NORTHERN NECK:
RICHMOND COUNTY
”Architectural Diversity Along the Rappahannock”
Sponsored by The Garden Club of the Northern Neck
Wednesday, April 21, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Co-Chairmen:
Rebecca Marks (Mrs. Edward D.)
P.O. Box 5
Sharps, VA 22548-0005
Telephone: (804) 394-3102
E-mail: beckymarks@aol.com
Linda Stansell (Mrs. Robert W.)
5518 Ashton Park Way
Glen Allen, VA 23059
Telephone: (804) 308-9846, (804) 314-3434
E-mail: ltstansell@verizon.net
INFORMATION CENTER:
Warsaw United Methodist Church
287 Main Street, Warsaw, VA 22572
Telephone (only day of tour) (804) 333-3220
Ample parking for cars and buses. “Self-drive” tour maps available. Restroom facilities and wheelchair accessible.
GROUP TOUR CHAIRMAN AND ADVANCE TICKET RESERVATIONS: Please send self-addressed and stamped envelope to: Linda Stansell (Mrs. Robert W.), 5518 Ashton Park Way, Glen Allen, VA 23059, telephone (804) 308-9846 or (804) 314-3434.
Checks payable to: The Garden Club of the Northern Neck (GCNN). Local guides will be provided for group tour coaches with advance reservations. No refunds.
FULL TICKET: $25 advance sale by April 12 through Mrs. Stansell (information above); $30 day of the tour; $15 single-house admission. Children 6-12, half price; ages 5 and under, free of charge. Tickets available at each house, the Information Center and by advance purchase. For internet tickets, access www.VAGardenweek.org.
BOX LUNCHES:
Alma Woolbert (Mrs. Richard C.)
226 Portal Drive
Montross, VA 22520
Telephone (804) 472-2254
E-mail: woolberta@yahoo.com
Lunches are $12 and must be reserved and prepaid by April 13. Checks payable to Warsaw UMW. Served at Warsaw United Methodist Church from 11 a.m to 2 p.m.
REFRESHMENTS: Served at the stable at Mount Airy during tour hours.
DIRECTIONS TO INFORMATION CENTER:
From Richmond: Take Rte 360E to Tappahannock and through town. Continue on Rte 360E (going over the Downing Bridge which crosses the Rappahannock River) for 6 mi. to the center of Warsaw. At the intersection of Rte 360 and Rte 3W Business (Main St.), turn left and follow to 287 Main St.; Warsaw United Methodist Church on left. Approximately 55 minutes.
From Fredericksburg: Take Rte 3E through Montross to Warsaw. 287 Main St., Warsaw United Methodist Church, on right. Approximately 50 minutes.
PROPERTIES MAY BE VISITED IN ANY ORDER.
Please, no smoking, sharp-heeled shoes, or cell phones or photography inside the houses. Wear comfortable shoes for walking on uneven surfaces. The Garden Club of the Northern Neck and the Garden Club of Virginia are not responsible for accidents occurring on the tour.
“ARCHITECTURAL DIVERSITY ALONG THE RAPPAHANNOCK”
This tour sweeps through the distinctive history of Richmond County, c. 1692, from colonial days to the early 19th century. The colonial story is told through the magnificent mansions of Sabine Hall, c. 1738, and Mount Airy, c. 1753, still occupied by descendants of the builders, with Menokin, c. 1769, in close proximity. Milden Hall, c. 1803, Woodford, c.1756, and Indian Banks, c. 1699, located east of Warsaw off Rte 3 complete this outstanding group of homes.
