James River plantations were established in the
Virginia Colony
The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colonial empire, English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey GilbertG ...
along the
James River
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...
between the mouth at
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's ...
and the
head of navigation
The head of navigation is the farthest point above the mouth of a river that can be navigated by ships. Determining the head of navigation can be subjective on many streams, as the point may vary greatly with the size or the draft of the ship be ...
at the
Fall Line
A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is typically prominent where rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the coa ...
where
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
is today.
History
The colony struggled for five years after its establishment at
Jamestown in 1607. Finally, a profitable export crop was identified through the efforts of colonist
John Rolfe
John Rolfe (1585 – March 1622) was one of the early English settlers of North America. He is credited with the first successful cultivation of tobacco as an export crop in the Colony of Virginia in 1611.
Biography
John Rolfe is believed ...
. After 1612, a sweet form of
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
became the largest export crop, customarily shipped in large
hogsheads.
Because the river was a highway of commerce in the 17th and 18th centuries, the early
plantation
A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...
s were established on the north and south banks along it, with most having their own
wharf
A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring locatio ...
s. Most were much larger than . The name derived from the English tradition of subdividing
shire
Shire is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand. It is generally synonymous with county. It was first used in Wessex from the beginn ...
s/
counties
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
into
hundreds.
While some are now long gone, some of the larger and older of the James River plantations are still in use and/or open to the public. Almost all are privately owned, and houses and/or grounds are generally open daily to visitors with various admission fees applicable.
Partial listing of plantations in early 17th century
Based upon the makeup of the
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the elected representative element of the Virginia General Assembly, the legislative body of the Colony of Virginia. With the creation of the House of Burgesses in 1642, the General Assembly, which had been established ...
in 1619, a partial list of
early plantations and their representatives were:
* for
James City: Ensign
William Spence (burgess)
William Spence (sometimes shown as Spense) was an early Colony of Virginia, Virginia colonist on Jamestown Island. He was member of the first assembly of the Virginia House of Burgesses in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. Spence became an ensign in t ...
sometimes spelled Spense and Captain
William Powell
William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the ''The Thin Man (film), Thin Man'' series based on the Nick and Nora Cha ...
* for
Charles City:
Samuel Sharpe (burgess) and Samuel Jordan
* for the
City of Henricus:
Thomas Dowse
Thomas Dowse, also known as Thomas Dawse and Thomas Dawles ( will read, June 4, 1683) was an English-American immigrant who represented City of Henricus in the first meeting of the House of Burgesses on July 30, 1619 at Jamestown, Virginia.
Bio ...
and
John Pollington
John Pollington (sometimes shown as John Polentine or Pollentin)Hening, William Waller''The Statutes at Large; being a Collection of all the Laws of Virginia, from the First Session of the Legislature, in the year 1619, Volume I'' New York: Publi ...
or John Plentine or Polentine
* for
Kiccowtan: Captain William Tucker and
William Capps
William Capps (occasionally spelled Capp or Cappes) was born in Norfolk, England in or around 1575. William married Catherine Jernagin (also spelt Katheryn Jermingham) in Norwich, Norfolk, England, 11-Dec-1596, aSt. Michael at Plea He and his wif ...
* for
Martin's Brandon,
Captain John Martin
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
's Plantation: Thomas Davis and Robert Stacy
* for
Smythe's Hundred
Smith's Hundred or Smythe's Hundred was a colonial English settlement in the Province of Virginia, in the modern United States of America. It was one of the original James River plantations named after the treasurer of the Virginia Company, Sir Tho ...
Plantation:
Captain Thomas Graves Thomas Graves (c. 1580–1635) was one of the original Adventurers (stockholders) of the Virginia Company of London, and one of the very early Planters (settlers) who founded Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in North Ameri ...
and
Walter Shelley
Walter Shelley sailed to the English colony at Jamestown, Virginia before 1619.
Walter Shelley was one of the original subscribers to the London Company. He was a member of the First Legislative Assembly in America and sat for Smith's Hundred whe ...
* for
Martin's Hundred Plantation (also known as
Wolstenholme Towne
Wolstenholme Towne was an English settlement in the Colony of Virginia, east of the colonial capital, Jamestown. One of the earliest English settlements in the New World, the town existed for roughly four years until its destruction in the I ...
): John Boyse or Boys and John Jackson (burgess)
* for
Argall's Gift Plantation: Thomas Pawlett and Edward Gourgainy
* for
Flowerdew Hundred Plantation
Flowerdew Hundred Plantation dates to 1618/19 with the patent by Sir George Yeardley, the Governor and Captain General of Virginia, of on the south side of the James River. Yeardley probably named the plantation after his wife's wealthy father, ...
: Ensign
Edmund Rossingham and
John Jefferson (burgess)
* for Captain Lawne's Plantation: Captain
Christopher Lawne and
Ensign Washer
* for Captain Warde's Plantation: Captain John Warde and Lieutenant John Gibbes or
John Gibbs
Plantations north side of James River
Listed from east to west (downriver to upriver):
*
Herbert House
*
Blunt Point Plantation
Blunt may refer to:
* Blunt (surname), a surname (and list of people with the name)
* Blunt (cigar), a term used in the cigar industry to designate blunt-tipped, usually factory-rolled cigars
* Blunt (cannabis), a slang term used in cannabis cult ...
*
Denbigh
Denbigh (; cy, Dinbych; ) is a market town and a community in Denbighshire, Wales. Formerly, the county town, the Welsh name translates to "Little Fortress"; a reference to its historic castle. Denbigh lies near the Clwydian Hills.
History
...
*
Richneck
*
Bourbon Bourbon may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash
* Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels
* Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit
* A beer produced by Bras ...
*
Endview
*
Lee Hall is a large 19th-century
Italianate
The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian R ...
plantation house
A plantation house is the main house of a plantation, often a substantial farmhouse, which often serves as a symbol for the plantation as a whole. Plantation houses in the Southern United States and in other areas are known as quite grand and e ...
built in 1859 as the home of Richard Decatur Lee, a prominent local planter who was not directly related to the famous Confederate general
Robert E. Lee. The mansion was used as headquarters for Confederate generals
Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American career army officer, serving with distinction in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and the Seminole Wars. After Virginia secede ...
and
John B. Magruder
John Bankhead Magruder (May 1, 1807 – February 18, 1871) was an American and Confederate military officer. A graduate of West Point, Magruder served with distinction during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and was a prominent Confede ...
during the
Peninsula Campaign of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
in 1862. Lee Hall Mansion is now a museum.
*
Carter's Grove
Carter's Grove, also known as Carter's Grove Plantation, is a plantation located on the north shore of the James River in the Grove Community of southeastern James City County in the Virginia Peninsula area of the Hampton Roads region of Vir ...
stands on the former site of
Martin's Hundred Plantation and
Wolstenholme Towne
Wolstenholme Towne was an English settlement in the Colony of Virginia, east of the colonial capital, Jamestown. One of the earliest English settlements in the New World, the town existed for roughly four years until its destruction in the I ...
.
*
Kingsmill Kingsmill or Kingsmills may refer to:
Places
* Kingsmill, Virginia, an area of James City County, Virginia, United States
* Kingsmill, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, site of the 1976 Kingsmill massacre
* Kingsmill, Ontario, Canada
* Kingsmill, ...
