MIDDLE PENINSULA:
King William County
A Historic Tale of Two Rivers
Sponsored by The Garden Club of the Middle Peninsula
Friday, April 23, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Chairmen:
Kelly Steorts Gwathmey (Mrs. John Owen)
6357 West River Road
Aylett, VA 23009
Telephone: (804) 769-2601
E-mail: KGwathmey@hughes.net
Adele Smith (Mrs. Robert E., Jr.)
310 Old Frazier’s Trail
West Point, VA 23181
Telephone: (804) 769-1960
E-mail: AdeleSmith@wildblue.net
Tour bus groups: Please contact Adele Smith at the address above.
Group Tour and Ticket Chair:
Elizabeth “Randy” Brown
P.O. Box 2764
Tappahannock, VA 22560
Telephone: (804) 443-2033
E-mail: Randy455@verizon.net
FULL TICKET: $30, includes four houses and gardens and the Lester Manor Village. Single-site admission, $12. Tickets with maps may be purchased at any of the locations open for the tour on the day of the event. Flat walking shoes are recommended. No interior photography permitted. No smoking. Children under the age of 17 must be accompanied by an adult.
ADVANCE TICKET: $25 until April 15 by mail from Group Tour and Ticket Chair. Please send a self-addressed, legal-size stamped envelope with check payable to The Garden Club of the Middle Peninsula. No refunds. Early tickets may also be purchased by accessing www.VaGardenweek.org.
BOX LUNCHES: Lunches are available for $12.50 by reservation on a pre-paid basis. A vegetarian entree is available. Lunches will be served at Colosse Baptist Church from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., eat-in or carry out. Ample picnic tables, facilities and parking are available. The church is conveniently located on Rte. 30, 5.1 mi. east of King William Courthouse. Reservation required by April 9. No refunds. Make checks payable to Faith Bears of Colosse, Attention: Gaynell Smith, 23394 King William Rd., West Point, VA 23181. For information call Gaynell Smith at (804) 769-2685. Note: There are very few restaurants in the immediate area of the tour.
PICNIC AREA AND REFRESHMENTS: King William Courthouse. Visitors are invited to take their ease and picnic on the courthouse green; ample tables, facilities and parking are available. Complimentary refreshments served from 2 to 4 p.m.
DIRECTIONS TO TOUR AREA: The tour is in the eastern third of King William County between Rte 629/Acquinton Church Rd. and Rte 634/Sweet Hall Rd. along Rte 30.
From Tidewater: Take I-64W to Rte 33/West Point, at the intersection of Rte 33 and Rte 30W turn left on Rte 30W and start the house directions beginning with Windsor Shades.
From Richmond: Take (1) I-64E to Rte 33/West Point, at the intersection of Rte 33 and Rte 30W turn left on Rte 30W and start the house directions at Windsor Shades or (2) Rte. 360E to Central Garage, take a right on Rte 30E and start the house directions beginning with Chericoke.
From Fredericksburg: Take I-95S to Rte 30E/Kings Dominion, stay on Rte 30 through the light in Central Garage and start the house directions beginning with Chericoke. A shuttle bus will transport guests from a parking lot to both Wakema and High Bank.
The houses are all located off Rte 30. Houses may be visited in any order, and directions are given accordingly.
THE TOUR: The successful development of any community depends on its resources and its accessibility to transportation. The Mattaponi and Pamunkey Rivers, which form the boundaries of King William County, played a large part in the development of the county. These waterways provided food for consumption and income; the means for ships to transport people and goods up and down the rivers and eventually to the Atlantic Ocean; the necessity of ferries to transport people, animals and wagons across the rivers; and, most recently, recreation for fishermen and boaters. Histories of the houses on this tour are all intricately woven with the rivers. While most properties no longer serve in their original capacity, all stand as reminders of times gone by and hope for times to come. Visitors are encouraged to spend a leisurely day along Rte 30 in this rural county, enjoying the gracious hospitality and entertainment afforded guests for over three centuries, amid delightful gardens and architectural treasures that continue to flourish.
Middle Peninsula—Windsor Shades
WINDSOR SHADES, 1685 Sweet Hall Rd., West Point, 23181. From West Point: Rte 30W/33: Take Rte 30W for 7.5 mi., left on Rte 634/Sweet Hall Rd. 1.7 mi. From Wakema: right on Rte 640/Wakema Rd. 1 mi., left on Rte 626/Rose Garden Rd. 1.1 mi., left on Rte 30E. 3.8 mi., right on Rte 634/ Sweet Hall Rd. 1.7 mi. Augustine Claiborne built Windsor Shades circa 1745 on the Pamunkey River. In 1753, a ferry was established to New Kent which ran until 1927. Subsequent owners used the house as a tavern/inn for travelers from northern Virginia going to Williamsburg. Some of the more notable guests included the Marquis de Lafayette and George Washington. The English basement tavern room houses one of the largest fireplaces in Virginia.
