ALBEMARLE COUNTY AREA
CHARLOTTESVILLE
Sponsored by The Albemarle Garden Club, The Charlottesville Garden Club, and The Rivanna Garden Club.
Saturday, April 19, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MORVEN ESTATE GARDENS
Sunday, April 20, 1 to 6 p.m.
GREENWOOD COUNTRY HOMES AND GARDENS
Monday, April 21, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
GREENWOOD COUNTRY HOMES AND GARDENS
Tuesday, April 22, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA PAVILION HOMES AND GARDENS,
CARR’S HILL, ART MUSEUM, MOREA, AND HISTORIC GARDEN WEEK
ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION
Chairmen:
Judith H. Boyd (Mrs. Thomas M.)
321 Alderman Road
Charlottesville, VA 22901
Telephone: (434) 977-1639
Email: tjboyd@embarqmail.com
Tracey B. Wood (Mrs. David, III)
204 Devon Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Telephone: (434) 978-3653
Email: traceybwood@yahoo.com
ADVANCE RESERVATIONS FOR GROUP AND BUS TOURS:
Merrick Murray (Mrs. Stephen M.)
300 Panorama Road
Earlysville, VA 22936
Telephone: (434) 973-8547
Email: mtmurray@ntelos.net
IMPORTANT BUS TOUR INFORMATION:
ADVANCE RESERVATIONS REQUIRED BY APRIL 1 FOR
BUS AND LARGER VEHICLE TOURS. THERE WILL BE A REDUCTION IN
TICKET PRICE FOR BUS TOURS ONLY AS BUSES CANNOT BE ACCOMMODATED ON THE
NARROW ROAD TO PIEDMONT. THE SIZE OF BUSES AND LARGER VEHICLES IS LIMITED
TO 36 PASSENGERS OR FEWER.
ADVANCE INDIVIDUAL TICKET SALES: Advance individual tickets must
be purchased by April 1, 2008. Please make your
check payable to HGW- Albemarle.
Pryor Hale
1644 Oxford Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Telephone:(434)-961-5225
Email: phale@pvcc.edu
Advance tickets may be purchased until the day of the tour for an additional
charge via www.VAGardenweek.org.
RELATED INFORMATION:
The Charlottesville Garden Club Website address:
www.gardeninginvirginia.org
AREA INFORMATION CENTERS:
Monticello Visitors Center
Telephone: (434) 984-9822
and
Charlottesville/Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau
Telephone: (434) 977-1783
Toll Free: (877) 386-1102
Exit 121 I-64, Route 20 South
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Chamber of Commerce
Fifth and East Market Streets
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Telephone: (434) 295-3141
www.cvillechamber.com
Charlottesville/Albemarle Downtown Visitors Center
Transit Center on the Downtown Mall
610 East Main Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Telephone: (434) 293-6789
Toll Free: (877) 386-1103
Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society
200 Second Street NE
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Telephone: (434) 296-1492
PLEASE NOTE: As a courtesy to homeowners and for your own safety, please wear comfortable, flat walking shoes. Walking will be required, and there are some steep slopes. Strollers will not be allowed in homes. No smoking and no pets allowed in homes or gardens. For privacy reasons, interior use of cameras and videotape equipment, including camcorders, is prohibited. Tour areas are not wheelchair-accessible unless specifically noted.
MORVEN
National Register of Historic Places
Virginia Landmarks Register
Saturday, April 19, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: Adults, $10; children
under 12 accompanied by an adult, $5. No advance sales.
PLEASE NOTE: ONLY THE GARDENS WILL BE OPEN. IN CASE
OF RAIN AND/OR WET CONDITIONS, THE GARDENS WILL BE CLOSED. TO VERIFY
THE CONDITIONS AT MORVEN, PLEASE CALL CAROLINE McLEAN, (434) 295-9033. For
privacy reasons, use of videotape equipment, including camcorders, is prohibited. Reproduction
or publication in any form of photographs taken on the premises is not
allowed. Most areas are wheelchair-accessible.