*
Ambler Mansion In the two centuries following the arrival of the English colonists, the island landscape on
Jamestown Island
Jamestown Island is a island in the James River in Virginia, part of James City County. It is located off Glasshouse Point, to which it is connected via a causeway to the Colonial Parkway. Much of the island is wetland, including both swamp and ...
evolved from the seat of the colonial government to large plantations owned by the Ambler and Travis families. Built circa 1750 by
Richard Ambler, 350 yards east of the old
Jamestown Church
Jamestown Church, constructed in brick from 1639 onward, in Jamestown in the Mid-Atlantic state of Virginia, is one of the oldest surviving building remnants built by Europeans in the original thirteen colonies and in the United States overa ...
, the two-story, center-hall, single-pile, brick house with walls laid in
Flemish Bond
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and Mortar (masonry), mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called ''Course (architecture), courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall.
Bricks ...
with few glazed headers was typical of early
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I, George II, Georg ...
. The home was burned during the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
but was restored by
Colonel John Ambler. The mansion by then owned by
William Allen William Allen may refer to:
Politicians
United States
*William Allen (congressman) (1827–1881), United States Representative from Ohio
*William Allen (governor) (1803–1879), U.S. Representative, Senator, and 31st Governor of Ohio
*William ...
was burned again by runaway slaves during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, and was restored a second time. When the house burned for a third time in 1895 it was abandoned but its ruins still stand and have been stabilized by the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
.
*
Powhatan
The Powhatan people (; also spelled Powatan) may refer to any of the indigenous Algonquian people that are traditionally from eastern Virginia. All of the Powhatan groups descend from the Powhatan Confederacy. In some instances, The Powhatan ...
*
Green Spring
*
Tomahund Tomahund is a plantation located just west of the
Chickahominy River
The Chickahominy is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of Virginia. The river, which serves as the eastern bo ...
. The manor house built in the mid-18th century was a long
gambrel
A gambrel or gambrel roof is a usually symmetrical two-sided roof with two slopes on each side. (The usual architectural term in eighteenth-century England and North America was "Dutch roof".) The upper slope is positioned at a shallow angle, w ...
-roofed wood-frame structure. The house at Tomahund resembled neighboring Tedington, and like Tedington it also had a two-level portico added. Although the 18th-century manor house no longer stands, Tomahund is a working plantation in the 21st century.
*
Tedington Tedington was built ca. 1750 by
William Lightfoot
William Parker Lightfoot (born January 3, 1950) is an attorney and politician in Washington, D.C.
Early years and education
Originally from Philadelphia, Lightfoot graduated from Howard University.Knight, Althelia. "D.C. Lawyer Lightfoot To S ...
on a tract of land at Sandy Point that had been acquired by his grandfather
Phillip Lightfoot who arrived in the Virginia Colony in the late 17th century and became a wealthy merchant in Yorktown. The house was a long wood-frame structure with a gambrel roof and a two-level portico that was added at a later date. The house was destroyed by fire in 1928.
*
Rowe Plantation was situated on Sandy Point along the James River. The 3 part house of architectural significance no longer exists. Owned early in its history by the Minge family. Other owners have been Lightfoot, Bolling and Harrison families.
*
Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest is a royal forest in Nottinghamshire, England, famous because of its historic association with the legend of Robin Hood.
The area has been wooded since the end of the Last Glacial Period (as attested by pollen sampling cores ...
is the home of President
John Tyler
John Tyler (March 29, 1790 – January 18, 1862) was the tenth president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president dire ...
, the first Vice President to ascend to the presidency. Tyler was twice Governor of Virginia, a
U.S. Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
, a member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
, a Virginia state senator and member of the
Virginia House of Delegates
The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...
. A graduate of the
College of William & Mary
The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...
, he later became Chancellor of that institution. As a supporter of state's rights, he re-entered public service in 1861 as an elected member of the
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
Congress. He died in 1862. The house and its 1600 acres (6.5 km
2) have been continuously owned by his direct descendants. In the mid-1970s, the residence was restored by President Tyler's grandson,
Harrison Ruffin Tyler, and his wife, the current owners.
:The House, circa 1730, is
Virginia Tidewater in architectural design, and is the longest frame dwelling in America. It was expanded to its present length, 300 feet (90 m), by President Tyler in 1845, when he added the 68-foot (21 m) ballroom designed for dancing the
Virginia reel. Sherwood Forest is a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
, Virginia Historic Landmark, and listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. Sherwood Forest is open to the public seven days a week, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
*
Kittiewan, originally known as Millford, overlooking Kittiewan Creek and the James River, is a typical Colonial-period medium-size wood-frame
plantation house
A plantation house is the main house of a plantation, often a substantial farmhouse, which often serves as a symbol for the plantation as a whole. Plantation houses in the Southern United States and in other areas are known as quite grand and e ...
characteristic of the Virginia Tidewater. Built in the 18th century, its first known owner was Dr.
William Rickman
Dr. William Rickman (17311783) was a prominent figure in the American Revolution, known best as the first Director of Hospitals of the Continental Army in Virginia during the war.
History
His origin and family life has been the issue of conversat ...
. In 1776 Rickman was appointed by the
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...
to oversee the Virginia hospitals during the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
. During the early 20th century, the magnificent paneled interior was identified as a potential acquisition for the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
s' American Wing, although the owners did not entertain the thought of removing this significant feature of the house. Stewardship of the house and surrounding is administered by the
Archeological Society of Virginia. The house and grounds are open to the public by appointment.
*
North Bend Plantation
North Bend Plantation is an estate located on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia. It is located along State Route 5, a scenic byway which runs between the independent cities of Richmond and Williamsburg.
His ...
was built in 1819 by John Minge. In 1853 the home was doubled in size by Thomas Willcox. Architectural detailing from the expansion included Greek Revival detailing reminiscent of the designs of builder/architect
Asher Benjamin
Asher Benjamin (June 15, 1773July 26, 1845) was an American architect and author whose work transitioned between Federal architecture and the later Greek Revival architecture. His seven handbooks on design deeply influenced the look of cities an ...
. In 1864, during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, North Bend served as the headquarters of
Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
Phillip Sheridan
General of the Army Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close as ...
as 30,000 Union troops prepared to cross the James River on a
pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge (or ponton bridge), also known as a floating bridge, uses float (nautical), floats or shallow-draft (hull), draft boats to support a continuous deck for pedestrian and vehicle travel. The buoyancy of the supports limits the maxi ...
. The home has been in Copland family since 1916. It is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. The grounds are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily and guided tours of the house are available daily by appointment.
*
Weyanoke
*
Upper Weyanoke The plantation site was settled by English colonists during the 17th century and has been continuously occupied ever since, as indicated by archeological investigations. During the 18th century and early 19th century, the locally prominent Minge family owned the property, as well as others on the Weyanoke peninsula, such as
North Bend. The one-and-a-half-story, early 19th-century brick cottage was probably built by John Minge as a two-room dependency to a now vanished main dwelling. The grounds of Upper Weyanoke also include a
Greek Revival
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...
style residence built for
Robert Douthat in 1859. The commodious two-story brick home has a side-hall plan typically utilized in urban homes, rather than rural plantation houses.
*
Belle Air Plantation is a unique surviving example of a wooden house with post-medieval-type exposed interior framing, and is probably the oldest plantation dwelling along
State Route 5. The original five-bay portion of Belle Air possesses architectural details characteristic of seventeenth-century construction, with a floor plan and façade fenestration characteristic of 18th-century design. It is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. The house is open for guided tours during Historic Garden Week and by appointment.
