BRUNSWICK CLUB TOUR:
EMPORIA-PURDY
Sponsored by The Brunswick Garden Club
Saturday, April 26, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Chairman:
Bev Hudson (Mrs. W.A. Hudson)
108 Rollingwood Drive
Lawrenceville, VA 23868
Telephone (434) 848-4229
Co-Chairman:
Terry Blackwell (Mrs. Kevin)
7752 Liberty Road
Dolphin, VA 23843
Telephone (434) 848-2045
E-mail Thb3girls@aol.com
INFORMATION CENTER:
Village View
221 Briggs Street
Emporia, VA 23847
Telephone (434) 634-4909
Restrooms facilities
Parking available for cars, vans and buses
FULL TICKET: $15; single-site admission, $5. 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 the information center and any of the houses open for the tour. Tickets may be purchased in advance by accessing www.VAGardenweek.org. Properties need not be visited in the order listed.
LUNCHEON: A box lunch, $12, will be prepared by the Riparian Women’s Club and served at the information center, Village View, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Advanced reservations are required and must be made by April 11. For information and reservations contact Mrs. Amelia Teel, 106 Goodwyn Street, Emporia, VA (434) 348-3409.
DIRECTIONS TO INFORMATION CENTER: From I-95 take 58E into Emporia, at traffic light turn right onto Market St. (Business 58) which curves into W. Atlantic St., continue on W. Atlantic St. to second traffic light turning right onto Main St. (301-S). Continue on Main St., through three traffic lights to Briggs St. on left. Turn left onto Briggs St., and Village View is immediately in front of you. Maps available here for directions to all properties.
VILLAGE VIEW. A Virginia Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in the 1790s by the young bachelor James Wall, Jr., Village View is a handsome Federal-style plantation. It overlooked the old village of Hicksford on the south bank of the Meherrin River, then Brunswick County. The history of Village View chronicles the lives of generations of the Wall, Land and Briggs families. The house stands tall and serene in a beautiful park-like setting. On the grounds once were a grist mill, several brick kilns and servant quarters in addition to the residence and its dependencies. Noted for its distinctive architecture, Village View contains hand-carved mantels, sophisticated hand-carved side and fan lights, Ionic columns and French moldings.
Village View is serving as the Information Center and site of the luncheon for this tour. Guides will be on hand to give tours of the house.
The first three properties are all located in the town of Emporia. Directions are available at Village View and are printed on back of tour ticket.
304 CHURCH STREET. AGreycroft, built in
1910, was once a part of AIngleside Plantation, a 510-acre site near the
AVillage of Hicksford, now Emporia. The large, three-story, twenty-room
grey stucco home is furnished with a collection of family pieces, including
a mid-18th century Chippendale desk from Mr. Wrenn’s grandparents’ home,
APrinceton, in Sussex County. A pine four-poster 1850s bed belonged
to Mr. Wrenn’s mother and displays a hand-crochet bedspread made
by Mr. Wrenn’s maternal grandmother. A 19th century mahogany
four-poster bed, purchased from the estate of Miss Laura Briggs, is enhanced
with a hand-crocheted spread and canopy made by Mrs. Wrenn’s mother. The
dining room contains a hunt board from the 1800s and an Empire serving
board with paw feet. Early 1900s collections of ruby-font Bohemian lamps
are used throughout the house. Also enhancing the interior décor
are Oriental rugs and a collection of Italian Morano ruby glassware. The
library contains a Queen Anne writing desk, fireplace and a collection
of leather-bound volumes.
The back of the house features a slate patio
complemented by a stone fountain in a bed of azaleas and hosta. The swimming
pool is enclosed by a handsome wrought-iron fence and landscaped with spectacular
roses, hydrangea, camellia, crape myrtle and climbing jasmine. The spacious
shady side and backyard has many tall shade trees accented with shade-loving
plants. This area lends itself to the owners’ enjoyment of
entertaining friends and family. Open for the first time for Historic
Garden Week. Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Wrenn, owners.
402 MEHERRIN AVENUE, Garden only.
The owner, beginning work on this garden only six years ago, has a created
a lovely, serene setting with many Agarden rooms. From the back
of her house, the land slopes gradually down to the river with several
levels on the way. As you move through the paths toward the river,
you walk through and by many interesting spaces featuring flagstone patios,
sitting areas, many small and almost hidden statuary, stone work, metal
whimsical pieces and a bridge, all seeming to center and move toward a
tall cedar cross covered with confederate jasmine. Ms. Burton loves
rocks and has used them in abundance building rock walls, edging flower
beds and defining areas.
There is much creativity in this garden, and
imagination abounds with old English washtubs being used for water plants,
an old sewing machine base transformed into a table by adding a concrete top,
and interesting bird-feeding stations.
Plants and trees to be seen are
azaleas, bulbs, hosta, pachysandra, hydrangea, annuals, red bud, weeping willow,
tansy redbud, white cedar and much more. The gardens and river attract
much wildlife, adding to the pleasure this retreat gives to its owner, who
created it to be a shady, peaceful, spiritual and happy place. Open
for Historic Garden Week for the first time. Sara Squire Burton, owner.