DIRECTIONS: From I-64, take Exit 121
(Rt. 20 South/Scottsville) and follow the signs to Monticello. From
Monticello, continue east on Thomas Jefferson Parkway (Rt. 53), bear right
on James Monroe Parkway (Rt. 795) and continue past Ash Lawn-Highland for
2.4 mi. Entrance to Morven is on the right.
The three-story brick house was completed in 1820 and reflects late-Georgian
architecture with Roman Revival influence. Thomas Jefferson orchestrated
the deed transfer of Morven, originally called Indian Camp, from the original
Carter land grant. Outbuildings such as the Old Kitchen and Old
Office date from the late-18th and 19th centuries. The grounds contain
a number of unusual trees, including a pair of century-old Osage oranges, the
state champion Chinese chestnut, and a lovely dove tree that often blooms during
Garden Week. The extensive gardens form a series of distinct rooms ranging
in style from Colonial Revival to a semi-formal garden created from a parking
lot in 1994. Parterres and traditional bedding-out play a large role
in these gardens. Thousands of tulips, pansies and forget-me-nots,
together with venerable lilacs, wisteria, spireas and deutzias (many from the
1930s Annette Hoyt Flanders renovation) dominate the spring show of flowers. Morven
has been opened for Historic Garden Week since 1933.
LUNCHEON: Veritas Vineyard on Sunday, April
20, and Monday, April 21, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both days. Lunch is $15
and will include a Veritas bag with a bottled water, wine glass, choice of
sandwich, pesto pasta salad and fruit. Sandwich choices are
1) roast beef on a roll with a horseradish mayonnaise and romaine 2) roasted
turkey breast on a croissant with mayonnaise, sliced tomato and baby greens
3) roasted vegetables with a balsamic glaze on a French baguette. Cash wine
bar available. PREPAID RESERVATIONS REQUIRED by April 1. Please
send check for $15 per person indicating sandwich choice to: Elaine Oakey,
1803 Blue Ridge Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22903. Telephone (434) 293-9880.
Please make your check payable to HGW- Albemarle. You will receive your ticket
by return mail.
DIRECTIONS TO LUNCHEON: From Charlottesville: I-64
west, exit 107. West on Rt. 250 for 6 mi. to Rt. 151. South 3 mi. to
Rt. 6. West 1.3 mi. to Saddleback Farm. Winery entrance will be on your right.
From Staunton: I-64 east to exit 99. East on Rt. 250 for 2.3 mi. Turn
right onto Rt. 6 East. Follow 2 mi. to Saddleback Farm. Winery entrance will
be on your left.
Veritas Vineyard is a family-run winery owned by Andrew and Patricia
Hodson. Veritas produces distinctive and elegant wines and is nestled at the
foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. For more information about Veritas, please
visit their website at www.veritaswines.com.
COUNTRY HOMES AND GARDENS TOUR
GREENWOOD
The Greenwood District of Albemarle has long been known for its pastoral beauty, Blue Ridge Mountain views and substantial farm estates graced by some of Virginia’s most beautiful country houses. Each of the properties open this year is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.
Sunday, April 20, 1 to 6 p.m.
Monday, April 21, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ADVANCE INDIVIDUAL TICKET SALES: Full ticket price, $35; children 6-12.
$15.
ADVANCE BUS TOUR TICKET SALES: Full ticket price, $30; children 6-12, $15.
(Buses cannot be accommodated on the narrow road to Piedmont.)
TICKET SALES TOUR DAY AND AFTER APRIL 1: Full ticket price, $40; Children,
6-12, $20.
SINGLE SITE-ADMISSION TICKETS: $15; CHILDREN, 6-12, $10. NO single
site advance sales. Children 5 and under, free admission. An adult must
accompany minors 17 and younger.
Please make checks payable to HGW- Albemarle. Tickets may be purchased on tour days at any of the homes/gardens open for the tour. Advance tickets may also be purchased for an additional charge until the day before the tour via www.VAGardenweek.org.
Properties need not be visited in the order in which they are listed.
