POQUOSON, Va. — Driving down Messick Road in Poquoson, it's kind of hard to miss. Just a few feet from the road, in the middle of a marsh, is a cross.
It's the topic of conversation in Poquoson and it's sort of a mystery. Over the last couple of years, people have asked: "Where did it come from?," "Who put it there?" and "Why is it here?"
“I don't know who put it there, one morning it was there,” Poquoson resident Claude Firth said.
Bill Forrest is the owner of Bill Forrest Seafood and the cross stands just a few feet away from his business. It's on his land.
“I'm proud to say my friend put that there,” Forrest said.
Forrest said his friend David Holloway first put it up about two years ago. He’s since taken it down and redone it. Forrest is not too sure why.
“He didn't put it there for nothing but God, best I can figure,” Forrest said.
One woman said the cross is for fallen watermen. Another man said it's a tribute to all watermen for the dangers they face.
“It's nothing political, racial, it's just a cross,” Forrest said.
Forrest said Holloway isn't the type of person who seeks recognition.
The cross is more than just two pieces of wood and bright lights. For some, it's a sense of hope. For others, it makes them feel better about the day.
“Gives you a good feeling,” Poquoson resident Richard Mcgilvary said.
Whatever the true reason, it's got people talking, and sharing their own stories about what this cross means to them, which is something Forrest said Holloway probably wanted.
“That cross is beautiful at night and a conversation piece,” Forrest said.