tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34208850377262734872024-03-15T18:10:21.985-07:00Travel with Terry: VirginiaBirthplace of Eight U.S. PresidentsTerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-11315714800402436222017-10-11T19:42:00.000-07:002017-10-11T19:42:19.571-07:00Trinity Episcopal Church - Upperville<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yiBOmldglMU/Wd7Um148atI/AAAAAAAAFec/qi8vyxxrIlsHLPZ-92zQe8gijcRO494qwCLcBGAs/s1600/upperville-Fiebiger.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="464" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yiBOmldglMU/Wd7Um148atI/AAAAAAAAFec/qi8vyxxrIlsHLPZ-92zQe8gijcRO494qwCLcBGAs/s640/upperville-Fiebiger.png" width="494" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Upperville’s <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trinity Episcopal Church</span> (membership 350), boasts a stunning cluster of architecturally distinctive structures on a 35-acre campus adjacent to Route 50 in the heart of Virginia Hunt Country (Fauquier County), forty miles west of Washington, DC. The church itself (the third on the site), the Parish Hall, and the church offices were the gift of philanthropists and local residents Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon to the parish. These three buildings, clustered around a cobblestone courtyard, were begun in 1951, and the first services in the new structure were held on September 28, 1960. The architect was H. Page Cross, whose design is a free adaptation of the style of 12th-century French churches.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-966Uex1Un4Y/Wd7U4Q4sBmI/AAAAAAAAFeg/IxtQMPE6euAc0bHx14awsVh3zC1rMFH5ACLcBGAs/s1600/upperville-campus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-966Uex1Un4Y/Wd7U4Q4sBmI/AAAAAAAAFeg/IxtQMPE6euAc0bHx14awsVh3zC1rMFH5ACLcBGAs/s640/upperville-campus.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The fabric of the church is native sandstone (quarried in nearby Warrenton), although less brittle limestone was used for more intricately carved elements. The master builder was W. J. Hanback of Warrenton, a noted stone contractor. All the stone and woodwork, except the most complex carving, was done by local craftspeople, who made their own stone-cutting tools at a forge on the property, in the tradition of medieval craftsmen. Each stone was cut by hand, instead of using modern machine cutting.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /><span style="font-size: large; font-style: italic;">Photo: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: large; font-style: italic;">Handsome stonework frames </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: large; font-style: italic;">the entrance to the Parish Hall.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Secs0dpk-xI/AAAAAAAACL4/T5EFa-CaejA/s1600-h/UppervilleTrinityChurchParishHall.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325274364212738834" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Secs0dpk-xI/AAAAAAAACL4/T5EFa-CaejA/s400/UppervilleTrinityChurchParishHall.jpg" style="float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 213px;" width="266" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The bells in the tower, which were made in England, are dedicated to these craftsmen; inscribed on the largest bell:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Dedicated to the men of this countryside, who by their skill of hands built this church.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The stained glass windows were made by Joep Nicolas of the Netherlands, and the pipe organ is a Boston Aeolian-Skinner (designed by legendary Joseph Whiteford) with three manuals and 55 ranks of pipes. Ornamental ironwork is from P.A. Fiebiger, father and son, of New York City (execution of hand forged iron railings, gates, grilles, fanlights, chandeliers, lecterns, hardware).</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Sectw5Wgx9I/AAAAAAAACMA/jbSMtVfYwgw/s1600-h/UppervilleTrinityChurchPewDetail.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325275402441115602" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Sectw5Wgx9I/AAAAAAAACMA/jbSMtVfYwgw/s320/UppervilleTrinityChurchPewDetail.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 214px;" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The oak pew end carvings are the work of the late master Heinz Warneke and depict plants native to the countryside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are candelabra from 16th-century Austria and 18th-century France, and other candlesticks from Poland, England, Spain and Colonial Virginia.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SecuoPjB3WI/AAAAAAAACMI/7ztyA9iaCMQ/s1600-h/UppervilleTrinityChurchChancel.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325276353292000610" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SecuoPjB3WI/AAAAAAAACMI/7ztyA9iaCMQ/s400/UppervilleTrinityChurchChancel.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 283px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SecvKoe_ZZI/AAAAAAAACMQ/zaHzsYr6q1E/s1600-h/UppervilleTrinityChurchNave.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325276944101500306" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SecvKoe_ZZI/AAAAAAAACMQ/zaHzsYr6q1E/s400/UppervilleTrinityChurchNave.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 400px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 298px;" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Serj7A_9tdI/AAAAAAAACNw/UaKxD24rBmQ/s1600-h/UppervilleTrinityChurchDoor2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326320112339105234" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Serj7A_9tdI/AAAAAAAACNw/UaKxD24rBmQ/s400/UppervilleTrinityChurchDoor2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 400px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 266px;" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SerkX48YlMI/AAAAAAAACN4/r6dJQSUfZMo/s1600-h/UppervilleTrinityChurchClose.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="424" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326320608392811714" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SerkX48YlMI/AAAAAAAACN4/r6dJQSUfZMo/s640/UppervilleTrinityChurchClose.jpg" style="display: block; height: 265px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" width="640" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Noteworthy:</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SecyPJi2_xI/AAAAAAAACMg/gXf30MPHJAY/s1600-h/UppervilleTrinityChurchSteeple.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325280320230457106" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SecyPJi2_xI/AAAAAAAACMg/gXf30MPHJAY/s400/UppervilleTrinityChurchSteeple.jpg" style="float: right; height: 400px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 266px;" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the 19th century horses and wagons created heavy traffic on what is today’s Rt. 50 (John Mosby Highway), traveling back and forth through Upperville on the way between Winchester and Middleburg, making maintenance of the road a real chore. The law required that adult male citizens who lived within three miles of the road contribute six days a year to road repair work (the law was in effect until 1894). Since each county in Virginia was responsible for the upkeep of its own roads, Loudoun County said the road was in Fauquier County and vice-versa.<br /><br />A minuscule stone lending library sits on the campus of Trinity Episcopal Church.</span></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SedNzvpwiVI/AAAAAAAACMo/NsjMFZg_uVU/s1600-h/UppervilleLibrary.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325310635749181778" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SedNzvpwiVI/AAAAAAAACMo/NsjMFZg_uVU/s400/UppervilleLibrary.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Se8TdHUfaXI/AAAAAAAACPY/sNQ0YsPhHdQ/s1600-h/MellonGraves.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327498275104713074" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Se8TdHUfaXI/AAAAAAAACPY/sNQ0YsPhHdQ/s640/MellonGraves.jpg" style="display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" width="640" /></a><br />
In the cemetery behind the church several notable people are buried:<br />
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From 1985-97 <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Jack Kent Cooke</span> (1912-1997) was sole owner of the NFL Washington Redskins, who won 3 Super Bowls (1982, 1987, 1991). He also owned the NBA Lakers and NHL Kings in Los Angeles and built the Los Angeles Forum in 1967.<br />
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Industrialist and financier <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Andrew Mellon</span> (1855-1937) was Secretary of the Treasury (1921-1932), serving under Presidents Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover. In 1937, he gave to the nation his magnificent art collection, plus $10 million, to build the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Upon leaving the Treasury Department and President Hoover's Cabinet in February 1932, Mellon accepted the post of U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain.<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Paul Mellon</span> (1907-1999), philanthropist, art collector, and noted horse breeder, was the son of Andrew Mellon. He established the Yale Center for British Art and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. His horses won three Triple Crown races and one Kentucky Derby (Sea Hero in 1992) and two Belmont Stakes (Quadrangle in 1964 and Arts and Letters in 1969). He donated land and funds to construct the Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center, the Middleburg Training Track, the National Sporting Library, Trinity Episcopal Church, and donated 1,618 acres to the state of Virginia to establish Sky Meadows State Park, rescuing the land from developers. The park has one of the most beautiful views in Virginia. He bequeathed his rare collection of books and manuscripts to be divided between Yale University, the Virginia Historical Society, and the University of Virginia so they would be accessible to the general public.<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Elizabeth Cronin</span> (1940-2004) was a Department of State employee in Tehran, Iran, when the U.S. Embassy was seized by Islamic militants in 1979. She and 51 others were held hostage for 444 days until their release in early 1981, during the exact hour that Ronald Reagan was delivering his inauguration speech. Tragically, Elizabeth Cronin was killed in a horseback riding accident.Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-20621418028491441402011-08-29T06:58:00.000-07:002011-10-15T06:00:23.472-07:00Foamhenge at Natural Bridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<b>Foamhenge</b> is a faithful, full-scale replica of Stonehenge created by fiberglass sculptor Mark Cline. According to Cline, the original in Wiltshire, England, took the Druids 1,500 years to build using 50-ton stones and up to 1,000 men, whereas the foam version took a couple of weeks, some 420-pound styrofoam blocks, “four Mexicans and one crazy white man to construct.” It appeared for the first time on April Fool's Day, 2004.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uN8TIZcPL7g/Tnid6CpardI/AAAAAAAAEGY/Z6qW9FVrt9I/s1600/FoamHengeDawn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uN8TIZcPL7g/Tnid6CpardI/AAAAAAAAEGY/Z6qW9FVrt9I/s400/FoamHengeDawn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>"About 15 years ago I walked into a place called Insulated Business Systems in Staunton where they make these huge 16-foot-tall styrofoam blocks," Mark tells us. "As soon as I saw them I immediately thought of the idea: 'Foamhenge.' On the site now occupied by Foamhenge, Mark originally wanted to build "Hayride Through The Civil War," an attraction that would involve fiberglass molds of re-enactors' faces. "This is Civil War country," Mark explains. The plan was dropped in place of Foamhenge because "this was cheaper and much faster to build."<br />
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Mark explains that each block is set into a hole in the ground and anchored with cement. "I put a 2.5" pipe all the way through each one down into the ground, like a nail holding it to the concrete," the same technique, on a larger scale, that a dentist uses to anchor a false tooth into a jaw. <br />
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To get to Foamhenge via I-81, take the Route 11, Natural Bridge exit (south). After you pass the Natural Bridge Zoo, watch on the right for the megalithic structure looming above. If the gate is open, just park and walk up the hill. There is no fee for admission.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uW-TxYrK8rA/Tnie3GPO2DI/AAAAAAAAEGg/LBcZpgU7NIU/s1600/FoamhengeWarning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uW-TxYrK8rA/Tnie3GPO2DI/AAAAAAAAEGg/LBcZpgU7NIU/s400/FoamhengeWarning.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-83671102549255249112011-07-28T22:10:00.000-07:002011-10-15T05:59:43.074-07:00Lexington<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Home to Washington and Lee University </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>and Virginia Military Institute</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2krvJaRuY-A/TjAdOo86l5I/AAAAAAAAEEk/ajOsDTLL_n0/s1600/LexingtonDowntown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2krvJaRuY-A/TjAdOo86l5I/AAAAAAAAEEk/ajOsDTLL_n0/s320/LexingtonDowntown.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>A college atmosphere prevails in <b>Lexington</b>, one of America's most charming small towns. The town certainly has a blue-blood pedigree, since <b>George Washington</b>, <b>Stonewall Jackson</b> and <b>Robert E. Lee</b> all figured prominently in its history. Fine old homes line tree-shaded streets, among them the house where Stonewall Jackson lived when he taught at <b>Virginia Military Institute</b> (VMI). A beautifully restored downtown looks so much as it did in the 1800s that scenes for the movie <b><i>Sommersby</i></b> were filmed on its Main Street (Richard Gere's character was hanged behind Stonewall's house); all the film makers had to do was cover the asphalt streets with dirt to achieve an authentic period look. After the Civil War, <b>Robert E. Lee</b> came to Lexington to serve as president of what was then Washington College (now W&L); he and his horse, Traveller, are buried on the campus.<b> Gen. George C. Marshall</b>, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his post-World War II plan to rebuild Europe, graduated from VMI, which has a museum in his memory.<br />
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<b>Washington and Lee University</b> has one of the oldest and most beautiful campuses in the country. Built in 1824, Washington Hall (shown below), a decidedly handsome structure, is topped by a replica of an American folk art masterpiece, an 1840 carved-wood statue of <b>George Washington</b>. W&L is the ninth oldest institution of higher education in the nation and nearly a hundred years older than neighboring VMI. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w3vdS2IK0qE/TjK3BgZTPZI/AAAAAAAAEFY/yVu0bDZQ-ic/s1600/W%2526L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w3vdS2IK0qE/TjK3BgZTPZI/AAAAAAAAEFY/yVu0bDZQ-ic/s400/W%2526L.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about 20 miles north of Lexington. In 1776, in a burst of revolutionary fervor, it was renamed Liberty Hall. The academy moved to Lexington in 1780. In 1796, George Washington endowed the school with the largest gift ever given to an educational institution at that time: $20,000 in James River Canal Co. stock. The gift rescued Liberty Hall from near-certain insolvency. In gratitude, the trustees changed the school's name to Washington Academy. In 1803 the Liberty Hall main building burned, and the campus was moved a half mile away to its present location. The stone ruins of Liberty Hall are still standing (see photo below, click to enlarge). In 1813 the academy was chartered as Washington College. Dividends from Washington's gift continue to help pay part of the cost of each student's education. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RvxzoIDchbI/TjHQmOL8DCI/AAAAAAAAEFQ/AY5MMNYsTxk/s1600/LexingtonLibertyHall%2BRuins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RvxzoIDchbI/TjHQmOL8DCI/AAAAAAAAEFQ/AY5MMNYsTxk/s400/LexingtonLibertyHall%2BRuins.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<b>Robert E. Lee</b>, who had earlier been superintendent of West Point, was president of Washington College after the Civil War in 1865 until his death in 1870, after which the school was renamed <b>Washington and Lee University</b>, to honor him. There was also a family connection between the Washingtons and Lees: Robert E. Lee’s wife was the great-granddaughter of Martha Washington. General Lee reputedly planted some of the massive trees dotting the campus, and his son, George Washington Custis Lee, followed as the school's next president. It is a little known fact that Lee revolutionized higher education in the country during his tenure as president of Washington College. He established the first school of professional journalism in the country and added both business and law schools to the curriculum, under the conviction that those occupations should be linked with the liberal arts. Prior to that time, the disciplines of business, journalism and law been considered technical crafts, not intellectual endeavors. Lee joined them for the first time to the liberal arts and sciences, as they remain to this day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tXT2JugT8gA/TjA5VwbXgOI/AAAAAAAAEFE/LzO5WHDYlH4/s1600/LexingtonLeeChapel2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tXT2JugT8gA/TjA5VwbXgOI/AAAAAAAAEFE/LzO5WHDYlH4/s400/LexingtonLeeChapel2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Lee, his wife and seven children, as well as his father, the Revolutionary War hero "Light Horse Harry" Lee, are buried in the <b>Lee Chapel</b> (above) on campus. His horse <b>Traveller</b> is buried on the chapel grounds. "A Recumbent Lee" is a marble memorial to Robert E. Lee (see photo below) that is placed inside the chapel, directly behind the pulpit. Lee attended daily worship services in the chapel and maintained an office in the basement (restored and open to visitors). Several of the campus buildings have National Historic Landmark status.<br />
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Washington and Lee was all male until 1972, when women were admitted to the law school; the first female undergraduates did not enroll until 1985. There are no graduate or teaching assistants, thus every course is taught by a faculty member. Its academic standing is highly competitive, with an acceptance rate of only 15%. The 2010 Forbes Magazine college rankings place W&L 37th in the nation, seven places ahead of nearby academic rival University of Virginia. Combining academics with an active social culture, Washington and Lee ranked 14th in "Best Overall Academic Experience for Undergraduates" by Princeton Review.<br />
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<i>Trivia:</i> Journalist, social critic and author <b>Tom Wolfe</b> (looks best in an all-white suit) was a graduate of W&L, as was <b>John Warner</b>, Secretary of the Navy and Virginia Senator (not to mention former husband of the recently deceased Elizabeth Taylor). <br />
