EASTERN SHORE OF VIRGINIA
Sponsored by The Garden Club of the Eastern Shore
Saturday, April 24. All sites open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
WEBSITES: www.esgardentours.com
DIRECTIONS TO TOUR AREA: From the south: Rte 13 (Northampton Blvd) in Virginia Beach to Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and continue north on Rte 13. From the north: Delaware Memorial Bridge to Rte 1 South to Rte 13 South. From Washington/Baltimore: Rte 50 East across Bay Bridge at Annapolis and continue on Rte 50 East to Rte 13 South at Salisbury. In immediate tour area, follow directions given for each tour stop below.
Co-Chairmen:
Katie Harvard (Mrs. Scott C.)
24364 Swan Lane
Onancock, VA 23417
Telephone: (757) 787-3886
E-mail: klhwsh@yahoo.com
Libba Neal (Mrs. William K. II)
5426 Bayford Road
Franktown, VA 23354
Telephone: (757) 442-5768
E-mail: libba@intercom.net
TICKETS: Full ticket, $35; single-site admission, $10. Children ages 6-12, $17; younger children, free. Children age 17 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets sold on tour day at all houses, which may be visited in any order. Checks payable to G.C.E.S accepted; no credit cards. Access www.VAGardenweek.org for internet tickets.
FESTIVE LUNCH VENUE: Box lunches by the Eastville Inn ($9, inclusive) may be purchased at the Barrier Islands Center, near Machipongo. Picnickers are welcome at this tented site, featuring exhibits and sales from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. by the Eastern Shore Art League and Mattawoman Organic Farm, a family owned, certified organic farm. There will be live music featuring Stefan Dulcie 12:30-2 p.m. Free museum admission; handicap-accessible restrooms available.
TOUR INFORMATION: Questions regarding ticket purchases, bus tours, local accommodations or any related concerns may be directed to Fleet Davis at (757) 442-4932) Email: skipandfleet@verizon.net
TOUR AT A GLANCE: Rural life on the Eastern Shore has long been sustained by agriculture and the harvesting of seafood. Historic Garden Week visitors will have the opportunity to view the business and the beauty of these industries. Vast expanses of planted fields border the houses and gardens open for the 2010 tour, and most properties are sited near the waterways that served as travel routes in earlier times. More modern, and responsible, agricultural practices showcased on the Shore include conservation techniques such as buffer zones planted with native and other appropriate shrubs and trees.
CAPE ESCAPE, 26130 Lankford Highway, Capeville 23313. Entrance on west side of Rte 13 approximately 6.3 mi. north of the Toll Plaza at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Approaching the home through an elegant allee´ of long-established crape myrtles, the visitor comes upon a seemingly traditional Eastern Shore farmhouse. Cape Escape is slow to reveal its present purpose: a rural getaway lovingly renovated by the current owners and intended to serve as a relaxing playground for an extended family.
Timber floated to the mainland from Smith Island was used in the construction of the house, which dates to 1825. The most recent addition was completed in 2006. A genteel ambiance emanates from this fine structure which contains generously proportioned rooms, high ceilings and unusual woodwork. The shaded porch gives way to a doorway crowned by a fanlight that is repeated above the door to the dining room. A den on the left and a more formal parlor flank the entryway. The midsection of the house contains a large family room with adjacent kitchen. Period furniture throughout the interior was purchased locally. Upstairs, expansive views of Eastern Shore farmland and massive camellias can be enjoyed from the master bedroom and a small upstairs porch.
Dependencies include an old potato storage shed converted into a game room. An attached barn contains toys for children of all ages—a full complement of John Deere motorized vehicles. The pool and adjoining pavilion complete the peaceful setting. Open for the first time by Mr. and Mrs. I. Reese Smith, Sr.
BONDEROSA, 2510 Old Cape Charles Road, Cape Charles 23310. At Cape Charles stoplight, turn west on Rte 184 (Stone Rd.), proceed 0.4 mi., turn left on Parsons Circle, make first right turn onto Old Cape Charles Rd. Drive 0.7 mi. to entrance on left. Located outside of Cape Charles, this property has it all: 100 acres of privacy; a distinctive house, portions of which date to the mid-18th century; outbuildings including a guesthouse; magnificent gardens; and a verdant sloping lawn providing a vista to the headwaters of Old Plantation Creek. Modifications to the house were made over the years and continued with the 1992 purchase of the property by its present owners. Meticulous and uncompromising attention to detail has guided recent renovations.