CASA MARIA
DIRECTIONS: 280 Ortman Road. From I-64,
take Exit 107 (Crozet), go west on Rt. 250, Rockfish Gap Turnpike, 1.8
mi. to left on Rt. 691, Ortman Rd., to CASA MARIA on right 2/10 mi.
In 1919, Mary Williams commissioned noted landscape architect Charles
F. Gillette to design the extensive gardens at Casa Maria. Tradition
holds that Gillette also designed the impressive house, built between 1920-22
in a Mediterranean style unusual for a Virginia country house of the period.
After Mary Williams' death in 1920, completion of the house and gardens was
finished by Mrs. Williams’ niece, Ella Williams Smith and her husband,
Gordon Smith. The south wing was added in 1929 and designed by William Lawrence
Bottomley. During a 1990-92 renovation, the present owner restored the
original pink stucco exterior color, and the roof line was modified with terracotta
tiles. Off to the side of the circular driveway, there is a garage with a roof
garden of hostas and adjacent to the rear of the house, a walled garden with
a tiled goldfish pool and trellises with vines. Inside, an imposing staircase
graces the main hall. In the drawing room and dining room, the owner’s
extensive art collection, antiques, colorful fabrics and wallpaper reflect
originality and creativity. French doors lead to the terrace with a scenic
view west to the Blue Ridge. The lovely ceiling mural in the front arcade is
by Russian artist Alexander Anufriev.
Original stone walls and boxwood allees frame the statuary and new gardens
added by the present owner. The round garden, birdbath garden and cutting
garden are bordered by the orchard. Groves of viburnum, bamboo and Kousa
dogwood lead to a Japanese bridge near the pond and a charming picnic house.
From the swimming pool, constructed of Mexican glass tile, leads a path to
the pen for the miniature donkey and some Vietnamese pigs. Beyond a small evergreen
garden are the original potting shed and an English glass greenhouse. This
remarkable, beautiful ensemble of buildings and grounds has been creatively
and thoughtfully maintained for 35 years by the current owner, Ms. Cynthia
Tremblay.
BELLEVUE
DIRECTIONS: 1100 Kingsway Road. From parking
area at CASA MARIA, go left on Ortman Rd. 1.3 mi. to stop sign. Go left
on Rt. 692, Plank Rd., 1.1 mi. to right on Kingsway Rd. and BELLEVUE.
Bellevue, part of a 1769 Crown Grant from King George III, stands on
a rise with a long view of the Blue Ridge. The land was farmed by James Durette
who grew tobacco and corn. A house on the property was destroyed by fire by
1840. William Grayson, a prominent tobacco farmer, bought the property from
Durette’s heirs and by 1859, he had built the central core of the mansion,
a well-preserved example of Greek Revival and early Italianate architecture.
Two brick side wings were added to the imposing structure in 1913 by Quincy
Adams Shaw, the first brother-in-law of Nancy Langhorne, Lady Astor, who grew
up at nearby Mirador. During Shaw’s residence, Bellevue served
as a sporting and social center with polo games, steeplechase races and foxhunting
for neighbors far and wide. A brick walk lined with English box hedges leads
to the handsome pedimented porch. The center hall with staircase displays a
collection of Civil War maps. Woodwork in the center hall and front parlors
is the original Greek Revival molding, and the fine Adams-style mantels in
the parlors are original. The west parlor features a lovely oil painting by
an early 20th century French artist, and in the east parlor is a striking equestrian
portrait by Geoffrey Johnson. A trap door to an old tunnel, since collapsed,
in one of the first-floor rooms led to the stables; there is a mysterious underground
room on the east side of the garden.
The present owners completed renovations to the house in 2006 and are
now turning their hands to the garden. The Newcomb family, who lived here from
the 1920s to 1970s, devised the garden. There are unusual cedars, Kentucky
coffee trees and bald cypress that were planted by Col. Newcomb. The English
and American box hedges are impressive. A formal boxwood parterre, designed
in the style of Charles F. Gillette, dates from the 1920s. The owners are restoring
this beautiful garden and adding new varieties of peonies, a range of white
perennials, climbing and shrub roses. In the spring, several species of iris,
lily, narcissus and tulips abound. Open for the first time for Historic Garden
Week by Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Gladden, owners.