Today the house, a Virginia Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has been meticulously restored. Two new wings have been added with the guidance of an architect associated with restoration projects in Colonial Williamsburg. The house retains much of the original 18th century woodwork, and rooms are filled with 18th and 19th century antiques. Cases in the upstairs hallway display Colonial and Native American artifacts found on the property. The grounds and 80-year-old outbuildings have been lovingly brought to life with beautiful formal and informal gardens. A boxwood maze stands to one side of the home while magnolia, pecan and crape myrtle trees shade it. Open for garden tour for the first time for Historic Garden Week by Mr. and Mrs. Carl R. Fischer.
WAKEMA, 2301 Wakema Rd., West Point, 23181. From Windsor Shades: go back to Rte 30W 3.8 mi., right on Rte 626/East Rose Garden Rd. 1.1 mi., right on Rte 640/Wakema Rd. 1 mi.
From Colosse Baptist Church: left on Rte 30E for 1.8 mi., left on Rte 626/East Rose Garden Rd. 1.1 mi., right on Rte 640/Wakema Rd. 1 mi.
From Lester Manor Gravel Parking Lot: right on Rte 633/Powhatan Rd. 3 mi., right on Rte 626/Rose Garden Rd. 3.8 mi., right on Rte 640/ Wakema Rd. 1 mi. (Shares a shuttle with High Bank)
This property was owned as early as 1662 by Captain Roger Mallory. He sold 900 acres to William Frazer who by 1764 was running a ferry to King and Queen County and operating an ordinary. Later, he built a warehouse to inspect tobacco and a shipbuilding facility which furnished small ships for the Navy during the Revolutionary War. After a succession of owners, Roger Gregory of Elsing Green purchased Frazer’s Ferry and his brother acquired it in 1867. The original house had possibly been damaged in the defense of the Mattaponi River and the present home was built in the 1860s. In 1886, William Bray established a post office called “Wakema” on the property. Wakema became a stop for steamboat traffic along the Mattaponi River where warehouses and a pickle factory were built.
Today, Wakema is a private residence overlooking a wide expanse of the Mattaponi River. The gently rolling hills, barns and fenced grazing pastures are home to the many rescued dogs, sheep, goats and chickens the owners lovingly tend. A small pond and gazebo located near the house make a lovely place to picnic. Open for the first time by Mr. and Mrs. Miles Baker.
HIGH BANK, 310 Old Fraziers Trail, West Point, 23181. From Windsor Shades: go back to Rte 30W 3.8 mi., right on Rte 626/East Rose Garden Rd. for 1.1 mi., right on Rte 640/Wakema Rd. 1.0 mi.
From Colosse Baptist Church: left on Rte 30E 0.8 mi., left on Rte 626/East Rose Garden Rd. for 1.1 mi., right on Rte 640/Wakema Rd. 1 mi.
From Lester Manor Gravel Parking Lot: right on Rte 633/Powhatan Rd. 3.0 mi., right on Rte 626/Rose Garden Rd. for 3.8 mi., right on 640/Wakema Rd. 1.0 mi. (Shares a shuttle with Wakema).
Built in 2005, High Bank was designed to be a home that would serve as a destination place for visiting friends and family. Sitting high above the Mattaponi River, it offers scenic views of the river and the Mattaponi Indian Reservation. Emphasizing low maintenance features, an abundance of storage space, well-planned work spaces and an easy room flow, the house makes living and entertaining a delight. The Low Country style with front and back porches invites guests to sit a spell to enjoy the summer breeze, fragrant gardenias and hummingbirds.
Family antiques from the Shenandoah Valley, Maryland, South Carolina and Georgia are placed side by side with English antiques. In an eclectic mix, the owners have assembled formal with informal, old with new. Original oils and watercolors by Virginia artists are displayed throughout the interior. Pottery and sculpture from art shows accent bookcase shelves, along with a collection of Portuguese painted porcelains. Outside, the gardens are a mix of grasses, flowering shrubs and perennials including forsythia, red twig dogwoods, carpet roses, irises, lilies and daffodils. Open for the first time for Historic Garden Week by Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Smith, Jr.
LESTER MANOR VILLAGE,102 Lester Manor Lane, King William, 23086. From Colosse Baptist Church: left on Rte 30E 1.9 mi., right on Rte 626/West Rose Garden 2 mi., left on Rte 633/Powhatan Rd. 3 mi.
From Wakema: right on 640/Wakema Rd. 1 mi., left on Rte 626/Rose Garden Rd. 3.8 mi., left on Rte 633/Powhatan Rd. 3 mi.
From Windsor Shades: back to Rte 30W 3.5 mi., left on Rte 626/West Rose Garden Rd. 2 mi., left on Rte 633/Powhatan Rd. 3 mi.
