Lightfoot, Virginia

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Lightfoot in an unincorporated community which straddles the James City County-York County border west of Williamsburg, Virginia. Originally known as Six-Mile Ordinary, Lightfoot is six miles west of the colonial capital on the Richmond Road (U.S. Route 60).

In 1881, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was built through the area, and a local station named Kelton was established in what is now the Lightfoot area. The source of the name is not clear. In 1882, when a post office was established, the first postmaster suggested the name of Philip Lightfoot, who had been a prominent lawyer and merchant prior to 1748. However, it may also have been named for Lightfoot Taylor, who ran a stage stop there in the 1880s.

Nearby are Interstate 64, U.S. Route 60 and State Route 199, a semi-circumferential highway around Williamsburg, has its western terminus at Lightfoot.

Lightfoot is probably best known as home to the expansive Williamsburg Pottery Factory, as well as the strip of outlet and specialty shops, hotels, motels, restaurants and attractions such as mini golf and a go kart track.

The new Warhill High School of Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools is scheduled to open in Lightfoot in the fall of 2007.