ASHLAND CLUB TOUR
“Rendezvous
in Rockville”
Sponsored by The Ashland Garden Club
Saturday, April 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Chairman:
Frazier Aronhalt (Mrs. A. Troy)
107 West Vaughan Road
Ashland, VA 23005
Telephone (804) 798-2411
E-Mail: atribunal@aol.com
Co-Chairman:
Linda Magovern (Mrs. Malcolm)
302 College Avenue
Ashland, VA 23005
Telephone (804) 798-7377
E-Mail: malcolmmagovern@aol.com
TICKETS: Full ticket $30, single-site admission, $10. Children 13 and older, full price; ages 6-12, half-price; ages 5 and under, free of charge. Children younger than age 17 must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets may be purchased on tour day at any of the houses open for the tour. For internet tickets, please access www.VAGardenweek.org .
ADVANCE TICKETS: Advance tickets are $25 per person and group rates are $22.50 per person. A group is considered 10 or more people. There are no additional discounts on advance children’s tickets. By April 7, please send a stamped, self-addressed envelope with check payable to The Ashland Garden Club, Mrs. A. Troy Aronhalt, 107 West Vaughan Rd., Ashland, VA 23005.
Tickets are also available at the following retail locations: Ashwood Garden & Nursery, 11374 Ashcake Rd., Ashland, VA 23005, (804) 798-2280; Cross Brothers Grocery, 107 Center St., Ashland, VA 23005, (804) 798-8311; Twiggs Garden Center, 15474 Pouncey Tract Rd., Rockville, VA 23146, (804) 640-7049.
LUNCHEON: Provided by Berea Baptist Church. Boxed lunch $10, served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Berea Baptist Church located at the intersection of Rte 623 and Rte 271. (See map on tour ticket.) Lunches must be reserved and prepaid by April 7. Contact Andrea, Tues., Wed., or Thurs. at (804) 749-3597 for reservations. Make checks payable to Berea Baptist Church and mail to P.O. Box 280, Rockville, VA 23146.
REFRESHMENTS: Served from 2 to 4 p.m., on the patio, at the home of Dr. and Mrs. James G. Bruce, 16634 MLC Lane, weather permitting.
DIRECTIONS: From Richmond, take 64W to the Manakin/Rockville Exit 173; proceed toward Rockville on Pouncey Tract (Rte 271) approximately 2.5 mi. to Hylas. At the intersection of Rte 271 and Rte 623 turn right.
From Ashland, follow Ashcake Rd. (Rte 657) west toward Rockville approximately 10 mi.; it will become Ashland Rd. (Rte 623) along the way. At the intersection of Rte 623 and Rte 271 (Pouncey Tract) turn left.
From Charlottesville, take 64E to the Manakin/Rockville Exit 173; proceed toward Rockville on Pouncey Tract (Rte 271) approximately 2.5 mi. to Hylas. At the intersection of Rte 271 and Rte 623, turn right.
PROPERTIES MAY BE VISITED IN ANY ORDER
VILLA ORANJE, 12610 Lizfield Way, Glen Allen 23059. Proceed south on Rte 271 toward Henrico County for 1.8 mi., turn right at the stoplight, continuing to follow Rte 271 an additional 0.4 mi. to Periwinkle Rd., turn right. Continue on Periwinkle Rd. 0.2 mi. and turn right onto Stone Horse Rd. Travel along Stone Horse Rd. through the columns at Westfield 0.4 mi. and turn left onto Lizfield Way. Villa Oranje will be the 2nd house on your right. Please park along the road. Built in 2001, this European-inspired villa resides on almost five acres and transports visitors halfway around the world. Designed by Danish architect Bodil Hanneman, special attention was given to light and symmetry. The H-shaped house emphasizes balance at every turn. Eleven uniform glass doors open to a terraced backyard where covered porches invite gatherings of friends by the outside fireplace to view the pool and pool house, amid drifts of roses, gardenias and crape myrtles. The pool and pool house were later additions and with full kitchen and bar are ideal for gracious backyard entertaining.
