ALBEMARLE COUNTY AREA
CHARLOTTESVILLE
Sponsored by The Rivanna Garden Club, The Albemarle Garden Club and
The Charlottesville Garden Club.
Saturday, April 17:
MORVEN ESTATE GARDENS AND HOUSE: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MONTICELLO LUNCHEON: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Reservations required)
Sunday, April 18:
FRIENDLY COUNTRY HOMES AND GARDENS: 12 to 5:30 p.m.
Monday, April 19:
FRIENDLY COUNTRY HOMES AND GARDENS: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, April 20:
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Pavilion Homes and Gardens, Carr’s Hill, University Library, Art Museum and Morea, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA PAVILION GARDEN TOURS: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
THE MARY AND DAVID HARRISON INSTITUTE FOR AMERICAN HISTORY, LITERATURE, AND CULTURE AND THE ALBERT AND SHIRLEY SMALL SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARY
Panel Discussion: 2 p.m.
THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ART MUSEUM: “Flowers Interpret Art” show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MONTICELLO: Tour and Lecture, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Historic Garden Week Chairmen:
Nancy Lowry (Mrs. John C.)
3475 Red Hill School Road
North Garden, VA 22959
Telephone: (434) 296-4695
E-mail: alowry@mindspring.com
Fran Boninti (Mrs. Andrew F.)
2505 Holkham Drive
Charlottesville, VA 22901
Telephone: (434) 296-6464
E-mail: fboninti@gmail.com
ADVANCE RESERVATIONS FOR PATRON-ORGANIZED GROUP TOURS:
Kathie Morris (Mrs. David L.)
2512 Proffit Road
Charlottesville, VA 22911
Telephone: (434) 973-6276
E-mail: kmcmorris3@embarqmail.com
IMPORTANT PATRON-ORGANIZED GROUP TOUR INFORMATION:
Advance
reservations required by April 1 for tours accommodating groups of 25
or more. Due to road and parking conditions, large tour buses cannot
be accommodated on the tour this year. Smaller, 15-seater
type buses are welcome. Please
contact the Advanced Reservations Chairman (see name above) for
further information.
ADVANCE INDIVIDUAL TICKET SALES:
Locally: Full tickets for the Friendly Country Homes and Gardens tour may be purchased in advance for $30 each at the Charlottesville locations listed below from March 10 until Saturday, April 10. Payment by check only at ticket outlet locations. No credit cards and no refunds on advance ticket purchases made locally.
Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, 200 Second Street NE, (434) 296-1492; Boar’s Head Inn, Rte 250 West, 200 Ednam Drive, (434) 296-2181; Crème de la Crème, Barracks Road Shopping Center, North Wing (434) 296-7018; Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery, 2325 Seminole Trail (434) 817-1775; Lloyd’s Hallmark Card and Gift Shop, Pantops Shopping Center, (434) 296-0993; New Dominion Book Shop, 404 East Main St. (434) 295-2552; The Shade Shop and Kenny Ball Antiques #7 Ivy Square (434) 293-1361.
By mail: Send your request for full tickets, no later than April 1, with a check made payable to HGW – Rivanna, to the address below. Please enclose a stamped, self-addressed business-size envelope. Mail to Mrs. Thomas C. Bradbury, 335 Grassmere Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903, Telephone: (434) 977-8783, E-mail: Cbrad50@hotmail.com
On the web: Advance tickets may also be ordered with a credit card by accessing www.VAGardenweek.org. E-tickets sold only for the Friendly Country Homes and Gardens tour on April 18 and 19.
RELATED INFORMATION:
The Rivanna Garden Club website is: www.therivannagardenclub.org
AREA INFORMATION CENTERS:
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
www.pursuecharlottesville.com
Chamber of Commerce
Fifth
and East Market Streets
Charlottesville,
VA 22902
Telephone:
(434) 295-3141
www.cvillechamber.com
Albemarle Charlottesville
Historical Society
200 Second
Street NE
Charlottesville,
VA 22902
Telephone:
(434) 296-1492
www.albemarlehistory.org
PLEASE NOTE: Please drive carefully on the narrow and winding country roads. Carpooling is highly recommended. As a courtesy to homeowners and for your own safety, please wear comfortable, flat walking shoes. No spike heels, strollers or backpacks allowed in homes. Considerable walking will be required, and there are some steep slopes and steps. No smoking or pets allowed in homes or gardens. For privacy reasons, interior use of cameras and videotape equipment, including camcorders and cell phones, is prohibited. Tour areas are not handicapped-accessible unless specifically noted.
