MIDDLE PENINSULA
“Times and Tides”
Middlesex County
Sponsored by: The Garden Club of the Middle Peninsula
Friday, April 25, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Chairman:
Helen Hopper (Mrs. Roger G.)
P.O. Box 158
Urbanna, VA 23175
Telephone: (804) 758-4876
Co-Chairmen:
Peggy Dent (Mrs. Willard E.)
P.O. Box 68
Hartfield, VA 23071
Telephone: (804) 776-7277
Linda Parker (Mrs. F. Byron, Jr.)
P. O. Box 323
Urbanna, VA 23175
Telephone: (804) 758-8091
blparker@oonl.com
Group Tour and Bus Chairman:
Carolyn Wake (Mrs. John B.)
1300 Providence Road
Deltaville, VA 23043
Telephone: (804) 776-9541
ccwwake@verizon.net
FULL TICKET: $30, includes five houses and gardens and Festival of Flowers at Christ Church (Episcopal). Single-site admission, $10. Early ticket $25 until April 17 by mail from Group Tour Chairman. Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with check payable to The Garden Club of the Middle Peninsula. No refunds on early ticket sales. Early tickets may also be purchased for an additional charge by accessing www.VaGardenweek.org until the day before the tour. Tickets may be purchased at any of the locations open for tour on the day of the tour. Tickets with maps will be available at all locations. Flat walking shoes advised. No interior photography; no smoking.
BOX LUNCHES: Two lunch choices are available by
reservation on a pre-paid basis for $12. Selection 1: Clam chowder, ham biscuit,
deviled egg, dessert and beverage. 2: Chicken salad, pasta salad, deviled
egg, dessert and beverage. Lunch will be served in the Social Hall of Lower
United Methodist Church from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., or may be carried out. Ample
facilities and parking are available. The church is located on Rt. 33E, 9.5
mi. from Saluda.
Reservations required by April 18. No refunds. Make check payable to the
Martha's Circle, mail to Lower United Methodist Church, Attn. Jill Davis,
P. O. Box 98, Hartfield, VA 23071. For additional information call Jill Davis
(804) 776-6134.
Toilet Facilities are available at Lower United Methodist Church, at Wilton, and at Christ Church.
REFRESHMENTS: Complimentary refreshments served at Wilton from 2-4 p. m.
DIRECTIONS TO TOUR AREA: Saluda, the county seat, is located 53 mi. from Richmond (I 64E to Rt. 33E); 80 mi. from Fredericksburg (Rt. 17S); 28 mi. from Yorktown (Rt. 17N); 24 mi. from Kilmarnock (Rt. 3 to Rt. 33). Once in Saluda, follow the green arrows and directions with each property. Houses need not be visited in the order listed.
Middlesex County
Middlesex County was founded in 1669 by Englishmen who settled
on the peninsula where the Rappahannock and Piankatank Rivers flow into the
Chesapeake Bay. There are two villages where the population is concentrated:
Deltaville, noted as a boat-building and marina center, and Urbanna, a historic
colonial port and home of the official Virginia Oyster Festival. Agriculture,
forestry, the seafood industry and marinas form the basis of an economy that
reflects a changing population as retirees discover this beautiful peninsula.
In celebration and in honor of the 400th anniversary of
the founding of Jamestown and the 75th year of the Garden Club of Virginia's
Historic Garden Week in Virginia, the Garden Club of the Middle Peninsula presents
an architectural time line of homes in Middlesex County dating from the 17th
century "Crown Jewel," Wilton, to a 21st century home. The tour, Times
and Tides, represents the evolution and development of Middlesex County
and illustrates the cultural and architectural progress made in 400 years.
LEAFWOOD, 18th century. 200 yds.
from stoplight in Saluda. Rt. 17S - turn right at stoplight in
Saluda, 200 yds. on left. "A warm and gracious home in the Village
of Saluda with beautifully landscaped grounds and lovely furnishings, Leafwood
reflects the aura of a gentle era," notes Historic Buildings in
Middlesex County Virginia 1605-1775. Built in 1781 as an overseer's
house for Clark's Neck Plantation, it was originally constructed as a simple
18th century vernacular building consisting of an entrance hall and living
room on the first floor, hall, bedroom and the usual small hall room upstairs.
In 1856 the house was sold to O. J. Marston who enlarged it. Col. and Mrs.