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Called the West Point of the South, <b>Virginia Military Institute</b> opened in 1839 on the site of a state arsenal, abutting the Washington and Lee campus (W&L's buildings are like brick Southern manses, whereas VMI's look like stone fortresses). The campus, referred to as "the Post," sits on 134 acres, 12 of which are designated as a National Historic District.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5sgItcnm4RM/TjAi2ErPBDI/AAAAAAAAEE4/tkUpwaj-M_w/s1600/VMICadets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5sgItcnm4RM/TjAi2ErPBDI/AAAAAAAAEE4/tkUpwaj-M_w/s320/VMICadets.jpg" width="304" /></a></div>In 1851 <b>Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson</b> became a member of the faculty as professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy (physics) and Instructor of Artillery. Jackson's teachings are still used at VMI today. He was a singularly unpopular teacher, and the cadets mocked his stern, religious nature and eccentric traits. In 1856, a group of alumni attempted to have Jackson removed from his position. However, he was revered by many of the African-Americans in town, as he was instrumental in the organization of Sunday School classes for blacks at the Presbyterian Church, where he served as a deacon. His second wife, Mary, taught Sunday School with him. Jackson took his first wife, Ellie, in 1853, while he was an instructor at VMI. Ellie, the daughter of the president of Washington & Lee, died in childbirth in 1854.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FEM2NnNTuqk/TjAj2QxeK3I/AAAAAAAAEE8/pmbbFxEVRTw/s1600/LexingtonJacksonHse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FEM2NnNTuqk/TjAj2QxeK3I/AAAAAAAAEE8/pmbbFxEVRTw/s200/LexingtonJacksonHse.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>In 1859 Jackson purchased a home in Lexington, the only house he ever owned. Built in 1801, the brick house at 8 E. Washington Street was Jackson’s home until he was called to serve in the Confederacy (click photo to enlarge). But Jackson never returned to Lexington, except to be buried. Jackson was badly wounded in the arm (accidentally shot by his own troops) at the battle of Chancellorsville, and had his arm amputated. The operation did not succeed, and pneumonia set in, causing his death on the 10th of May, 1863, near Richmond. After his body was moved to the Governor's Mansion in Richmond for public mourning, he was then moved to Lexington by packet boat on the afternoon of May 14. The VMI Corps of Cadets met the boat and escorted the body of their former commander to the VMI campus, where it lay in state in his old classroom, with cadets standing as guards. The cadet battery, which Jackson so long commanded, fired salutes from sunrise to sunset. One day later, Stonewall Jackson was buried in the Lexington cemetery that now bears his name. <br />
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<i>Footnote:</i> However, the arm that was amputated was buried separately by Jackson's chaplain at “Ellwood,” the J. Horace Lacy house in the wilderness of Orange County, near the field hospital where the arm was amputated. A marker notes that Lee’s arm was interred there on May 3, 1862, a day after the amputation. The Ellwood property, located off Rt. 20 before the intersection of Rt. 3 at Lake of the Woods, is now owned by the National Park Service as part of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park – Battle of the Wilderness. The property and house may be visited.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-etgcxtQBkM0/TjAct36hChI/AAAAAAAAEEg/82RYyOI_guw/s1600/VMIStonewallJackson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-etgcxtQBkM0/TjAct36hChI/AAAAAAAAEEg/82RYyOI_guw/s400/VMIStonewallJackson.jpg" width="395" /></a></div>At VMI, a bronze statue of Stonewall Jackson stands outside the main entrance to the cadet barracks; first-year cadets exiting the barracks through this archway are required to honor Jackson's memory by saluting the statue.<br />
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The most dramatic episode in VMI's history, however, took place during the Civil War at the <b>Battle of New Market </b>on May 15, 1864, when the corps of cadets helped turn back a larger Union army. After a four-day long march to the rain soaked battlefield, all 257 cadets took part in the effort; 10 were killed in action or died later as a result of wounds received, and 57 cadets were wounded. The youngest cadet was only fifteen years old. This brave event is commemorated in a large mural which dominates a wall in the VMI chapel (see below). A month later, Union Gen. David Hunter got even, attacking Lexington and burning down VMI (he spared Washington College because it was named for the first president).<br />
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The service of the VMI Corps of Cadets during the 1864 Battle of New Market marks the only time in the nation's history that an entire student body fought as a unit in pitched battle. That service entitles VMI cadets to be the only school in the United States to parade with fixed bayonets, and to fly a battle streamer on its flag. VMI honors its fallen every May 15 on the anniversary of the Battle of New Market with a parade, cannon salutes and a wreath-placing ceremony.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YQnheLMuVc0/TjSwr9rg8II/AAAAAAAAEFg/taNyaf_mOFk/s1600/LexingtonVMIChapel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YQnheLMuVc0/TjSwr9rg8II/AAAAAAAAEFg/taNyaf_mOFk/s400/LexingtonVMIChapel.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<i>Footnote:</i> In November of 1859, just prior to the Civil War, Jackson moved a contingent of his VMI cadets to Harper's Ferry, WV, where they helped maintain order during John Brown's execution on December 2. <br />
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All VMI students are military cadets pursuing bachelor degrees. Distinct from the other five senior military colleges in the United States, all VMI cadets must participate in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC); however, they are not required to serve in the military upon graduation. Instead, graduates may either accept a commission in any of the US military branches or pursue civilian endeavors upon graduation. Prospective cadets must be between 16 and 22 years of age. They must be unmarried, physically fit for enrollment in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and be graduates of an accredited secondary school or have completed an approved home-school curriculum. Among its distinguished military alumni was the first five-star General of the Army, <b>George C. Marshall</b> (class of 1901). General <b>George Patton</b> attended VMI (1903-1904) prior to his transfer to West Point.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PayRNtV-8wM/TjA69FrzvGI/AAAAAAAAEFI/PTHkeeLgyuE/s1600/LexingtonVMIClaytonHall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PayRNtV-8wM/TjA69FrzvGI/AAAAAAAAEFI/PTHkeeLgyuE/s320/LexingtonVMIClaytonHall.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>Traditions are long lived. Women were excluded from the Corps of Cadets until 1997 (25 years after neighboring W&L became co-ed), making VMI the last U.S. military college to admit women. Today’s cadets forswear such comforts as beds, lying upon cots (aired every Monday) that are little more than foam mats that must be rolled every morning. Cadet uniforms have changed little over the years; the coatee, a parade uniform, dates back to the war of 1812. New cadets, called Rats, experience even further deprivations, being unable to watch TV or listen to music or use the telephone outside the presence of their assigned upperclassman mentors. The tradition of guarding the Institute is carried out to this day. Cadets have been posted as sentinels guarding the barracks 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while school is in session since the first cadet sentinel relieved the Virginia Militia guard team tasked with defending the Lexington Arsenal (which later became VMI) in 1839; each sentinel is armed with an M-14 rifle and bayonet and wears a traditional uniform. <br />
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A controversy occurred in 2002 when two students sued the school over the non-denominational prayer recited daily over dinner (all cadets are required to eat in the mess hall). The Fourth Circuit court ruled that the prayer, during an event with mandatory attendance at a state-funded school, violated the U.S. Constitution. Not until the Supreme Court declined to review the school's appeal in April 2004 was the prayer tradition discontinued.<br />
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<i>Trivia:</i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">•<b> Ronald Reagan</b> starred in the films<i> <b>Brother Rat</b></i> and <b><i>Brother Rat and a Baby</i></b>, which were both filmed at VMI. Originally a Broadway production, the play <i>Brother Rat</i> was written by John Monks Jr. and Fred F. Finklehoffe, both 1932 graduates of VMI.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">•<b> Jack Holt</b> (1888–1951), a leading man of silent and sound films, was known for his many roles in Westerns. He grew up in Winchester, VA, and attended VMI, but was expelled for misbehavior. Interestingly, Holt was Margaret Mitchell’s preference for the screen role of Rhett Butler in <i><b>Gone with the Wind</b></i> (1939), even though she had no say in the casting. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">• <b>Christa McAuliffe</b>, the teacher who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, was the wife of 1971 VMI graduate Steven J. McAuliffe (a federal judge in New Hampshire). She had his VMI ring with her onboard the shuttle. His brother VMI Rats subsequently replaced his ring.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JeCF6X0TOV4/TjAnBGcKQ3I/AAAAAAAAEFA/HXA8FMEt4OQ/s1600/LexingtonJacksonCemetery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JeCF6X0TOV4/TjAnBGcKQ3I/AAAAAAAAEFA/HXA8FMEt4OQ/s320/LexingtonJacksonCemetery.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>Most of Stonewall Jackson (he's missing an arm, as revealed above) is buried in the <b>Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery</b> in downtown Lexington. The memorial statue (left) makes a fine contrast to the one on the campus at VMI.<br />
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Lexington (population 7,000) is located in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, just west of I-81 (exit 188). Roanoke is to the south, and Harrisonburg lies to the north. Distance from Washington, D.C., is approximately 180 miles.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Roadside Curiosity</span>: <br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">First Catch Fish Market</span><i><span style="font-size: large;"> (in a percolator)</span></i><br />
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In an amazing building recycling triumph, this post WW II corrugated aluminum structure now serves as a fresh fish market (Tue-Sat 11:00a-6:00p; 540.261.1001). Originally built as a coffee diner just east of Lexington, the building sat vacant after the owner retired to Virginia Beach. Used for a short time as a river outfitter, it was brought back to life last year. Kudos to the present occupants for salvaging a roadside landmark! It's all still there, down to the spout and handle. You can visit them at 1870 E. Midland Trail (Route 60), east of I-81 (exit 188A toward Buena Vista).Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-63285693488095703842011-06-22T05:34:00.000-07:002011-07-31T15:44:58.989-07:00Hotel Roanoke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RIQbrP0xNlA/TilrjEnv8YI/AAAAAAAAEAo/z7frTa2MJ7A/s1600/HotelRoanokeAerielView.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RIQbrP0xNlA/TilrjEnv8YI/AAAAAAAAEAo/z7frTa2MJ7A/s400/HotelRoanokeAerielView.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
In 1882, shortly after the SW Virginia town of <b>Big Lick</b> changed its name to<b> Roanoke</b> (named after its river), <b>Norfolk and Western Railroad</b> built a Queen Anne style hotel as a rest stop for rail travelers. The railroad also built a city, buying up large tracts of land and dividing them into building lots for their employees. Before the railroad was built, Big Lick had only 100 houses and 600 citizens. The railroad, hotel, company headquarters and homes were all built at once. Railroad executives originally specified a hotel of 20 rooms, but changed the plans to 34 rooms before construction started. Before the first structure was completed, an annex of 35 additional rooms was begun. The hotel, although sited on a bleak and treeless hill above the depot, created a sensation, boasting an elevator and a dining room that could seat 200, not to mention the first sewer line in town and "speaking tubes" for communication between the office, kitchen and servant's chambers. The hotel hosted a 9-course Christmas dinner to mark the hotel's official opening, and the first of many "Germans" (an evening of social dancing) took place afterward. The railroad imported chaperoned young women from the best families (and schools) in the area for it, and Roanoke society was born. Beginning a long tradition, uniformed hotel porters met the young ladies and their chaperones at the station and escorted them up the hill to the hotel. <br />
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<i>Photo circa 1929:<b></b></i><br />
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As intended, the <b>Hotel Roanoke</b> became the centerpiece of the town and its very symbol, much the way the Chateau Frontenac Hotel dominates Quebec City. The image that comes to mind when most people think of Roanoke is the hotel; the giant illuminated star atop Mill Mountain comes in second. As the railroad prospered and expanded, so did the fortunes of the town. Businesses sprang up, and tourists arrived. The hotel provided an eye-poppingly luxurious setting for its first ever convention, the American Institute of Mining Engineers in 1883. The hotel has catered to the convention trade ever since. The twenty five years following the hotel's opening were a boom era for Roanoke of unimaginable magnitude. For decades the railroad added to and modernized the hotel, which became known locally as “<i>The Grand Old Lady</i>.” <br />
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<i>Hotel ballroom in 1938:<b></b></i><br />
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Over the years the property’s guest list boasted six U.S. presidents as well as celebrity entertainers and politicians: Amelia Earhart, Joe DiMaggio, Victor Borge, Ethel Merman, Lawrence Tibbett (from the Metropolitan Opera), Van Cliburn, evangelist Billy Sunday, Jack Dempsey, Jeanette MacDonald. Not to mention Aerosmith, Hilary Duff and Jerry Seinfeld. When a Roanoke Evening News reporter encountered inventor Thomas Edison smoking a cigar at the Hotel Roanoke in 1906, he found him "plain as an old shoe." Senator John Warner (and wife Elizabeth Taylor) enjoyed the rocking chairs on the porch. J. P. Morgan favored the scrambled eggs served at breakfast. During Vice President Nelson Rockefeller's visit, a special red phone was installed to keep him in touch with the White House.<br />
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The Hotel Roanoke has <b>National Historic Landmark</b> status and is listed on the <b>National Register of Historic Places</b>.<br />
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Enlarged and renovated many times, the hotel took on a Tudor revival architectural style. The hotel's appearance and configuration today stems mostly from the late 1930s. The 332-room Hotel Roanoke is currently owned by Virginia Tech and is operated by the Hilton Doubletree brand. In 1989, Norfolk Southern decided to leave the hotel business and deeded the property to Virginia Tech in nearby Blacksburg. After the flag lowering ceremony on November 30, 1989, the hotel closed for a six-year multimillion dollar refurbishment, and a 17-day sale of the contents began. Historic chandeliers, paintings, fireplace surrounds, black walnut paneling and other architectural treasures were excluded from the sale. Norfolk Southern donated $2,000,000 (thirty times what the hotel cost to build in 1882) toward the renovation effort. <br />
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The Hotel Roanoke, along with its brand new $14 million conference center, reopened in 1995 to great fanfare and has provided continuous employment for 300 area workers. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-55fnOELlV8k/TiltnvSZAAI/AAAAAAAAEBI/Wrwiumdn9yw/s1600/hotel-roanoke-esplanade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-55fnOELlV8k/TiltnvSZAAI/AAAAAAAAEBI/Wrwiumdn9yw/s400/hotel-roanoke-esplanade.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
A new esplanade (above), reminiscent of the architecture of the spa town Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic), connects the hotel's motor court with the enclosed pedestrian bridge that runs over Norfolk and Southern's railroad tracks, linking the hotel to downtown Roanoke and the popular City Market complex. In 2004, Roanoke's landmark former passenger rail station was converted into a museum devoted to the railroad photography of <b>O. Winston Link</b>. Connecting this museum to the <b>Virginia Transportation Museum</b> is a new <b>Rail Walk</b>, with interactive displays of railroad history and equipment. All three are adjacent to the freight tracks still in use.<br />
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<i><b>Trivia:</b></i><br />
• Hotel Roanoke was the first U.S. hotel designed for <b>air conditioning</b>.<br />
• Gospel singer <b>Mahalia Jackson</b> was the first African-American ever registered at the hotel.<br />
• The hotel restaurant still serves its signature dish, <b>peanut soup</b>, invented by chef Fred Brown in 1940.<br />
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Although Norfolk & Western also built and operated extravagant railroad hotels in Pulaski and Bluefield (WV), the Hotel Roanoke was their crown jewel. Morton Downey and his orchestra broadcast his national network radio program from the hotel's Crystal Ballroom in the 1940s. For decades the hotel has been headquarters for the Miss Virginia pageants, beginning in 1953.<br />
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Locals are sometimes astonished by the far-reaching fame of their grand hotel. During WWII a native Roanoker was serving in New Guinea when his Australian commander inquired where he was from. When he answered "Virginia," the Lt.-Col. replied, "I have been to Virginia. What city?" The soldier replied, "Roanoke." The Australian commented, "Ah, Roanoke, the place with that lovely hotel." <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vu1iIoMlL2M/TimHdpL92aI/AAAAAAAAEB4/7DykRQ7OFeY/s1600/Hotel_Roanoke_Entrance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vu1iIoMlL2M/TimHdpL92aI/AAAAAAAAEB4/7DykRQ7OFeY/s400/Hotel_Roanoke_Entrance.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-5792239666794040862011-05-19T07:34:00.000-07:002011-07-25T03:12:29.745-07:00Marion's 1920s Era Landmarks Restored<span style="font-size: large;"><b>General Francis Marion Hotel </b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Gkjd4si_xc/TiWUPf4q7fI/AAAAAAAAD_o/dqChZdUD9fU/s1600/GeneralFrancisMarionHotelLobby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Gkjd4si_xc/TiWUPf4q7fI/AAAAAAAAD_o/dqChZdUD9fU/s400/GeneralFrancisMarionHotelLobby.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>On May 27, 1927, to much fanfare, the 57 room General Francis Marion Hotel opened in SW Virginia's Smyth County. It immediately became the social center of the town of Marion, a hotel where civic clubs met, ladies played cards, society wedding receptions were held and debutantes had their coming out parties. When the hotel threw open its doors, the town was dazzled by such features as a doorman, switchboard and elevator.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y-9RXkpzXaI/TiWWeR4pXgI/AAAAAAAAEAI/KzRZUkU7Yow/s1600/GFMHotelLincoln1930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y-9RXkpzXaI/TiWWeR4pXgI/AAAAAAAAEAI/KzRZUkU7Yow/s320/GFMHotelLincoln1930.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>The hotel took its name from General Francis Marion, the Revolutionary War hero in whose honor the town itself had been named. The Hotel was built by Charles Clarke Lincoln, Sr., Marion’s wealthiest resident, and Dr. William M. Sclater, who together spent $175,000 on the project. Lincoln also owned the Virginia Table Company, Marion’s largest industry at the time. When the old Hotel Marion, located across the street, was rebuilt a year later, Charles Lincoln decided to rename the new hotel after himself to avoid confusion (see historic photo above; click to enlarge).<br />
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On the upper mezzanine, in the Card Room, today’s visitors can still admire the floor tile motif of playing cards and a trademark black rooster with a bubbling cocktail. A black rooster was code during Prohibition for “Drinks Served Here”. In the ballroom, the original walnut paneling and oak floor are still intact, as are the terrazzo floors on all three lobby levels, the original registration desk, switchboard, and a display cabinet, now used as a reception station inside The Black Rooster, the hotel’s restaurant. The original door facades still grace the hallways, and every room is individually decorated. In a nod to today’s savvy travelers, all 36 guest rooms feature flat-screen TVs and complimentary high speed internet. When the $4 million restoration was completed in 2006, the original coffee shop was converted to a full service restaurant. <br />
<a href="http://www.gfmhotel.com/">www.gfmhotel.com</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lincoln Theatre</b></span><br />
