks, and a picturesque oyster shack. And, of course, you'll find throngs of people who have discovered that this hole-in-the-wall has become one of the most famous oyster tasting rooms on the East Coast.

Everything on the menu is served raw or cooked on an outdoor grill in small-plate size dishes paired with craft brews or world-famous wines. Ggo to a counter, place your order, and wait for your name to be called to pick up raw, roasted, or BBQ buttered oysters, rosemary steamed clams, steamed shrimp, an oyster po’ boy, or the grilled fish of the dat. The ordering process couldn’t be simpler — deciding what to order is the tough choice.

Different Types of Oysters

The signature Rappahannock River oysters were raised where the river comes into the bay. "Rappahannock" comes from the Algonquin language. It translates to "place where the water comes back," like a river moved by the tides. Rappahannock River water tumbles down 195 miles from the Blue Ridge Mountains through 65 percent forest and 35 percent crops before it comes into the sea, and this blend of fresh and salty water produces oysters that are sweet, buttery, crisp, and full-bodied.

The Rochambeau oysters get their name from the French General from Yorktown in the Revolutionary War. They come from farther out at sea, but still near where fresh water from the York River spills into the bay. They are called the “Goldilocks oysters,” because they have a far greater bite of salt, but also have a taste associated with oysters near fresh water.

Olde Salt oysters are the aristocrats. They come from the coastal island of Chincoteague, known for its wild horses. But there are no fresh water sources here, so these “fruits de mar” give the truest taste of the sea.

The Virginia Oyster Trail

Just like regions of France have become associated with certain grapes and styles of wine, there are eight regions in Virginia that are identified with different flavor oysters, depending on their proximity to rivers and the sea. Today, they are connected by The Virginia Oyster Trail, which will expose you to hundreds of places to visit, including restaurants, bike trails, downtown shops, scenic cruises, craft breweries, and dozens of annual events celebrating oysters.

More To Explore in Irvington

Take advantage of all Irvington has to offer — you'll find oysters galore and so much more. 

The Tides Inn

In 1947, “Big Steve” and “Miss Ann” Stephens purchased some land on a high point overlooking Carter’s Creek, an inlet to the Chesapeake Bay, and without any experience, decided to open a hotel. They made the right choice. Today, The Tides is a famous slice of Old Virginia luxury and relaxation with 70 guest rooms and suites, three restaurants, a golf course, and the most perfect terrace in the world to have Bloody Mary’s and breakfast. 

Sign up for the Chesapeake Gold Oyster Experience to learn about the importance of oysters to the health of the Chesapeake. Guided by the Tides Inn ecologist, the tour includes a boat outing to an oyster farm, hands-on farming and oyster grading, and of course a tasting. 

Steamboat Era Museum

Irvington is a pleasant little place with eight restaurants and a handful of boutique shops. Sitting on one edge of a green downtown park is the Steamboat Era Museum, which focuses on the period beginning in 1813 when up to 600 steamboats carried passengers, freight, and oysters bound for railroads and ships to bring them to the rest of the world. 

You may be familiar with the image of steamboats sailing up and down the Mississippi, but the same thing happened in the Chesapeake. The museum tells the amazing story, centered around the pilot house of the old steamboat Potomac. Don't miss the section about the oyster pirate wars. 

Fun Fact: The shoreline of Chesapeake Bay is 11,684 miles and contained more than 300 steamboat stops! 

The Hope & Glory Inn

On the other side of the green in Irvington is the Hope & Glory Inn. In 1889, this was the Chesapeake Male & Female Academy, which very properly had two front doors (one for boys and one for girls) and 450 students.

In 1995, Peggy and Dudley Patteson took it over and transformed the space into what is now one of the most acclaimed inns on the Northern Neck of Virginia. With pristine rooms and cottages available to stay in, the Hope & Glory is a luxurious retreat with private patios, a secluded pool, gardens, songbirds singing in the trees, and even an outdoor garden bath.