Furnishings in the more formal parts of the interior respect its heritage, while the large den is comfortably fashioned for family living. The exquisite work of Stuart Verret, a Richmond furniture maker, is on display at Bonderosa. Verret-made pieces include the highboy and end tables in the living room, a cupboard in the den, and the dining table and sideboard. Living spaces are tastefully accessorized with the decorative arts of regional artists.
A side entrance opens to a brick walkway and pool area. This wonderful property—complex, gracious and sophisticated on the one hand, warm and welcoming on the other—stands as a testament to the energy and enthusiasm of the owners and personifies the pleasing homes and gardens offered for public visitation during Historic Garden Week in Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Mark C. Bundy, owners.
EYRE HALL, 3215 Eyre Hall Dr., Cheriton. Entrance on west side of Rte 13 between Cheriton and Eastville (see Rte 636 on right). This celebrated 18th century plantation on Cherrystone Creek is one of the most photographed properties in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Eyre family’s prominent Northampton County history began in 1623, when Thomas Eyre arrived to take up land patents here. By 1758, his great-grandson, Littleton, had purchased the present site and completed the gambrel-roofed manor house. Now owned by the builder’s 8th generation descent, Eyre Hall possesses an assured authenticity made possible by continuous family stewardship. Visitors find superb American antiques, ancestral portraits by Benjamin West and Thomas Sully, and handsome accessories occupying the same spaces for which they were first acquired. In the entrance hall, scenic blocked wallpaper printed in 1815 by the French company duFour offers an example of the sophisticated style that embellishes the residence. The stately yellow dining room displays family silver and a monogrammed Chinese export dinner service ordered in 1800 to commemorate the death of George Washington. Throughout the house, careful observers will note original brass hardware and exceptional woodwork, featuring full paneling, pilasters, modillion cornices and fluted keystones.
The plantation’s magnificent brick-walled garden, established by John Eyre about 1805, is considered the oldest in Virginia to have been continuously maintained. Encompassing over two acres, the design features parterres lined with mammoth ancient box overhung by towering crape myrtles at least 150 years old. In more recent years, the parterres have been planted with traditional English-style mixed borders which promise a delightful colorful display for tour visitors. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a Virginia Landmark, Eyre Hall has for many years been graciously opened for Garden Week by its owner, Mr. H. Furlong Baldwin.
Eastern Shore—Chatham
CHATHAM, 9218 Chatham Road, Machipongo 23405. Turn west off Rte 13 at the Barrier Island Center onto Young St. (Rte 627). Take the first right onto Bayside Rd. (Rte 618). Follow Bayside Rd. for approximately 3 mi. to a left turn onto Church Neck Rd. (Rte 619). Chatham Road will be an immediate right. Chatham,a stately Federal-style home located on Church Creek, is surrounded by almost 300 acres of land protected in a land trust. Brigadier General Pitts, a prominent citizen of Northampton County, built the home in 1818 by attaching it to an earlier structure that now serves as a kitchen. The land was patented in 1640, and only five families have resided here.
Since last opening their home to visitors, the owners have added a Federal-style, barrel-vault brick porch with limestone steps, built on the footprint of an earlier porch. The ruin of the Quarters Kitchen now shelters a kitchen garden that is enclosed by old fencing and boxwood. The restoration of Chatham began in 1979. Original paint colors have been used throughout the house. The interior boasts handsome, paneled double doors that open into a broad center hall with an attractive stairwell extending to the third floor. Exquisite woodwork, elaborately carved mantels, in addition to wood graining, marbling and plasterwork, decorate the graciously proportioned rooms. French wallpaper depicting “Scenes of North America,” created by Zuber of Alsace using original 18th century hand-carved woodblocks, is featured in the dining room. Carefully chosen furnishings complement the art and architecture. A display of artifacts found during recent archeological digs on the property can be viewed in the second floor hall.
Three generations of the Wehner family currently enjoy the majesty of Chatham. Thirty-two thousand vinifera grapevines and a winery complete the property which has been a working farm for four centuries. The Wehner Family, owners.