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On the same street as the General Francis Marion Hotel, the 500-seat Lincoln Theatre was originally a movie house dating from the late 1920s. Conceived and built by the same owner as the hotel, the theater opened two years later, on July 1, 1929. The building also incorporated residential apartments on the side facing the steet. The Lincoln Theatre’s Art Deco interior was designed to evoke images of an ancient Mayan temple. The unusual auditorium was embellished with painted appliqués of exotic creatures and mythological gods. In juxtaposition to this stylized architecture, six enormous murals (each 15' x 20') depicting scenes from national and local history were painted and installed. One of them depicts British Gen. Cornwallis surrendering to George Washington at Yorktown. Painstaking restoration of the original canvases was completed in 2005 by Conrad Schmidt Studios (Wisconsin). See the before and after photo:<br />
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Lola Poston, a local artist of Shawnee Indian heritage, was paid $50 for each of the original murals, which were painted on cotton panels using water-based paints. Her former home at 144 W. Main Street in Marion (at the corner of Sheffey Street) now houses the Appalachian Spirit Gallery. Ms. Poston later decorated the White House under the Franklin Roosevelt administration. <br />
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Fully restored in 2004/2005 at a cost of $1.8 million, the theater now hosts live performances and is one of only three extant Mayan Revival-style theaters in the nation. The Lincoln Theatre is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a Virginia Historic Landmark. The Lincoln has hosted the <i>Song of the Mountains</i> bluegrass music concert series for the past five years and is also the setting for the Song of the Mountains television series, which is broadcast on over 190 PBS affiliates throughout the country. <br />
<a href="http://www.thelincoln.org/">www.thelincoln.org</a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-22059978612248113052011-04-03T07:39:00.000-07:002011-07-26T11:20:53.494-07:00Marion: a VA Mainstreet CommunityA monument to Confederate Soldiers stands on the grounds of the stately <b>Smyth County Courthouse</b> in Marion, VA.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pxPDf0dL2Xw/Tir-WBlDxlI/AAAAAAAAEEI/Uskc5_ymAAU/s1600/MarionCourthouseConfederateMonument.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pxPDf0dL2Xw/Tir-WBlDxlI/AAAAAAAAEEI/Uskc5_ymAAU/s400/MarionCourthouseConfederateMonument.jpg" width="371" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oF7Wnx7JFWs/Tir3YsZWRSI/AAAAAAAAEDo/fYUfv4hj5BU/s1600/MarionMainStreet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oF7Wnx7JFWs/Tir3YsZWRSI/AAAAAAAAEDo/fYUfv4hj5BU/s320/MarionMainStreet.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Marion</b></span> <br />
(pop. 6,500) <br />
is one of the towns to receive designation as an official <b>Virginia Main Street Community</b> and <b>National Main Street Community</b>. These designations stem from the <i>National Trust for Historic Preservation</i>, which developed and coordinated programs to help communities revitalize their downtown and neighborhood business districts.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YT952rtpyIA/Tir1Ft43_UI/AAAAAAAAEDY/SIWydnw21oA/s1600/MarionRoyalOakPresbyterian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YT952rtpyIA/Tir1Ft43_UI/AAAAAAAAEDY/SIWydnw21oA/s320/MarionRoyalOakPresbyterian.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>First named <b>Royal Oak</b> (a cemetery and a Presbyterian Church maintain that name), Marion is the county seat of Smyth County in the highlands of southwest Virginia, near the tri-state borders of Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. Marion is named after South Carolina’s Revolutionary War hero <b>General Francis Marion</b>, known as the “Swamp Fox.” Virginia’s Route 11, which runs through the center of downtown, follows the course of the old Wilderness Road, which started out as a buffalo trail. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NgN4ts4KRwQ/Tir45DJSdAI/AAAAAAAAEDw/bjPNMxR6iu4/s1600/MarionVADepot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NgN4ts4KRwQ/Tir45DJSdAI/AAAAAAAAEDw/bjPNMxR6iu4/s400/MarionVADepot.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Marion was incorporated in 1832, and the <b>Norfolk and Western Railroad</b> arrived in 1856. In 1864 the town (pop. 500) saw cavalry action during the <b>Civil War</b>; the area around Marion was strategic militarily because of the nearby salt works, iron forge and lead mines. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2RjF69ZUcUg/TirwjEoduQI/AAAAAAAAEDI/G0y6k4PWV_8/s1600/MarionBlueRidgeJobCorps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2RjF69ZUcUg/TirwjEoduQI/AAAAAAAAEDI/G0y6k4PWV_8/s320/MarionBlueRidgeJobCorps.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>In 1873 <b>Marion College</b> opened its doors as a Lutheran college for women. Since its closing in 1967, the campus has operated as the<b> Blue Ridge Job Corps</b>, a national no-cost education and career technical training program. The Marion campus, which caters mostly to women, has consistently been rated the top school of the more than 120 campuses of the national Job Corps program, which educates and trains at risk students. The photograph captures a 2009 commencement ceremony on the lawn in front of the main building of the former Marion College, which was associated with the Lutheran Church. <br />
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Several significant Marion buildings date from the early part of the twentieth century, notably a <b>train depot</b> (1905) built by the Norfolk and Western Railroad; note its distinctive bracket eave support system illustrated above. A classical revival <b>courthouse</b> designed by Frank Milburn was erected in 1905 (photo at top of post), and the <b>General Francis Marion Hotel</b> (1927) and the <b>Lincoln Theatre</b> (1929) catered to tourists traveling along the modernized Route 11. These two structures have their own post (click on their entries in the sidebar at right). A clutch of Art Deco and Art Moderne structures survives, mostly in varying states of decay. The downtown <b>Marion Historic District</b> is listed in the <b>National Register of Historic Places</b>. <br />
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<b>Southwestern Lunatic Asylum</b> opened in Marion in 1887 in a massive brick complex that featured a central spire (vintage postcard above). <b>Harvey Black</b> (1827-1888), a native of Blacksburg and grandson of town founder John Black, was the institution’s first superintendent. During the Civil War Harvey Black served as regimental surgeon for the Stonewall Brigade, and he assisted with the amputation of Stonewall Jackson's arm on May 3, 1863. Prior to his arrival in Marion, Black had been Superintendent of the Eastern Lunatic Asylum in Williamsburg and served in the Virginia House of Delegates. The asylum’s facilities were enlarged in 1908, 1930 and 1935, when the name was changed to <b>Southwestern State Hospital</b>. By 1964 the institution’s staff numbered more than 500 people. In 1986, demolition of the original complex commenced, and construction of the modern <b>Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute</b> began. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vAeZKbNTCCA/TirhmAwbU4I/AAAAAAAAECQ/qxvZg9blOwA/s1600/MarionSongOfTheMountains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vAeZKbNTCCA/TirhmAwbU4I/AAAAAAAAECQ/qxvZg9blOwA/s320/MarionSongOfTheMountains.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><b>Song of the Mountains</b>, an award winning bluegrass concert showcase, has aired on PBS television stations nationwide during the last five years, attracting an audience of 50 million viewers. It is performed and recorded live at the recently restored <b>Lincoln Theatre</b> in Marion. However, Tim White, who hosts the program and is instrumental in its production, relates that the continuation of the show is in jeopardy, due to a precipitous drop in underwriting support.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5p9oMsVWF4U/TirmyAXILtI/AAAAAAAAECo/7quCYyvzF0c/s1600/HungryMotherStateParkVA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5p9oMsVWF4U/TirmyAXILtI/AAAAAAAAECo/7quCYyvzF0c/s320/HungryMotherStateParkVA.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>The town serves as the gateway to nearby <b>Hungry Mother State Park</b>, the <b>Jefferson National Forest</b>, the <b>Mount Rogers National Recreation Area</b>, and the <b>Appalachian Trail</b>, which runs just south of the town. Marion is a short distance from the <b>Blue Ridge Parkway</b> and neighboring states West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina. The photograph shows a footbridge over the 100-acre lake in <b>Hungry Mother State Park</b>, which opened in 1936. <i>Historical footnote: </i>The park was constructed as a project of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a national public work relief program for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25. The CCC, a part of Roosevelt’s New Deal, provided unskilled manual labor jobs related to the conservation and development of natural resources in rural lands owned by federal, state and local governments. The program was designed to provide employment for young men in relief families who had difficulty finding jobs during the Great Depression of the 1930s.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-COljcwu8gAk/TirnRGJqVUI/AAAAAAAAECw/4l20HZQ7Mes/s1600/SherwoodAnderson.php" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-COljcwu8gAk/TirnRGJqVUI/AAAAAAAAECw/4l20HZQ7Mes/s200/SherwoodAnderson.php" width="132" /></a></div>Short story author <b>Sherwood Anderson</b> lived in the Marion area part time for the last fifteen years of his life. His most enduring work is the short story collection <i>Winesburg, Ohio</i> (1919) Writers he influenced include Hemingway, Faulkner, Steinbeck and Salinger. Anderson bought and edited two local newspapers (<i>The Marion Democrat</i> and <i>Smyth County News</i>) and was buried in Marion’s <b>Round Hill Cemetery</b> in 1941. This photograph dates from 1937.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ci4MfIi1Blc/Tirj8frg9rI/AAAAAAAAECY/vb3reEmx4xE/s1600/Nolan_Ryan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ci4MfIi1Blc/Tirj8frg9rI/AAAAAAAAECY/vb3reEmx4xE/s320/Nolan_Ryan.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>At the age of eighteen, baseball Hall of Famer <b>Nolan Ryan</b>, drafted by the New York Mets in 1965, was assigned to the <b>Marion Mets</b>, a minor league team in the <i>Appalachian League</i>. He went on to become a baseball pitching legend and is now owner of the Texas Rangers. But his career started in Marion. Click the image of his Hall of Fame plaque to enlarge.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sh3_hZB7R8c/TirgV1NhK0I/AAAAAAAAECI/KjyUUOeeZoo/s1600/MarionDipDog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sh3_hZB7R8c/TirgV1NhK0I/AAAAAAAAECI/KjyUUOeeZoo/s200/MarionDipDog.jpg" width="169" /></a></div>West of downtown Marion on Rt. 11 (Lee Highway), the <b>Dip Dog</b> stand has been serving its signature dip dogs (battered hot dogs deep fried then slathered with mustard), burgers and famous onion rings for over 50 years. The ice cream creations, shakes and frozen custard draw much repeat business. <i>Tip:</i> the servers at Dip Dog get a little touchy if customers refer to their Dip Dogs as "corn dogs." They will remind you that these are not corn dogs (the batter does not contain corn meal), rather a 50-year-old original on-site creation.<br />
Open 9:00a to 10:00p daily.<br />
276.783.2698 <br />
<a href="http://www.dipdogs.com/">www.dipdogs.com</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CKieXUCXkqg/Til1AYAowKI/AAAAAAAAEBo/FlHM1YcFoHE/s1600/MountainDew1960sVintageBottle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CKieXUCXkqg/Til1AYAowKI/AAAAAAAAEBo/FlHM1YcFoHE/s320/MountainDew1960sVintageBottle.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><b>Yahoo! Mountain Dew!</b> Marion is known as the birthplace of the soft drink <b>Mountain Dew</b>, a yellow-green soft drink characterized by low carbonation coupled with high sugar and high caffeine content. Although first marketed during the 1940s in Knoxville, TN, as an unsuccessful lemon-lime flavored whiskey mixer, the original drink’s dormant trademark and bottle design were handed over as part of an investment in Tip Corporation, a soft drink flavor concentrate manufacturer based in Marion. The recipe was changed drastically by William H. "Bill" Jones, who experimented from 1959 to 1962 to create the recipe for what is now "Mountain Dew." As owner of the Tip Corporation at 517 North Main Street, Jones concocted formulas with various flavors and routinely offered his family and Marion residents samples of his latest efforts, until he perfected the formula used today. He eventually sold Tip Corp. (and with it, "Mountain Dew") to Pepsico in 1964. The 1960s era vintage bottle above shows the hillbilly art depicting a yokel firing a shotgun (click to enlarge). Marion hosted a <b>Mountain Dew Festival</b> for over 50 years.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4YT2Oy7T86g/Til1i-FiFMI/AAAAAAAAEBw/lLPvZWFqchU/s1600/DrPepper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4YT2Oy7T86g/Til1i-FiFMI/AAAAAAAAEBw/lLPvZWFqchU/s200/DrPepper.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>In other weirdly related soft drink trivia, <b>Dr. Charles Taylor Pepper</b>, for whom the soft drink was named, is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in nearby Rural Retreat, VA (at the halfway point between Marion and Wytheville). If this sort of thing yanks your chain, go pay your respects. Take I-81 exit 60, south on Hwy 90/Main St. through town, then turn right onto Mountain View Ave. In the cemetery, start at the flag and go around the U-shaped drive. Near the big "Pepper" headstone on your left is a four-sided stone column, and his marker is on that column. Those readers old enough to remember these old bottles likely wonder what the numbers 10-2-4 mean. Those were the hours of the day (10:00a, 2:00p and 4:00p), when there is a natural drop in energy, so the soft drink manufacturer proposed drinking three 10-oz. servings a day to maintain one's energy level. Glad you asked.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Q2BqiLjUOE/Tir8FTLpEfI/AAAAAAAAEEA/MhrHTAmrGME/s1600/MarionHotCold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Q2BqiLjUOE/Tir8FTLpEfI/AAAAAAAAEEA/MhrHTAmrGME/s320/MarionHotCold.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>And last, but not least, Marion's signature <b>water storage tanks</b> adjacent to I-81 never fail to provoke comment.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W4YCo6XbX3Q/TirpuIi6tUI/AAAAAAAAEDA/Fogaw1O9yEw/s1600/MarionVALocation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W4YCo6XbX3Q/TirpuIi6tUI/AAAAAAAAEDA/Fogaw1O9yEw/s400/MarionVALocation.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-39127272511146522402011-01-16T03:25:00.000-08:002011-07-29T06:30:53.553-07:00Staunton<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TUINoFPf9-I/AAAAAAAAD2c/1Xs7BX1_E5A/s1600/StauntonVABeverlySt.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567027071636469730" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TUINoFPf9-I/AAAAAAAAD2c/1Xs7BX1_E5A/s400/StauntonVABeverlySt.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 400px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 266px;" /></a>First settled in 1732, the city of Staunton is named for Lady Rebecca Staunton, wife of Virginia’s Colonial Governor William Gooch. Staunton is in the heart of Virginia’s storied Shenandoah Valley and at one time was the geographical center of the state, which once stretched westward all the way to the Mississippi River and encompassed parts of what is now West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Given its central location and fertile setting, it quickly developed into an early center for trade and commerce, particularly for the export of agricultural products.<br />
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Its importance was cemented in 1854 with the arrival of the Virginia Central Railroad. Staunton became a center of banking, manufacturing and retail trade in the mid-nineteenth century. In 1856, future President <span style="font-weight: bold;">Woodrow Wilson</span> was born to a local Presbyterian minister and his wife. Wilson's restored birthplace and Presidential Library and Museum attract thousands of tourists. The city was largely spared from destruction during the Civil War, a significant factor in the remarkable number of historic structures that have been preserved in the downtown area. The town, which has experienced a remarkable renaissance in recent years, is an intriguing, often quirky choice for tourists who are looking for attractions a bit more off the beaten path. This blog will introduce a few of them to you.<br />
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Illustration of Staunton, circa 1851 (click to enlarge).<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TUIkLLJK_tI/AAAAAAAAD3E/2zH8pyhNJ84/s1600/staunton1851.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567051863771774674" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TUIkLLJK_tI/AAAAAAAAD3E/2zH8pyhNJ84/s400/staunton1851.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 300px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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Architect T.J. Collins came to Staunton from Washington, DC, in 1891 and in a mere twenty years designed or remodeled over two hundred buildings, most of which exist today. Collins designed the gatehouse (photo below), bridge, tower, tombs and other structures at Thornrose Cemetery, which contains more than 1,770 graves of Confederate soldiers.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">Note: Photos on this blog from Staunton's web site and from links displayed on web site.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Woodrow Wilson Birthplace</b></span><br />
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The nation’s 28th president comes to life in a tour of the 12-room Greek Revival Presbyterian manse furnished with items appropriate to the time of his birth here in 1856. As president elect in 1912, Wilson returned to Staunton on his 56th birthday and spent the night in the house in which he was born. The museum next door houses the only presidential library in Virginia, even though eight presidents were born in the state. The museum offers much to learn about the president’s life as a lawyer, college professor, president of Princeton University, U.S. president and peacemaker following World War I, for which he was awarded the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nobel Peace Prize</span> as the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Founder of the League of Nations</span> (the predecessor of today’s United Nations). His controversial veto of <span style="font-weight: bold;">prohibition legislation</span> (congress overrode his veto) and enactment of a national <span style="font-weight: bold;">income tax</span> are also explored. On the plus side, his administration gave <span style="font-weight: bold;">women the right to vote</span> and established <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mother's Day</span> as a national holiday. The terraced boxwood gardens and Wilson’s restored Pierce-Arrow limousine are part of the tour. The automobile has been restored to full working order, and the car traveled to Washington DC for the dedication of the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge on May 15, 2008.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TUIFrIPFV6I/AAAAAAAAD1o/yMJTvuJ11Bg/s1600/StauntonWWBirthplace.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567018327886616482" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TUIFrIPFV6I/AAAAAAAAD1o/yMJTvuJ11Bg/s400/StauntonWWBirthplace.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 332px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 410px;" /></a><br />
Hours: 9-5 Mon-Sat, noon-5 Sun Mar-Oct; 10-4 Mon-Sat, noon-4 Sun Nov-Feb. Adults $14, Senior/AAA/Active Military $12. 540-885-0897. 18 N. Coalter St.<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Trivia: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">Wilson was the first lay president of Princeton University.<br />
He was the only president to retire to Washington, DC and is buried in Washington National Cathedral (Episcopal) alongside his second wife, an Episcopalian.<br />
Himself the son of a Presbyterian minister, Wilson's mother and first wife were both daughters of Presbyterian ministers.</span><br />