Lester Manor was established in the early 1700s. An extensive fish factory on the Pamunkey River was located there, and fish were shipped by steamboat throughout the Northeast. In 1859, the Richmond and York River rail line was built, positioning Lester Manor as a main transportation artery for the area. A hotel, tavern, store and post office greeted rail passengers at the site. The original club (not open for tour) had many members from prominent families associated with waterfowl hunting throughout the Northeast who came to Lester Manor by rail.
Lester Manor was bought in 2005 by the present owner who built a small-scale village to represent the old Lester Manor Railroad Station Village. The complex includes the depot station and a 1918 steam locomotive and several rail cars. Standing opposite are the Lester Manor Store, a carriage house with carriage, the Lester Manor Tavern, a stagecoach building, a blacksmith shop, a log outpost, a totem pole and two teepees representing Pamunkey Neck. The village is creatively constructed and is a wonderful place to stop, walk around and enjoy a nostalgic experience. Opened for the first time by Mr. and Mrs. Carroll Lee Walker.
CHERICOKE, 959 Chericoke Rd., King William, 23086. From Central Garage Rtes 360/30: Take Rte 30E 6.5 mi., right on Rte 629/Acquinton Church Rd. 4.7 mi., left on Rte 300/East River Rd. 4.2 mi., right on Chericoke Rd.
From Colosse Baptist Church: right on Rte 30W 6.2 mi., left on Rte 629/Acquinton Church Rd. 4.7 mi., left on Rte 300/East River Rd. 4.2 mi., right on Chericoke Rd.
Chericoke has been owned by the Braxton family and their descendants since 1757. Carter Braxton, one of the Virginia signers of the Declaration of Independence, built a manor house on this property around 1760, which burned in 1776. His grandson constructed the present Federal-style brick home in 1828. The main house overlooks the Pamunkey River and the family graveyard where Carter Braxton is buried. One of the two guesthouses was originally a tenant house (ca. 1880) for the freed slaves. There is also a smokehouse, a dairy barn which has been converted into play and office space, and a boathouse located on the river. The grounds are designed for family entertainment: a tennis court, swimming pool, fish ponds, playgrounds and country flower, herb and vegetable gardens.
The main house was completely restored in 1987 by Mr. and Mrs. John Tyler Siegel. The houses are all furnished with a collection of American and English antiques. Chericoke is a Virginia Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. All of the five houses will be open for the tour. The owner, Mrs. Alice Horsley Siegel, is a direct descendant of Carter Braxton.
OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST:
THE KING WILLIAM COUNTY HISTORIC COURTHOUSE AND MUSEUM. The Courthouse is the oldest courthouse of English foundation in continuous use in the United States. Next to it is the recently opened museum located in the old Clerk of Courts office. This is a fitting location due to a generous donation by Thomas Hill, who served in that capacity for many years. Today the museum shows the history of the county through a wide variety of mixed media and is considered one of the best small museums in Virginia.
ST. JOHN’S CHURCH. Old St. John’s Church stands today essentially the same as when it was completed around 1734. The parish was established in 1680 and signaled the formation of a new county, King William County, to be separate from King and Queen County. Earlier churches stood at West Point about one mile north of the present site. St. John’s is still in use today for special programs and events.
THE MATTAPONI AND PAMUNKEY INDIAN RESERVATIONS. Of the eight Virginia tribes, only the Mattaponi and Pamunkey live on reservations established in the 18th century. Both tribes are actively involved in the preservation of their culture and conservation of the environment. While on the Mattaponi Reservation, please visit the Mattaponi Indian Museum at 1271 Mattaponi Circle, West Point, VA 23181, and also Riverside Pottery at 1439 Mattaponi Circle. While on the Pamunkey Reservation, visit the Pamunkey Indian Museum, the Old School House, the Pottery School and the Fish Hatchery at 175 Lay Landing Rd., King William, VA 23086.
THE TOWN OF WEST POINT. The Town of West Point has a long and unique history related to its location in Colonial Virginia and its American Indian heritage. Once the site of an Indian village named Cinquoteck, the West Point area was developed as a town beginning in 1691. The town was destroyed during the Civil War, and only four houses from that time survive today. West Point became an incorporated town in 1870 and soon became a thriving commercial port and resort destination. The City of Richmond used West Point as its eastern shipping terminus. The Terminal Hotel stood at the site of the existing Beach Park and was a popular attraction for both tourists and visitors. After the decline of tourism, a shipyard built in 1917 and a pulp mill constructed in 1918 revitalized the town. Today, the town continues to be home to the pulp mill as well as many quaint homes and shops.
CHRIST CHURCH. Rte 33E, 3 mi. from Saluda, next to Christchurch School. The churchyard of this historic building is surrounded on three sides by a brick wall donated by the Garden Club of Virginia in 1942 with proceeds from Historic Garden Week tours.