John R. Saunders purchased the house in 1910 and enlarged it again. It
remained in the family for the next 93 years. Colonel Saunders was Attorney
General of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1917 to 1934. In 2003
the present owners purchased the house, modernizing the kitchen and bathrooms
and enclosing a porch. Leafwood is furnished with family antiques, chandeliers
and fine paintings.
Impressive features of the gardens are the two concentric circles of
old boxwood bushes between the front entrance and the street. The plantings
were grown from cuttings from Boxwood Alley at Gunston Hall. More boxwood cuttings
were taken from Berkeley Plantation on the James River as part of the current
garden restoration. Dr. and Mrs. Brockett Muir, Jr., owners.
LAUREL VIEW, 20th century. From stoplight in
Saluda, take Rt. 618, 1.4 mi. on right. Built in 1993, Laurel
View has a landscape that slopes gently down to Urbanna Creek. Situated
below Saluda, the county seat, the house is furnished in a traditional
manner using a palette of bright colors to showcase family pieces and a
collection of needlepoint art created by the owner. Among the architectural
features is a wide sunroom that extends the width of the house with a panorama
of the water. The master suite, living room, dining room and kitchen area
complete the main floor. Bedrooms, second kitchen and sitting room comprise
the lower level. A walled secret garden opens from the daughter's suite
and welcomes the morning sun.
Throughout the house are displayed various paintings,
sketches and fabrics that reflect the family's love of animals. One of
the prized paintings is a portrait of Churchill, the family Labrador, painted
by the daughter. The property includes plantings of flowers, crape myrtle
and shrubs indigenous to the area, a boat house, and docks. Open for the
first time for Historic Garden Week. Mr. and Mrs. James Henry Ward, Jr.,
owners.
THE GARDEN AT THE TAVERN. From Saluda stoplight, take Rt. 33E 1.8 mi. to left on Rt. 227. Proceed 2.4 mi. to Urbanna. Left on T1003, 240 Prince George St. The tavern, circa 1742, has been a gathering place for citizens throughout the years. Patrick Henry is reported to have made a speech under the old walnut tree in the backyard. In 1992, circular brick walkways were added to the garden to enclose azaleas, spring bulbs, peonies and flowering shrubs dappled with sunlight. The charming garden is entered through a clematis trellis and features many attractive bird houses and baths, statuary and a fish pond, serving as a quiet respite from the summer heat. Meredith Caskie, owner.
ATHERSTON HALL, 19th century. Adjacent the Tavern. Atherston
Hall was built circa 1880 and while typical of the Tidewater farmhouses of
the period, it occupied a half-acre lot in town. The builder, Charles Palmer,
was the local carpenter from 1874 until his death in 1904. He designed and
constructed many houses in Urbanna during this period including the Urbanna
Baptist Church. His signature was a curved wall adjacent in the lovely archway
in the hall of Atherston Hall.
There are two distinct period gardens, the front
having a town feel, enclosed by a picket fence with a copper fountain as
a focal point. The rear garden is enclosed by fencing typical of the period
to keep out livestock. Two stone obelisks link the garden with headstones
in a small cemetery. James Henry Bohannon, a schooner captain, is buried
there. Three overlapping circles of lawn complete the layout. Cut flowers
from the rose garden mixed with flowering perennials adorn Atherston Hall,
a popular Bed and Breakfast in Urbanna. Open for the first time for Historic
Garden Week. Mr. and Mrs. William Dickinson, owners.
CHRIST CHURCH. Rt. 33E 3 mi. from
Saluda, next to Christchurch School. Christ Church (Episcopal)
was founded in 1666 as the "Mother Church...in ye Small Indian Field
next ye head of Capt. Brocus his ground." The original structure
was believed to have been wood and was replaced by the present brick building "to
be finished in 1714," according to the Vestry Book of Christ Church
Parish, 1663-67, which exists today. The brick construction is laid in
Flemish bond with glazed headers and measures 60 x 33.5 feet. The northern
and southern walls each contain four semicircular arched windows. A large
magnolia tree is seen through the arched window behind the east-facing
altar. Outside in the church yard are a number of magnificent colonial
tombs with elaborate sculpture of fans, fluting and acanthus leaves. Among
those buried in the church graveyard is native son and World War II hero,
Lt. Gen. Lewis B. (Chesty) Puller, the most decorated Marine in the history
of the Marine Corps.
The churchyard is surrounded on three sides by
a brick wall donated by The Garden Club of Virginia in 1942 with proceeds
from Historic Garden Week. Christ Church is listed on both the Virginia
Historic Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. Wheelchair
accessible.