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Below: Bow knot boxwood garden and gazebo at rear of house. The Wilson family never knew anything like it, because during the short time they were in residence, the rear yard was home to outbuildings, pigs and chickens. The local chapter of the Garden Club of Virginia installed these handsome boxwood gardens in the 1930s; they hired famed Richmond based landscape architect Charles Gillette to design them.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nxrv_eQcErs/TYCSySc7k9I/AAAAAAAAD74/wjzQ336ZaQ8/s1600/StauntonWoodrowWilsonBowknotGarden.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584624930583712722" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nxrv_eQcErs/TYCSySc7k9I/AAAAAAAAD74/wjzQ336ZaQ8/s400/StauntonWoodrowWilsonBowknotGarden.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 273px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rA29qZlUjmw/TVc2Z7i3TnI/AAAAAAAAD6A/aC5tkRXyIcE/s1600/StauntonWWManseRear.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"> </a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Blackfriars Playhouse</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TUL_gEYu8eI/AAAAAAAAD3s/MVFsfKlQdPA/s1600/StauntonBlackfriars.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567293015781732834" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TUL_gEYu8eI/AAAAAAAAD3s/MVFsfKlQdPA/s400/StauntonBlackfriars.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 296px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 444px;" /></a><br />
The 300-seat Blackfriars Playhouse is the world's only re-creation of Shakespeare's original indoor theater. Opened in 2001, the playhouse offers the works of Shakespeare presented under original conditions, on a simple stage, without elaborate sets, and with the audience sharing the same lighting as the actors. Actors play multiple roles and interact with the audience. Home to the American Shakespeare Center, Blackfriars offers performances year round. Located at 10 S. Market Street, adjacent to the Stonewall Jackson Hotel. 540.851.1733.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TUL_z81SZWI/AAAAAAAAD30/x2CKb3ENf1I/s1600/StauntonBlackfriarsDetail.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567293357351396706" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TUL_z81SZWI/AAAAAAAAD30/x2CKb3ENf1I/s400/StauntonBlackfriarsDetail.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-47329960570515133012010-08-18T19:31:00.000-07:002010-12-20T04:50:41.802-08:00Hopewell - Sin City of the South<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TQ2DfkpAyNI/AAAAAAAADwI/-9h6H0guJQ4/s1600/eppesPlantation.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TQ2DfkpAyNI/AAAAAAAADwI/-9h6H0guJQ4/s400/eppesPlantation.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552238494052567250" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The tiny colonial village of <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >City Point</span> (now Hopewell) is where General Ulysses S. Grant directed a 10-month siege of nearby Petersburg from the grounds of Appomattox Plantation (above), the ancestral home of the Eppes family.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">But present day Hopewell was developed in 1914 by the DuPont Company (Wilmington, Delaware), attracted by its deep port and good railroad connections. Hopewell Farm, part of the Eppes plantation adjacent to the village of <span style="font-weight: bold;">City Point</span> (established 1613), was sold to the DuPonts in 1912 for industrial development. Because the Eppes family had come to America on a ship named Hopewell, they requested that the DuPonts name the 800 acre tract "Hopewell."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TQ9PtdozXCI/AAAAAAAADwY/Frz4cz2YHpI/s1600/HopwellHistoricMarker.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TQ9PtdozXCI/AAAAAAAADwY/Frz4cz2YHpI/s400/HopwellHistoricMarker.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552744508039584802" border="0" /></a><br />The company first built a dynamite factory and then switched to the manufacture of guncotton during World War I. An additional land purchase brought the total acreage to 2,400, and DuPont brought in a huge workforce (28,000 employees in 1914), presenting the company with an enormous challenge – how to train and house them.<br /><br />The changes to the town were mind-boggling. From 1840-1912 the population of City Point remained stagnant at 300. Three years later there were 40,000 DuPont employees laboring in Hopewell. In a matter of just months DuPont cleared the corn fields and pine groves to create a city complete with paved streets, schools, libraries, social and hunt clubs, gymnasiums, churches and shops. The factories stood across the railroad tracks from the town proper, where the thousands of employees were housed in rows of wooden tenements (see photo below). Apartments were rented by shifts to accommodate the crush of factory workers. Hopewell became the largest supplier to Britain of guncotton, the ingredient necessary for smokeless gunpowder. A billion pounds of guncotton were produced during WWI. Hopewell was a dirty, grimy, foul-smelling place, since production required the use of sulfuric and nitric acids.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TQ9QlHytxUI/AAAAAAAADwg/CHcVWJdvApE/s1600/HopewellDormitories.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 273px; height: 185px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TQ9QlHytxUI/AAAAAAAADwg/CHcVWJdvApE/s400/HopewellDormitories.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552745464248255810" border="0" /></a><br />Because the town population was mostly men earning high wages while living apart from their wives and family, a rowdy street life developed. The town became known as “Sin City of the South.” Floating brothels moved up and down the James River, a saloon occupied every block, and shootings and murders were commonplace. Since there was no local police force, Hopewell was a haven for thieves, prostitutes, con-men and gamblers.<br /><br />At lunchtime on December 9, 1915, a fire broke out in a Greek restaurant, and strong winds spread the flames all over the town. Within hours over 300 buildings were in ashes, but the foremen called the workers back to their stations for the 11:00 pm shift – the manufacturing plants had been spared. Miraculously, there was no loss of life, and within weeks DuPont had rebuilt the buildings lost to the fire.<br /><br />By 1918, at the close of WWI, the guncotton plants were shut down, and Hopewell was all but a ghost town. Although DuPont’s development department began considering a postwar role for Hopewell as early as 1915, it was left abandoned at war’s end. However, the Tubize Corporation established a plant producing artificial silk at the old DuPont site in 1923, the same year that the city of Hopewell annexed the neighboring village of City Point. With the addition of a new Allied Chemical plant, Hopewell prospered afterward and became known as the "Wonder City." Dupont eventually returned to Hopewell, and the current plant manufactures Melinex® PET and Kaladex® PEN polyester films at what is the largest polyester film facility in the world. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Trivia</span>: One of the residents who left Hopewell after the fire was William “Billy” Haines, who had run away from his home in Staunton at the age of 14. After working a manual labor job for DuPont, at the age of 15 (!) he operated a popular dance hall in Hopewell that was lost to the conflagration. He then went north to New York City, where he became a model. He entered his photograph in a “New Faces of 1922" contest and won a screen test, which took him to Hollywood, where he signed with MGM. He became one of the greatest silent film stars of the 1920s and early 30s, and was the top grossing male movie star of 1930. He was lifelong friends with Joan Crawford, a staunch Republican, and decorator and confidante to Ronald and Nancy Reagan.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TQ9POTl_GjI/AAAAAAAADwQ/fkdPplk7Z3U/s1600/HopewellBeaconTheater.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 390px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TQ9POTl_GjI/AAAAAAAADwQ/fkdPplk7Z3U/s400/HopewellBeaconTheater.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552743972767472178" border="0" /></a><br />The Beacon Theater (see photo of the elaborate brick work) opened in 1928 as the Art-Deco Broadway Theater and showcased silent films, including those of former resident William “Billy” Haines. Of special pride to locals was the $20,000 theatre organ in place at the time of its grand opening. Sadly, the Beacon closed its doors in 1981, but reopened as a special function venue in 2005. When funds are in place, a complete restoration as a functioning theater will take place.<br /><br /></span></span>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-15061817129288394672010-07-08T03:19:00.000-07:002010-07-08T04:30:18.133-07:00Natural Bridge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TDWmmpn_k7I/AAAAAAAADjs/5ve-l9lgoi0/s1600/NaturalBridge.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TDWmmpn_k7I/AAAAAAAADjs/5ve-l9lgoi0/s400/NaturalBridge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491478503587025842" border="0" /></a><br />11 miles SW of Lexington, Virginia, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Natural Bridge</span> is a celebrated natural wonder located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Rockbridge County (named for this feature). Natural Bridge is a limestone formation in which Cedar Creek, a small tributary of the James River, has carved out a gorge forming an arch 215 feet high with a span of 90 feet. It is the remains of the roof of a cave or tunnel through which the creek once flowed. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Natural Bridge</span> is both a Virginia Historical Landmark and a National Historical Landmark (designated in 1998).<br /><br />Natural Bridge was a sacred site of the Native American Monacan tribe, who believed it to be the site of a major victory over pursuing Powhatans centuries before the arrival of European settlers in Virginia.<br /><br />In 1927 a large stone was found with engraved initials “G.W.” and bearing a surveyor's cross, which historians accept as proof that George Washington surveyed the bridge around 1750.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TDW2sGPW5SI/AAAAAAAADkI/fe8eYzxe-Wk/s1600/NaturalBridge2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TDW2sGPW5SI/AAAAAAAADkI/fe8eYzxe-Wk/s400/NaturalBridge2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491496189353714978" /></a><br />In 1774 Thomas Jefferson purchased 157 acres of land including the Natural Bridge from King George III of England for 20 shillings ($160 in today’s money). He called it “the most sublime of nature's works.” Jefferson built a two-room log cabin, beginning its use as a retreat. While President in 1802, he conducted a personal survey of the property. In 1817 Jefferson leased 10 acres of his land at Natural Bridge to Patrick Henry, a "free man of colour" who cultivated the land "on the sole conditions of paying the taxes annually as they arise, and of preventing trespasses."<br /><br />After Jefferson’s death Natural Bridge was sold in 1833 as part of his estate, and soon thereafter lodgings were erected for the increasing number of visitors. The bridge remains in private hands to this day.<br /><br />Natural Bridge was one of the wonders of the new world that Europeans visited during the 18th and 19th centuries, second in popularity only to Niagara Falls. Vacationing guests from all over the world took day trips from Natural Bridge on horseback or horse drawn carriages to explore the countryside.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TDWmzRSUjcI/AAAAAAAADj0/pAYRhRdr-E4/s1600/NaturalBridgeFrederickChurch.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 312px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TDWmzRSUjcI/AAAAAAAADj0/pAYRhRdr-E4/s400/NaturalBridgeFrederickChurch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491478720391974338" border="0" /></a><br />A famous painting by Frederick Church, c. 1852<br /><br />Today, in order to view the bridge from below, tickets must purchased. The top of the bridge can be seen for free from U.S. Highway 11, which runs directly on top of it. However, fences on either side of the highway block the view of the canyon from the bridge.<br /><br />Following the trail under the bridge, in addition to seeing it from its less-often-photographed side, visitors may walk to the end of the trail, beyond which may be seen the remnant of the waterfall that helped form the bridge.Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-45511207119532697782010-05-27T18:46:00.000-07:002011-07-23T10:15:50.704-07:00Poplar Forest - Jefferson's Retreat<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TCf_NBvDp0I/AAAAAAAADjE/xUXOg-UmXJk/s1600/PoplarForest.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487635270243428162" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TCf_NBvDp0I/AAAAAAAADjE/xUXOg-UmXJk/s400/PoplarForest.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 319px;" /></a><br />
While already in his sixties and serving his second term as president, Thomas Jefferson designed and built a brick octagonal villa in Palladian style at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Poplar Forest</span>, a plantation inherited from his wife’s father. Jefferson usually went to Poplar Forest several times a year to oversee plantation production, but a primary reason for these extended stays was to avoid visitors at Monticello, his principal home. Jefferson's original vision for this private retreat was a place to read, think and spend time with his grandchildren after he retired.<br />
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Poplar Forest was 90 miles southwest of Monticello and reaching it required a three-day ride by horse and carriage. At the time of construction, Poplar Forest was at the cusp of what was then regarded as wilderness. Most Americans didn’t know what lay west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and for the first few visits Jefferson used a guide to be able to find his inherited estate.<br />
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The plantation originally spanned more than 4,800 acres, and in 1806 Jefferson began construction of an eight sided villa atop a gentle hill that afforded a view of the forest and the twin Peaks of Otter. By the time of his death Poplar Forest was a working tobacco and wheat farm with 94 slaves on the property. Two centuries later, the property is now partly surrounded by subdivisions and acreage that the Corporation for Jefferson’s Poplar Forest wants to acquire, so that it can restore the area surrounding the home to its original appearance. It has spent $8.5 million to reclaim more than 600 acres since 1984 and hopes to continue to create more open space.<br />
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Poplar Forest is believed to be the nation’s first fully octagonal house. Numerous windows allow natural light inside and integrate the interior with the outside landscape, a design feature uncommon of American houses of that era. A 100-foot-long side wing housed a kitchen, storage room and smokehouse, and the wing’s low, flat roof served as an outdoor terrace (photo below).<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TCgCgI2G8-I/AAAAAAAADjM/M8WLxjC9SDg/s1600/PoplarForest3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487638897104450530" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TCgCgI2G8-I/AAAAAAAADjM/M8WLxjC9SDg/s400/PoplarForest3.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 276px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Anchoring the house is the central dining room, now restored to its former 20-by-20-by-20-foot cubic dimensions. Because it was a windowless space, it was lit by a 16-ft. long narrow skylight. Renovators took out attic space that private owners had added and reinstalled the skylight, which was twice destroyed by hailstones in Jefferson's time.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TCgKIC4jo-I/AAAAAAAADjc/XVX6YOgBwoQ/s1600/PoplarForest4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487647279280268258" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TCgKIC4jo-I/AAAAAAAADjc/XVX6YOgBwoQ/s400/PoplarForest4.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 376px;" /></a><br />
Four octagonal rooms surround the dining room, including the parlor where Jefferson kept more than 900 books and spent much of his time reading alone or with his grandchildren. That room features floor-to-ceiling, triple-sash windows (when fully raised these windows serve as doors) and opens to a four-columned portico (photo below) overlooking the south lawn, which in Jefferson’s days included a sunken garden he designed in European style. Poplar Forest’s landscape restoration has just begun.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TFFWbWGlnxI/AAAAAAAADlw/xmj5WwBFVy0/s1600/PoplarForestJuly5.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499271647785754386" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TFFWbWGlnxI/AAAAAAAADlw/xmj5WwBFVy0/s400/PoplarForestJuly5.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">Above photo: Rob Tabor</span><br />
The northeast and east rooms of the home remain unfinished, allowing visitors to see how Jefferson’s workers framed and constructed the house and how restorers discovered the original home’s “footprint.” The bedchambers contained beds placed in space saving alcoves, echoing Jefferson's bedroom at Monticello. Twin staircases leading to the lower level rooms are housed in bump outs on the east and west sides, so as not to disrupt the symmetry of the interior spaces. Two octagonal "privies" were placed on a horizontal axis with the house, but shielded from view by artificial "hills" planted with trees (watercolor at end of post shows placement).<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TFFXO8-eq3I/AAAAAAAADl4/Ku5J-QlXW-I/s1600/PoplarForestPriviesRob.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499272534394055538" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TFFXO8-eq3I/AAAAAAAADl4/Ku5J-QlXW-I/s400/PoplarForestPriviesRob.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">Above photo by Rob Tabor</span><br />
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Unfortunately, twenty years after Jefferson's death the house fell victim to a disastrous fire, leaving only a burnt-out shell. It was rebuilt, but not according to Jefferson’s designs.<br />
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Jefferson struggled with debt in his final years and willed Poplar Forest to grandson Francis Eppes (1801-1881) in order to remove it from his estate. During the last three years of Jefferson's life, his grandson occupied the property and villa. Jefferson died in 1826 thinking Eppes would raise a family at his beloved retreat, but two years later Eppes sold the house and nearly 1,000 acres to a neighbor at about a quarter of the property’s assessed value. Eppes then moved with his wife, baby daughter and slaves to Florida. This is perhaps understandable, since the house at Poplar Forest, designed as one man's private villa retreat, was so idiosyncratic that it was unsuitable for raising a family.<br />
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The house, situated southwest of Lynchburg, VA, was dramatically altered by subsequent owners in an effort to fashion it into a workable farmhouse. It remained a private home until 1984. A $6 million, 20-year restoration to return the house to its original floor plan and condition during the time it was occupied by Jefferson is still underway.<br />
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The immediate grounds around the house as they appeared in Jefferson's time are shown in this watercolor rendering. A circular drive with a 500 foot diameter surrounds the house, and the south sunken garden ornamental border plantings are evident. Two small tree mounds at the end of the wing axes shield octagonal brick privies. The twin Peaks of Otter are shown in the distant horizon.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TCnDRqfi5RI/AAAAAAAADjk/EoH5sy-2yHc/s1600/Poplar_forest_landscape.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488132329159451922" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TCnDRqfi5RI/AAAAAAAADjk/EoH5sy-2yHc/s400/Poplar_forest_landscape.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 324px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">Poplar Forest, a National Historic Landmark, is open to the public April through November, Wednesday through Monday (closed every Tuesday and Thanksgiving Day) from 10:00a to 4:00p. Adults $14.00; Seniors (age 60+) and Active Military $12.00; College Students $7.00; Youth 12-18 $6.00; Youth 6-11 $2.00; Under 6 free. Admission includes a guided house tour and self-guided grounds exhibits. 434.525.1806<br />