The interior continues the European theme, emphasizing Mr. de Wolff’s Dutch heritage as well as the family’s love of travel. A collection of art from both local and international artists was carefully chosen for the memories each piece evokes. Most prized is a portrait in the living room of the owners’ boys by local artist Loryn Brazier. An active family, the de Wolffs have achieved a sophisticated style while ensuring a comfortable home for their teenage boys. Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week. Mr. and Mrs. Theo J. de Wolff, owners.
16637 MLC LANE, Rockville, 23146. (Note: this property can only be accessed from Walnut Hill Drive.) From Villa Oranje, turn right onto Stonehorse Rd., travel 0.4 mi. and turn left onto Periwinkle Rd., travel 0.2 mi. to Pouncey Tract (Rte 271), turn left and go 0.4 mi. to the stoplight, turn left and continue on Rte 271 N for 4.6 mi. Turn right on Rte 622 (Walnut Hill Drive), travel 0.6 mi. continuing straight on Rte 734 (Henley Rd.) and go 0.5 mi. to MLC Lane. This charming brick Colonial Revival is nestled on 12 acres surrounded by rolling green pastures. Transformed over the last 17 years, the modest half-century-old house has grown to a spacious accommodation. More than doubling the original square footage, the homeowners have created extensive modern living space specific to their family’s needs. Nearly six years ago, the back of the house was exposed, the kitchen expanded, and a stunning family room added with 24-foot ceilings, reclaimed beams, floor-to-ceiling windows, 1700s heart-pine flooring and massive aged brick fireplace. Reflecting Southern hospitality and family heritage, the interior is a perfect pairing of old and new; a tradition that is continued in the year-old addition of an expansive master suite with luxurious bath.
Landscaping around the house repeats the blend of old and new. Collections of boxwood abound; many more than 100 years old, from cuttings and plantings at Coolwater, the homeowner’s family home. Azaleas, roses, gardenias and flowering fruit trees add color alongside plantings of daffodils and tulips. Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart R. Hargrove, owners.
16634 MLC LANE, Rockville, 23146. (Note: This property can only be accessed from Walnut Hill Drive.) Located directly across the lane from 16637 MLC Lane. A gracefully curving drive landscaped by extended gardens beckons visitors to this gracious home. Built in the late 1970s, the house is dominated by a steeply-vaulted central section with a three-story chimney, around which the residence was built. Sixty-nine tons of local granite were used in the construction of the chimney’s 62-foot height. Extensive remodeling by the current owners accents the distinctive form of the original house, yet enhances style, function, light and views appropriate for contemporary country living. Unusual features include a bronze pelican banked in flight against the upper chimney and a petrified wood cross-section coffee table.
The most important improvements involve the connection of interior and exterior. Multiple plein aire spaces visible from an extensive rear deck connect bluestone terraces and garden paths, inviting easy outdoor living and entertainment. Both owners are avid gardeners and have transformed the woods surrounding the home into a series of lovely garden spaces. His gardens are in the shade and feature sweeps of ferns and groundcovers. Her gardens are in the sun and some shade, featuring perennials and shrubs for cut-flower purposes. Deciduous hollies, azaleas and numerous conifers thrive. Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week. Dr. and Mrs. James G. Bruce, owners.
SWANANNA, 12335 South Anna Drive, Rockville, 23146.From MLC Lane, follow Henley Rd. (Rte 734) 0.5 mi. until it becomes Walnut Hill Drive, proceed 0.6 mi. to the intersection of Rte 622 and Rte 271, turn left. Travel south on Rte 271 (Pouncey Tract) approximately 0.8 mi to Rte 703 (South Anna Drive) turn left and proceed 1.3 mi. Swananna is on the left at the intersection of Rte 703 and Rte 673 (Howard’s Mill Rd.). Please park along Rte 703 (South Anna Drive) A welcoming front porch awaits visitors at the end of a boxwood-lined stone walk. The home, named for an early owner, Dr. John Thomas Swann, was a gift from his father-in-law in the late-18th century. Swann’s wife, Jane, was the daughter of Patrick Henry’s half-brother, Col. John Syme. The Swann Tract is believed to have originally extended to the South Anna River and to have been part of the original Rocky Mill’s Tract. By 1880, the Swann home was no longer standing, and an 1850s frame and log structure on the property became the foundation for the den today and the “new” Swananna. Of note are heart-pine floors throughout and heart-pine cabinetry in the kitchen, milled from trees more than 200 years old, custom-designed and restored by Haley Pearsall cabinet makers, located at Tuckahoe Plantation. Owners for generations have left their marks on the home, including a major addition in 2002 and a beautiful extended-family residence adjacent to the house built by the current owners in 2009.
