Tappahannock – Officials from Essex County and the Town of Tappahannock are making tourism a centerpiece of their economic development plans. Last December, they joined with local non-profits and businesses and nominated Essex-Tappahannock to become the first Chesapeake Gateways Community.
Chesapeake Gateways is a network convened by the National Park Service (NPS) throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. There is no cost to join the network, the benefits are numerous, and the network enhances core tourism opportunities in Essex-Tappahannock: cultural tourism and ecotourism. The Essex-Tappahannock application has cleared two hurdles in the application process, and now it’s time for local citizens to voice their opinion.
On April 29, NPS Chesapeake Gateways is hosting a community meeting about the potential designation of Essex-Tappahannock as a Chesapeake Gateways Community, and to share information about the Chesapeake Gateways Network. The meeting will take place at the Essex County School Board Conference Room from 6 until 7:30 p.m.
As part of the designation review process, NPS Chesapeake Gateways is hosting this meeting to ensure that residents, stakeholders, and partners, understand the Chesapeake Gateways Community criteria and designation process, as well as have opportunities to ask questions and engage directly with the NPS Chesapeake Gateways team.
The community meeting will start with a brief presentation on the Chesapeake Gateways Network (virtual attendance will be available). Following the presentation, NPS staff will be available to talk with community members about what joining the network means and doesn’t mean, discuss the network benefits for members and visitors, and share information about the partnership’s technical and financial assistance opportunities.
The Chesapeake Gateways Network Framework outlines the characteristics that define the Community and other designations within the network. It has additional information about Chesapeake Gateways and key initiatives, such as the Chesapeake Gateways Community Initiative, which shaped the development of the community-focused designation.
Lisa Andrews, chair of the Essex County Economic Development Authority (EDA), was part of the original community group that started the local Chesapeake Gateways discussion in 2024. The EDA is developing a new tourism campaign, Explore Essex, with funding provided by the Essex County Board of Supervisors. The Town of Tappahannock sees inclusion in the Chesapeake Gateways Network as complementary to its local tourism campaign, Visit Tappahannock, and its regional partnership, River Realm.
Andrews sees Chesapeake Gateways as an important tourism partner for the county and the town because it reaches a broad, national audience of potential visitors.
The Chesapeake Gateways Network is organized geographically by the states that drain into the Chesapeake Bay, making up its watershed. Each state features Chesapeake Gateways Places, Experiences, and a new designation, Communities. The Essex Museum, Tappahannock Artists Guild (TAG), The Essex Inn, 1710 Tavern, and Menokin, are already Chesapeake Gateways Places, and several of them have received tourism grants through Chesapeake Gateways.
Lisa Mountcastle and Carl Strock are advisors for the local Chesapeake Gateways Steering Committee. Mountcastle reflected on the more than two years of organizing that led to this opportunity.
“I’m so excited that the NPS is considering Essex-Tappahannock as a Chesapeake Gateways Community,” she said. “This program brings wonderful opportunities and valuable technical assistance that contributes directly to meaningful economic development.”
Strock attended the Chesapeake Gateways Annual Partner Meeting in February. He was impressed with the branding and networking partnerships Chesapeake Gateways has to offer.
In 2025, the Essex County Economic Development Authority (EDA) received technical assistance from Chesapeake Gateways to research opportunities to increase public access to local waterways. The report was recently completed and is under review by the Essex County Board of Supervisors and the Town of Tappahannock.
NPS Chesapeake Gateways remains committed to supporting gateway communities, expanding public access, strengthening local outdoor and heritage tourism economies, and fostering collaborative conservation efforts to ensure that the Chesapeake remains a national treasure for generations to come.