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Google Maps, Mapquest and GPS use 1542 Bateman Bridge Road, Forest, VA.<br />
Poplar Forest is located in Bedford County, approximately 20 miles southwest of Lynchburg.<br />
Driving directions are found on the estate's web site:</span><br />
<a href="http://www.poplarforest.org/">http://www.poplarforest.org/visit/directions</a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-14461369511053927542009-11-01T19:05:00.000-08:002009-11-01T02:06:21.608-08:00Humpback Covered Bridge (Covington)<span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by Fabio Brazil</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Suzt-Lb3qiI/AAAAAAAAC1g/Sa-g8NInpBc/s1600-h/HumpbackBridge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 302px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Suzt-Lb3qiI/AAAAAAAAC1g/Sa-g8NInpBc/s400/HumpbackBridge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398951705787738658" border="0" /></a><br />Venerable Humpback Bridge lays claim to being the oldest of Virginia's eight remaining covered bridges. Located in Alleghany County, just west of Covington, it was built in 1857. The road that passes through the bridge was part of the James River and Kanawha Turnpike. Humpback Bridge stretches over Dunlap Creek, a tributary of the Jackson River that joins the Cowpasture River near Iron Gate to form the great James River.<br /><br />The first structure was built in the 1820s and was washed away by a flood on May 12, 1837. Just five years later the second fell victim to the flood of July 13, 1842. The third, as the annual report of the turnpike company put it, "gave way" in 1856.<br /><br />The 100-foot-long, single-span bridge cture is four feet higher at its center than it is at either end, thus the name, "Humpback". Traffic across the bridge ceased in 1929 when a "modern" steel truss bridge was built, bypassing the wooden structure. The covered bridge stood derelict (and was even used by a nearby farmer to store hay) until 1954. That year, thanks to the fund-raising efforts of the Business and Professional Women's Club of Covington and the Covington Chamber of Commerce, it was restored and preserved as part of Alleghany County's history.<br /><br />It can be reached from I-64 by taking exit 10 to Route 60 and traveling one-half mile east, or by taking Route 60 west from Covington.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Suzu12w9C5I/AAAAAAAAC1o/fHp_oS68lVY/s1600-h/Humpback_bridge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Suzu12w9C5I/AAAAAAAAC1o/fHp_oS68lVY/s400/Humpback_bridge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398952662311701394" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzwgHOqmiI/AAAAAAAAC1w/POncKuaG-04/s1600-h/humpbck.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzwgHOqmiI/AAAAAAAAC1w/POncKuaG-04/s400/humpbck.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398954487797422626" border="0" /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-27546233779948472052009-10-01T16:50:00.000-07:002009-11-01T02:07:27.895-08:00Historic St. Luke's Church (Smithfield)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzPX3m1iLI/AAAAAAAAC0g/wknzVmXs0TY/s1600-h/SmithfieldVaStLukeChurch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzPX3m1iLI/AAAAAAAAC0g/wknzVmXs0TY/s400/SmithfieldVaStLukeChurch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398918062281164978" border="0" /></a><br /><br />For nearly 200 years, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Historic St. Luke's Church</span> was affectionately called "The Old Brick Church." Historic St. Luke’s, circa 1632, is the oldest church of English foundation, the oldest continually standing brick structure, and the only surviving original Gothic building in this country. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.<br /><br />Historic St. Luke's Restoration, Inc. (1953) took on the enormous task of restoring the "Old Brick Church" when the building's foundations were discovered to be crumbling and the walls buckling. Fully restored and rededicated in May 1957, this Gothic structure stands as a unique link to America's historic past. The Flemish-bond brick work, especially the crenelated gable flanking the wall of stained glass windows, is exceptional (<span style="font-style: italic;">see photos at end of post</span>). Since the 1957 restoration, the organization has also repaired 19th-century stained glass windows and completed an extensive study about the circa 1630 English Chamber Organ.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzRMkkorII/AAAAAAAAC1A/qBnM3kYrDvw/s1600-h/SmithfieldVaStLukeChurchSide.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzRMkkorII/AAAAAAAAC1A/qBnM3kYrDvw/s400/SmithfieldVaStLukeChurchSide.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398920067216354434" border="0" /></a><br />While the church is in fair condition, time and the elements have taken its toll. Historic St. Luke's Church, as a “Save America's Treasures” Official Project, will begin a new phase of preservation. Save America’s Treasures (Department of Interior) was organized by First Lady, Hillary Clinton, and then chaired by Laura Bush.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzRLi2LbnI/AAAAAAAAC0o/M0VA6AOnnaA/s1600-h/SmithfieldVaStLukeChurchInterior.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzRLi2LbnI/AAAAAAAAC0o/M0VA6AOnnaA/s400/SmithfieldVaStLukeChurchInterior.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398920049573195378" border="0" /></a>Christ Episcopal Church of Smithfield Virginia often holds an 11am Sunday service at Historic St. Luke's Church. Christ Church is the daughter church of St. Luke’s. Traditionally, when the congregation moved from St. Luke’s in 1832, they continued to use St. Luke’s as a summer chapel and later a community worship location.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">History Of The 1630 English Chamber Organ</span><br /><br />The organ now housed at Historic St. Luke’s Church was owned by the Le Strange family of Hunstanton Hall, Norfolk, England, for over 300 years. It was purchased in 1630 by Sir Nicholas Le Strange, who belonged to a family of talented instrumentalists; so much emphasis was placed on music that several music teachers and composers lived in their household.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzRMWRQErI/AAAAAAAAC04/8WZzRvKQer8/s1600-h/SmithfieldVaStLukeChurchOrgan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzRMWRQErI/AAAAAAAAC04/8WZzRvKQer8/s400/SmithfieldVaStLukeChurchOrgan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398920063376954034" border="0" /></a>With the end of WWII, the burden of estate taxes and expenses of maintaining large manor houses was too great for many English families. Hunstanton Hall was sold and divided into apartments. The contents of the estate house were sold at auction in 1949. The chamber organ was described for the sale as "The Unique Tudor Organ - a Positive Organ in paneled oak case, the painted front pipes of wood mounted in perspective (circa 1660). The inner sides of the folding doors are painted with representations of David before Saul and Jephthah's daughter. The organ has a compass of four octaves and is in playing order."<br /><br />The organ was bought by Captain J. Lane, an eccentric collector of musical instruments. In the mid 1950s Historic St. Luke's Church was undergoing restoration and the organ was purchased from Captain Lane, who represented it as a "rare English organ c.1665 and built by Bernard Smith". (Smith was a noted maker of organs in the late 17th Century.) The attribution is now known to be wrong and the instrument has been proven to date from before Smith's time, thus making it contemporary with the church building (1630s). When the organ arrived in Virginia, it was still somewhat playable, but climatic conditions and amateur attempts to repair it eventually silenced it.<br /><br />In 1990 an article by Linda McNatt in the Virginian-Pilot began to stir new interest among early music enthusiasts. Andrew Ashbee, a leading authority on 17th century viol music and John Jenkins, had suspected that the organ sold by Capt. Lane was that purchased by the Le Strange's in 1630. In 1994, John and Linda Shortridge and music historian Barbara Owen spent a few days examining and documenting the organ. This led to a re-examination of the instrument's "paper trail" and correspondence with Ashbee and other British historians, as well as organ-builder Noel Mander, who had initially packed the organ for shipment.<br /><br />The organ is now on display in the church where it has stood for 50 years, there for the enjoyment of the public. Organ benefit concerts have been held annually to pay for its restoration. Note: this organ is not used for worship services; a modern pipe organ is located in the balcony<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Click link at right for </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Bacon's Castl</span><span style="font-style: italic;">e, another 17-century brick structure located west of Smithfield.</span></span><br /><br />Directions to Historic St. Luke's Church:<br /><a href="http://www.historicstlukes.org/directions.htm">www.historicstlukes.org/directions.htm</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzRMDKEmzI/AAAAAAAAC0w/uUFYrfzL_L4/s1600-h/SmithfieldVaStLukeChurchPulpit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzRMDKEmzI/AAAAAAAAC0w/uUFYrfzL_L4/s400/SmithfieldVaStLukeChurchPulpit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398920058246568754" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzTd9QOnZI/AAAAAAAAC1I/wljAvQRMzro/s1600-h/SmithfieldVaStLukeChurchExterior.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 305px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzTd9QOnZI/AAAAAAAAC1I/wljAvQRMzro/s400/SmithfieldVaStLukeChurchExterior.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398922564922678674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzTeOORvNI/AAAAAAAAC1Q/1_1Efl8tR8I/s1600-h/SmithfieldVaStLukeChurchCemetery.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzTeOORvNI/AAAAAAAAC1Q/1_1Efl8tR8I/s400/SmithfieldVaStLukeChurchCemetery.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398922569477897426" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzW6Tsav5I/AAAAAAAAC1Y/77_-afO88nU/s1600-h/SmithfieldVaStLukeChurchWedding.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuzW6Tsav5I/AAAAAAAAC1Y/77_-afO88nU/s400/SmithfieldVaStLukeChurchWedding.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398926350517714834" border="0" /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-48059797397402037142009-09-01T09:12:00.000-07:002009-10-31T17:28:54.358-07:00Prestwould Plantation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyFo2w4gdI/AAAAAAAACy4/9g2_IMrkDFA/s1600-h/PrestwouldDriveway.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyFo2w4gdI/AAAAAAAACy4/9g2_IMrkDFA/s400/PrestwouldDriveway.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398836990252188114" border="0" /></a><br />Situated on the bluffs high above the point where the Dan and Stanton Rivers converge in Southside, Virginia, is the family house of English-born Sir Peyton Skipwith (1740-1805). Built by slave labor in 1794 in a post-revolutionary Georgian style, Prestwould Plantation prospered to become one of the wealthiest properties in America and today remains the most complete gentry home in Virginia. When the house was built, the countryside (now Mecklenburg County) surrounding it was practically a frontier. There are original stone walls and metal gates surrounding the lawn, and a huge oak tree still stands watch over the river banks. Many of the original outbuildings and Lady Jean's Garden remain, and the original two-family slave house still stands on the manor house property. The site has one of the largest collections of slave writings in the country. Detailing life from the plantation from the slave perspective, it has attracted much scholarly attention.<br /><br />Orchestrated by Dr. Julian Hudson, the Executive Director of Prestwould, several leaders in the preservation movement have worked closely together to restore one of America's finest historic sites. Considered one of the most documented non-political American families, the Skipwiths left an incredible trail of paperwork including books, diaries, detailed invoices, letters, certificates, etc. After spending the majority of her life in Britain, Jean Miller returned to Virginia in 1786 in preparation for her marriage in 1788 to Sir Peyton Skipwith. With her she brought enough glass and ceramic tablewares, cooking implements, flatware, fire tools, lighting devices, and table and bed linens to admirably furnish a large house, clearly wishing to duplicate the British gentry's style of life to which she was accustomed. Lady Jean Skipwith ran the plantation after her husband died in 1805; her library was one of the largest assembled by a woman in America.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyGGSanZwI/AAAAAAAACzA/nDrsbLa4EUY/s1600-h/PrestwouldExterior.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyGGSanZwI/AAAAAAAACzA/nDrsbLa4EUY/s320/PrestwouldExterior.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398837495891191554" border="0" /></a>Prestwould Plantation contains over 5 generations of decorative history. The legacy began with Lady Jean's English influences as reflected in her wallpaper selections of delicate, small scale, repetitive, leaf designs such as "Angle Leaf" that was installed on the dining room walls. She was particularly fond of green colors, which included arsenic green. In sharp contrast to the light and airy fashions of the late 18th century, Humbertson Skipwith and his wife Leila Robertson, the second generation, transformed the interior decoration in 1831 to the bold, masculine neoclassical style. Richly colored, wool flocked broad borders, side papers, and three magnificent sets of block printed scenics were imported from France to grace the walls of Prestwould. One of the most spectacular rooms to view the 1831 French papers, grained walls, richly carved and painted furniture, and red moreen seat covers is the first floor family room called The Saloon, measuring 27 by 23 feet.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyG4JAoutI/AAAAAAAACzI/ctDJkHSW05g/s1600-h/PrestwouldInterior.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 223px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyG4JAoutI/AAAAAAAACzI/ctDJkHSW05g/s320/PrestwouldInterior.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398838352359766738" border="0" /></a>Among the most remarkable features of Prestwould is the large number of documented Skipwith family furnishings that survive. They offer an intimate view of the gentry's way of life in the Virginia Piedmont just after the American Revolution, and they reveal much about the trade network that supported the comfortable standard of living on comparatively remote estates such as this. When Prestwould was completed in 1795, the Skipwiths began a furnishing campaign that lasted several years. From London came wallpapers; Scotch, Brussels, and Kidderminster carpets and accompanying borders; substantial quantities of "furniture callicoe" and "Sattin hair cloth" for upholstery; and furniture that included "a Pair [of] large Pier Glasses, fitted up in handsome gilt Pillar Molding Frames." The looking glasses arrived late in 1799 and remain in the drawing room today.<br /><br />Also still in the house is the pair of "new British Globes with Compasses in Standing Mahogany Frames." Made in London of plaster and papier-mache, they cost more than fifteen pounds, a substantial sum at the time. Other surviving British furnishings include an unsigned clock of about 1800, now on the parlor mantel, and a mahogany clothespress of about 1775 with the painted mark "HM" for Hugh Miller (d.c. 1761), Lady Skipwith's father, a Scottish merchant. The Skipwiths' family ties must have facilitated their access to many British goods.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyHg5LVqQI/AAAAAAAACzQ/EJvNH9ybA14/s1600-h/PrestwouldInterior2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 305px; height: 210px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyHg5LVqQI/AAAAAAAACzQ/EJvNH9ybA14/s320/PrestwouldInterior2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398839052484323586" border="0" /></a>Tradition has it that Sir Peyton Skipwith won the land on which Prestwould was built (5,342 acres) from William Byrd III in a marathon poker game. A manor house such as Prestwould was not easy to build in the late 1700s. Stone and wood were abundant, but all hardware, paint, wallpaper and rugs had to be ordered from England. The lime-sandstone used to build the house was quarried from the plantation, and the lumber came from the property, as well. The stone construction is unusual for a manor house of the period, when most great houses were built of brick or wood. The house has a hip roof and porches on three sides. The windows have nine over nine light sash (six over six on the upper floor). Other original buildings include a gazebo, a plantation business office, a loom house, slave house, meat house, and a spring house. The original landscape plans are intact and are illustrated in a free brochure available when touring the estate. All doors/frames and windows/frames are original, and all of the original hardware remains intact. Original to the house, an early punkah (Indian-style fan) was suspended from the ceiling of the dining room (see photograph). Slaves or servants would pull the fan back and forth by one or two ropes, providing cooling to the diners while keeping flies and other insects off the food below.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyI0NfpV_I/AAAAAAAACzg/dOoZFxrZM7o/s1600-h/prestwouldpunka.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 252px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyI0NfpV_I/AAAAAAAACzg/dOoZFxrZM7o/s400/prestwouldpunka.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398840483867351026" border="0" /></a>Outwardly conventional, the house is distinguished from earlier American mansions by a marked division between rooms used for entertainment, family life, and service. This was played out in the creation of distinct zones for each activity. The hall was the only true public room, and it was here that access to the different realms was regulated. The west side of the first floor housed reception rooms, along with the saloon beyond. Private family quarters were placed to the east, with additional bedrooms and a nursery on the second floor. A side door and secondary staircase provide direct service to the dining room and upper bedrooms. Servants were relegated to outbuildings and the cellar, where there is a large central room resembling an English servants' hall, along with two well-finished, heated rooms that were probably quarters for high-ranking household staff.<br /><br />Photos: Octagonal garden summer house and slave house.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyJncRugOI/AAAAAAAACzw/ucd2idUW2AA/s1600-h/PrestwouldGardenStructure.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyJncRugOI/AAAAAAAACzw/ucd2idUW2AA/s400/PrestwouldGardenStructure.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398841364008829154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyJnKcDq8I/AAAAAAAACzo/rBVTa1NPleA/s1600-h/PrestwouldSlaveHouse.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyJnKcDq8I/AAAAAAAACzo/rBVTa1NPleA/s400/PrestwouldSlaveHouse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398841359220321218" border="0" /></a>With all her many accomplishments, Lady Jean Skipwith is best known today as the mistress of one of the most important gardens of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The detailed records she kept of her garden at Prestwould make it one of the best-documented gardens of the period and were invaluable to the Garden Club of Virginia, which undertook an interpretive restoration in 1980. The plan, consisting of a grid of walks with garden beds in between, is quite like the kitchen gardens of James River and other southern plantations, but several elements show that it was carefully adapted to Lady Skipwith's needs as a plant collector and experimenter. A traditional garden, for instance, would have been on axis with the main hallway of the house, but at Prestwould the garden is sited along the east side of the house, visible from the entrance drive, as if to make a statement that gardening was a separate and special activity at the plantation. The north-south central walk in the garden is fifteen feet wide, to accommodate a pony cart, and extends the length of the lot, 630 feet. Three crosswalks, also fifteen feet wide, traverse the 230-foot width, dividing the garden into six beds. The central crosswalk continues through an orchard to the walled graveyard. Customarily, a summerhouse was placed at the end of one of the garden walks, but Lady Skipwith's summerhouse, complete with a cellar for the storage of roots and plants, was situated to one side of the main walk. Here she spent many hours, reading and keeping the plantation books and her garden journal.