CHASE CITY
Sponsored by The Brunswick Garden Club
Saturday, April 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MacCallum More Museum and Gardens
603
Hudgins St., Chase City, VA
Admission: $3.50
For information, call Liz Lowrance (434) 372-0502.
E-mail at mmmg@verizon.net
Website www.mmmg.org
Colorful garden paths winding by historic treasures contribute to the enjoyable atmosphere of MacCallum More Museum and Gardens. MacCallum More is Scottish for “Home of the Clan.” Areas of the gardens are dedicated to relations of the Hudgins/Morton families. Lucy Morton Hudgins, wife of Edward Wrenn Hudgins, former Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, began the formal gardens in 1929. Their son, Naval Commander William Henry Hudgins, brought home statues and fountains from all over the world. Within the five acres are found a fascinating moongate, a stone cloister from Spain with each column depicting a story from the Bible, a Granada fountain and other statuary. In the spring, azaleas, redbud and dogwood create a beautiful mass of color. The five-acre maintained gardens, arboretum and wildlife habitat feature a memorial white garden, a pink garden, a rose garden and other plants and flowers — all highlighting the unique collection of fountains, statues and architectural elements from around the world.
The Museum contains the Arthur Robertson Collection of Native American Artifacts. The collection dates over a period of 12,000 years and illustrates the seven periods of Native American culture with some of the rarest and most unusual pieces found in the area. The Museum also houses permanent exhibits of Thyne Institute, an African-American boarding and day school established in 1876 in Chase City, and the Mecklenburg Springs Hotel and Spa Exhibit. The Gardens contain a Certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat area, as well as being an official site on the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail. The Gift Shop, located in the original carriage house, offers a wonderful assortment of garden-related items and gift ideas. MacCallum More was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Registry in the fall of 2009 with the expectation of being listed on the National Registry.