*
Piney Grove at Southall's Plantation
Piney Grove at Southall's Plantation is a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Holdcroft, Charles City County, Virginia. The scale and character of the collection of domestic architecture at this site recalls the vern ...
was established in the eighteenth century as a seat of the Southall family. During the late eighteenth century, the plantation was owned by Furneau Southall. The original log portion of Piney Grove was built before 1790 as a corn crib, later converted and enlarged into a general merchandise store, and in 1905 enlarged and transformed into a residence. The home survives as a rare and well-preserved example of Early Virginia Log Architecture. It is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. The grounds are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily and guided tours of the house are available daily by appointment.
*
Greenway Plantation
Greenway Plantation is a wood-frame, -story plantation house in Charles City County, Virginia. Historic Route 5 and the Virginia Capital Trail bikeway, both of which connect Williamsburg and Richmond pass to slightly south of this private home ...
is a wood-frame, one-and-a-half-story
plantation house
A plantation house is the main house of a plantation, often a substantial farmhouse, which often serves as a symbol for the plantation as a whole. Plantation houses in the Southern United States and in other areas are known as quite grand and e ...
that stands just north of Route 5 in Charles City County, Virginia. Located just west of the Charles City Courthouse, it is one of Charles City's earliest and most distinctive Colonial plantations and is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. Greenway was built circa 1776 by
Judge John Tyler, Sr.
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...
, the father of president
John Tyler
John Tyler (March 29, 1790 – January 18, 1862) was the tenth president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president dire ...
. Future President Tyler was born here in 1790. When Judge Tyler died in 1813, John Tyler at the age of 23 inherited Greenway and lived there until age 39 (1829), when he sold the plantation and moved to nearby
Sherwood Forest Plantation
Sherwood Forest Plantation Foundation is located on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia. The main plantation house, built in 1730, was the home of President John Tyler (1790–1862) for the last twenty years of hi ...
. The plantation is privately owned and maintained. The structures have remained well-preserved over the years with little alteration.
*
Burlington Plantation
*
River Edge
River Edge is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the borough’s population was 12,049, reflecting a 6.3% increase from the 11,340 enumerated at the 2010 U.S. Census, Once known as Clover Fields, River Edge, as it has been known for the last hundred years or more, stands just west of
State Route 5 South, in Charles City County. The property was a grant of ten thousand acres from the crown to
Colonel William Cole, Esquire. The grant originally included all of the land along the James River from Gunn's Run to Herring Creek. Due to the destruction of early county records when the
Charles City County Courthouse
The Charles City County Courthouse is a historic county courthouse located at Charles City, Charles City County, Virginia. It was built about 1730, and is a one-story, "T"-shaped, brick structure. It has an apparently original modillion cornice ...
was burned by the Union Army during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, there is no record of the builder or date of construction for the present house. The deed of 1813 shows that there were four previous owners, and that in 1714
William Cole II, a member of the
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the elected representative element of the Virginia General Assembly, the legislative body of the Colony of Virginia. With the creation of the House of Burgesses in 1642, the General Assembly, which had been established ...
, gave his bond, with
John Stith
John Stith (floruit, fl. 1631–1694) was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and the progenitor of the Stith family of Virginia, Stith family, one of the First Families of Virginia, first families of Virginia.
Early life
John Stith was ...
as security, to construct warehouses on this land, then known as Swine Yards. Thus it is presumed that the house was built in the early 18th century. The house originally stood closer to the river but was moved to its present location at a later date. In 1769 William Cole IV sold four thousand of his ten thousand acres to
William Byrd III
Colonel William Byrd III (September 6, 1728January 1 or January 2, 1777) was an American planter, politician and military officer who was a member of the House of Burgesses.
Early life
He was son of William Byrd II and Maria Taylor Byrd, and t ...
of Westover. The nearby river landing known as Wilcox's Wharf, is the location from which a part of General Grant's army ferried across the James to Windmill Point at
Flowerdew Hundred
Flowerdew Hundred Plantation dates to 1618/19 with the patent by Sir George Yeardley, the Governor and Captain General of Virginia, of on the south side of the James River. Yeardley probably named the plantation after his wife's wealthy father, ...
en route to lay siege to
Petersburg in 1864.
*
Evelynton was originally part of
William Byrd
William Byrd (; 4 July 1623) was an English composer of late Renaissance music. Considered among the greatest composers of the Renaissance, he had a profound influence on composers both from his native England and those on the continent. He ...
's expansive Westover Plantation. Named for Byrd's daughter, Evelyn, this site has been home to the Ruffin family since 1847. The 2,500 acre (10 km
2) farm is still family owned and operated. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house, lush grounds and gardens are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.
*
Westover was built circa 1750 by
William Byrd III
Colonel William Byrd III (September 6, 1728January 1 or January 2, 1777) was an American planter, politician and military officer who was a member of the House of Burgesses.
Early life
He was son of William Byrd II and Maria Taylor Byrd, and t ...
, the son of William Byrd II, the founder of Richmond. It is noteworthy for its secret passages, magnificent gardens, and architectural details. The grounds and garden are open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, but the house is not open to the public.
*
Berkeley Plantation
Berkeley Plantation, one of the first plantations in America, comprises about on the banks of the James River on State Route 5 in Charles City County, Virginia. Berkeley Plantation was originally called Berkeley Hundred, named after the Berkele ...
was long the seat of the
Harrison family
The Harrison family of Virginia is an American family with a history in politics, public service, and religious ministry, beginning in the Colony of Virginia during the 1600’s. Their descendants include a Founding Father of the United States, ...
, one of the
First Families of Virginia
First Families of Virginia (FFV) were those families in Colonial Virginia who were socially prominent and wealthy, but not necessarily the earliest settlers. They descended from English colonists who primarily settled at Jamestown, Williamsburg ...
. It was the birthplace of
Benjamin Harrison V
Benjamin Harrison V (April 5, 1726April 24, 1791) was an American planter, merchant, and politician who served as a legislator in colonial Virginia, following his namesakes’ tradition of public service. He was a signer of the Continental Ass ...
, son of the builder, who was a signer of the
Declaration of Independence
A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...
and three-time
Governor of Virginia
The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022.
Oath of office
On inauguration day, the Governor-elect takes th ...
. His third son
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...
, was born at Berkeley. A famous Indian fighter known as "Tippecanoe", William Henry Harrison later became the ninth President of the United States, in 1841, although he died shortly after taking office. His grandson,
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 23rd president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia–a grandson of the ninth pr ...
, was the 23rd President. On December 4, 1619, early settlers from England came ashore at Berkeley and observed the first official
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...
in America. It was also the site of the first playing of ''
Taps'' at the conclusion of the
Peninsula Campaign of 1862 during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. It is normally open for tours 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.
*
Edgewood and Harrison's Mill Edgewood may refer to:
Places Canada
*Edgewood, British Columbia
South Africa
*Edgewood, a University of KwaZulu-Natal campus in Pinetown, South Africa
United States Cities and towns
*Edgewood, California
*Edgewood, Florida
* Edgewood, Illinois, ...
is a unique surviving example of Gothic Revival architecture along
State Route 5 and the James River. Edgewood was once part of Berkeley Plantation and the mill was constructed by Benjamin Harrison V. It is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. The grounds are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily and guided tours of the house are available daily by appointment.