<br /><br />Visitors to Prestwould Plantation, on the north side of the Roanoke River (Kerr Reservoir) opposite Clarksville in south-central Virginia, can enjoy the gardens and octagonal summer house (photo above), separate office house, loom house, slave garden and more. The house is open for tours May 1 through October 31 and is the site for various festivals and weddings. Prestwould is located three miles north of Clarksville on US15, and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2003.<br />Call Edith at 434-374-8672.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The following photographs are of the front facing the river (the "social" facade); the first photo at the top of this post is of the land facing, or "business" facade. Note that all three porches (front, back, side) are of identical design. The black and white photograph shows the river facade of the manor house before the most recent restoration</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyLTXF6jLI/AAAAAAAAC0Y/jbBy-ZceVAA/s1600-h/PrestwouldExtBestSmall.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 233px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyLTXF6jLI/AAAAAAAAC0Y/jbBy-ZceVAA/s400/PrestwouldExtBestSmall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398843218042981554" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyLTVgYC2I/AAAAAAAAC0Q/9_xLGS9A6SU/s1600-h/PrestwouldAerial.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyLTVgYC2I/AAAAAAAAC0Q/9_xLGS9A6SU/s400/PrestwouldAerial.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398843217617095522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyLTLY7-HI/AAAAAAAAC0I/2RpWHMxeTKw/s1600-h/PrestwouldUnrestored.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 330px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyLTLY7-HI/AAAAAAAAC0I/2RpWHMxeTKw/s400/PrestwouldUnrestored.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398843214901540978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyLS2QNR-I/AAAAAAAAC0A/7VSxpz0HykI/s1600-h/PrestwouldHistoricMarker.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 336px; height: 373px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyLS2QNR-I/AAAAAAAAC0A/7VSxpz0HykI/s400/PrestwouldHistoricMarker.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398843209227782114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyLS3dWU5I/AAAAAAAACz4/qzPSabPDBOY/s1600-h/PrestwouldSidePorch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SuyLS3dWU5I/AAAAAAAACz4/qzPSabPDBOY/s400/PrestwouldSidePorch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398843209551336338" border="0" /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-24934604388708808752009-08-04T16:09:00.000-07:002010-05-29T11:14:43.229-07:00Jefferson Pools - Warm Springs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SslB96eaBTI/AAAAAAAACx4/fZy0aJkQEtE/s1600-h/0000000.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388910961050125618" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SslB96eaBTI/AAAAAAAACx4/fZy0aJkQEtE/s400/0000000.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The 1761 octagonal wooden structure covers the men's bathing pool; there is an octagonal opening in the roof that lets steam escape. The round ladies' bath house (1836) is pictured below.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SsksE6iLO9I/AAAAAAAACxg/e7WFZplQ4bs/s1600-h/0000000000.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388886892069206994" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SsksE6iLO9I/AAAAAAAACxg/e7WFZplQ4bs/s400/0000000000.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />In Warm Springs, five miles north of the vast Homestead Resort (an astonishing 15,000 acres), is an old, octagonal wooden building with steam rising from its roof. The sign reads <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jefferson Pools</span>, named in honor of the author of our Declaration of Independence, who in 1818, at age 75, lowered his arthritic body into the healing waters daily over a period of three weeks. The pool holds 40,000 gallons of clear mineral spring water with a constant natural temperature of 98 degrees. It is considered the oldest spa structure in America, dating back to 1761; it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Virginia Historic Landmark. In the late 18th-century the village of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Warm Springs</span> (the county seat of Bath County, which abuts West Virginia) expanded rapidly as a spa resort. Hotels, dining rooms and kitchens, taverns, livery stables and a blacksmith shop, a church, laundry and related buildings were built to accommodate the growing numbers of guests.<br /><br />Today there is a separate, larger spring-fed pool and wooden structure (1836) for use only by women (Robert E. Lee's wife, Mary Custis Lee, was a fan of the women's bath); both are operated by the Homestead Resort and are open to the public (open seasonally 540-839-7741; bathing is segregated by sex, and during adult-only (18+) hours, clothing is optional), $17 for one hour.<br /><br />Fortunately, the buildings retain their primitive, authentic ambience. The Jefferson Baths sit directly on U.S. Rte. 220, just south of the intersection of Rte. 39 in the quaint village of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Warm Springs</span>, home to several atmospheric and bargain-priced hostelries, notably the <span style="font-style: italic;">Inn at Gristmill Square</span> and the <span style="font-style: italic;">Warm Springs Inn</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SsksfhB5NYI/AAAAAAAACxo/cdkx0d-5tK0/s1600-h/000000000.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388887349079389570" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; cursor: pointer; height: 400px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SsksfhB5NYI/AAAAAAAACxo/cdkx0d-5tK0/s400/000000000.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SskyJwxAn1I/AAAAAAAACxw/dPuOGxkKEw4/s1600-h/0000000.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388893572416184146" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; cursor: pointer; height: 400px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SskyJwxAn1I/AAAAAAAACxw/dPuOGxkKEw4/s400/0000000.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Update: October 4, 2009</span><br />KSL Resorts, new owners of the Homestead Resort, is commissioning an architectural study to determine what should be done to restore the historic structures, which are in a serious state of disrepair. For details, click on this link:<br /><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/177358">www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/177358</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">If traveling to Warm Springs west from I-81 near Lexington, VA, the lucky motorist will travel along the Maury River through <strong>Goshen Pass</strong>, one of Virginia's great nature spots. This area is within the George Washington National Forest and is almost entirely rural. Take normal precautions when hiking through this area, which is a natural habitat for bobcats, raptors, rattlesnakes and black bears. No kidding. Cell phone coverage is spotty.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TAE1o01chbI/AAAAAAAADi0/-uELJn0CD68/s1600/GoshenPass.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TAE1o01chbI/AAAAAAAADi0/-uELJn0CD68/s400/GoshenPass.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476717597353084338" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Between Warm Springs and Covington (along Rte. 220 just west of the Homestead Resort in Hot Springs) is <strong>Falling Springs</strong>, which can be seen from a roadside pull-off. No hiking necessary, but those who do are rewarded by a path that goes behind the falls to a pleasant swimming spot.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TAE2esi-6CI/AAAAAAAADi8/tmilJdblM5Q/s1600/FallingSprings.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/TAE2esi-6CI/AAAAAAAADi8/tmilJdblM5Q/s400/FallingSprings.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476718522841098274" border="0" /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-15579199837236849612009-07-26T23:42:00.000-07:002009-09-03T05:40:39.750-07:00Boxwood Winery - Middleburg<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SokIBVIpdII/AAAAAAAACwg/qIZm_D9b_Ts/s1600-h/Boxwood.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 284px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SokIBVIpdII/AAAAAAAACwg/qIZm_D9b_Ts/s400/Boxwood.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370832849562334338" border="0" /></a><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Boxwood Winery</span> is a new addition to the Virginia wine industry (vines planted on 16 acres in 2004), producing only estate-bottled red wines in three distinct styles. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Topiary</span> is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec in the St Emilion style. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Boxwood</span> reflects the Médoc style with Cabernet Sauvignon as the principal grape. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rosé</span> is a dry rosé wine produced every year in limited quantities from Boxwood varieties. The wines are aged in French oak for twelve months; once fully established, the winery will produce no more than 5,000 cases annually.<br /></p><p>Boxwood is owned by <span style="font-weight: bold;">John Kent Cooke</span>, son of legendary Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke (1912-1997). <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hugh Newell Jacobsen</span>, renowned Georgetown architect, designed the multiple structures on the property.<br /></p><p>Visitors are welcome by appointment for a tour and tasting. Tours of the winery, located just one mile outside Middleburg (<span class="contentText">2042 Burrland Rd.)</span>, last approximately forty-five minutes and are limited to fifteen people per tour. $20. The Boxwood Estate is a National Historic Landmark, one of the earliest established farms in historic Middleburg, the epicenter of Virginia's Hunt Country. 540-687-8778.</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SokJMEoPjwI/AAAAAAAACwo/y6s_517voXg/s1600-h/BoxwoodCave.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SokJMEoPjwI/AAAAAAAACwo/y6s_517voXg/s400/BoxwoodCave.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370834133621640962" border="0" /></a><br /></p><p>Wine bars & shops: Boxwood Winery has three satellite Tasting Room locations: downtown <span style="font-weight: bold;">Middleburg</span> (open Thursday through Sunday), <span style="font-weight: bold;">Reston Town Center</span> (1816 Library St., Reston, Virginia; open seven days a week 703-435-3553) and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chevy Chase</span> (Maryland). The Reston location (see photo below) features live jazz on Thursday evenings (no cover). The Tasting Room boasts enomatic wine dispensers stocked with mixed wines, including homemade vintages and select Bordeaux imports, with a variety of tasting options: by-the-ounce (in three sizes), by-the-glass and by full bottle. Wine-friendly snacks — primarily charcuterie, artisan cheeses and gourmet desserts, are offered.</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SokN0JKW1bI/AAAAAAAACw4/8IxYMIdDRak/s1600-h/BoxwoodTastingRoomReston.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SokN0JKW1bI/AAAAAAAACw4/8IxYMIdDRak/s400/BoxwoodTastingRoomReston.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370839220079744434" border="0" /></a></p><a href="http://www.boxwoodwinery.com/">www.boxwoodwinery.com</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SokLlelCuVI/AAAAAAAACww/cwP82J6-oQc/s1600-h/Boxwood.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SokLlelCuVI/AAAAAAAACww/cwP82J6-oQc/s400/Boxwood.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370836769107523922" border="0" /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-14872452392149312702009-06-28T02:58:00.000-07:002009-06-28T03:19:59.674-07:00Culpeper Packard Campus Theater<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Skc_JPlclmI/AAAAAAAACqA/R1ZDLOhVSyc/s1600-h/000000000000.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 91px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Skc_JPlclmI/AAAAAAAACqA/R1ZDLOhVSyc/s400/000000000000.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352316110188090978" border="0" /></a>Culpeper is home to the Library of Congress Art Deco-style 206 seat Packard Campus theater that showcases classic American films, all of which have been named to the National Film Registry. Currently there are three shows a week: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm., and admission is free. One program a month is a silent film presented with live musical accompaniment (piano or theatre organ).<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">To reserve a seat call 540-827-1079 x79994 or 202-707-9994 no earlier than one week prior to the screening you plan to attend. Directions are provided on either phone line. The current schedule may be found at:<br /><a href="http://www.loc.gov/avconservation/theater/schedule.html">www.loc.gov/avconservation/theater/schedule.html</a><br />The reservation phone line is open Mon-Fri 9-4 (closed holidays). Reservations for Saturday screenings may be made on the Friday of the previous week. The facility is approximately 70 miles west of Washington, DC.</span><br /><br />Packard Campus audiences are treated to cinematic delights in a handsome theater with superlative sound, state-of-the-art film projection, and comfortable seating (you won’t remember when you last had so much leg room in a movie house). The state-of-the-art projection booth is capable of showing everything from nitrate film to modern digital cinema.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SkdAbVbQCvI/AAAAAAAACqI/nqGb0V44OfY/s1600-h/00000000000000.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SkdAbVbQCvI/AAAAAAAACqI/nqGb0V44OfY/s400/00000000000000.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352317520505211634" border="0" /></a><br />Packard Campus of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center is a 45 acre state-of-the-art facility where the Library of Congress acquires, preserves and provides access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of films, television programs, radio broadcasts, and sound recordings. The preservation facilities are not open to the general public for tours.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SkdAyRLG19I/AAAAAAAACqQ/yifU7ZrOgUE/s1600-h/00000000000.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 193px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SkdAyRLG19I/AAAAAAAACqQ/yifU7ZrOgUE/s400/00000000000.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352317914500749266" border="0" /></a><br />The exacting techniques of proper storage take place in the Collections Building and the Nitrate Film Storage Building. Both areas are underground and climate controlled, but whereas the underground bunker that became the Collections Building had to be completely gutted before being reconfigured, the Nitrate Film Building was built from scratch and has specially designed blast-proof vaults for storing the unstable nitrate film used for motion pictures before 1953 (cellulose nitrate film is flammable and highly explosive). Both buildings are well suited for the low-temperature, low-humidity storage that is necessary for long-term preservation.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Trivia:</span> The Packard Campus Collections Building occupies the 1960s era decommissioned underground bunker site of the Federal Reserve that once warehoused $3 billion in U.S. currency to be used to replenish public supplies in the event of a nuclear disaster.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Click on link for a detailed article about the facility:</span><br /><a href="http://%20www.pictureshowman.com/articles_restprev_NAVCC_part1.cfm">www.pictureshowman.com/articles_restprev_NAVCC_part1.cfm</a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Click on photo to enlarge:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SkdC1UavutI/AAAAAAAACqY/V4hbwUkC_RE/s1600-h/0000A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 219px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SkdC1UavutI/AAAAAAAACqY/V4hbwUkC_RE/s400/0000A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352320165934512850" border="0" /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-33795428001590872922009-05-27T18:32:00.001-07:002009-05-28T05:27:56.677-07:00Bacon's Castle (Surry County)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Sh53fITN8lI/AAAAAAAACdY/_lg6DfgI3dA/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Sh53fITN8lI/AAAAAAAACdY/_lg6DfgI3dA/s400/1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340837584795726418" border="0" /></a><br />Bacon’s Castle<br />465 Bacon’s Castle Trail<br />Surry, VA (south shore of the James River)<br /><br />With its cruciform shape, triple diagonal chimneys and curvilinear gables, Bacon's Castle is a rare surviving example of Jacobean architecture in America, and one of the oldest surviving brick homes still standing in English North America. Built in 1665, the house was home to a prosperous planter, Arthur Allen, who also planted a garden adjacent to his house for the use of his family and household. The house passed to Major Arthur Allen at his father's death; Major Allen was a wealthy merchant and a Justice of the Peace in Surry County. A supporter of the colonial governor and member of the House of Burgesses, Allen was driven from his house in 1676 when Nathaniel Bacon and his men staged what came to be known as Bacon's Rebellion. Bacon was the leader of the rebels who revolted against Royal Governor Berkeley. The house was taken over by some of his men during the revolt.<br /><br />The house had many owners throughout the eighteenth century. John Henry Hankins purchased the Castle in 1844 and later built a Greek Revival addition. Later in 1880, Charles Warren purchased the house. His grandson, Walker Pegram Warren lived in the house until his death in 1972. This important early colonial site was acquired in 1973 by the Association for the Preservation for Virginia Antiquities and opened to the public in 1983 as one of its museum properties. Bacon’s Castle is a National Historic Landmark. National Register of Historic Places #66000849.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Note: only three Jacobean plantation houses survive in the Western Hemisphere; the other two are in Barbados -- Drax Hall and St. Nicholas Abbey -- both constructed in the 1650s.<br /></span><br />Visitors today can step back to the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century through the doors of Bacon's Castle. Using the Allen's inventories from 1711 and 1755, furnishings have been selected to interpret daily life. Much of the early and original massive hand hewn beams are evident on the upper floors of the home. On the first floor, the raised panel woodwork in the downstairs chamber and great hall reflect the early eighteenth-century renovations of Elizabeth Bray, wife of Arthur Allen III. Several dependencies survive, including a smoke house and slave quarters, and the recreated garden can be visited.<br /><br />Bacon's Castle is located across the James River from Williamsburg on Route 617 in Surry County, just north of the intersection of Route 617 and Route 10. Admission is charged. Seasonal opening dates, but always closed Mondays and Tuesdays and July 4. Phone 757.357.5976.<br /><br />http://www.apva.org/baconscastle/<br /><br />The multi-story staircase is contained in the shallow brick projection at the rear of the house, and thus takes up no interior space; these two projections give the house its rare cruciform shape.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Sh5-KtHxU_I/AAAAAAAACd8/CH7PT8qPZTk/s1600-h/bacon3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Sh5-KtHxU_I/AAAAAAAACd8/CH7PT8qPZTk/s400/bacon3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340844930483966962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Sh5_BKFvijI/AAAAAAAACeE/_KNaCtPU_OU/s1600-h/bacon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 319px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Sh5_BKFvijI/AAAAAAAACeE/_KNaCtPU_OU/s400/bacon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340845865973025330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Sh3qlGFgPnI/AAAAAAAACdQ/CzO8uD7nDgo/s1600-h/BaconsCastleChimneys.