BLUE RIDGE FARM
DIRECTIONS: 1870 Ortman Road. From
parking area at BELLEVUE, take Kingsway back to Plank Rd. Go left on Plank
Rd. 1.1 mi. to left on Ortman Rd., 0.2 mi. to BLUE RIDGE FARM on left.
Created in a lovely English park-style setting, Blue Ridge Farm features
wonderful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains both to the east and west. Like
neighboring Bellevue, the title to the land can be traced to the 1769 Crown
Grant. The main house was constructed about 1852 for William B. Smith
as a five-bay Georgian “pile” with a mansard roof. In the
1920s, the new owners, Mr. and Mrs. Randolph Ortman, hired William Lawrence
Bottomley to make additions and to refine the house and Charles F. Gillette
to design the gardens. Jacquelin Robertson, a former dean of the University
of Virginia Architecture School, has described Bottomley as “arguably
our most skilled traditional residential designer after 1925...” In
his architectural commentary, Bottomley sought to integrate interior spaces
and the landscape: “One distinct tendency in our garden and landscape
planning is the careful arrangement of drives, courts, terraces, gardens and
walks around the house to assure privacy and pleasant places to live outside
the house and provide a fine foreground for the distant views.” At
Blue Ridge Farm, these objectives are masterfully achieved.
The expansive lawn on the east side of the stately house contains magnificent
white and pin oaks and is bordered on the north by a guesthouse, behind which
is a recently introduced potager. Farther down are brick paths to the
terraces of the cutting garden and the rose parterre by Gillette, planted with
a mix of modern and heritage varieties. A stone cottage at the foot of
the lawn borders two spring-fed ponds. On the south side of the house,
a parterre garden anchored by an armillary and crape myrtle allee is planted
with tulips and daffodils. Beyond, a boxwood-lined brick path leads to
a small pavilion in the shade of another massive oak. The current owners purchased
Blue Ridge Farm in 2002 and have undertaken a restoration of this superb house
and grounds based on the original Gillette and Bottomley documentation.
Albemarle County--Ramsay
RAMSAY
DIRECTIONS: 7760 Rockfish Gap Turnpike. From
parking area at BLUE RIDGE FARM, turn right on Ortman Rd., 0.4 mi. to stop
sign. Left on Plank Road 1.6 mi. to stop sign.
Take a right (east) on Rt. 250, 1.4 mi. to RAMSAY on left.
Ramsay was purchased in 1914 by Chiswell Dabney (Chillie) Langhorne
who lived at neighboring Mirador with his family. By 1936, the house was owned
by his grandson, Langhorne Gibson, the son of Irene Langhorne Gibson, famously
known as the model for “The Gibson Girl” at the turn of the last
century. The Gibsons hired Charlottesville architect Milton Grigg in
1937, 1947 and 1950 to alter and expand the house, and he assisted in the design
of the garden as well. The distinguished main house is in the Classical Revival
style with full-height, three-bay porches on both the front and rear elevations.
From the front porch, there is a splendid view north to the Blue Ridge. The
back porch faces a pasture where Belted Galloway cattle graze. Fine porcelain
collections of Chinese export, Delft, Blue Willow and Quimper are displayed
throughout the first-floor rooms as well as antiques and original artwork.
Elegant uses of paint, fabric and wallpaper reflect the talented eye of the
owner, a noted interior designer.