*Westbury
*
Shirley Plantation
Shirley Plantation is an estate located on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia, USA. It is located on scenic byway State Route 5, between Richmond and Williamsburg. It is the oldest active plantation in Virgi ...
, settled in 1613, is the oldest plantation in Virginia and the oldest family-owned business in North America, dating back to 1638. Occupied by the Hill family and their descendants since 1738, Shirley was the birthplace of
Anne Hill Carter Lee
Anne Hill Carter Lee (March 26, 1773 – June 26, 1829) was the First Lady of Virginia from 1791 to 1794 as the wife of the ninth governor, Henry Lee III. She was the mother of the general-in-chief of the Confederate States of America, Robert E. ...
, the mother of Confederate General
Robert E. Lee. In 1793, she married
Light Horse Harry Lee
Henry Lee III (January 29, 1756 – March 25, 1818) was an early American Patriot and U.S. politician who served as the ninth Governor of Virginia and as the Virginia Representative to the United States Congress. Lee's service during the Amer ...
in the mansion's parlor. Shirley Plantation has been designated a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
. It is normally open for tours 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
*
Upper Shirley The gracious late 19th-century dwelling at Upper Shirley with its beautiful site overlooking the
James River
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...
has been the seat of several leading families of the Commonwealth. Built by
Hill Carter for his son
William Fitzhugh Carter
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language
English is a West German ...
during
Reconstruction
Reconstruction may refer to:
Politics, history, and sociology
*Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company
*'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...
, a period in which few Virginians could afford to erect substantial residences, the original portion of the dwelling was constructed using bricks salvaged from a large 18th-century building that once formed part of the architectural complex at nearby
Shirley Plantation
Shirley Plantation is an estate located on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia, USA. It is located on scenic byway State Route 5, between Richmond and Williamsburg. It is the oldest active plantation in Virgi ...
, the seat of the James River branch of the
Carter family
Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. ...
. The estate is privately owned and is not open to the public.
*
Turkey Island
*
Malvern Hill
Malvern Hill stands on the north bank of the James River in Henrico County, Virginia, USA, about eighteen miles southeast of Richmond. On 1 July 1862, it was the scene of the Battle of Malvern Hill, one of the Seven Days Battles of the American ...
*
Curles Neck
Curles Neck Plantation (also known as Curles Neck Farm) is located between State Route 5 (Virginia), State Route 5 and the north bank of the James River in the Varina, Virginia, Varina district of Henrico County, Virginia. One of the great James ...
, was founded in the Varina district of
Henrico on 750 acres granted to
Ancient Planter "Ancient planter" was a term applied to early colonists who migrated to the Colony of Virginia in what is now the United States, when the colony was managed by the Virginia Company of London. They received land grants if they stayed in the colony fo ...
Thomas Harris
William Thomas Harris III (born 1940/1941) is an American writer, best known for a series of suspense novels about his most famous character, Hannibal Lecter. The majority of his works have been adapted into films and television, the most notab ...
, family seat of the
Harris
Harris may refer to:
Places Canada
* Harris, Ontario
* Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine)
* Harris, Saskatchewan
* Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan
Scotland
* Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle of ...
branch of the
First Families of Virginia
First Families of Virginia (FFV) were those families in Colonial Virginia who were socially prominent and wealthy, but not necessarily the earliest settlers. They descended from English colonists who primarily settled at Jamestown, Williamsburg ...
, at the request of
Sir Thomas Dale
Sir Thomas Dale ( 1570 − 19 August 1619) was an English naval commander and deputy-governor of the Virginia Colony in 1611 and from 1614 to 1616. Governor Dale is best remembered for the energy and the extreme rigour of his administration in ...
for Harris's service in the early years of the colony. The original house built by Harris in 1633 is one of the oldest in Virginia; and the subject of an ongoing archaeology study. The plantation grew to over 5000 acres in size.
*
Varina Farms
Varina Farms, also known as Varina Plantation or Varina Farms Plantation or Varina on the James, is a plantation established in the 17th century on the James River about south of Richmond, Virginia. An property was listed on the National Regis ...
*
Wilton - Built circa 1753 for
William Randolph III, Wilton was once the centerpiece of a tobacco plantation in Henrico, and home to the
Randolph family for more than a century. They entertained
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
,
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
, and the
Marquis de Lafayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revoluti ...
. Due to the industrialization of the surrounding area, in 1933 Virginia Society of
The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America
The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America is an American organization composed of women who are descended from an ancestor "who came to reside in an American Colony before 1776, and whose services were rendered during the Colonial Pe ...
purchased Wilton and moved it to its current site on a bluff overlooking the James in Richmond, a few miles west of its original location.
*
Chatsworth - Chatsworth Plantation was part of the extensive Randolph family property acquired by
William Randolph I
William Randolph I (bapt. 7 November 1650 – 11 April 1711) was a planter, merchant and politician in colonial Virginia who played an important role in the development of the colony. Born in Moreton Morrell, Warwickshire, Randolph moved to th ...
(1650–1711). A home was built there in 1751 by Peter Randolph (1717–1767).
*
Tree Hill-Begun in the late-eighteenth century just east of Richmond as a frame two-story, sidehall-plan farmhouse, Tree Hill grew with the Selden and Roane family fortunes until by the mid-nineteenth century the original house had evolved into a double-pile, center-hall plan Creek Revival plantation seat. As it stands today, the house is an impressive two-story
plantation house
A plantation house is the main house of a plantation, often a substantial farmhouse, which often serves as a symbol for the plantation as a whole. Plantation houses in the Southern United States and in other areas are known as quite grand and e ...
with early one-story wings and a modern two-story tetrastyle portico. The house commands a magnificent view of the James River bottom lands and the Richmond city skyline.
Plantations south side of James River
Most of the extant plantations south of the James River are accessed by
State Route 10
Route 10, or Highway 10, can refer to routes in the following countries:
International
* European route E10
* European route E010
Argentina
* La Pampa Provincial Route 10
Australia Queensland
* Smith Street Motorway (Queensland)
* Scenic H ...
, which runs between
Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
and
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
via
Smithfield,
Surry, and
Hopewell.
The south side plantations, from east to west, include:
*
Bacon's Castle
Bacon's Castle, also variously known as "Allen's Brick House" or the "Arthur Allen House" is located in Surry County, Virginia, United States, and is the oldest documented brick dwelling in what is now the United States. Built in 1665, it is no ...
also variously known as "Allen's Brick House" or the "Arthur Allen House" is located in Surry County, Virginia, USA, and is Virginia's oldest documented brick dwelling.
Built in 1665, it is noted as an extremely rare example of
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James VI and I, with whose reign (1603–1625 in England) it is associated. At the start of James' reign there ...
in the New World. The house became known as "Bacon's Castle" because it was occupied as a fort or "castle" by the followers of
Nathaniel Bacon during
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion was an armed rebellion held by Colony of Virginia, Virginia settlers that took place from 1676 to 1677. It was led by Nathaniel Bacon (Virginia colonist), Nathaniel Bacon against List of colonial governors of Virginia, Colon ...
in 1676. However, contrary to popular folklore, Bacon never lived at Bacon's Castle, nor is he even known to have ever visited it. Today Bacon's Castle is an historic house museum and historic site open for guest visitation. Bacon's Castle is an official
Preservation Virginia
Founded in 1889, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities was the United States' first statewide historic preservation group. In 2003 the organization adopted the new name APVA Preservation Virginia to reflect a broader focus o ...
historic site and operates under its 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit status.