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Sh3qlGFgPnI/AAAAAAAACdQ/CzO8uD7nDgo/s400/BaconsCastleChimneys.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340682656141033074" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Sh6BmWHvBrI/AAAAAAAACes/K3WDwDpsJoY/s1600-h/BaconsCastleKitchen.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 296px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Sh6BmWHvBrI/AAAAAAAACes/K3WDwDpsJoY/s400/BaconsCastleKitchen.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340848703881021106" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Sh6CTLmF6II/AAAAAAAACe0/G4omTCsc0AU/s1600-h/bacon2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Sh6CTLmF6II/AAAAAAAACe0/G4omTCsc0AU/s400/bacon2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340849474149673090" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Sh6DP3yUbJI/AAAAAAAACe8/BlqK_xlRd8g/s1600-h/bacon4.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 301px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Sh6DP3yUbJI/AAAAAAAACe8/BlqK_xlRd8g/s400/bacon4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340850516804267154" /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-7131568708363771682009-05-08T04:54:00.000-07:002009-05-08T06:54:26.365-07:001797 Wayside Inn in Middletown<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SgQkKsLG5vI/AAAAAAAACWk/dX76KzLt3Og/s1600-h/00000000000.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SgQkKsLG5vI/AAAAAAAACWk/dX76KzLt3Og/s400/00000000000.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333427624788551410" border="0" /></a>540.869.1797<br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wayside Inn</span>, since 1797, has been serving the public for over 200 years. Nestled in the Shenandoah Valley, at the foot of the Massanutten Mountains in Middletown, this historic inn trades on its 18th-century ambiance. On offer are 22 guest rooms and suites, each decorated in period themes. Dining features regional American cuisine served in seven dining rooms by a waitstaff dressed in Colonial costumes.<br /><br />The first travelers to the Inn started coming in 1797, pausing for bed and board as they journeyed across the Shenandoah Valley. The Wayside was then known as Wilkenson's Tavern. When rugged highways were hacked out of the wilderness twenty years later, and the Valley Pike, now Route 11, came through Middletown, the tavern became a stagecoach stop, a relay station where fresh horses were readied, and where weary passengers could dine, drink, rest and refresh themselves in comfort while the team of horses was being changed.<br /><br />During the Civil War, soldiers from both the North and South frequented the Inn in search of refuge and friendship. Serving both sides in this devastating conflict, the Inn offered comfort to all who came and thus was spared the ravages of the war, even through Stonewall Jackson's famous Valley Campaign swept past only a few miles away.<br /><br />Jacob Larrick bought the Inn before the war, changed the name to Larrick's Hotel. In the early part of the 20th century, when it was again sold, the new owner Samuel Rhodes, added a third floor, wings on each side, and a new name, The Wayside Inn. In the next few years, as pot-holed pikes were transformed into paved roads, and automobiles begin touring the Valley, the Inn proclaimed itself "America's First Motor Inn."<br /><br />In the 1960s a Washington financier and antique collector Leo M. Bernstein, with an enthusiasm for new projects and a fascination with Americana, purchased the Inn, which he restored and refurbished with hundreds of antiques. He also bought and refurbished another Shenandoah Valley hostelry, the Battletown Inn (c. 1809) in nearby Berryville. Mr. Bernstein died in the fall of 2008, and the future of the Wayside Inn is uncertain.Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-75257929542885148282009-04-24T19:42:00.000-07:002009-05-08T05:45:07.203-07:00Stratford Hall<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SgQpS93VugI/AAAAAAAACWs/OLBRVpezkvg/s1600-h/00000000000.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 192px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SgQpS93VugI/AAAAAAAACWs/OLBRVpezkvg/s400/00000000000.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333433264534567426" /></a><br />Stratford Hall, one of the great houses of American history, is known for the family of patriots who lived here. The mansion sits atop steep cliffs above the Potomac River in the Northern Neck area, some 40 miles southeast of Fredericksburg.<br /><br />Thomas Lee purchased the land in 1717 and built the brick Georgian Great House in the 1730s. A successful tobacco planter and land speculator, Lee owned more than 16,000 acres, distributed between Virginia and Maryland. In a single generation during the 18th century, six Lee brothers lived here. Two became members of the Virginia House of Burgesses; two others were signers of the Declaration of Independence; the other two represented Virginia in Europe. General "Light Horse Harry" Lee, a relative, lived at Stratford Hall; his son, the great Confederate general Robert E. Lee was born here, January 19, 1807. The estate was owned by the Lee family until 1822.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SfFkKqLjv8I/AAAAAAAACQY/28tEb7IBpxA/s1600-h/StratfordHallInterior.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SfFkKqLjv8I/AAAAAAAACQY/28tEb7IBpxA/s400/StratfordHallInterior.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328149968440246210" border="0" /></a><br />Stratford Hall is preserved essentially the way it was 250 years ago. The plantation still operates as a farm, on 1,670 of its original acres. Visitors can tour the Great House, outbuildings and the plantation grounds and gardens. The “H” shaped edifice features a distinctive tapering exterior staircase, hip roof lines and eight massive chimneys. Its bold architectural style and complex brickwork set it apart from other Virginia plantation houses. The home is furnished with an outstanding collection of 18th-century American and English decorative items.<br /><br />Four out buildings (including a kitchen) flank the corners of the Great House, and the estate is complete with a mill, farm buildings, coach house, stables and slave quarters. Visitors may stay overnight on the estate grounds in cabins and guest cottages.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SfFks_nS13I/AAAAAAAACQg/2kLWD_Ut9Vw/s1600-h/StratfordHall2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 322px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SfFks_nS13I/AAAAAAAACQg/2kLWD_Ut9Vw/s400/StratfordHall2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328150558309275506" border="0" /></a><br />Stratford Hall is open daily from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. (admission charge). From the Visitor Center guests can take Great House tours (on the hour) from 10:00-4:00 and visit museum exhibits. Gift shop on premises. Dining room open Tuesday-Sunday 11a-3:00p.<br /><br />804.493.8038; <a href="http://www.stratfordhall.org/">www.stratfordhall.org</a><br />Stratford Hall is on the National Register #66000851, and also a National Historic Landmark.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SfFnEXFRgBI/AAAAAAAACRA/Q975_6klTBQ/s1600-h/StratfordHallDependency.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SfFnEXFRgBI/AAAAAAAACRA/Q975_6klTBQ/s400/StratfordHallDependency.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328153158769278994" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SfFl1H03zUI/AAAAAAAACQw/xIW95JgOgZA/s1600-h/Stratford.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SfFl1H03zUI/AAAAAAAACQw/xIW95JgOgZA/s400/Stratford.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328151797464288578" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SfFl1Cf8xwI/AAAAAAAACQo/ltkbWR0Gwhg/s1600-h/StratfordHallInterior2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SfFl1Cf8xwI/AAAAAAAACQo/ltkbWR0Gwhg/s400/StratfordHallInterior2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328151796034356994" border="0" /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-58020508678115465812009-04-22T06:30:00.000-07:002009-10-31T19:30:25.878-07:00Sky Meadows State Park<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Se8j8HZSwhI/AAAAAAAACPg/hD_HfsZg14M/s1600-h/SkyMeadowsAutumnViews.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Se8j8HZSwhI/AAAAAAAACPg/hD_HfsZg14M/s400/SkyMeadowsAutumnViews.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327516399886844434" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sky Meadows State Park</span> straddles land in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Fauquier</span> and<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Clarke</span> counties on an eastern slope of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Blue Ridge Mountains</span>. The name Sky Meadows comes from former owner Robert Hadow, who named the property "Skye Farm" after a site in his native Scotland.<br /><br />Totaling more than 1,800 acres, the park has 12 miles of hiking trails and offers direct access to the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Appalachian Trail</span>, which crosses Rt. 50 just west of the village of Paris. The park is a three-day hike from Harper’s Ferry, WV, and two days from Shenandoah National Park. Close to northern Virginia's center of equestrian culture, it includes riding trails, as well; two bridle trails traverse six miles of paths (separate from the hiking trails). There are facilities for pond fishing and picnicking.<br /><br />Annually the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Delaplane Strawberry Festival</span> is held here on the Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.<br /><br />The park is in Delaplane, less than two miles south of Paris, Va., via Rt. 50 to Rt. 17 South (or seven miles north of I-66, Exit 23 on Rt. 17 North). Although the park lands are on both sides of Rt. 17, the park entrance proper is on Rt. 710. There are no cabins or campsites with hookups at this park, but primitive camping is allowed by reservation.<br /><br />The historic <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mount Bleak House</span> not only serves as the park's visitor center and office, it is furnished as a middle-class farmhouse, giving visitors a glimpse of middle-class life during the 1850s. From the rear of the house is a spectacular panoramic view of mountains and rolling hills. Picnic tables, restrooms, and gift shop are located behind Mount Bleak House.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Se8kbYv5a8I/AAAAAAAACPo/clM5fKFijsM/s1600-h/MountBleakHouse.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Se8kbYv5a8I/AAAAAAAACPo/clM5fKFijsM/s400/MountBleakHouse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327516937121000386" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mount Bleak House</span>, built in 1843, is open for guided tours on weekends and holiday afternoons from mid-April through October. In 1731, Lord Fairfax sold a 7,883-acre tract of land just south of Ashby’s Gap to James Ball. Isaac Settle of nearby Paris bought land from the descendants and in 1812 built a large estate house called “Belle Grove.” In 1842, he sold Belle Grove farm to his son in-law, Lewis Edmonds, who subsequently sold 148 acres to Settle’s son, Abner, who built Mount Bleak House. In 1868 Mount Bleak became the property of George Slater, who had been in Mosby’s Rangers during the Civil War. Slater and his son lived there for 55 years.<br /><br />In 1975, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Paul Mellon</span> of Upperville purchased and later donated this 1,132-acre tract to the state for development as a state park, sparing the land from real estate development. Another 248 acres were acquired in 1987, thus providing access to the Appalachian Trail. In 1991, Mr. Mellon donated another 248 acres, designated the Lost Mountain Bridle Trail Area.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Se8lqrGcYpI/AAAAAAAACPw/oEQJBSqbO_c/s1600-h/SkyMeadowsTrees.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 298px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Se8lqrGcYpI/AAAAAAAACPw/oEQJBSqbO_c/s400/SkyMeadowsTrees.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327518299257070226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Click image to enlarge:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Se8l6MwjBsI/AAAAAAAACP4/wN-VDGlB_Y0/s1600-h/sky_meadows_state_parklarger.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Se8l6MwjBsI/AAAAAAAACP4/wN-VDGlB_Y0/s400/sky_meadows_state_parklarger.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327518565990074050" border="0" /></a><br />Sky Meadows State Park<br />540.592.3556<br /><a href="http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/sky.shtml">www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/sky.shtml</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Suk97wJA5LI/AAAAAAAACyw/OlFNjPaBjQk/s1600-h/SkyMeadowsParkView.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Suk97wJA5LI/AAAAAAAACyw/OlFNjPaBjQk/s400/SkyMeadowsParkView.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397913725124535474" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo above courtesy Rob Tabor</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Se8n8damCWI/AAAAAAAACQA/S5981oSfz0E/s1600-h/SkyMeadowsStatePark.jpg"><br /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-71312799970892065932009-04-20T11:48:00.000-07:002009-04-19T18:07:56.610-07:00Salamander Farm<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SetyU6UxvhI/AAAAAAAACOA/r6kJZsD3Rmk/s1600-h/SalamanderFarmExt.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326476687875096082" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 301px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SetyU6UxvhI/AAAAAAAACOA/r6kJZsD3Rmk/s400/SalamanderFarmExt.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Sheila Johnson's 165-acre estate, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Salamander Farm</span>, is located on Zulla Road between the Plains and Middleburg. When Johnson discovered that the property’s second owner, Rhode Island governor Bruce Sundlun (who was given the code name <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Salamander</span> in World War II and received honors for his valor as a pilot), had called the farm "Salamander," she changed the name back. A salamander is the only creature that can mythically walk through fire and still come out alive.<br /><br />“My daughter’s love of horses brought me to the area,” Johnson says. “But I bought the home because of the view. The view is hard to duplicate.” Johnson lives on the majestic property that overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains with daughter Paige (a Grand Prix horsewoman), son Brett and her husband.<br /><br />Recently Sheila Johnson became an owner of the Washington Mystics, Wizards and Capitals sports teams. A former music teacher at Sidwell Friends School in Northwest Washington, billionaire Johnson still plays violin and remains passionate about music. She recently donated $3 million to endow a Performing Arts Center at the private Hill School (Middleburg).<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div></div><div>Entrepreneur Johnson lived in a double-wide trailer on the grounds of Salamander Farm while renovations to the stone house were taking place (the relatively modest home was expanded to 14,500 sq. ft.). In order to preserve the original stone facade, the additions were primarily constructed on the lower floor and in side wings. Consequently, contrary to the layout of most estate homes, the principal rooms of the house are on the lower level. She employed Washington-DC-based interior designer Thomas Pheasant to realize her vision for furnishing her home.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SeuBNcnVObI/AAAAAAAACO4/LWLdlE4hwNY/s1600-h/SalamanderLR.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 331px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SeuBNcnVObI/AAAAAAAACO4/LWLdlE4hwNY/s400/SalamanderLR.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326493052315187634" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SeuAoZ8i0II/AAAAAAAACOo/59vSfrT1YIo/s1600-h/SalamanderWineCellar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 334px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SeuAoZ8i0II/AAAAAAAACOo/59vSfrT1YIo/s400/SalamanderWineCellar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326492415943692418" border="0" /></a>Ms. Johnson created resistance and much controversy when she announced plans to develop another property (the estate of former ambassador to France, the late Pamela Harriman) into a hotel/conference center complex right at the edge of the village of Middleburg. Approval was eventually granted, and construction is still underway. An opening date for the 120-bed <span style="font-weight: bold;">Salamander Resort and Spa</span> has been pushed back to early 2011.<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div></div><div>700 guests descended on Salamander Farm when Ms. Johnson married Arlington County Circuit Court chief justice William T. Newman Jr., in 2005. An avid cook, these days he spends much of his time in the elaborate kitchen at Salamander Farm, baking cakes, pastries and making home-made ice cream. Coincidentally, Newman was the presiding judge over Johnson’s divorce from Robert Johnson in 2002, with whom she founded the cable network BET.<br /></div><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SetzKNOEnRI/AAAAAAAACOg/pYILPEpvm3A/s1600-h/SalamanderFarmExt2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326477603480313106" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 267px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SetzKNOEnRI/AAAAAAAACOg/pYILPEpvm3A/s400/SalamanderFarmExt2.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SeuCuWhWG3I/AAAAAAAACPQ/SwKs3arh62E/s1600-h/SalamanderRear.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 331px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SeuCuWhWG3I/AAAAAAAACPQ/SwKs3arh62E/s400/SalamanderRear.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326494717126777714" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SeuCuIsJwNI/AAAAAAAACPI/9KU86io0CcA/s1600-h/SalamanderPoolsidePergola.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 310px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SeuCuIsJwNI/AAAAAAAACPI/9KU86io0CcA/s400/SalamanderPoolsidePergola.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326494713414009042" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SeuCt5GGp0I/AAAAAAAACPA/oB7Qb_3UWYg/s1600-h/SalamanderPool.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 331px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SeuCt5GGp0I/AAAAAAAACPA/oB7Qb_3UWYg/s400/SalamanderPool.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326494709227890498" border="0" /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-34833500937123076632009-04-19T00:12:00.000-07:002009-04-24T00:51:56.445-07:00Hunter's Head Tavern - Upperville<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SerPZEiD4PI/AAAAAAAACNI/OI1Jzd8P7_o/s1600-h/UppervilleHunter%27sHeadTavern2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326297538939314418" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; cursor: pointer; height: 262px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SerPZEiD4PI/AAAAAAAACNI/OI1Jzd8P7_o/s400/UppervilleHunter%27sHeadTavern2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Open for dinner daily; afternoon tea Tue-Wed-Thu;<br />Lunch Tues-Sunday; 540-592-9020<br />Outdoor seating available in good weather.<br /><a href="http://www.huntersheadtavern.com/">http://www.huntersheadtavern.com/</a><br /><br />Sandy Lerner’s <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hunter’s Head Tavern</span> is housed in a 250-year-old structure that sits directly on Rt. 50 in Upperville (Fauquier County). It serves a traditional English pub menu that features on-tap beers, wines, and locally raised organic farm products from nearby <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ayrshire Farm</span> (also owned by Lerner, co-founder of Cisco Systems). The ordering system is true British tavern style. Guests place an order at the bar’s open Dutch door and then take a numbered wooden spoon to be placed in the empty wine bottle sitting on the table; servers look for your number and deliver your order directly to your table in one of the atmospheric tavern rooms or outside on the terrace, in good weather.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SeriHPcrZXI/AAAAAAAACNg/72nOcnZLJmA/s1600-h/UppervilleAyrshire.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326318123352810866" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; width: 300px; cursor: pointer; height: 122px;" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SeriHPcrZXI/AAAAAAAACNg/72nOcnZLJmA/s400/UppervilleAyrshire.