MORVEN
HOUSE AND GARDENS
National Register of Historic Places
Virginia Landmarks Register
Saturday, April 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Advanced ticket requests must be received by Wednesday, April 7. Please send a check for $15 per person made payable to HGW-Rivanna to Jan Stalfort, Attn.: Morven Ticket Sales, 801 Old Ballard Road, Charlottesville, VA 22901. Please include a self-addressed, stamped business envelope. Requests for tickets for those planning to attend the tour together should be made as one request. (No internet tickets available for Morven.) Tickets also available on site the day of the tour.
PLEASE NOTE: THE HOUSE as well as THE GARDENS at Morven Estate will be open to the public for Historic Garden Week. IN CASE OF RAIN AND/OR WET CONDITIONS, THE TOUR WILL BE CANCELLED, DUE TO DIFFICULT PARKING CONDITIONS. TICKETS ARE NOT REIMBURSIBLE.The house is handicapped-accessible; the gardens are not.
DIRECTIONS: From I-64, take Exit 121 (Rte 20 South/Scottsville) and follow the signs to Monticello. From Monticello, continue east on Thomas Jefferson Pkwy (Rte 53), bear right on James Monroe Pkwy (Rte 795) and continue past Ash Lawn-Highland for 2.4 mi. Entrance to Morven is on the right.
The handsome, three-story brick manor house at Morven was completed in 1820 by local builder Martin Thacker in the late-Georgian/Federal style on land that Thomas Jefferson knew as Indian Camp, part of the original Carter land grant. The Stone family owned the Morven estate for most of the 20th century. John Kluge bought it in 1988. He gave his 7,378-acre estate to the University of Virginia Foundation in 2001. This gift included the historic Morven Farm, ten other working farms, and numerous houses and buildings. The main house and other buildings have been restored and adapted for University programs. Visitors will experience the 19th century ambiance of Jefferson’s time, while also seeing the 20th century additions of the Stone family and the recent Kluge interiors by David Easton. Selected antiques, Oriental rugs and documentary reproductions complement the elegant wallpapers, carpets and fabrics that have remained at Morven.
The grounds contain a number of unusual trees, including a pair of Osage oranges, the state champion Chinese chestnut, and a lovely dove tree. The extensive gardens form a series of distinct outdoor rooms, with thousands of tulips, pansies, forget-me-nots, lilacs, wisteria, spireas, deutzia and a rose garden. Annette Hoyt Flanders renovated the garden in the 1930s. Morven was a charter property open for the first Historic Garden Week in Virginia in 1929.
NOTE: In addition to enjoying Morven, consider visiting the Historic Garden Week tour in Orange County, also on April 17, less than one hour northeast. Details in guidebook and on the Schedule page of www.VAGardenweek.org.
FRIENDLY COUNTRY HOMES AND GARDENS TOUR
BLANDEMAR – 250 WEST
The Blandemar Farms community is sited on property owned in the 1700s by Col. Charles Lewis, who had inherited a portion of his ancestors’ original land grant of 21,600 acres. Charles Lewis was a notable figure in the American Revolution, praised by Thomas Jefferson for his “good sense, integrity, bravery, enterprise, and remarkable bodily powers.” The land and the home built by Lewis and/or his son, Howell, have changed hands many times, but were in possession of the Carpenter family for 103 years.
Sunday, April 18, 12 noon to 5:30 p.m.
Monday, April 19, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ADVANCE INDIVIDUAL TICKETS: Full ticket, $30.
ADVANCE BUS TOUR TICKETS: Full ticket, $30.
TICKETS DAY OF TOUR: Full ticket, $35; Children, 6-12, $10.
SINGLE- SITE ADMISSION TICKETS DAY OF TOUR: $10; Children, 6 – 12, $5. 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- Rivanna.