*
Chippokes Chippokes Plantation was established in 1617 by Captain William Powell of the Jamestown Settlement in the Virginia Colony. In 1967, the 1,700-acre (6.9 km2) plantation was donated to the
Commonwealth of Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United Stat ...
by Mrs. Victor Stewart for use as
Chippokes State Park
Chippokes State Park (previously known as Chippokes Plantation State Park) is located at 695 Chippokes Park Road, Surry, Virginia. It is in a rural, agricultural area off the James River and Route 10 in Surry County, and is protected under the ...
. One of the oldest working farms in the nation, Chippokes has kept its boundaries since the 17th century. The structures and artifacts on the property reflect plantation life from the early 17th century to the present. The
antebellum
Antebellum, Latin for "before war", may refer to:
United States history
* Antebellum South, the pre-American Civil War period in the Southern United States
** Antebellum Georgia
** Antebellum South Carolina
** Antebellum Virginia
* Antebellum ...
Chippokes Mansion and the Chippokes Farm & Forestry Museum both offer scenic tours of the estate, cultivated formal gardens and woodlands.
*
Rich Neck Farm Constructed in the early nineteenth century, the house was remarkable for the number of original accessory features that survived into the 21st century. Placed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
, May 19, 1980, Rich Neck provided a vivid impression of life on a prosperous Southside plantation in the early nineteenth century. Long connected with the Ruffins, one of the prominent families of
Southside Virginia
Southside, or Southside Virginia, has traditionally referred to the portion of the state south of the James River, the geographic feature from which the term derives its name. This was the first area to be developed in the colonial period.
Duri ...
, Rich Neck possessed a collection of buildings which were among the best preserved and most noteworthy of their type in the region. Situated behind the house were a nineteenth-century smokehouse, an early and mid-nineteenth-century office; and an outhouse, well house and chicken house, all built in the twentieth century. Original sashes, most of the doors, hinges (many with their leather washers), locks, and other hardware remained. The Ruffin family figured in Virginia's social and intellectual history throughout the colonial and early national periods. Its most notable member was
Edmund Ruffin
Edmund Ruffin III (January 5, 1794 – June 18, 1865) was a wealthy Virginia planter who served in the Virginia Senate from 1823 to 1827. In the last three decades before the American Civil War, his pro-slavery writings received more attention th ...
, an ardent
secessionist
Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics lea ...
and agricultural pioneer. Research indicates Rich Neck was owned by the Ruffin family until 1865. The house long stood vacant and in a state of disrepair. In 2011
Preservation Virginia
Founded in 1889, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities was the United States' first statewide historic preservation group. In 2003 the organization adopted the new name APVA Preservation Virginia to reflect a broader focus o ...
listed Rich Neck Farm as one of the most endangered historic sites in Virginia. The house was destroyed by fire in 2012.
*
Pleasant Point Patented to William Edwards in 1657, Pleasant Point is the ancestral home of the Edwards family in Virginia. The 19th-century home was built between 1724 and 1765 and renovated in the 1830s and 1950s. A Confederate signal station existed on the property during the Civil War; i
May, 1864, U.S. troops raided the propertybefore continuing upriver toward Richmond, according to
James Hoge Tyler
James Hoge Tyler (August 11, 1846 – January 3, 1925) was a Confederate soldier, writer and political figure. He served in the Virginia Senate and became the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia (1890 to 1894) and the 43rd Governor of Virgini ...
, a Confederate soldier assigned to the unit who later served as governor of Virginia (1898–1902).
*
Smith's Fort The plantation received its name because it was the location of Captain John Smith's "New Fort," built in 1609, located directly across the James River from the Jamestown colony. The fort was quickly abandoned due to dry rot and a rat infestation.
The same land was later given by Chief Powhatan to John Rolfe as a dowry for the hand of Pocahontas when Rolfe and Pocahontas married. Archaeological surveys of the property have revealed that a number of structures have existed on the property and the present, restored main house was built by Jacob Faulcon in 1751.
*
Swann's Point
*
Four Mile Tree A plantation near Jamestown, Virginia that once encompassed two thousand acres (8 km
2), it was situated on the south bank of the James River opposite Jamestown, four miles (6 km) further north. On a hill near the water's edge a handsome old house overlooks the river. This plantation, was the seat of the Browne family for two hundred years. The first owner, Colonel Henry Browne, was a member of
Sir William Berkeley's Council in 1643. The manor house constructed circa 1745 remains well-preserved in its original historical state.
*
Pipsico (now
Pipsico Scout Reservation)
*
Eastover plantation has been owned and operated by the Peninsula Baptist Association as a retreat center since 1972. The 19th-century manor house overlooking the James River has been renovated to accommodate the modern desires of guests. It can be reserved for special events such as weddings, bridal and baby showers, afternoon teas and Bed and Breakfast lodging all based on availability.
*
Wakefield Plantation
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population, ...
is the original home of the prominent
Harrison family
The Harrison family of Virginia is an American family with a history in politics, public service, and religious ministry, beginning in the Colony of Virginia during the 1600’s. Their descendants include a Founding Father of the United States, ...
as it appears to have been the property of the first Benjamin Harrison as early as 1643. Portions of Wakefield remained in the Harrison Family until circa 1800. The present mansion at Wakefield was built in the 1940s.
*
Claremont Manor Claremont may refer to:
Places Australia
*Claremont, Ipswich, a heritage-listed house in Queensland
* Claremont, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart
* Claremont, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth
** Claremont Football Club, West Australian Footba ...
Claremont Manor is located in Surry County, Virginia, on the south shore of James River at its confluence with
Upper Chippokes Creek. It was in the area occupied by the
Quiyoughcohannock Indians when George Harrison received a grant of 200 acres there is 1621.
Arthur Allen purchased the land in 1656, and in 1754, William Allen built the manor house, naming it Claremont Manor in 1793. The name Claremont was generally thought to be in honor of the Royal Residence "Claremont" in the
Shire
Shire is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand. It is generally synonymous with county. It was first used in Wessex from the beginn ...
of
Surrey, England
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area ...
, birthplace of
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
. The plantation remained in the Allen family for over two centuries. The house survives with many alterations.
*
Brandon Plantation is located on the south shore of the
James River
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...
in
Prince George County, Virginia
Prince George County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,010. Its county seat is Prince George.
Prince George County is located within the Greater Richmond Region of the U.S. st ...
. The plantation is a working farm and is one of the longest-running agricultural enterprises in the United States. It has an unusual brick mansion in the style of
Palladio
Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of th ...
's "Roman Country House" completed in the 1760s, and was perhaps designed by
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
. It was established in 1616 by
Captain John Martin
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
, one of the original leaders of the
Virginia Colony
The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colonial empire, English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey GilbertG ...
at
Jamestown in 1607. The plantation was owned by the
Harrison family
The Harrison family of Virginia is an American family with a history in politics, public service, and religious ministry, beginning in the Colony of Virginia during the 1600’s. Their descendants include a Founding Father of the United States, ...
from 1700 to 1926 when the estate was purchased and restored by
Robert Williams Daniel
Robert Williams Daniel (September 11, 1884 – December 20, 1940) was an American banker who survived the sinking of the RMS ''Titanic'' in 1912, and later became a gentleman farmer and served in the Virginia Senate.
Early and family life ...
. Brandon is a National Historical Landmark and although it is a private residence, the house and gardens are open for tours.
