MARTINSVILLE
“Landscapes to Tablescapes”
Sponsored by The Garden Study Club and The Martinsville Garden Club
Wednesday, April 21, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Chairman:
Kathy Sweet (Mrs. David G.)
1227 Sam Lions Tr.
Martinsville, VA 24112
Telephone: (276) 670-7811
E-mail: dakat119@aol.com
Co-Chairman:
Jane Thomasson (Ms.)
1201 Sam Lions Tr.
Martinsville, VA 24112
Telephone: (276) 638-4112
E-mail: janet_48@comcast.net
FULL TICKET: $15, single-site admission, $8. Children 13 and older, full price; ages 6-12, half price: ages 5 and under, free of charge. Tickets may be purchased on tour day at any of the tour sites. For internet tickets, please access www.VAGardenweek.org . Children younger than 17 must be accompanied by an adult.
ADVANCE TICKETS: Tickets may be purchased from April 1-20 at the Piedmont Arts Association located at 215 Starling Ave., Martinsville (276) 632-3221. Tues.-Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
LUNCHEON: $14, available by advance reservation only, at Chatmoss Country Club, 550 Mt. Olivet Rd. from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Reservations may be made by contacting Donna Lawhon (276) 638-4852, donnalawhon@hotmail.com, or Lynne Beeler (276) 638-1030, ldcb@comcast.net, no later than Friday, April 16.
DIRECTIONS: NOTE: Properties may be visited in any order.
From Rte 220 Bypass: Take the Martinsville/Stuart exit onto Rte 58 East Business. Proceed for 2 mi. and move into the left lane, following signs to Martinsville/220 North Business. Proceed for approximately 1 mi. Turn right onto Starling Ave. and go 1 mi. Turn right onto Mulberry Rd. Continue for 1.9 mi. to the Martin home, 1206 Mulberry Rd. on the right.
From the Martin home to the Smith home, proceed north on Mulberry Rd. for 0.8 mi. Turn right onto Sam Lions Trail and go approximately 0.1 mi., the Smith home 1101 is on your left. From the Smith home to the Ragland home, continue on Sam Lions Trail 0.2 mi. to number 1209.
From the Ragland home to Chatmoss Country Club, return to Mulberry Rd. and make a right turn. Continue 1.2 mi. and turn right on Starling Ave. At the next intersection, turn right on Church St./Rte 58 East. Proceed 3 mi. on Rte 58 East and turn right on Rte 777/Mt. Olivet Rd. for 2 mi. Chatmoss Country Club is number 550 Mt. Olivet Rd.
PARKING: Ample street parking is available when touring the homes. Chatmoss Country Club provides a large parking lot.
RESTROOM FACILITIES: Available at Chatmoss Country Club, 550 Mt. Olivet Rd.
SPECIAL EXHIBIT: An exhibit of 6 tablescapes of varied themes will be on display at Chatmoss Country Club, 550 Mt. Olivet Rd.
NOTE: All tour locations are within zip code 24112.
1206 MULBERRY ROAD. A varied adventure awaits visitors to this recently reconstructed and renovated home. Purchased in 1986 and subsequently expanded by Mr. and Mrs. Martin, the house features rooms and furnishings designed to complement a large family lifestyle and the diverse interests of its owners. An heirloom clock from the owner’s great-grandmother, a Belgian tapestry wall hanging, and a unique frog collection designed by famed bronze sculptor Tim Cotterill in the living room reflect the eclectic nature of the décor. The adjacent dining room features an extra-long table from the owner’s parents, a bronze whale sculpture from Wyland Galleries and an original Chinese pencil drawing of Bengal tigers. Colorful fabrics selected by interior designer Lou Harris decorate the regal master bedroom. Adjoining the bedroom is a ceramic-tiled bath featuring an impressive marble walk-in shower.
French doors lead from each room to a European-style courtyard complete with an outdoor fireplace, dining areas, a center fountain and containers of bright annuals surrounded by well-tended perennial borders. A back stairway leads upstairs to three bedroom suites and a “Kid’s Room,” where the owner’s collections of duck decoys and travel souvenirs enhance the recreational motif. Open for the first time by Mr. and Mrs. William R. Martin, Jr.
1101 SAM LIONS TRAIL. This Southern colonial-style home radiates hospitality and graciousness. Built in 1956, it was bought by Mrs. Wright Smith in 2004 and renovated in 2006-07. The white-columned brick house welcomes visitors from a tree-shaded front lawn to its boxwood-lined driveway in back. Intricate Chippendale railings, designed and added to the porches by the current owners, enhance the architectural style.
Inside, each room displays family treasures. Living room highlights include two family portraits adorning opposite walls and a baby grand piano. Deep-red walls in the adjacent dining room accent a Coromandel screen and an Austrian crystal chandelier. The owners’ renovations include a comfortable family room with a modified coffered ceiling, a slate fireplace, and an especially prized walnut table, a gift from Mrs. Smith’s parents. Other renovations enhanced the spacious master bedroom suite and added an inviting spa bathroom. Bedroom furnishings include a solid mahogany hand-carved highboy, a graceful English antique desk and original oils painted by Mrs. Smith. Upstairs, two bedrooms with youthful décor reflect the interests of the owners’ son and daughter. Another bedroom, affectionately named “the Shrine,” exhibits a walnut poster bed and carefully preserved childhood toys, dolls and clothes belonging to the family. Open for Historic Garden Week for the first time by Mr. and Mrs. W. Wright Smith, Jr.
1209 SAM LIONS TR. Specifically designed as a retirement home in 2007, this charming transitional brick house has incorporated many “green” features important to the owner. Environmentally friendly materials, Low E windows and doors, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems and water-conserving appliances were all utilized in the building phase.
An open foyer bursts with natural light and leads to the living room, with a soft color palette displaying an extensive collection of watercolors and paintings that the owner acquired on trips throughout the U.S. and abroad. Handmade tables and cabinets were crafted by the owner’s husband, as well as a porch swing and Adirondack chairs visible through French doors to the beautiful wrap-around deck and covered porch.
Self-contained living on the main floor features a master bedroom with spa bath and a cozy screened porch overlooking the yard and wooded backdrop. Collections of pottery, a grandfather clock made by Stroup Clockmakers, an antique chemist’s scale and an intricately inlayed cabinet enhance other areas.
The spacious cook’s kitchen features cherry cabinets, display areas and special compartmentalized storage, equipped with a full complement of baking utensils and supplies frequently used by the owner, whose love of cooking is also evident in the office library housing a vast “overflow” collection of cookbooks. Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week by Mrs. Joan Ragland.
OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST:
PIEDMONT ARTS ASSOCIATION, 215 Starling Ave. A Celebration of Women in the Arts. Exhibit: Minds Wide Open: J.A.M.
THE SOUTHERN VIRGINIA ARTISAN CENTER, 54 West Church St. A Gallery of multi-media art handcrafted in Southern Virginia.
THE VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, 21 Starling Ave. Exhibit: Treasures from the Triassic. Earth Day at VMNH. NOTE: FREE ADMISSION FOR HISTORIC GARDEN WEEK TOUR TICKET HOLDERS.