SABINE HALL, 1692/1694 Sabine Hall Road, 22572. From the center of Warsaw, (at the intersection of Rte 360 and Rte 3W Business), take Rte 360W for 1.2 mi. Turn left onto Rte 624, Sabine Hall Rd. Continue 1.2 mi. to entrance. Sabine Hall, a fine example of a colonial Georgian house, was built c. 1738 by Landon Carter, the fourth son of Robert “King” Carter of Corotoman and builder of Christ Church in Lancaster County. Originally a classic Georgian brick structure, Sabine Hall reflects alterations by both the builder and later generations. In 1764, the south wing was built as a covered passage to the kitchen. The Roman-style portico or “piazza” on the riverside of the house was added by Landon Carter and documented in a 1797 insurance policy. In the 1820s, influenced by Classical Revival architecture, Robert Wormley Carter II lowered the roof; added a large portico on the landside, a classical pediment on the riverside, and several classical architectural elements on the interior; and painted the exterior of the house white. The north wing was added in 1929, when the home became a two-family dwelling.
Just inside the front door, the great hall is bright and filled with family portraits, including one of King Carter. The traverse corridor staircase, just off the great hall, has walnut balusters and side-pegged, original heart-pine floors. Sabine Hall rises on a ridge of the Rappahannock River, with six terraces sloping toward the water. The garden retains its original 18th century design. Sabine Hall has always been owned and occupied by direct descendants of Landon Carter and is both a Virginia and National Historic Landmark. It is currently owned by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Carter Wellford IV and Mr. and Mrs. Peter Drayton O’Hara. Carter Wellford and Mercer O’Hara are brother and sister.
MOUNT AIRY, 361 Mill Pond Road, 22572. From the center of Warsaw, (at the intersection of Rte 360 and Rte 3W Business), take Rte 360W for 1.5 mi. to Rte 646, Mill Pond Rd. Turn right on Mill Pond Rd. and continue 0.3 mi. to entrance. Acclaimed as one of the most beautiful Palladian houses in Virginia, Mount Airy was begun by John Tayloe II in 1753 on land the Tayloe family had acquired in 1682. This was the second home to be built on the farm. The entire architectural plan, completed in ten years, included a main two-story house connected to symmetrical dependencies on either side by curved passageways, a formal forecourt facing a deer park, and terraced gardens. Although cautioned about using soft, local sandstone, Tayloe did just that, choosing to build Mount Airy of local brown sandstone, three feet thick and quarried on the farm. The house is trimmed with contrasting buff sandstone, quarried from Aquia Creek near Fredericksburg.
A recessed loggia with four Doric columns leads to the front door which is flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows. Interior furnishings include particularly fine dining room furniture and an unusually large collection of family portraits detailing the Tayloes’ history. Mount Airy remains in the Tayloe family, with eight generations having lived there. Heirloom furniture and early Oriental rugs complete an elegant feeling. Age-old English boxwood offer a background for daffodils, roses and a profusion of iris which add color to the sweep of the lawn in May. Several outbuildings and one wall of the orangery remain, as does the distinctive 18th century stone stable which housed many Thoroughbreds in colonial days. The Tayloes were a founding family of the American turf. Refreshments will be served at the stable. Mount Airy is a Virginia Historic Landmark and a National Historic Landmark. Mrs. H. Gwynne Tayloe, Jr., owner.
MENOKIN/MARTIN KIRWAN KING CONSERVATION AND VISITORS CENTER, 4037 Menokin Road, 22572. From the center of Warsaw, (at the intersection of Rte 360 and Rte 3W Business), take Rte 3W Business, Main St., and proceed to Rte 690, Menokin Rd. Turn left on Menokin Rd. and go 4 mi. to entrance on the left. From Montross, proceed to Rte 690, Menokin Rd. Turn right on Menokin Rd., and go 4.8 mi. to entrance on right. Menokin, c. 1769, was the Georgian home of Patriot Francis Lightfoot Lee, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and his wife, Rebecca Tayloe. Upon their marriage, Rebecca’s father, John Tayloe II of nearby Mount Airy, gave the Lees the Menokin plantation containing 1,000 acres and began construction of the manor house and its dependencies. In 1771, the Lees moved into Menokin and lived there until their deaths in 1797. Over the years, Menokin went into decline. On July 4, 1995, T.E. Omohundro gave the mansion, woodwork and 500 acres to the Menokin Foundation.