*
Upper Brandon Plantation
Upper Brandon Plantation is an historic plantation in Prince George County, Virginia on the James River.
History
Upper Brandon plantation was part of a 1616 original land patent of 5,000 acres granted to Captain John Martin, one of the founders ...
- This was part of an original land patent known as Brandon, granted to
Captain John Martin
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
, one of the founders of Jamestown. William Byrd Harrison inherited the upper of Brandon, which became Upper Brandon. He built a large brick manor house in 1825 and developed the farm into a model of modern agricultural management. It remained in the
Harrison family
The Harrison family of Virginia is an American family with a history in politics, public service, and religious ministry, beginning in the Colony of Virginia during the 1600’s. Their descendants include a Founding Father of the United States, ...
until 1948. In 1985, a Richmond-based corporation purchased the property, and restored and furnished the long-vacant manor house for use as a corporate retreat. Upper Brandon is a privately owned working farm.
*Edloe - This important five-bay wood-frame
plantation house
A plantation house is the main house of a plantation, often a substantial farmhouse, which often serves as a symbol for the plantation as a whole. Plantation houses in the Southern United States and in other areas are known as quite grand and e ...
overlooks the James River just west of Upper Brandon. Matthew Edloe I arrived in Virginia in 1618 aboard the ''Neptune'',
Lord Delaware
Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr ( ; 9 July 1577 – 7 June 1618), was an English merchant and politician, for whom the bay, the river, and, consequently, a Native American people and U.S. state, all later called "Delaware", were named. He was ...
's ship, and 1637 his son and heir Matthew Edloe II patented 1,200 acres in
Charles City County, Virginia
Charles City County is a county located in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated southeast of Richmond and west of Jamestown. It is bounded on the south by the James River and on the east by the Chickahominy River.
The ...
. Prince George County was formed from the portion of Charles City located south of the James River in 1703. The date of construction of the house at Edloe is unknown because the property records of Prince George County were destroyed during the American Civil War. The five-bay clapboard house was insured by John Edloe in 1805 and 1810, and old beams uncovered during 20th-century renovations to the house indicate that it almost certainly dates to the 18th century. The book ''Sketches of Slave Life: Or, Illustrations of the "Peculiar Institution"'' by Peter Randolph published in 1855 describes Randolph's live as a slave on Edloe Plantation prior to the Civil War. Edloe is a privately owned working farm in the 21st century.
*Dunmore-
*Willow Hill - This 700-acre plantation overlooking the James River at the mouth of Wards Creek, was an original grant to Col. John Ward in the 17th century. The original house burned in the 1840s and was rebuilt on the same foundation. The brick facade was added in the 1940s by Mrs. Cocke.
*Bonnacord - Captain David Peebles of Fife County,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, a Royalist, escaped to Virginia circa 1649 during the
Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
Rebellion, leaving his wife and their young children in Fife. In 1650 he patented 833 acres on the south bank of the
James River
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...
in Charles City County (later Prince George) Southeast of Old River Road (now Rte 10) and Powell's Creek. David Peebles called his plantation ‘Bon Accord,’ and died there prior to 1 September 1659. Through marriage and inheritance the Bon Accord estate passed through the Poythress family to the Cocke Family.
*
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
is a historic
plantation house
A plantation house is the main house of a plantation, often a substantial farmhouse, which often serves as a symbol for the plantation as a whole. Plantation houses in the Southern United States and in other areas are known as quite grand and e ...
located several miles north of Disputanta, in Prince George County, Virginia. It was built about 1810, and is a two-story, temple form brick dwelling. Unlike most of the James River Plantations Aberdeen was built back from the River along the old river road (now Rte 10). It features a pedimented gable roof and a diminutive entrance portico supported by
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders of ancient Greek and later Roman architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian. The Doric is most easily recognized by the simple circular capitals at the top of col ...
columns. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
*
Flowerdew Hundred
Flowerdew Hundred Plantation dates to 1618/19 with the patent by Sir George Yeardley, the Governor and Captain General of Virginia, of on the south side of the James River. Yeardley probably named the plantation after his wife's wealthy father, ...
dates to 1618–19 with the patent of on the south side of the James River in Virginia. Sir George Yeardley, the Governor and Captain General of the Virginia Colony, may have named the property after his wife,
Temperance Flowerdew
Temperance Flowerdew, Lady Yeardley (1590 – 1628)Dorman, John Frederick, ''Adventurers of Purse and Person'', 4th ed., v.3, pp861-872 Through her paternal grandmother she was the grand-niece of Amy Robsart. Her paternal grandparents were William ...
. Their primary residence was in Jamestown when Sir George called the first General Assembly in Jamestown in 1620. With a population of about 30, the plantation was economically successful with thousands of pounds of tobacco produced along with corn, fish and livestock. Sir George paid 120 pounds (possibly a hogshead of tobacco) to build the first windmill in British America. The plantation was purchased in the 1960s by David A. Harrison, III, a member of the prominent
Harrison family
The Harrison family of Virginia is an American family with a history in politics, public service, and religious ministry, beginning in the Colony of Virginia during the 1600’s. Their descendants include a Founding Father of the United States, ...
. He permitted extensive archaeological digs to be conducted on the property. The artifacts collected during these digs were donated to the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...
. Today, Flowerdew Hundred plantation is a private residence.
*
Hatches
*
Maycox (now incorporated into the
James River National Wildlife Refuge
The James River National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located along the James River in eastern Prince George County, Virginia. Its management is overseen by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
One of four refuges that co ...
)
*Greenway is located on the south side of Rt 10 east of
Hopewell. The residence was built ca. 1800 and is among the oldest houses still standing in
Prince George County
Prince George County is a county (United States), county located in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 43,010. Its county seat is Prince George, Virginia ...
. The house, built over an English basement, is a typical wood frame, hall and parlor, farm house with gabled dormers and large end chimneys. Many of the windows have the original blown glass. Greenway is a private residence and is currently operated as an
American Saddlebred horse farm.
*
Beechwood Plantation (home of
Edmund Ruffin
Edmund Ruffin III (January 5, 1794 – June 18, 1865) was a wealthy Virginia planter who served in the Virginia Senate from 1823 to 1827. In the last three decades before the American Civil War, his pro-slavery writings received more attention th ...
and site of the
Beefsteak Raid) Built in the 1850s by Edmund Ruffin for his son
Edmund Ruffin, Jr., the house is a large, two-story, wood frame, mansion built in the
Greek Revival
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...
style, sided with plain weatherboards set on a full raised brick basement with, interior chimneys, floor to ceiling windows and a low, hipped tin roof. Long vacant and open to the elements, Beechwood stands in a state of ruin as of 2011.
*
Tar Bay One of only a few brick homes built on the south bank of the James during the colonial period, the Tar Bay mansion was a high style Georgian
plantation house
A plantation house is the main house of a plantation, often a substantial farmhouse, which often serves as a symbol for the plantation as a whole. Plantation houses in the Southern United States and in other areas are known as quite grand and e ...
built in 1746 by Daniel Colley on a bluff overlooking a broad reach of the James just west of
Coggins Point known as Tar Bay. The house was a two-story five-bay, hip-roofed brick structure over a full English basement. Its brickwork was laid in
Flemish bond
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and Mortar (masonry), mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called ''Course (architecture), courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall.
Bricks ...
with gauged brick
jack arches
A jack arch is a structural element in masonry construction that provides support at openings in the masonry. Alternate names are "flat arch" and "straight arch".