Full and single-site tickets may be purchased on the day of the tour at all of the properties open on that day for Garden Week. Advance tickets may also be obtained via www.VAGardenweek.org.
DIRECTIONS TO LUNCHEON: St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, 4712 Dick Woods Road, 22903. From I-64, Ivy exit 114 on Dick Woods Rd. (Rte 637), go 3.3 mi. south. Box lunches sold by and to benefit St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church may be picked up at the church from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both Sunday, April 18, and Monday, April 19. Lunches may be carried out, or enjoyed on the church grounds. Picnic tables are available under mature oak trees, as well as seating inside the parish hall. Lunch will include a sampling of chicken, potato and tuna salads, fruit, beverage and a cookie. A vegetarian option is available. Please indicate this preference when mailing a reservation.
PREPAID RESERVATIONS REQUIRED and must be received by Friday, April 9. Please send check for $15 per person payable to St. John the Baptist to St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, Attn: HGW Luncheon, P.O. Box 351, Ivy, VA 22945. Please specify SUNDAY or MONDAY luncheon. No confirmation will be mailed; tickets will be obtained at the door on the day of the reservation. A limited number of additional lunches will be available for purchase on the day of the tour on a first-come, first-served basis. Restroom facilities and tours of the historic church will be available.
St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church. Nestled in the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this church has the distinction of being the first of some 30 mountain missions in what became the Archdeaconry of the Blue Ridge. Founded in 1890, the mission church was given its name because it was John the Baptist who went out into the wilderness to preach the Good News. As one can imagine, over one hundred years ago the church’s location was considered just such wilderness land in Albemarle County. Land along Route 637, now a few miles south of its juncture with I-64, was donated by Samuel White. The builder was Mr. W.A. Alexander of Red Hill. Originally the church building was a white wooden building that served the mountain community for 40 years. In 1930, a fieldstone structure was constructed as a replacement and continues to be used today. The church is one of the largest and most beautiful of the many fieldstone edifices typical of the Archdeaconry. Large pieces of white quartz were obtained locally and used to construct the altar and pulpit. St. John the Baptist continues to be a vital place of worship, fellowship and outreach with a service every Sunday at 10 a.m.
REFRESHMENTS: Served from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 18, and Monday, April 19, at Halcyon Acres, home of Lee and Joanne Cutcliff, 1495 Taylors Gap Rd.
RESTROOM FACILITIES: available at Nicola, Halcyon Acres and St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church.
PROPERTIES MAY BE VISITED IN ANY ORDER.
Halcyon Acres, 1495 Taylors Gap Road, 22903. From I-64 take exit 114 south on Dick Woods Rd. (Rte 637), go 1.8 mi. to a left on Taylors Gap Rd. (Rte 708), go 2.5 mi. to Halcyon Acres on the left. Built in 1997 on ten and a half rolling acres, this Georgian home was constructed of Virginia Rose brick with a faux slate roof. Leaded-glass sidelights and a Palladian window over the front door illuminate the marble-floored entry with curved staircase.
Flanked by formal living and dining rooms, which feature the owners’ collection of Lladro porcelains, the foyer opens to a sitting room off the newly remodeled kitchen. A series of anterooms leads to a magnificent English-style library, added in 2000, with carved cherry paneling and cabinetry. Triple French doors open to the terrace and overlook the formal garden. This sunken parterre garden, enclosed by a brick wall, incorporates espaliers, boxwood, tree roses and a variety of perennials to bloom from spring through fall. Magnificent views of pastures and mountains can be enjoyed from the pavilion adjoining the pool. House and gardens open. Lee and Joanne Cutcliff, owners.
Refreshments will be served from 2 to 5 p.m.
WHISPERING PINES,1060 Blandemar Lane, 22903.From the Cutcliff home to Whispering Pines, the Tautkus home: Take a right on Taylors Gap Rd., go 0.5 mi. Take a right on Blandemar Dr., go 0.7 mi. Turn left on Blandemar Lane (private dirt road), go 0.2 mi. to Whispering Pines on the right. Park where directed. In 1999, Carol and Bernard Tautkus built their home, Whispering Pines, in Blandemar on approximately eight acres with extensive views of open fields, a lake and mountains. Diverse gardens were developed over a ten-year period and are enclosed by an invisible deer fence. The park-like, wooded setting features many varieties of azalea, hosta, rose, viburnum, hydrangea, camellia, holly, dogwood, weigela, oriental grasses, crape myrtle and daylilies, amid thousands of bulbs. A raised vegetable bed and a fruit orchard add practicality to naturalized beauty.