321 HALIFAX STREET. Built in 1904, the Virginia
Hotel was a functioning hotel until the mid-1960s. It was considered
to be a quite luxurious place when constructed to service the railroad,
which had two lines coming through Emporia at that time. Over the years,
the building has housed a variety of businesses and seen several transformations. The
present owners began restoration in October 2004, but the work was interrupted
by the dramatic collapse of the entire back wall of the structure in January
2005. However, not to be deterred from their goal, they rebuilt
the back wall, strengthened the building throughout and salvaged bricks
from the collapsed exterior wall, which are now used as a decorative feature
on an interior wall. Restoration work was completed this past fall
when the building opened as an antique store featuring European antiques.
The
front of the hotel, which had been changed during its years operating as other
businesses, has been restored to its original style. The
white oak flooring with a tung oil finish used throughout is original,
salvaged from the upper floors. The wallpaper is a reproduction of the
original paper, scraps of which were uncovered in the salvaging process.
Also, the paint colors used are the result of paint chips found during
the restoration process. The stairway, which had been removed during
the building’s various functions, has been reconstructed as it was
originally designed. Light is provided by schoolhouse-style light fixtures
which were once in a now-closed local elementary school. Bead-board wainscoting
has been used throughout after it was determined that this was what was
used originally.
Of interest are the showcases the owners are using. They
were originally commissioned by a local merchant, J.P. Taylor, a jeweler
in the early 1900s and later used by another local jewelry store before
being placed here. These solid oak cabinets showcase one the
world’s largest collections of Yellow Satin Vaseline Glass. Open
for the first time. Hannah R. Barrett and Harvey R. Clement, owners.
The following three properties are all located off the Purdy Rd. Maps are available at Village View and are on the back of the tour ticket.
Purdy Area—115 Meadow Bank Road
115 MEADOW BANK ROAD. This Williamsburg style-house,
gambrel roof with a wing, built in 1982 occupies the site of the original
family home constructed around 1800. An 1890 addition to the original
home remains on the property and is used as a workshop by the owner. The
pine flooring from the original house was saved and used in the new residence
as were bricks and mantels for fireplaces. Of particular interest
in the dining room is a grandfather clock made in Aberdeen, Scotland, around
1816. Also in the dining room are matching walnut corner cupboards
which were built for the owner by a man who worked for Biggs furniture.
The home, which has a lovely flow from room to room, was
designed by the owner’s
late wife. The couple returned to Greensville County
to retire. Mr. Rae’s work required him to travel extensively throughout
the world, and his travels are reflected in collections throughout the
interior such as the Hummel grouping in the living room. Also in
the living room of special interest is the needlepoint fireplace screen
done by his wife. Other pieces of her needlework are displayed throughout
the house.
The kitchen featuring beautiful cabinets leads to the breakfast
dining area and den, a comfortable and bright living area overlooking the
deck and swimming pool.
A circular driveway in front of the house complements an extraordinary
pecan tree which is known to have been planted in the 1870s. The residence
is landscaped with English box and selected trees. Two huge English box from
the original home were successfully moved and saved. Open for Historic Garden
Week for the first time. Eugene F. Rae, owner.
318 SCOTLAND DRIVE. The Alexander
Watson Batte house is listed in the National Register of Historic Landmarks
and Virginia Landmarks Register. Originally an overseer’s home for
the larger manor house, construction began in 1813 and was completed in
1825. The present restoration of the structure with its stone and
cement foundation was completed last spring. Entering through the
original door into the living room, notice the murals of the seasons of
the year which were done by local artist Tommy Spivey. Of special
interest here is the wooden lock used on the door to the sun room. The
lock is one-of-a-kind and has been researched and reproduced by the Colonial
Williamsburg Foundation. The master bedroom, which adjoins the living
room, features an old reproduction bed, lovely wardrobe and trunk. You
will continue downstairs to the colorful and bright kitchen and family
room, a space which until this restoration was mostly a dirt floor. The
pine flooring used in this area and in the stairway was reclaimed from
an old warehouse and is 1.5 inches thick. Throughout the house are
décor touches which reflect the family’s interest in raising
Black Angus cattle.
In the backyard are a raised-bed herb garden and
sun dials of interest. The large pecan tree in front is more than 200 years
old and may be one of the oldest in the state. Large English box are
located at the corners of the farmhouse. On the property, there are two
old cemeteries dating to the 1880s. Open for the first time. Dr.
and Mrs. Peter W. Squire, owners.
319 SCOTLAND DRIVE. Here you will find scenic
hillside woodland gardens surrounding a white-cedar log house. The owners
built the original residence in 1983 and completed an addition in 1991. Starting
with a red-clay, eroding hillside and old woods, they transformed their property
into a riot of springtime color and continuing hues and shapes throughout
the year. Approaching the log home and gardens, note the great variety
of trees and the split-rail fence entry graced by a Lady Banks rose on one
side and a climbing Peace rose on the other. There are more than 200
varieties of plants on the property in varied settings. A shady wooded area
features rhododendron, bleeding heart, columbine, azaleas, wild ginger, coral
bells, wood hyacinth and other shade-loving plants. Another area contains
the curious Harry Lauder Walking Stick plant and large Formosa azaleas. The
entire property is bordered by shrubs, flower beds and natural woods. Being
concerned for the environment, the owners practice Agreen gardening, using
as few chemicals as possible.
Of special interest in the interior
are the cabinetwork in the kitchen and doors throughout built by Mr. Avent. Family
pieces in the dining room overlooking the sunken den include a round oak dining
table, sideboard and a quilt used as a decorative piece. The overall sense
of this home and its surrounding landscape is one of peacefulness. Richard
V. Avent and Joyce O. Rae, owners.