During the Lee period, the plantation was dominated by the sandstone mansion, flanked by an office and kitchen dependencies. Terraced gardens provided a clear view to Cat Point Creek, which drains in the nearby Rappahannock River. The manor house had two stories with a central entrance and a hip-on-hip roof. The front entrance contained heavy pilasters topped by a delicate fanlight and an unusual keystone with floral carvings. Both the dining room and the master bed chamber featured outstanding Georgian woodwork and chimney pieces. As Menokin is stabilized and rebuilt, it will be used to train future generations of preservationists, architects and craftsmen. Currently, the site serves to inform the public about building practices in the 18th century. The restored best chimney piece and other samples of the original woodwork, architectural drawings and photographs are displayed in the Martin Kirwan King Conservation and Visitors Center, also on the property. Menokin is a National Historic Landmark and on the Virginia Landmarks Register. The Menokin Foundation, owner.
MILDEN HALL, 5965 Sharps Road (Rte 642), 22572. From center of Warsaw: Take Rte 3E for 6.3 mi. Turn right on Rte 642 (Sharps Rd.), 3.1 mi. Left on Sharps Rd. 0.7 mi. Right on Sharps Rd. 2.0 mi. Left to Milden Hall’s brick gates. This estate was owned by the Peachey family from 1692-1824 and was named for Milden Hall in Suffolk, England, their ancestral home. The original house built about 1700 burned, and the present brick structure with a full English basement was constructed around 1803. Some original woodwork and mantels remain, and the house has been furnished with simple family antiques and art.
There is a fine view of the Rappahannock River through an allee of old pecan trees. The house was restored in the 1930s by the Council family and in the 1960s by the Williamson family from Pittsburgh. Mrs Sarah T. Harrison and Mrs. Helen S. T. Reed and family, owners.
WOODFORD,1179 Ivondale Rd. 22572. From center of Warsaw (at Northern Neck State Bank): Take Rte 3E for 7.2 mi. to Rte 613 (Cavalry Church Rd.). Turn right onto Rte 613, go 3. 3 mi. Continue straight on Rte 610 (Ivondale Rd.) to Woodford. Landscaped with shade trees, evergreens and magnolias, Woodford, an 18th century manor, is located on scenic Farnham Creek. Its 46 acres are surrounded by water on three sides, creating a peninsula of fields, woodlands and marshes. Aged boxwoods surround the house, form a “room” off the porch and line an old brick walk. An important example of Virginia’s transitional vernacular architecture, Woodford combines features of the simple cottages of colonial times with the more formal qualities of Georgian construction, creating a home of charm and style. The walls of the older section, laid in Flemish bond with glazed headers, were whitewashed at one time and allowed to weather, leaving a soft mottled texture. The clipped gable roof on the original portion of the house is one of Woodford’s exceptional features.
In the living areas, English and American antiques and reproductions reflect the simple elegance of the exterior. In the living room, these include an 18th century English slant-top desk and a Lord Dunmore clock, a Williamsburg reproduction of an antique once owned by the last royal governor of Virginia.
The land on which Woodford is located was part of a 1650 patent to Moore Fauntleroy. The current house was built c. 1756 by Billington McCarty, Jr. and remained in the McCarty family until the 1870s. Following a succession of owners, it was acquired in 1935 by Major and Mrs. Charles Gilchrist of Charleston, South Carolina, who conducted a restoration and added a one-and-a-half-story frame section. Mr. Joseph Chinn (a descendant of the McCarty family) and Mrs. Chinn purchased Woodford in 1950 and enlarged the addition. Woodford is included in the Historic American Building Survey, the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. It is owned by Mr. and Mrs. John K. Boidock.
Northern Neck—Indian Banks
INDIAN BANKS, 2492 Simsonson Road (Rte 606), Farnham 22460. From the center of Warsaw: Take Rte 3E for 11.7 mi. Turn right on Rte 608, go 0.9 mi. to left on Rte 606 (Simonson Rd.). Proceed 2.3 mi. to Indian Banks on right. Historically, this property is the oldest brick structure in Richmond County and one of the oldest in the Commonwealth, having been built in 1699. That date is cut into the brick under one of the windows beside the front door on the river side of the mansion. The site is one of the principal villages of the tribe of the Powhatan Confederacy as shown on the 1609 map drawn by Captain John Smith. His writings indicate that he was entertained by the tribe who lived there. The land was originally a 200-acre grant to Thomas and Jane Glascock in 1652.