Unlike regular arches, jack arches are not semicircular in form. Instead, they are ...
. It was somewhat unusual due to an extension from the river front that gave the house a T-shaped floor plan. The chimneys had exterior fireplace openings, that were bricked up at the time of construction. These were apparently for future additions to either side of the house that were planned, but never built. The plantation remained in the Colley family through the early 19th century when the estate passed by marriage and inheritance through the Cocke family to descendants of
Edmund Ruffin
Edmund Ruffin III (January 5, 1794 – June 18, 1865) was a wealthy Virginia planter who served in the Virginia Senate from 1823 to 1827. In the last three decades before the American Civil War, his pro-slavery writings received more attention th ...
. The mansion was being used as a summer home by the Ruffin family when it was gutted by fire in the mid-1960s. Its ruins still stand (2013) nearly forgotten in the woods above the James.
*
Bouvier Castle
Bouvier may refer to:
People
Bouvier, a French surname, is the last name of several notable people:
* Augustus Jules Bouvier, English artist
* Charles Bouvier, Swiss bobsledder
* Edith Bouvier, aunt of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis; appeared in the ...
*
Jordan's Journey
*
Evergreen Plantation (birthplace of
Edmund Ruffin
Edmund Ruffin III (January 5, 1794 – June 18, 1865) was a wealthy Virginia planter who served in the Virginia Senate from 1823 to 1827. In the last three decades before the American Civil War, his pro-slavery writings received more attention th ...
)
*
Appomattox Plantation
Appomattox Manor is a former Plantation house in the Southern United States, plantation house in Hopewell, Virginia, United States. It is best known as the Union Army, Union headquarters during the Siege of Petersburg in 1864–65.
The restore ...
is a
plantation house
A plantation house is the main house of a plantation, often a substantial farmhouse, which often serves as a symbol for the plantation as a whole. Plantation houses in the Southern United States and in other areas are known as quite grand and e ...
located (at
City Point) in Hopewell, Virginia, USA. It is best known as the Union headquarters during the
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...
in 1864–65. The restored manor house on a bluff overlooking the confluence of the James River and Appomattox River, and the grounds are managed by the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
. The museum there, Grant's Headquarters at City Point Museum, is a unit of the
Petersburg National Battlefield
Petersburg National Battlefield is a National Park Service unit preserving sites related to the American Civil War Siege of Petersburg (1864–65). The Battlefield is centered on the city of Petersburg, Virginia, and also includes outlying compon ...
Park.
*
Weston Manor is a large five-bay, wood-frame,
plantation house
A plantation house is the main house of a plantation, often a substantial farmhouse, which often serves as a symbol for the plantation as a whole. Plantation houses in the Southern United States and in other areas are known as quite grand and e ...
built in 1789 for William and Christian Eppes Gilliam on land in Prince George County acquired from her cousin
John Wayles Eppes
John Wayles Eppes (April 1772September 13, 1823) was an American lawyer and politician. He represented Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1803 to 1811 and again from 1813 to 1815. He also served in the U.S. Senate (1817–1819). ...
as a wedding gift. The Gilliam family arrived in Virginia in the 17th century as indentured servants. By the late 18th century the family had amassed several plantations in the area. Christian was the daughter of Richard Eppes of
Appomattox Plantation
Appomattox Manor is a former Plantation house in the Southern United States, plantation house in Hopewell, Virginia, United States. It is best known as the Union Army, Union headquarters during the Siege of Petersburg in 1864–65.
The restore ...
. Her maternal grandfather was a descendant of
Pocahontas
Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, known as Matoaka, 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of ...
, as were many members of the
First Families of Virginia
First Families of Virginia (FFV) were those families in Colonial Virginia who were socially prominent and wealthy, but not necessarily the earliest settlers. They descended from English colonists who primarily settled at Jamestown, Williamsburg ...
. It is noted for its period interior, and is open for tours from April 1 through October 31 each year. Hours are Monday through Saturday 10am - 4:30pm, Sunday 1pm - 4:30pm.
*
Presquile Plantation Presquile Plantation was a plantation located in southeastern Chesterfield County, Virginia built in the mid 18th century probably by Richard Randolph II of Curles, a grandson of William Randolph the Immigrant. The site of the plantation was just ...
In 1780,
David Meade Randolph
Mary Randolph (August 9, 1762 – January 23, 1828) was a Southern American cook and author, known for writing '' The Virginia House-Wife; Or, Methodical Cook'' (1824), one of the most influential housekeeping and cook books of the 19th century. ...
married a cousin
Mary Randolph
Mary Randolph (August 9, 1762 – January 23, 1828) was a Southern American cook and author, known for writing ''The Virginia House-Wife; Or, Methodical Cook'' (1824), one of the most influential housekeeping and cook books of the 19th century. ...
and they settled in Chesterfield County near
Bermuda Hundred
Bermuda Hundred was the first administrative division in the English colony of Virginia. It was founded by Sir Thomas Dale in 1613, six years after Jamestown. At the southwestern edge of the confluence of the Appomattox and James Rivers oppos ...
at Presquile, a plantation just west of the
Appomattox River
The Appomattox River is a tributary of the James River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 in central and eastern Virginia in the United ...
that was part of the
Randolph family's extensive property along the James River. While David Randolph saw to the cultivation of his plantation, gaining a reputation as "the best farmer in the country," as well as a noted inventor, Mary assumed a conventional role, supervising the household, entertaining their many guests and acquiring a reputation as a lively hostess who set an exquisite table. While living at Presquile, Mary bore four sons. Over time, life at Presquile, situated along the swamp lands of the lower James River, proved difficult. According to a contemporary source, the swamps produced noxious fumes that brought on "frequent and dangerous diseases. Mr. Randolph is himself very sickly, and his young and amiable wife has not enjoyed one month of good health since she first came to live on this plantation." By 1798, the family had moved to Richmond, where they built a mansion, christened "Moldavia" (a combination of their two given names) by a friend. Presquile was sold out of the Randolph family three years later. Part of the plantation is now the
Presquile National Wildlife Refuge
Presquile National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. state of Virginia is one of four refuges that comprise the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The refuge is a island in the James River, located approximately south of Richm ...
*
Mont Blanco also known as Mount Blanco was a plantation set on a high bluff overlooking the
James River
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...
in
Chesterfield County, Virginia
Chesterfield County is located just south of Richmond, Virginia, Richmond in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. The county's borders are primarily defined by the James River to the north and the Appomattox River to the sout ...
. The manor house was a frame two-story, sidehall-plan farmhouse, with an
ell built in the last decade of the eighteenth century for
John Wayles Eppes
John Wayles Eppes (April 1772September 13, 1823) was an American lawyer and politician. He represented Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1803 to 1811 and again from 1813 to 1815. He also served in the U.S. Senate (1817–1819). ...
, a
United States representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
and
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
from
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
and son-in-law of
U.S. President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
. The name of the Plantation is said to have been suggested by Eppes's father-in-law Thomas Jefferson, due to the height of the bluff and the expansive views across the broad river valley below. (
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc (french: Mont Blanc ; it, Monte Bianco , both meaning "white mountain") is the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe, rising above sea level. It is the second-most prominent mountain in Europe, after Mount Elbrus, and i ...
, in the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
, is the highest mountain in
Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
.) During the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, the plantation was plundered by Union soldiers of the
Army of the James
The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River (Virginia), James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia.