Boxwoods edge brick-lined paths throughout the garden, and the small
fishpond designed by Grigg on the north side of the house is surrounded by
cobblestones from Mirador. Beside the rose garden, a standing chimney
is what remains of a slave cabin from Danville placed there in 1930. The
yellow guest cottage, decorated with bright colors, twig furniture and folk
art, was originally built in 1950 by Irene Langhorne Gibson for her retirement. Down
the driveway, a white picket fence encloses a garden with borders of box, bulbs
and perennials, an original potting shed and a whimsical studio constructed
in 2000 from windows and doors found on the Ramsay grounds and from the North
Carolina farm of Mrs. Lankenau’s family. On the south side of the house
is a small herb garden outside the mud room. Down the drive are a row of magnificent
deodar cedars, a simple farm house and a charming red barn designed by Milton
Grigg. The owners purchased Ramsay in 1999 and have completed a sensitive restoration
of this exceptional property. Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week
by Mr. and Mrs. Harry R. Lankenau, owners.
PIEDMONT
DIRECTIONS: 8069 Pony Express
Road. From Ramsay, go left (east) on Rt. 250 for 0.6 mi. to left on Rt.
691, Greenwood Rd. Go 0.4 mi. to left on Pony Express Road. Stay left at
fork 0.2 mi. Go 0.8 mi. to end of road and PIEDMONT. No bus
tours permitted due to narrow road.
Piedmont stands at the foot of Afton Mountain and is important for its
unbroken association with the Wallace family of Scottish ancestry, who were
among Albemarle County’s earliest settlers. William Wallace, one of the
first settlers to cross the Blue Ridge Mountains from the west into Albemarle
County, arrived about 1734. The farm is still owned by the Wallace family,
making it one of the few county properties remaining in the ownership of the
same family who patented it during the Colonial period. The main house
has two distinctly different parts. It is possible that the two-story log half,
now stuccoed, which has been altered and added to throughout the 19th and 20th
centuries, was built as early as the mid-18th century. The two-story
brick half, constructed about 1834 by Michael Wallace, is a fine, but not ostentatious,
example of Federal architecture. An abundance of original woodwork and detail
remains in the interior, including two exceptional Greek Revival mantels on
the first floor. In the parlor is an oil painting of “The Highland Scot” surmounted
by crossed swords, carried by Wallace men, members of the 7th Virginia Cavalry
regiment during the Civil War. A tall case clock brought by William Wallace
from Pennsylvania stands in the dining room.
On the grounds of Piedmont, the boxwood bushes are said to be descended
from a trade with Thomas Jefferson for a wagonload of red clover seed and corn.
On the north side of the house, a one-story log cabin dating from before the
Civil War is used as a garden house, and there are the stone remains of an
old detached kitchen hearth. The front porch and lawn offer a marvelous view
of rolling fields and the Blue Ridge to the south. An old stone mounting block
is placed beside the front gate. The dedicated care that the Wallace family
has given Piedmont for nearly 275 years provides visitors with a rare opportunity
to visit this well-preserved example of an early Virginia heritage home. Open
for the first time for Historic Garden Week. Mrs. Barbara Wallace Chakmakian,
owner.
SPECIAL LECTURE: At 11 a.m. on Monday, April 21, K. Edward Lay, Cary D. Langhorne Professor Emeritus of Architecture at the University of Virginia, and Barbara Chamakian, owner of Piedmont will conduct a lecture and conversation, "The Early Presbyterian Church in Albemarle and the Wallace Family at Piedmont."
Refreshments will be served at Piedmont from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, April 20, and Monday, April 21.
GREENWOOD PROPERTIES OF HISTORIC INTEREST
DIRECTIONS: From Ramsay, go left (east)
on Rt. 250, entrance to church is 0.2 mi. on right.
EMMANUEL EPISCOPAL CHURCH
National Register of Historic Places
Virginia Landmarks Register
Emmanuel Episcopal Church was founded in 1860 by Mrs. John Bolling
Garrett of Clover Plains (now Seven Oaks) and a group of her friends who
gave land and funded the building. The first service was held in the new
church in 1862. In 1913, the sons and daughters of Chiswell Dabney Langhorne
of Mirador asked the Vestry for permission to to rebuild the church as a
memorial to their mother. Plans were drawn up by architect Waddy Wood of
Ivy, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The church that stands today was completed
in 1914. Milton Grigg, well-known church architect, described Emmanuel
as "occupying a unique place in the history of church architecture." Open
free of charge, Sunday, April 20, 2 to 6 p.m. and Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Limited parking, no buses.