Stone and brick walks, natural woodchip paths and 2,200 feet of boardwalk wend through the open woodlands and are complemented by wrought-iron gates, a gazebo, trellises and arbors. Two water gardens have tumbling waterfalls, and a disappearing fountain features a 500-pound piece of granite. Scattered throughout the gardens are many secluded, handicapped-accessible sitting areas alongside the 42-inch-wide boardwalks. House and gardens open. Carol and Bernard Tautkus, owners.
GRAND VIEW, 648 Dry Bridge Road, 22903 (gardens). From Whispering Pines, go 0.2 mi. on Blandemar Lane. Take a right on Blandemar Dr., go 0.7 mi. Turn right on Taylors Gap Rd. (Rte 708), go 2 mi. to the stop sign. Continue straight on Dry Bridge Rd. (Rte 708), go 2.0 mi. (pass Grand View). Take a sharp left on Gillums Ridge Rd. (Rte 787) (gravel road), go 0.4 mi. to marked parking area at Nichola Farm, 430 Gillums Ridge Rd.. A shuttle will return you to Grand View. This land in the 1700s was an apple and peach orchard owned by the Merriwether Lewis family. In 1978, the Gillenwaters purchased 37 wooded acres on a hilltop with views of the Blue Ridge and Ragged Mountains
Initially, they planted gardens around the house, had trees cut to open the mountain views, and planted five acres close to the house with azaleas and rhododendrons. Four hundred rhododendrons were obtained from the Hachmann nursery in Germany in 1986 and again in 1987. Oriental gardens were developed in front of the home in 1984 with large soapstone boulders from nearby Schuyler, Virginia. Greenhouses were started in 1988; now there are eight. The Gillenwaters added a two-acre pond in 1998, and in 2006 purchased 4.3 acres of land across the road to create gardens with a stream, waterfall and pond. Gardens only. Jay and Shirley Gillenwater, owners.
NICHOLA. See directions above for Grand View. All parking will be at Nichola. Shuttles will run back to Grand View. Nichola Farm is a working cattle farm that has been the home of the present owners for 40 years and reflects their love of boxwoods. There are several thousand English boxwoods that the owner has propagated and placed in the gardens. The main boxwood garden was started in 2000 and contains 700 English boxwoods. The boxwood nursery, where plants are propagated, is nearby. Along the driveway are newly planted boxwood rope gardens that have been filled with deer-resistant plants. One section is a bountiful herb garden enjoyed by the owners. Scattered around the landscape is a hardy primrose that has been propagated from a single plant. Phlox diverticata has naturalized in the shady areas. The log cabin, moved to the end of the driveway in the 1960s, had been a bed and breakfast, but is now a guesthouse. The cemetery near the parking area contains the grave of James Oldham (1797-1843). He was Thomas Jefferson’s major carpenter. Gardens and cabin open. Byrd and Mary Leavell, owners.
GREEN HOME (garden), 2550 Gillums Ridge Lane. See directions above for Grand View. All parking will be at Nichola Farm. This garden is a family project in the truest sense, begun while the owner watched her young children play on a swing set built by her father. Her initial plantings were later enhanced by the work of the entire family as new features were added. A cutting garden, today including vegetables, was installed by the owner’s father so that her boys could sell flower arrangements to earn spending money. They, in turn, helped to bring in river stone for pathways and later built the front patio. In 1990, stone retaining walls and the waterfall were added. Deer problems led to plantings designed to coexist with deer: American and English boxwood, juniper, cypress, yew, spirea, lenten rose, salvias, deutzia and nandina. Trees such as oak, poplar, maple, dogwood, gum and Japanese maple add shade and fall color. Lots of layered bulbs ensure a succession of blooms from January until June. Many plants were “starters” and gifts from friends.
