LEXINGTON
Sponsored by the Blue Ridge Garden Club
Saturday, April 26, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
INFORMATION CENTER
Visitors' Center of Lexington
106 East Washington Street
Lexington, VA 24450
Telephone: (540) 463-3777
Web site: www.lexingtonvirginia.com
Chairman:
Beverly Slaydon (Mrs. Herbert)
106 West McDowell Street
Lexington, VA 24450
Telephone: (540) 463-5047
Co-Chairman:
Ann Murchison (Mrs. Brian C.)
207 Overhill Drive
Lexington, VA 24450
Telephone: (540) 463-6545
E-mail: murchisona@wlu.edu
Advance Ticket Sales:
In Lexington: Artisans on Washington Street
22 West Washington Street
By Mail: Please send stamped, self addressed business- size envelope by
April 19. Include check made payable to BRGC:
Mrs. Lee McLaughlin, Jr.
946 Walkers Creek Road
Rockbridge Baths, VA 24473
By Web: www.VAGardenweek.org
TICKETS: Full ticket only (no single-site admission available): Advance ticket fee until April 25: $15; Day of tour: $20. Tickets and maps are available at the Visitors' Center and at each house on the day of the tour. Tickets may also be purchased in advance by accessing www.VAGardenweek.org.
Light refreshments will be served at the Lyle House, 110 West McDowell Street.
DIRECTIONS: To Lexington from I-81 and I-64 (Note: Between Staunton and Lexington I-81 and I-64 are conjoined.)
Two of the tour properties are within the town of Lexington and two are in the countryside.
TOWN TOUR: ( To central Lexington - Visitors' Center) From I-81 Exit 188 B on Rt. 60 West; 3 mi. to Lexington; follow signs to Visitors' Center, 106 E. Washington St. Follow the green arrows to 302 South Jefferson St. and 110 West McDowell St.
COUNTY TOUR: (From central Lexington - Visitors' Center, 106 E. Washington St.) Drive 2 blocks west and turn right onto Main St. (Rt. 11 North). Cross the Maury River - Veterans' Memorial Bridge. Immediately turn east (right) onto Old Buena Vista Rd. Follow the green arrows to 93 Riverbend Drive and 287 Riverbend Drive.
COUNTY TOUR: (From north of Lexington) From
I-81/I-64 Exit 191 to I-64 west; Exit 55 to Rt. 11 South (turn left). At
the 3rd stoplight, turn east (left) onto Old Buena Vista Rd.; Follow the
green arrows to to 93 Riverbend Drive and 287
Riverbend Drive
“Vistas and Verandas”
302 SOUTH JEFFERSON STREET. This handsome
clapboard, mid-19th century townhouse on one of Lexington's oldest streets
has undergone several transformations. The original three-story, two-room-deep
structure was typical of early area houses and was duplicated to one side
later in the century. Finally, an addition to the rear completed the
floor plan. The current owners, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Patrick, moved from upstate
New York in 2006 bringing with them antique and family furnishings, many
favoring the Empire period, and charming and unusual American primitive and
folk art items from the Northeast.
Moreover, the Patricks have varied and striking collections. Beautifully
displayed against deep Chinese-red dining room walls are exquisite Japanese
Imari porcelains. In the newly renovated kitchen, amended to be in keeping
with the tenor of the house, is a handsome array of pottery from the various
clay works of Lyons, New York. Mr. Patrick noted that these early 19th
century beverage jugs and food crocks could be considered the “Tupperware” storage
of yesteryear. A contemporary collection must be cited as the march of the
penguins; a delightful band of miniature figures shelved in the family room.
Behind the house, an in-town garden has been designed with fragrant
viburnum, hydrangeas, a small-leafed `Elizabeth' magnolia and French
mulberry, among the many shrubs and perennials in this convivial spot. Mr.
and Mrs. Ronald Patrick, owners.
Lexington—110 West McDowell
110 WEST MCDOWELL. On this quaint, shaded
street is an excellent example of local buildings constructed in the aftermath
of the Civil War. The original portion of the two-story brick house, built
initially as a school in 1867, was one-room wide and deep. In 1939, a brick
addition enlarged the structure, and further alterations were made in 1986.