Open courtesy of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church Vestry.
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
The Academical Village is on the National Register of Historic Places, Virginia Landmarks Register, National Historic Landmark, and World Heritage List.
Tuesday, April 22, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. No admission charge.
DIRECTIONS: Parking for the Rotunda,
the Pavilions, Carr’s Hill, and the University of Virginia Art Museum
is available free of charge at the University Hall/Onesty Hall/The Cage
Parking Lot, located on the corner of Massie Rd. and Copeley Rd. Visitors
may take the Blue Route University of Virginia buses or the Central Grounds
Shuttle to the Grounds free of charge. The Emmet St. (Ivy Rd.) Parking
Structure, located on Ivy Rd. (Rt. 250 Business) between Emmet St. and
Alderman Rd./Copeley Rd., will have a limited number of spaces available
from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on a first come/first served basis at no charge. Paid
parking is available in the Central Grounds Parking Garage, located on
Emmet St. (Rt. 29 Business) behind Memorial Gymnasium and across the street
from Alumni Hall. Historic Garden Week visitors may access the area
free of charge by using the University of Virginia buses (transferring
routes if necessary) from any of the University of Virginia bus stops in
the Charlottesville area.
PAVILION GARDENS
With proceeds from Historic Garden Week, The Garden Club of Virginia reconstructed the University’s Pavilion Gardens and their surrounding serpentine walls on their old alignments. The gardens were designed to period precedent, utilizing plant material known in the era of Thomas Jefferson. The gardens on the West Lawn were completed in 1947-53, the East Lawn in 1960-65, the North Forecourt of the Rotunda in 1977 and additional landscaping in 1983-91.
PAVILION HOMES—WEST LAWN
Pavilion I : Dean David W. Breneman and Ms. Donna Plasket
Pavilion III : Vice President Patricia M. Lampkin and Mr. Wayne D. Kozart
Pavilion VII: The Colonnade Club
Pavilion IX: Dean Karen Van Lengen and Mr. James Welty
LAWN ROOMS—WEST LAWN
29 West Lawn Room: Mr. Brian Gavron
39 West Lawn Room: Ms. Abbie Klinghoffer
EDGAR ALLAN POE ROOM
West Range Room 13
Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809 in Boston. He came to the University
of Virginia on February 14, 1826, and left in December of that year. This
fall will mark the 159th anniversary of his death on October 7, 1849.
THE MARY AND DAVID HARRISON INSTITUTE FOR
AMERICAN HISTORY, LITERATURE, AND CULTURE
AND THE ALBERT AND SHIRLEY SMALL
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARY
Tuesday, April 22, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Special Exhibition,
no admission charge.
The
University of Virginia Library’s Harrison Institute/Small
Special Collections Library is located on McCormick Road between Alderman Library
and Peabody Hall. Landscape surrounding the Harrison Institute/Small Special
Collections Library was designed by the renowned firm of Oehme van Sweden of
Washington, DC. The landscape architect was Eric Groft, a 1985 UVA graduate.
In celebration of the 75th Anniversary of Historic Garden Week in Virginia,
visitors are invited to view a special exhibition in the first-floor auditorium.
The exhibit will explore the history of the Academical Village’s gardens
from the Jefferson era through recent archaeological discoveries and will chronicle
the involvement of The Garden Club of Virginia in the gardens’ restoration.
Students from the School of Architecture studying Architectural History, Historic
Preservation, Architecture and Landscape Architecture have researched and produced
the exhibit. Also on view in the building are permanent exhibits about the
Declaration of Independence and the historic James River estate Flowerdew Hundred.
SPECIAL LECTURE: At 2 p.m. in the auditorium, William D. Rieley, of Rieley and Associates and Landscape Architect for The Garden Club of Virginia, will give an illustrated talk about The GCV’s support for the restoration of the Academical Village’s gardens. He will discuss the collaboration between The Garden Club and the University of Virginia and their consultants Alden Hopkins, Don Parker and Rudy Favretti. He will conclude with contemporary research and work, including his own contributions to this ongoing project.