Through the centuries, flowers have been arranged
in places of worship to celebrate church festivals.
On or around a Saint's Day, the sanctuary is filled with flowers to complement
the building and to honor the saint. On tour day, the church will be flowered
to honor St. Mark, a bold, direct and passionate
teacher of the gospel, often referred to as a lion.
LOWER UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. Rt. 33E, 9.5 mi. from Saluda. Founded in the 1650s as the Lower Chapel of the Episcopal Church in Middlesex County, the present building dates from 1717. Laid entirely in English bond brick work, it is one of four surviving colonial churches in Virginia with this type of masonry. The Dutch-style roof with its clipped gables reflects the vestry order for a roof that should be "clipped above the wind beams." An ancient carved chest for communion service (apparently the one ordered in 1678 for 300 pounds of tobacco) stands inside the chancel. A marble slab at the front of the church covers the grave of Mary Beverley, wife of Maj. Robert Beverley. The church is on the National Register of Historical Places and the Virginia Historical Landmark Register. Wheelchair accessible.
Middle Peninsula--Wilton
WILTON, 17 th century. Return to Rt. 33E. Proceed
0.9 mi. to Rt. 3 (Hartfleld). 2.2 mi. to Wilton on right. This old
Virginia brick home of the Churchill family is one of the great midsized
planter's houses of the 17th century. William Churchill emigrated from
England to the colony of Virginia as early as 1674 and settled in Middlesex
County. He built his gracious mansion on the south side of the Rappahannock
River. The manor house was destroyed by fire in 1760. Wilton was rebuilt
in 1762 on the Piankatank River.
Revered by laymen and architectural historians alike, the manor house
has rarely been seen by the public and retains its original historic character.
The rich paneling has the original paint. The floors have never been sanded.
The horsehair plaster is multishaded and cracked with age. Wilton was built
as a typical story-and-one-half structure and was the center of a 6,000-acre
plantation. The exterior walls are carefully laid in Flemish bond, with precise
brickwork, especially evident in the jack arches. Impressive chimneys are capped
with plaster washes. In 1763, William Churchill added the wing and covered
both sections with a Dutch roof. The rear wing is interesting for having its
gambrel hipped rather than terminated in a gable. Inside, the fully paneled
parlor was left alone, but the stair hall was narrowed, an arch added, and
the entrance reoriented to the west side of the wing. The superb walnut stair,
which features an unusual cushion frieze under the landing, is still intact
and sound, and was installed in the 1763 section. Outbuildings include a 19th
century log cabin and a servant cottage. Wilton is affectionately known as
the "Crown Jewel" of Middlesex County architecture. Ownership of
Wilton has passed through approximately eight families, ending with the Gerald
L. Ballantyne, Jr. family who conveyed the property to The Association for
the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. The APVA is looking for a private
owner who will restore the property. Wilton is on the Virginia and National
Registers of Historic Places. Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week.
1938 WILTON CREEK ROAD, 21st century. Return
to Rt. 3 and Rt. 33E. Turn right on 33E 1.9 mi. to Wilton Creek
Road. Follow signs to the end. . Completing the architectural timeline
of today’s tour, the Lovell residence returns visitors to the 21st
century: an impressive brick house finished in 2006 and designed by the
owners and Williamsburg architect Roger Guernsey. At the entrance, attention
is immediately drawn to a scenic view of Wilton Creek and the owner’s
boat dock and sailboat. The interior was designed to maximize open
space. Finishes include extensive use of cherry wood cabinetry, light
colors, and wood and tile flooring. The expansive three levels of
the house contain a full basement, a first-floor great room, a combined
dining and music room with a library, a gourmet kitchen and breakfast room,
and a master suite. A grand staircase leads to a library landing
and study and a second floor featuring a guest bedroom and a guest suite
designed for the option of live-in help. An elevator connects all
floors, including the basement level with multiple rooms for relaxing and
hobbies, as well as the state-of the art water treatment plant and the
environmentally friendly geothermal heating and cooling system.
Exterior features include a lovely screened porch, outdoor kitchen and
brick terrace with spa designed to enhance outdoor living. The professional
landscape featuring rose gardens was created to practice run-off water control,
exceeding requirements of the Chesapeake Bay Act. A combination of thoughtful
design meeting the needs of the owners and modern technology, this property
is a fine example of relaxed modern living on the Middle Peninsula. Open
for the first time for Historic Garden Week. Robert R. Lovell and Elizabeth
L. Young, owners.