The most recent transformation to the property is an extended first-floor
bedroom wing built in 2005
Since 1967, Katie Letcher Lyle, a well-known local author of 21 books,
has carefully preserved the personality of the oldest portion of the house
by retaining the original exterior brick wall in the dining room, furnishing
the rooms with antiques and treasured memorabilia, and by adding such features
as a raw-beamed kitchen ceiling. The new wing, designed by Ms. Lyle and her
partner, George Charles, also reflects the essence of the older house.
Of particular charm and interest is the doll house that Ms. Lyle
created for her daughter in 1977. The five-shelved structure is an ongoing
project, as Ms. Lyle frequently adds new miniature objects to the tiny rooms.
A series of garden rooms and fountains, each with a special identity,
extend into the rear of the property on either side of a wide lawn allee, inviting
all to this spacious, in-town enchanting garden. Ms. Katie Letcher Lyle, owner.
93 RIVERBEND DRIVE. Few houses are situated
quite so spectacularly as 93 Riverbend Drive, with panoramic views from every
room for a 360-degree sweep of the surrounding beautiful mountains and countryside.
In 1991, builders took full advantage of this idyllic setting to construct
a contemporary house of wood and glass-windowed walls. Particular attention
was given to the detail in the interior wood-paneled walls and ceiling in
the great room. The current owners, Mr. and Mrs. Rex Lamb, bought the house
in the fall of 2006.
"We have always lived in traditional houses with traditional furnishings," according
to Mrs. Lamb, "but we could not resist the house and the extraordinary
views." Indeed, the fine antique furnishings, some having been in the
families since the 1700s, are very much at home in this handsome, spacious
modern structure. Of note are the imposing 18th century English grandfather
clock and the Sheraton desk.
Mr. Lamb's interest in hunting and fishing is manifest in his extensive
troop of wooden decoys displayed throughout the house. Of equal interest are
the exquisite needlepoint works of three generations of Mrs. Lamb's family,
a charming “flock” of ornamental sheep and lambs, an elegant demitasse
collection, and many paintings and prints. Container gardens of flowering
spring bulbs and fragrant shrubs complete the invitation to this springtime
tour. Mr. and Mrs. Rex M. Lamb III, owners.
287 RIVERBEND DRIVE. Tucked onto a hillside overlooking
treetops to the cliffs along the Maury River, this charming three-story,
contemporary cabin-style house, built in 1992, is a true gem. A balcony surrounds
the house on three sides, and locally made bent-wood chairs invite guests
to sit and enjoy the sublime countryside. Inside this welcoming house,
owned by Ms. Kate Buford, are many fascinating furnishings and works of art. Her
collections range from numerous paintings and photographs by local and Hudson
Valley artists to treasured engravings and memorabilia from around the world.
Particularly noteworthy is the array of old maps and prints. Among these
are a map of 18th century Ireland and maps of 1836 showing the reservations
allocated to the Great Lakes, Eastern and Southeastern Native American tribes
when they were relocated to the Western and Oklahoma Territory. An unusual
and beautiful framed quilt, made from pieces of century-old wedding dresses
from India, hangs in the great room. Of further interest are the valued
antique furnishings from her native California and collections of early Virginia
and Rockbridge County farm and dairy implements.
Ms. Buford is the author of several books, including biographies of
film actor Burt Lancaster and renowned Indian athlete Jim Thorpe. Old
posters of these two famous men can be seen in several rooms, in addition to
a letter to Ms. Buford from film star Katherine Hepburn. Ms. Kate Buford,
owner.
NOTE: Due to uneven surfaces at the private properties, this tour is not suitable for handicapped accessibility
OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST:
Washington and Lee University: With funding
from Historic Garden Week tours, The Garden Club of Virginia landscaped the
Lee Chapel Memorial Garden (1993) and Terrace (1977) and the garden at The
Lee House (1994).
Virginia Military Institute: Jackson Memorial Hall and Memorial
Gardens and the George C. Marshall Museum.
The Stonewall Jackson House on Washington Street.
The Roots and Shoots Garden at the Waddell Elementary School, Jordan Street at Woods Creek Park. Winner of The Garden Club of Virginia's Common Wealth Award on 1997.
The Natural Bridge: A National Historic Landmark, owned by Thomas Jefferson for 50 years. 15 miles south of Lexington at Routes 11 and 130. I-81 exits 175 or 180.