CARR’S HILL
Home of the University of Virginia President and Mrs. John T. Casteen
III. Located on the corner of Rugby Road and University Avenue. Please
note: Carr’s Hill is a private home and will
be open only Tuesday, April 22, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ART MUSEUM
Tuesday, April 22, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. No admission
charge. Visitors are invited to the “Flowers Interpret Art” show,
featuring flower arrangements inspired by works of art. Light refreshments
will be served.
Tuesday, April 22, 6 to 8 p.m. The museum will
present a “Flowers Interpret Art” buffet dinner. Museum members,
$25; non-members, $30. Reservations required. Checks
should be made payable to: University of Virginia Art Museum Volunteer Board. Mail
to: “Flowers Interpret Art,” University of Virginia Art
Museum, P.O. Box 400119, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4119. For more information
on group tour arrangements, reservations for the dinner and parking directions,
call (434) 924-7458. The Museum is located one block north of the Rotunda
at 155 Rugby Rd.
MOREA GARDEN AND ARBORETUM
Located on Sprigg Lane, which is off of Emmet St. just north of Alumni Hall, the Morea Garden features a special selection of shrubs and trees surrounding a historic Federal period home. The house is named after the mulberries cultivated for experiments with silkworms. Morea was built by John Patten Emmet, one of the first professors chosen by Mr. Jefferson for the University. There are large old trees and a beautifully landscaped botanical collection, started by The Albemarle Garden Club in 1964. The spacious brick house was given to The University as a residence for distinguished visitors. Morea was the runner-up for The Garden Club of Virginia Common Wealth Award in 2005 and 2006. The tour will be limited to the gardens.
OTHER PROPERTIES OF HISTORIC INTEREST
MONTICELLO
National Register of Historic Places
Virginia Historic Landmarks Register
National Historic Landmark World Heritage List
DIRECTIONS: From I-64, take Exit 121
(Rt. 20 South/Scottsville). From Rt. 20, turn left onto Thomas Jefferson
Parkway (Rt. 53 East). The entrance to Monticello is 1.75 mi. on
the right, immediately after passing under the stone-arch Saunders Bridge. Open
daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with guided tours of the gardens, house and plantation
community. Admission charged. For admission rates and other
information call the Office of Public Affairs, (434) 984-9822 or visit www.monticello.org. Thomas
Jefferson called Monticello his “essay in architecture.” In
1768, when he was 25 years old, he began building his house atop the “Little
Mountain” where he had played as a boy. Jefferson continued
to modify his design for Monticello over four decades. A 1,000-foot-long
vegetable garden, a roundabout flower border, which was restored by The
Garden Club of Virginia in 1938-40, two orchards, a vineyard and an 18-acre “grove,” or
ornamental forest, were included in landscape plans. The gardens and orchards
have been restored to their appearance during Jefferson’s retirement
years, and many of the trees, vegetables and flowers that Jefferson cultivated
grow here today.
In tribute to Jefferson, the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants
is devoted to the preservation and distribution of plants known in early American
gardens, especially varieties grown by Jefferson. Gardens and Grounds
tours explore the restored flower and vegetable gardens, grove and orchards. Tours
begin hourly starting at 9:15 a.m. until the last on each day at 4:15 p.m. The
Garden Shop at Monticello located adjacent to Monticello’s main parking
area sells a wide selection of historic seeds and plants.
SPECIAL EVENTS: Tuesday, April 22, at 2 p.m. and Thursday, April 24, at 2 p.m. at the Monticello Visitors Center on Rt. 20 at I-64. In honor of Historic Garden Week in Virginia, Monticello horticulturists will present illustrated talks on Thomas Jefferson as Gardener and on the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants. The Director of Gardens and Grounds, Peter Hatch, will present an illustrated lecture on Tuesday, April 24, discussing the themes that defined Thomas Jefferson’s passion for horticulture. A complimentary tour of the gardens at Monticello will follow. Peggy Cornett, Director of the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, will speak on Thursday, April 26, about how historic plants, such as old roses, dianthus cultivars, native ornamentals and others, can be used in today’s gardens. A complimentary tour of the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants headquarters will follow. For more information, call the Office of Public Affairs at (434) 984-9822. Both lectures are free. Space is limited.