7344 WALKER LANE, Franktown 23354. From Rte 13 in Weirwood turn west on to Rte 617 (Bayford Rd.) 3.96 mi. Stay straight to go onto Walker Lane. The approach to this home, situated in the picturesque hamlet of Bayford, manifests the natural beauty of the area. Long and low with a surprising yet perfectly proportioned two-story section at one end, this is an architect-designed house. It is a geometric structure, set transversely near the end of a long piece of property planted with tall old pines extending to the water’s edge. Despite the fact that the exterior was constructed of industrial-strength materials, the purity of design softens the home’s contours and provides a welcoming feel.
The low section of the house is one large space containing the downstairs rooms of a conventional house. Most of the interior is living room space with deliciously comfortable sofas and a superlatively designed modern brick fireplace dominating one end. A long window provides expansive views of Nassawadox Creek and the Chesapeake Bay.
The house and its setting are a timeless work of modern art, a perfect foil for the graceful antiques and Oriental porcelains that reflect a lifetime of collecting. A treasured collection of paintings by Babbie Dunnington, the celebrated Eastern Shore artist, embellish the interior walls. Landscaping and recent renovations were guided by the homeowner’s desire to reduce maintenance and upkeep. Open for the first time. Susan S. Stinson, owner.
WAREHOUSE, 7154 Cedar Cottage Road, Franktown 23354. From Rte 13 in Weirwood turn west on to Rte 617 (Bayford Rd.). Proceed 1.6 mi. Turn right on Rte 618 (Bayside Rd.). Drive 0.5 mi. and take left on Cedar Cottage Rd. Continue to end of paved surface. Warehouse, surrounded by woods and situated on a creek of the same name, gives an aura of peace and tranquility. Its serenity is preserved amid a conservation landscaping project. The project aims to provide suitable habitat for local and migrating wildlife and to enhance water quality by replacing non-native and invasive species with native trees, shrubs and perennial plants.
The interior is furnished with inherited antiques that reflect the New England and Virginia heritages of the owners. The tower clock face on the living room wall once graced a church steeple in New England and was later used to report high tides to boating traffic. Furnishings also include nautical artifacts and family memorabilia such as oars from Yale crew teams of the 1890s. Maritime paintings, old maps and a collection of Oriental porcelains are displayed throughout.
A conservation theme continues in the dining room, recently paneled in white pine that was dried in a solar kiln in Massachusetts. Note the rare walnut sugar-chest, made in Southside Virginia in the 18th century. Cabinets in the newly renovated kitchen were made by a local cabinetmaker and were inspired by vintage cabinetry in a previous home. The kitchen opens onto a waterside porch with adjoining terrace. Offices and bedrooms complete the first level of the house. Built in 1949 as a summer cottage, Warehouse is open for the first time following an extensive renovation. Dr. and Mrs. Harry S. Holcomb III, owners
OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST:
Staffed during tour hours – No charge except as noted.
Kiptopeke Area: Welcome Center (closes at 4:30 p.m.) at CBBT Toll Plaza; Eastern Shore Wildlife Refuge (closes at 4 p.m.) east off Rte 13, north of Toll Plaza; Kiptopeke State Park, Fee, north of Toll Plaza, west of Rte 13.
Near Capeville: *Arlington Plantation Site & Custis Tombs (1676-96). Rte 644 west from highway.
Cape Charles. Victorian railroad town, Cape Charles Museum, Historic Palace Theatre, The Stage Door Gallery, Rte 184 west at highway stoplight.
Eastville. 1677 County seat. *Historic Courthouse Green (1731), *The Eastville Inn (restaurant); Christ Episcopal Church, (1828). Northampton County Chamber ofCommerce,Rte 631 west at highway stoplight to Courthouse Rd.
Near Machipongo. *Barrier Islands Center & Historic Almshouse Farm (1803). Visible from Rte 13; exit west on Rte 627 (Young St.); Hungars Episcopal Church (1742), Rte 627 west to Rte 618 north; Pear Valley (ca.1740), Rte 627 west to Rte 618 south to Rte 628 west.
Onancock *Ker Place (1799). Eastern Shore of Virginia Historical Society, 69 Market St. Grounds restored by the Garden Club of Virginia. Museum entrance fee, $5, www.kerplace.org. Rte 179 west at Rte 13 stoplight in Onley.
*Virginia Historic Landmark and/or National Register of Historic Places