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Photo:</span> Lerner's 800 acre <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ayrshire Farm</span><br /><br />This tavern became the first restaurant in the nation to receive an animal rights group's certification for a menu with humanely raised and processed fare. The "Certified Humane Raised and Handled" label assures consumers that meat, poultry, egg, and dairy products have been produced according to precise standards for humane farm animal treatment.<br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Old Carr House</span>, now the site of the Hunter’s Head tavern, began life about 1750 as a log cabin built by Scotsman Steven McPherson. The history of this house is essentially the history of the village of Upperville, which was founded by, and originally named for, Joseph Carr, a grandson of John Carr, who had emigrated from Ireland in the 1750s. Joseph Carr purchased McPherson’s farm, mill and log cabin, and later opened a general store. By 1798 the town was named after him: Carrtown. At Carr’s death in 1828, he owned some 2,500 acres in the Upperville area. As his businesses flourished, Joseph Carr moved his family from the present tavern structure to a larger brick house across the road, hence the historical name, the Old Carr House.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SerhE1XmZJI/AAAAAAAACNQ/VKRLrMsicv4/s1600-h/UppervilleHunter%27sHeadTavern3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326316982480823442" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; cursor: pointer; height: 262px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SerhE1XmZJI/AAAAAAAACNQ/VKRLrMsicv4/s400/UppervilleHunter%27sHeadTavern3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />At the time of its last purchase in 1997, the upper-story addition to the original cabin (the east end of the building) was falling into the first floor because the original, one-story cabin’s ceiling beams in the east room were inadequate to support the second floor, added sometime in the early 1800s. The central portion of the 1790s addition (the area which today includes the bar and west dining rooms) was structurally unviable due to the removal of most of the roof ridge beam at some point in the house’s history. According to one builder who worked on the restoration, “I’ve been in this business for thirty-five years and I have no idea why it’s still standing.” The house had settled so much that most of the windows were inoperable and the doors unable to close; the stone foundations and the fireplace in the west room had to be completely rebuilt.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Seri_HtBa6I/AAAAAAAACNo/zq15ioJt1S4/s1600-h/UppervilleHunter%27sHeadTavern.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326319083346553762" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; cursor: pointer; height: 262px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/Seri_HtBa6I/AAAAAAAACNo/zq15ioJt1S4/s400/UppervilleHunter%27sHeadTavern.jpg" border="0" /></a>The structure retains its original log cabin walls, fireplaces, mantels and, on the upper stories, its floors. It is rumored that the heavy gate into the walled garden is from the old Upperville jail. The house is reputed to be home to several ghosts. One, a middle-aged colonial man dressed in brown, seems to be a happy spirit, possibly because the old Carr House is now an ordinary serving food and drink, after almost 100 years as a tenant house, antique shop, and office.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tips:</span><br />1. Do not refuse the complimentary bread and butter. Superior!<br />2. It's easy to drive right past this tavern. </span><span style="font-size:85%;">If you see the Trinity Episcopal church on your right, you've gone too far</span>. <span style="font-size:85%;">Driving west on Rt. 50, look for a bright red London-style phone both on the right. It's at the entrance to the parking lot. Enter the tavern through the back door terrace area.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">3. Owner Sandy Lerner's hobby is jousting in period costume, so she's good with a spear. Her efforts to open a restaurant in Upperville were repeatedly blocked, particularly by the monied horsy set. Consequently, fox hunters are not allowed to cross her property, and her disdain for them is reflected in the restaurant's name: Hunter's Head. </span><br /><br />Below: Turkey pot pie and organic meat loaf.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SfFux-g5AhI/AAAAAAAACRI/PquRYEqB_js/s1600-h/00.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 141px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SfFux-g5AhI/AAAAAAAACRI/PquRYEqB_js/s200/00.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328161639029604882" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SfFvPqpXgLI/AAAAAAAACRQ/PvjTpEDZPII/s1600-h/01.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 141px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SfFvPqpXgLI/AAAAAAAACRQ/PvjTpEDZPII/s200/01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328162149092524210" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SerhmdxFByI/AAAAAAAACNY/jhPH9X6x-l4/s1600-h/UppervilleHunter%27sHeadTavernExt.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326317560260790050" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; cursor: pointer; height: 262px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SerhmdxFByI/AAAAAAAACNY/jhPH9X6x-l4/s400/UppervilleHunter%27sHeadTavernExt.jpg" border="0" /></a>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-7339466998911992102009-04-17T22:55:00.000-07:002009-04-18T16:51:02.714-07:00Mighty Midget Kitchen - Leesburg<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SelsT312g2I/AAAAAAAACM4/7cCT_4AM2k8/s1600-h/LeesnurgMightyMidget.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SelsT312g2I/AAAAAAAACM4/7cCT_4AM2k8/s400/LeesnurgMightyMidget.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325907123005457250" border="0" /></a>The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mighty Midget Kitchen</span> is a Leesburg landmark, originally crafted in 1946 from the metal fuselage of a WWII B-29 bomber. Relocated about a block from its former location, it now serves German food as part of a restaurant and entertainment complex called Hamburg Döner on Harrison Street, directly across from Tuscarora Mill.<br /><br />There were seven of these metal structures made in the late 1940s by a company in Glendale, California. Most were used as food stands, but at least one served as a newsstand. This is believed to be the only one of the set of structures left.<br /><br />For nearly 50 years The Mighty Midget was popular as a hamburger, hot dog and fries outlet. The Mighty Midget closed in 1994 and was moved from the juncture of Loudoun and Market Streets to location a block away in 1996, when it resumed operation as a restaurant. In 2001 a new tenant arrived: <span style="font-weight: bold;">B’z BBQ</span>. Its ribs and pulled pork were cooked on a BBQ smoker in back of the building. Proprietor Brian DeVaux offered ribs only on Fridays and Saturdays, but his pulled pork was available every day. B’z BBQ closed in December, 2007.<br /><br />In late March, 2008, the Mighty Midget reopened as “Hamburg Döner,” where it sits on a deck outside the restaurant proper. Since 2006 <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hamburg Döner</span> had operated out of a food truck at Leesburg’s Virginia Village Shopping Center, and the vacant Mighty Midget Kitchen tempted owners Nicole Marschall and Timo Winkel to make a permanent home for their popular food offerings. Today they welcome the public by keeping alive the local tradition of the Mighty Midget, for which the locals retain a heavy streak of nostalgia. Hamburg Döner serves the German take on the Turkish döner sandwich, which is made with hot meat atop salad covered in sauce, served on toasted flatbread; this is the most popular sandwich served in Germany today. Other selections include German bratwurst and schnitzel. The restaurant also offers German beers, some indoor seating and outdoor seating at German biergarten tables, relocated directly from Germany.<br /><br />On March 28, 2009, they celebrated their one year anniversary at the Mighty Midget Kitchen at 202-A Harrison Street. That day was also the first day of operation under their new name – <span style="font-weight: bold;">Döner Bistro</span>.<br /><br />Open from 11:00 a.m.; closed Mondays.<br />Live music Fri/Sat from 7 pm. 703-779-7880<br />www.hamburg-doener.comTerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-89493479612924406132009-04-06T03:52:00.000-07:002009-04-08T05:45:59.071-07:00James Monroe's Oak Hill<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SdnfczFf8TI/AAAAAAAACI4/UnBG4CI3S8I/s1600-h/OakHill.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 370px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SdnfczFf8TI/AAAAAAAACI4/UnBG4CI3S8I/s400/OakHill.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321530120557556018" border="0" /></a><br />In 1794 <span style="font-weight: bold;">James Monroe</span>, our fifth president, purchased the 4,400 acres of land on which Oak Hill was located from Colonel Charles Carter. The Carter family owned <span style="font-style: italic;">Oatlands</span> (main house c. 1800), a neighboring Loudoun County estate now owned by the <span style="font-style: italic;">National Trust for Historic Preservation</span>. James Monroe and his wife Elizabeth visited and stayed at Oak Hill often before taking up residence there after Monroe’s retirement from his term of presidency from 1817-1825.<br /><br />On the property was an older stone estate manager’s house containing six rooms. It was used as a residence by Monroe's brother, Andrew, in the period of 1808 through 1817, when Andrew managed the farm. James Monroe and his wife Elizabeth stayed in the manager’s house when visiting the farm in earlier years and while arranging for construction of the larger manor house, built of brick with a large Greek-styled portico, in 1822. The house was planned by Irishman <span style="font-weight: bold;">James Hoban</span>, architect of the White House, incorporating many architectural drawings and design suggestions made by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Thomas Jefferson</span>, a close friend of the Monroes. The builder was William Benton.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">This mid-1800s etching of Oak Hill contains several erroneous architectural details. The portico was distinguished by five 9-ft. diameter, 30-ft. tall, stuccoed brick columns -- not six. The arcaded pediment supporting the portico thus contained four arches, not five. The width to height ratio is also distorted.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SdnokbJme5I/AAAAAAAACJA/gz3lSWEk4Zc/s1600-h/OakHillEtching.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 253px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SdnokbJme5I/AAAAAAAACJA/gz3lSWEk4Zc/s320/OakHillEtching.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321540147175914386" border="0" /></a>During his retirement years at Oak Hill, Monroe served as chairman of the Virginia Constitutional Convention, as a local magistrate in Loudoun County, and as a member of the Board of Visitors for the newly-organized <span style="font-weight: bold;">University of Virginia</span>. John Quincy Adams (who succeeded Monroe as President) and General Lafayette both visited Monroe at Oak Hill. Life-long friends Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were frequent visitors, as well.<br /><br />Monroe's wife died at Oak Hill in 1830. After her death, Monroe moved to New York to live with his youngest daughter. He wrote to James Madison on April 11, 1831, stating: “It is very distressing to me to sell my property in Loudoun, for besides parting with all I have in the State (of Virginia), I indulged a hope that, if I could retain it, I might be able occasionally to visit it, and meet my friends there.” Monroe died in New York City on July 4 of that year.<br /><br />Monroe, born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, was a student at the <span style="font-weight: bold;">College of William and Mary</span>, but dropped out to serve in the Revolutionary War, in which he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. From 1780-82, he studied law under Thomas Jefferson, although he never completed a higher education degree. Immediately thereafter Monroe served as a member of the Continental Congress, then went on to complete a distinguished career as a public servant. In 1790, he became a U.S. Senator from Virginia. Four years later he became Minister to France. From 1799-1802 Monroe served as the Governor of Virginia. In 1803 he assisted US Minister Robert Livingston in negotiating the Louisiana Purchase. From 1803-1807, Monroe was Minister to Great Britain. In 1811 he was appointed by President Madison to Secretary of State and then Secretary of War (posts held simultaneously).<br /><br />The area of Monroe's greatest success, however, was in foreign affairs. This was the era in which much of South America achieved independence from Spain. Monroe wanted to insure that no European regime interfered with this independence process. He issued the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Monroe Doctrine</span>, which warned European states not to become involved in the affairs of the Western hemisphere. Monroe crafted this important historical document while in residence at Oak Hill.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SdoKIo1j3PI/AAAAAAAACJI/OW-rcFBwBcs/s1600-h/OakHillGardens2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 398px; height: 304px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SdoKIo1j3PI/AAAAAAAACJI/OW-rcFBwBcs/s400/OakHillGardens2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321577053208960242" border="0" /></a><br />Today the Oak Hill estate is in private hands, since 1948 the residence of Thomas DeLashmutt and his wife, Gayle, who on occasion graciously welcome the public to the house and extensive gardens for special events. Gayle DeLashmutt is president of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mosby Heritage Area Association.</span> <a href="http://http//www.mosbyheritagearea.org">www.mosbyheritagearea.org</a><br /><br />The house, located nine miles south of Leesburg (near Aldie), contains furniture that once belonged to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Dolley Madison. Two ornately carved Italian marble mantelpieces were presented to the Monroes by the Marquis de Lafayette, in gratitude for saving Mme. Lafayette from the guillotine during the French Revolution in 1795 (Monroe was then serving as Minister to France). Civil War soldiers chipped off some of the carvings, to take as souvenirs (the house was used by both armies during the Civil War). Some of the slate floor stones were brought from the White House after the fire of the War of 1812; other floor stones contain dinosaur footprints found on the estate.<br /><br />North facade:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SdoKpRbf2_I/AAAAAAAACJQ/gEIUaNRAkyI/s1600-h/OakHillNorthFacade.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 303px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SdoKpRbf2_I/AAAAAAAACJQ/gEIUaNRAkyI/s400/OakHillNorthFacade.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321577613861313522" border="0" /></a><br />South facade:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SdoLBOLdZGI/AAAAAAAACJY/Qob-sH1igv8/s1600-h/OakHillSouthFacade.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 321px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SdoLBOLdZGI/AAAAAAAACJY/Qob-sH1igv8/s400/OakHillSouthFacade.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321578025305597026" border="0" /></a><br />The property, designated as both a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Virginia Historic Landmark</span> and a <span style="font-weight: bold;">National Historic Landmark</span>, fronts onto the <span style="font-style: italic;">James Monroe and James Madison Highway</span> (Rt. 15), formerly known as the <span style="font-style: italic;">Old Carolina Road</span>, a Native American route linking present-day North Carolina and Pennsylvania via central Virginia. The 175-mile section from Gettysburg/PA to Charlottesville/VA features Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, James Madison's Montpelier, James Monroe's Oak Hill and Ash Lawn-Highland, Theodore Roosevelt's Pine Knot cabin, and Dwight Eisenhower's farm.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Trivia:</span><br />A) Two U.S. Navy ships have been named <span style="font-weight: bold;">"USS Oak Hill"</span> after the estate (Moroe served as Secretary of War).<br />B) <span style="font-weight: bold;">William Benton</span>, who was the builder of both Woodburn and Oak Hill estate houses, defied Virginia State Law by teaching all 19 of his slaves to read and write.</span>Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3420885037726273487.post-27559653004160581902009-04-04T20:34:00.000-07:002009-04-06T20:19:16.434-07:00Woodburn Estate: Loudoun County<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SdgnPJa_JCI/AAAAAAAACIw/1D4yc_WHBrs/s1600-h/Woodburn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HUjYSMsnxvc/SdgnPJa_JCI/AAAAAAAACIw/1D4yc_WHBrs/s400/Woodburn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321046100918871074" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Woodburn Estate</span> (3 miles SW of Leesburg on Rt. 704, off Rt. 15)<br /><br />This 240-acre Loudoun County estate contains a fine 13-room brick Federal farmhouse and an important collection of ancillary structures. The property was patented in the mid-18th century by <span style="font-weight: bold;">George Nixson</span> (born 1730 in Enniskillen, Ireland), who put up the oldest buildings, including the 1777 log “patent” house. In colonial times, construction of a 16-by-20-foot cabin was a requirement for obtaining a “patent” (title to the property).<br /><br />Nixson also built the stone and frame gristmill in 1777 and the stone miller’s house in 1787. Nixson’s son George had the main brick house built by William Benton around 1820 (<span style="font-style: italic;">aside: two years later Benton also built the Oak Hill estate house for President James Monroe, six miles farther south</span>). The unusually large scale of the house, including its extensive rear wing, earned it the name “Dr. Nixson’s Folly.” The main house is distinguished by magnificent brick work laid in Flemish and American 5-course bond, as well as interior features such as molded plaster cornices and fine mantels. Contemporary with the house is the springhouse and an impressive elaborate brick barn with an arcaded ground level and brick lattice vents. The barn is considered the largest and finest of its type in existence (in the 1970s I had a friend who rented the miller’s house, so I was able to see this remarkable barn up close; it was unusual for such architectural detail and costly construction materials to be lavished on a barn).<br /><br />A small village grew near the estate house, but by the year 1900 the village of Woodburn boasted only 15 residents.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thomas Hawkins Clagett</span>, a physician, owned Woodburn during the years of the Civil War. He was successful in warding off a Union soldier burning raid in 1864 that resulted in tremendous destruction of property in Loudoun County. Union Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan was ordered to carry out a “Burning Raid” to root out John Mosby and his Rangers. Sheridan burned barns, mills and many other structures suspected of harboring John Mosby and his supporters. Clagett sent several of his slaves to inform Sheridan that Mosby was lying in wait to ambush them, and Sheridan’s troops thus passed Woodburn by – it was all a successful ruse to spare Clagett’s property.<br /><br />Owners of the Woodburn estate in modern times were the ballet superstar <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rudolph Nureyev</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hugh Peal</span>, Esq., who was successful in getting the property listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 (main house and six ancillary buildings: log patent house, stable, mill, smokehouse, barn and miller’s house). A notorious time for the estate was when it was leased to political extremist <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lyndon LaRouche</span> (1985). The house remains in private hands and cannot be visited, although it is clearly visible from the bend on Rt. 704.Terryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05659299685225957561noreply@blogger.com0