MICHIE TAVERN
Circa 1784
Virginia Historic Landmark
Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: Adults, $8; children
ages 6 to 11, $3; children 5 and under, free. For more information, call
(434) 977-1234 or visit www.michietavern.com. Historic Michie Tavern,
established in 1784 by Scotsman William Michie, served as the social center
of its community and accommodated travelers with food, drink and lodging. Today,
visitors encounter the Tavern’s past through an historical experience,
which recreates 18th century life. The Tavern’s dining room, the
Ordinary, features hearty Midday Fare offered by servers in period attire. The
rustic tavern setting renders a dining experience rich in Southern culture
and hospitality for families to enjoy. The Bill of Fare features period
dishes such as Colonial Fried Chicken, Hickory Smoked Pork Barbecue, Black-eye
Peas, Stewed Tomatoes, Biscuits, Cornbread and a variety of hot and cold dishes. Virginia
wines and traditional lagers are available to complement your meal. Guests
may further savor the past through lively interactive tours of the original
Tavern. History unfolds as each room reveals the lifestyles and customs
of 18th century patrons. During your tour, will you dance a colonial
reel, write with a quill pen, or slake your thirst with a tankard of punch?
Additionally, our young visitors may partake in a treasure hunt, play
period games and don 18th century-style clothing. After the tour of the
Tavern and dependent outbuildings, guests are invited to visit the Clothier
Shop and Meadow Run Grist Mill, both housed in period structures.
ASH LAWN-HIGHLAND
National Register of Historic Places
Virginia Historic Landmarks Register
Leisurely Strolls through Gardens and Dependencies and Guided
House Tours. Daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission: Adults, $9;
seniors age 60 and over and AAA members, $8; children ages 6 to 11, $5; children
under 6, free. Adult group admission (minimum of 15), $8; student group
tours (minimum of 15), $4.50. Located 2.5 mi. from Monticello off
Rt. 795 (James Monroe Parkway) south of Simeon. Ash Lawn-Highland was
the home of James Monroe, fifth President of the United States, and the holder
of more major public offices than any other American president. Monroe
located his mountain estate near Monticello at the urging of his friend Thomas
Jefferson. Antique boxwood bushes add horticultural interest to the
perennial and herb gardens. As you enter, notice the bulbs and bleeding
hearts, planted in the Victorian tradition to match the 1880s Massey addition
to Monroe’s home. Along the edge of the vegetable garden, look
for the fritillaria among the spring bulbs of the Monroe period. The
herb garden will show beginnings of culinary, medicinal and dyeing herbs, while
the kitchen garden features a fig tree, strawberries and salad herbs. The
Johns Garden is neo-colonial in style with flowers typical of the 1930s when
it was added to the estate. Be sure to notice the antique, late daffodil “Twin
Sister.” During Historic Garden Week, costumed crafters demonstrate
various farm activities such as open-hearth cooking, candle making, spinning
and paper quilling. Guided house tours feature the Monroes’ elegant
furnishings, both American and French, as well as their family and White House
china.
This year’s visitors will also enjoy a new exhibit, “Visiting
Great Father Monroe,” which focuses on the Native American delegations
from Western tribes who visited Washington, DC in 1822 during Monroe’s
second term as president. Principal buildings and rest facilities are
handicapped-accessible. Information (434) 293-9539 or www.ashlawnhighland.org.
NOTE: Prices to these three historic properties
are subject to change. Savings on adult admission to Monticello, Ash
Lawn-Highland and Michie Tavern are available by purchasing a Presidents’ Pass
Combination ticket at one of the properties or online at
http://www.monticello.org/visit/pres_pass.html