A deer fence installed in 2009 around about a half-acre in back of the house allowed plants to heal and thrive. Tulips, daylilies, hostas, sedums, lilies, perennial begonias and dahlias abound. The herb garden adds cooking enjoyment. In the unfenced front yard, hardy plants thrive, as the owners enjoy the patio that now hosts family evenings of music and sunset-watching around the fire. Gardens only open. Brock and Julia Green, owners.
TEMPLE HILL. From Nichola Farm, take a left onto Gillums Ridge Rd. (Rte 787) (gravel road), go 0.2 mi. Take a left on Broad Axe Rd. (Rte 682), go 0.6 mi. James Kinsolving began purchasing land along the Mechums River in 1788. At his death in 1829, he had more than 1,400 acres. Built around 1790, his house is a fine example of a well-preserved early Virginia home. The one-story frame house sits on a knoll with a terraced lawn and enjoys lovely views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Charming parterre gardens filled with perennials flank the front entrance.
Originally, Temple Hill had an English basement with an exterior bulkhead for entrance to the cellar. Outbuildings included a smokehouse and an icehouse. The basement now has a polished brick floor and houses various rooms at times used as kitchen, dining room, den and wine-cellar. A porch was added in the 1870s and an attractive wing with a master bedroom suite and large country kitchen added in the 1950s. Improvements also include masonry walls, terrace, walks, driveway, garage, pool and a small barn. Original brickwork was Flemish bond. The gabled roof, once shingle, is now metal. Exterior finishing is wide-beaded weatherboarding.
A cemetery behind the house contains five existing stones, dating to 1854. Four are finished marble and one is a flat fieldstone. Large boxwoods surround the markers. House and gardens open. Kirby and Laura Farrell, owners.
PLAINFIELDS,705 Mechums West Drive, 22903.From 240 Broad Axe Rd. (Rte 682), go 0.6 mi. to Gillums Ridge Rd. (Rte 787) Take a left on Gillums Ridge Rd. (Rte 787), go 0.1 mi. Take a left to 705 Mechums West Drive. Plainfields was named for a simple, plain field; a former cow pasture with a view to the Blue Ridge. The house belongs to its setting, both physically and culturally. A vernacular-inspired design seen from Georgia to the Virginia Piedmont, Plainfields was built in 1988 by owner/architect Kirk Train. The white-clapboard simplicity holds emotive connection for both owners, originally from the Deep South.
Plainfields’ orientation and design is simple, a two-over-two dogtrot facing the mountains to the northwest. The main suite of rooms—living, hall and library—form a larger room, en suite, that is almost 60 feet while still articulating each room. In the southern tradition of the dogtrot, the hall serves as the dining room when chairs are assembled. The main rooms mirror inside and outside, as the bookcases are analogous to the windows, and both feature views.
Additional projects include a garden shed (1998), garage with garret (2000), kitchen update (2004), wine room (2008), shed to guestroom (1990/2009) and a master suite in progress (2010). This is a comfortable home—one for entertaining, gardening that attempts to redirect deer and invite birds, and time well-spent. House and gardens open. Kirk and Cathy Train, owners.
World Heritage Site along with Monticello and other Jefferson buildings
Founded by Thomas Jefferson and established in 1819, the University of Virginia is the only American university designated as a World Heritage site. Thomas Jefferson’s Academical Village is also on the National Register of Historic places, the Virginia Landmarks Register and is designated a National Historic Landmark.
Tuesday, April 20, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. No admission charge.
DIRECTIONS: There are multiple options for parking and transportation in and around Central Grounds. Parking for the Academical Village (Rotunda and the Pavilions), the Harrison Institute/Small Special Collections Library, Morea, Carr’s Hill, and the University of Virginia Art Museum is available free of charge at the John Paul Jones Arena/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 labeled either Northline or the Central Grounds Shuttle to the Grounds free of charge. The Emmet St. (Ivy Rd.) Parking Structure, located on Ivy Rd. (Rte 250 Business) between Emmet St. and Alderman Rd./Copeley Rd.,or the Culbreth Road Garage will have a limited number of spaces available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on a first-come/first-served basis. Paid parking is available in the Central Grounds Parking Garage, located on Emmet St. (Rte 29 Business) beside 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.