The lawn is planted with 180 boxwoods, creating a feeling of privacy and calm. Throughout the garden ancient cedar trees, pecans and black walnuts abound. Redbuds, azaleas and an assortment of flowering fruit trees color the landscape in springtime. The homeowners’ love of history, preservation and land is evident. Robert and Shannon McKelvey, owners.
12346 CASCO MILL LANE, 12346 Casco Mill Lane, Montpelier,23192.From Swananna, turn left onto Howard’s Mill Rd. (Rte 673) and proceed 0.3 mi. Turn left onto Casco Mill Lane, and 12346 is straight ahead accessible by the cobblestone drive. Parking to the rear of the property. A stroll through this Japanese garden along the South Anna River is a magical experience. Sizable rocks thoughtfully placed and carefully chosen, along the drive and around the edges of the pond and property, recall the coastline of Japan where rocks rise abruptly off-shore. Lush green moss grows in abundance, accenting the varied greens and textures of Japanese maples, ferns, nandina and Japanese holly. Muted hues are soothing and visually appealing. The colors of flowers are believed to distract from the beauty of the “greens,” so as in Japan, the only flowers are those from native Virginia trees such as dogwood, cherry and redbud, pruned in the traditional Japanese style. Stepping stones and bridges lead on a journey where the sound of a cascading waterfall in the spring-fed pond is never far away. A Virginia cedar azumaya or “resting place” shades the pond, offering a quiet place for reflection. In her 25-year-old landscape, Mrs. Liesfeld, a native of Japan, appears to have effortlessly blended the five main elements of a Japanese garden: stone, water, plants, ornament and structures with beautiful Virginia resources.
In Japanese culture, people are part of nature and must stay in touch with it in their daily lives. This harmony can be felt within the home’s washitsu or “traditional room,” where wooden doors slide open to a wall of glass with views of the river, pond and gardens below. Take your shoes off to tour the room and enjoy an exhibit of exquisitely handcrafted traditional Japanese dolls, many created by Mrs. Liesfeld. Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week. Junko Liesfeld, owner.
OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST:
12263 AUBURN MILL ROAD, Glen Allen, 23059.From 12346 Casco Mill Lane, turn left on Howard’s Mill Rd. (Rte 673) and travel 0.6 mi. to St. Peter’s Church Rd. (Rte 611), turn right, travel 0.7mi. turn right on Auburn Mill Rd. (Rte 675). Proceed approximately 1.7 mi.; parking on left, follow signs to Mr. Henry’s grave on the right side of Auburn Mill Rd. A quaint walk through the dappled shade of the woods leads to a clearing and an unexpected surprise. Among drifts of periwinkle lies the final resting place of John Henry, father of Patrick Henry. Recognized and marked by The Daughters of the American Revolution in 1984, this site is located just behind the knoll where Mt. Brilliant, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry once stood. Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week. The Rada Family, owners.
From 12263 Auburn Mill Road (Rte 675), proceed 0.1 mi. to the intersection of Rte 675 and Rte 670 (Stone Horse Creek Rd.). Turn left and proceed approximately 1.7 mi. on Rte. 670 to Mountain Rd. (Rte 33). Rte 33 east will return to Richmond, or continue on and visit Scotchtown.
SCOTCHTOWN. To travel to Scotchtown, take 33W and travel 1.7 mi. to Scotchtown Rd. (Rte 671), turn right. Continue on Rte 671 5.8 mi. to Chiswell Ln. (Rte 740). Turn left, Scotchtown is on the right. Patrick Henry, the first Governor of Virginia, lived here with his wife and their children from 1771-78. Scotchtown is a National Historic Landmark and a Virginia Historic Landmark. Separate admission.