Histor ...
under General
Benjamin Franklin Butler
Benjamin Franklin Butler (November 5, 1818 – January 11, 1893) was an American major general of the Union Army, politician, lawyer, and businessman from Massachusetts. Born in New Hampshire and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts, Butler is best ...
, who occupied the area during the
Bermuda Hundred Campaign. The house at Mount Blanco was destroyed by fire in the mid-1950s. In the first decade of the 21st century, the agricultural operation was discontinued, and the land sold for residential development. The name of the
subdivision
Subdivision may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Subdivision (metre), in music
* ''Subdivision'' (film), 2009
* "Subdivision", an episode of ''Prison Break'' (season 2)
* ''Subdivisions'' (EP), by Sinch, 2005
* "Subdivisions" (song), by Rus ...
, "Mount Blanco", is the only reminder of the historic plantation that once stood there.
*Meadowville, originally part of
Sir Thomas Dale
Sir Thomas Dale ( 1570 − 19 August 1619) was an English naval commander and deputy-governor of the Virginia Colony in 1611 and from 1614 to 1616. Governor Dale is best remembered for the energy and the extreme rigour of his administration in ...
's settlement in 1613. It was first called Rochdale Hundred and afterwards 'Neck of Land in Charles City', to distinguish it from 'Neck of Land in James City' and later became known as Jones Neck. By 1681 the land had been acquired by
William Byrd
William Byrd (; 4 July 1623) was an English composer of late Renaissance music. Considered among the greatest composers of the Renaissance, he had a profound influence on composers both from his native England and those on the continent. He ...
who sold 507 acres to Richard Kennon, who gave the property to his daughter Judith who married Thomas Eldridge. The Jones Neck property was later divided and the western portion became known as Rochedale and the eastern 207 acre parcel became known as Meadowville. In 1926 a canal known as the
Jones Neck cutoff was dug across property which shortened distance by water to Richmond by 4.5 miles. The portion that was separated became known as Meadowville Island. The property remained devoted to agriculture until the early 21st century when it was sold for the development of Meadowville Landing, a high end residential community.
*Rochedale Hundred, was originally part of Sir Thomas Dale's settlement in 1613. It was first called Rochdale Hundred and afterwards 'Neck of Land in Charles City', to distinguish it from 'Neck of Land in James City' and later became known as Jones Neck. By 1681 the land had been acquired by
William Byrd
William Byrd (; 4 July 1623) was an English composer of late Renaissance music. Considered among the greatest composers of the Renaissance, he had a profound influence on composers both from his native England and those on the continent. He ...
who sold 507 acres to Richard Kennon, who gave the property to his daughter Judith who married Thomas Eldridge. The Jones Neck property was later divided and the western portion became known as Rochedale and the eastern parcel became known as Meadowville. In the mid-20th century the western 300 acres known as Rochedale Farm was acquired by a
Southern States Cooperative executive and remained devoted to agriculture until the late 1980s when it was sold for the development of River's Bend on the James, a high end executive community. In 1990 the
Varina-Enon Bridge
Varina-Enon Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge which carries Interstate 295 across the James River near Dutch Gap between Henrico County near Richmond and Chesterfield County near Hopewell, Virginia. It was opened to traffic in July 1990.
The Vari ...
that carries
Interstate 295 (Virginia)
Interstate 295 (I-295) is a highway which runs eastwards and northwards bypass of the cities of Richmond and Petersburg in the U.S. state of Virginia. The southern terminus is an interchange with I-95 southeast of Petersburg. I-295 then has ...
across the James River opened just east of Rochedale.
*Kingsland (owned by
Christopher Branch
Christopher Branch (circa 1600-1681) was an early English settler in Colonial Virginia, Planter class, tobacco planter, and a member and justice of the House of Burgesses. He was a three times great-grandfather of United States President Thomas Je ...
at
Henricus
The "Citie of Henricus"—also known as Henricopolis, Henrico Town or Henrico—was a settlement in Virginia founded by Sir Thomas Dale in 1611 as an alternative to the swampy and dangerous area around the original English settlement at Jamestow ...
)
*Spring Hill Spring hill is a -story, double-pile, side-hall, wood-frame plantation house. The house is clad with beaded clapboards and rests upon a brick foundation laid in a Flemish Bond. It is covered with a gabled roof pierced by two dormers on each slope. It has a pair of brick chimneys on the west wall, opposite the interior passage. Dendrochronological analysis has shown that the original structure was built in the summer of 1767 or shortly thereafter.
The house stands in a state of ruin in the woods just west of the
Dutch Gap
Dutch Gap Canal is located on the James River in Chesterfield County, Virginia just north of the lost 17th-century town of Henricus. The canal's construction was initiated by Union forces during the American Civil War to bypass a meander loop of ...
power station.
*
Bellwood is a historic plantation house, that has also been known as Sheffield, Auburn Chase, and New Oxford. Bellwood was built on Sheffield, a plantation owned by the Seth Ward family since the mid 17th century. Judge Richard Ward, son of the original Seth Ward immigrant, acquired Sheffield in 1665 and five subsequent generations of first born sons named Seth were born and raised at Sheffield. In 1797 Seth Ward V sold the property to his aunt and uncle, Mary Ward and Richard Claiborne Gregory who built Bellwood about 1804, as the manor house on the large Sheffield plantation that is the site of the present-day
Defense Supply Center, Richmond Defense Supply Center, Richmond, or DSCR, serves as the Aviation Demand and Supply Chain manager for Defense Logistics Agency. It is located on the I-95 corridor in Chesterfield County, Virginia in the Southside area of the Greater Richmond Virgini ...
. When the U.S. Army purchased the property in 1941 from the estate of James Bellwood the manor house was turned into an officers' club. The structure, although renovated and adapted for use by the military, still retains much of its original architecture, including its original pine flooring, paneled doors, stairs, ornamental locks and doorknobs, and window frames. The Bellwood Club is on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
and is a registered historic landmark in both Virginia and Chesterfield County.
*
Ampthill (Chesterfield County, Virginia)
Ampthill Plantation was located in the Virginia Colony in Chesterfield County on the south bank of the James River about four miles south of the head of navigation at modern-day Richmond, Virginia. Built by Henry Cary, Jr. about 1730, it was ...
Ampthill Plantation was located on the south bank of the James River about four miles south of the head of navigation at modern-day Richmond, Virginia. Built by
Henry Cary, Jr. about 1730, it was just upstream of Falling Creek. It was later owned by Colonel
Archibald Cary, who maintained a flour mill complex and iron forge at the nearby town of Warwick.
Mary Randolph
Mary Randolph (August 9, 1762 – January 23, 1828) was a Southern American cook and author, known for writing ''The Virginia House-Wife; Or, Methodical Cook'' (1824), one of the most influential housekeeping and cook books of the 19th century. ...
was born there in 1762. In 1929 the manor house at Ampthill was dismantled and moved to a site on Cary Street Road in the West end of Richmond where it still stands today. The former plantation property is now occupied by a
DuPont
DuPont de Nemours, Inc., commonly shortened to DuPont, is an American multinational chemical company first formed in 1802 by French-American chemist and industrialist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours. The company played a major role in ...
plant.
References
External links
James River Plantations, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary
{{coord missing, Virginia
Archaeological sites in Virginia This is a listing of sites of archaeological interest in the state of Virginia, in the United States.
{{Commons cat, Archaeological sites in Virginia
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlant ...
James River (Virginia)