For a detailed map of sites open, parking options, and public restroom facilities, please visit www.virginia.edu/gardenweek.
PAVILION GARDENS
The Garden Club of Virginia restored the University’s Pavilion Gardens and their surrounding serpentine walls with proceeds from Historic Garden Week, beginning with the West Pavilion gardens in 1947. The serpentine walls were part of Jefferson’s Academical Village. The Garden Club of Virginia hired noted Colonial Williamsburg landscape architects Alden Hopkins and Donald Parker to design the Colonial Revival gardens. The West Pavilion Gardens were restored between 1947 and 1953 and the East Lawn between 1960 and 1965. Research on the history of the gardens is currently underway. Work in the gardens continues to be supported by the Garden Club of Virginia. Tours of the gardens will be conducted at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and will start at the steps of the Rotunda. For more information, visit www.virginia.edu/uvatours/gardens/gardensHistory.html.
PAVILION HOMES—WEST LAWN
Pavilion I: Bob Pianta and Ann McAndrew
Pavilion
III: (Vacant – not open)
Pavilion V: Patricia
Lampkin and Wayne Cozart
Pavilion VII: Colonnade Club
Pavilion IX: (Vacant – not
open)
A student lawn room may be open for viewing; to be announced.
EDGAR ALLAN POE ROOM
West Range Room 13
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-49) was a student for one year at the University, a year after it opened in 1825. The University’s Raven Society maintains Poe’s room on the West Range as recognition of his time here.
THE MARY AND DAVID HARRISON INSTITUTE FOR
AMERICAN
HISTORY, LITERATURE, AND CULTURE
AND THE ALBERT AND SHIRLEY
SMALL |
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARY
Tuesday, April 20, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Special Presentation at 2 p.m. 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 from Washington, DC. The landscape architect was Eric Groft, a 1985 UVA graduate.
On view in the Main Gallery of the Harrison Institute/Small Special Collections Library is an exhibit, “From Village to Grounds: Architecture after Jefferson at the University of Virginia” (through June 30, 2010). How does one build on a masterpiece? This exhibition explores the wide range of solutions to the architectural and planning problems posed by adding to the Academical Village, from 19th century picturesque ideals, to the classicism of McKim, Mead and White, to the modern architecture of the 20th and 21st centuries. Additional exhibits about the Declaration of Independence and the historic James River estate Flowerdew Hundred will also be on view. Docents will be available to answer questions.
SPECIAL PRESENTATION: 2 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Harrison Institute/Small Special Collections Library, “Pavilion X: Inside and Out.” Please join Brian Hogg, the University’s Senior Preservation Planner, and Mary Hughes, the University’s Landscape Architect, for short presentations on the recent restoration of Pavilion X and the current restoration of its garden. Mr. Hogg will discuss the Pavilion X exterior restoration project, which returned this pavilion and its two adjacent dormitory rooms as closely as possible to their appearance when classes began in 1825. In doing so, the project illuminated Jefferson’s original intentions for the appearance of the Lawn.
Ms. Hughes’ presentation will focus on the current efforts underway in the garden of Pavilion X. This is the only garden containing remnants from the garden designed (c. 1908-c.1913) by noted Boston landscape architect Warren Manning (1860-1938). The boxwoods, the last element of the original Manning garden, are being reshaped into trees with the assistance of the Garden Club of Virginia. Other recent work includes an archaeological study and the rebuilding of portions of the south wall.
Since the 1940s, landscaping work on the Pavilion Gardens at the University of Virginia has ranked among the crown jewels of restoration programs undertaken by the Garden Club of Virginia, with funding from Historic Garden Week tours.