The house is constructed of dark red brick in Flemish bond. (Recently, green-glazed accent bricks have been discovered, suggesting a much more vibrant original coloration to the home.) The roof is a steep hip. Large chimneys rise on either side. The serpentine jack arch located above the river front door is an unusual feature, and the projected belt course around the entire house is found only in one other house in New England. Timber used throughout is of hand-hewn white oak, dovetailed at the joints. The floors are six-inch, random-width planks. Original H L hinges, 18-pane windows, built-in window seats and 17th century mantels remain. With the exception of the addition of modern conveniences, the original structure has remained the same over the years. In the 1970s, a one-story addition with kitchen was added. The home is owned by Dean and Sandy Garretson and is on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.
OTHER PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST IN RICHMOND COUNTY
NORTH FARNHAM EPISCOPAL CHURCH. Located on Rte 3, 9.3 mi. south of Warsaw; turn left on Rte 692. The church is situated 0.2 mi. on the left. Built in 1737, this brick church is located on the green in the center of the village of Farnham. Constructed of brick laid in Flemish bond, the church is in the shape of a Latin cross and is approximately 64 by 58 feet. The church is a Virginia Historic Landmark.
RICHMOND COUNTY MUSEUM AND VISITOR CENTER. Located in the old Clerk’s Office, center of Warsaw on 5874 Richmond Rd. at the Courthouse. The museum documents, interprets and preserves the history of Richmond County. Visit the new exhibit, Gardens of Richmond County, which includes information about historic and present gardens. Permanent exhibits feature Congressman William Atkinson Jones of The Jones House and Francis Lightfoot Lee of Menokin. Self-guided walking tour and museum gift shop. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (804) 333-3607.
SAINT JOHN’S CHURCH. Located in Warsaw on Rte 360, east from the center of town. Completed in 1835, the Greek Revival entrance has a triple-arched loggia and unplastered columns before two Gothic Revival doors. In 1924, a memorial given by the Philippine Republic was erected over the grave of Congressman William A. Jones at Saint John’s Church.
THE OLD COURTHOUSE AND CLERK’S OFFICE. Center of Warsaw on Richmond Rd. at the Courthouse. The Richmond County Courthouse in downtown Warsaw, which Landon Carter of Sabine Hall was authorized to build in 1748, is the oldest standing courthouse in the Northern Neck. The adjacent Clerk’s Office is believed to date to the same period.
WESTMORELAND COUNTY
STRATFORD HALL PLANTATION. Five mi. west of Montross, turn off Rte 3 onto Rte 214. Historic home of the Lees and one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in this country. Also the home of two signers of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee, and the birthplace of Robert E. Lee. The formal east garden was restored by the Garden Club of Virginia in 1930-34 with proceeds from Historic Garden Week tours. (804) 493-8083. www.stratfordhall.org
GEORGE WASHINGTON BIRTHPLACE NATIONAL MONUMENT. Off Rte 3 on Rte 204, 11 mi. west of Montross and 38 mi. east of Fredericksburg. This historic area includes the foundation of the house in which George Washington was born, the Memorial House, a working colonial farm, herb and flower gardens, trails, fishing and picnic areas, and a visitor’s center. A National Park and Monument. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (804) 224-1732.
LANCASTER COUNTY
HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH. From Kilmarnock take Rte 200 south and turn right on Rte 646 (Christ Church Rd.). Completed in 1735, Christ Church is considered one of the best-preserved and most finely crafted of colonial Virginia’s Anglican parish churches. The landscape setting is a Garden Club of Virginia restoration project with funding from Historic Garden Week tours. (804) 438-6855. www.christchurch1735.org