It was established by an Act of the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1691, when each county in the Virginia Colony was directed set aside  of land for a town. Storehouses were to be built for products imported and tobacco to be exported.
In 1691, the Virginia House of Burgesses enacted an act that directed every county in the Virginia Colony to designate land for a town. The act also stipulated the construction of storage buildings for both imported products and exported tobacco.