PBS DOCUMENTARY: Harrison Institute/Small Special Collections Library, April 20, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Public Broadcasting Service documentary “The Garden as Classroom, Thomas Jefferson’s Academical Village in Charlottesville, Virginia,” a coproduction by Reuben M. Rainey, William Stone Weedon Professor Emeritus, School of Architecture, and Rebecca T. Frischkorn. The film will be run as a continuous loop in the auditorium of the Harrison Institute/Small Special Collections Library. For more information visit www.lib.virginia.edu/harrison
CARR’S HILL
Located on the hill above the corner of Rugby Road and University Avenue, Carr’s Hill has been home to seven university presidents and their families and is currently occupied by University President and Mrs. John T. Casteen III. In 2009, the University began celebrating the centennial of Carr’s Hill, designed as the president’s residence by the New York architecture firm McKim, Mead and White. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the house was part of the late-1890s-early1900s building campaign that also included Cabell, Rouss, Cocke, and Garrett Halls and the North Portico and Rotunda interior. Tours of the gardens will be given by Master Gardener John Sauer, Carr’s Hill gardener for Presidents Hereford, O’Neil and Casteen.
Please note: Carr’s Hill is a private home, and only certain areas are open Tuesday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ART MUSEUM
Tuesday, April 20, 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.
MOREA GARDEN AND ARBORETUM
Located on Sprigg Lane, which is off Emmet Street just north of Alumni Hall, the Morea Garden features a special selection of shrubs and trees surrounding an 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’s Common Wealth Award in 2005 and 2006. The tour will be limited to the gardens.
OTHER PROPERTIES OF HISTORIC INTEREST
MONTICELLO
UNESCO World Heritage List
National Register of Historic Places
Virginia Historic Landmarks Register
National Historic Landmark
DIRECTIONS: From I-64, take Exit 121 (Rte 20 South/Scottsville). From Rte 20, turn left at traffic signal onto Thomas Jefferson Pkwy (Rte 53 East). The entrance to Monticello is 1.75 mi. on the right, immediately after passing under the stone-arch Saunders Bridge. Open daily, 9 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 (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, 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 one each day at 4:15 p.m. The Monticello Museum Shop, located in the new Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center and Smith Education Center on the Monticello grounds, sells a wide selection of historic seeds and plants.
SPECIAL EVENTS:
Monticello celebrates Historic Garden Week with three special events:
Saturday, April 17, 11 a.m. “Meet the Gardeners.” Savor a light, seasonal picnic lunch on the grounds and enjoy informal conversation with Peter Hatch, Monticello’s director of gardens and grounds, and members of his staff. Learn what influences the restoration and care of Thomas Jefferson’s landscape and gardens and take advantage of the opportunity to ask your own garden questions. Registration includes self-guided walking tours of the Monticello gardens. Admission and box lunch, $25. Advance registration required. Rain site: Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center and Smith Education Center. To register, call (434) 984-9880.
Tuesday, April 20, 10 a.m. “Thomas Jefferson, Gardener.” This lecture by Peter Hatch, Monticello’s director of gardens and grounds, is followed by a walking tour of the restored gardens of Monticello. Learn about the themes that defined Jefferson’s interest in horticulture and about the gardens he created on the mountaintop. Convene at Monticello’s Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center and Smith Education Center. Free; no registration.
Tuesday, April 20, 2 p.m. “The Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants.” This illustrated lecture by Peggy Cornett, Monticello’s curator of plants, is followed by a tour of the gardens and nursery at Tufton Farm. Discover the plants that define our horticultural heritage. Convene at Monticello’s Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center and Smith Education Center. Free; no registration.
MICHIE TAVERN
Circa 1784
Virginia Historic Landmark
Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: Adults, $9; children ages 6 to 11, $4.50; 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, warm inviting aromas of Southern fried chicken, lively music and laughter often greet visitors shortly before they are formally welcomed to the Tavern. Guests are ushered into 18th century tavern life through a sensory experience where taste, touch, sight, smell and sound recreate the past. Whether one dines on bountiful Southern fare, participates in living history or visits four unusual shops, the Michie Tavern experience renders a remarkable and memorable journey enjoyed by adults and youth alike.
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, $10; seniors age 60 and over and AAA members, $9; children ages 6 to 11, $5; children under 6, free. Adult group admission (minimum of 15), $9; student group tours (minimum of 15), $4.50. Located 2.5 mi. from Monticello off Rte 795 (James Monroe Pkwy) 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 Monroe’s elegant furnishings, both American and French, as well as their family and White House china. Principal buildings and rest facilities are handicapped-accessible. Information (434) 293-9539 or www.al-h.us.
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.