JAMES RIVER PLANTATIONS
Lower North Side
DIRECTIONS: All plantations but Tuckahoe are located between Richmond
and Williamsburg on Rt. 5, the scenic John Tyler Memorial Highway, in historic
Charles City County. Rt. 5 can be accessed from downtown Richmond by
taking East Main Street east until it becomes Rt. 5. Look for James River
Plantation signs after driving for approximately 20-30 minutes. Plantations
are listed in geographic order, with Shirley being the closest to Richmond.
Interstate highways: From I-64 east from Richmond (or
west from Williamsburg), take Exit I-295 South. Follow I-295 South to Rt. 5.
Take Charles City exit 22A, east on Rt. 5. Look for signs for James River
Plantations on Rt. 5.
Dining in the Charles City County area includes Indian Fields Tavern
(804) 829-5004 and various local restaurants.
Tuckahoe is located approximately one-half
hour west from downtown Richmond on River Road in Goochland County
Guests are asked not to wear spike-heeled shoes, which may damage floorings
and to refrain from using cell phones while touring within the houses.
Tickets for James River Plantations will be sold separately
at each plantation on the day of the tour. No Internet or Garden Week combination
tickets are available for the plantations. Advance reservations are not necessary.
TUCKAHOE PLANTATION. 12601 River
Road, west of Richmond in Goochland County. Tuckahoe is located approximately
one-half hour west of downtown Richmond. Going west, follow Cary Street/Cary
Street Road and then River Road. After passing St. Mary’s Episcopal
Church and Lower Tuckahoe on the left, look for signs for Tuckahoe Plantation
on the left.
Boyhood home of Thomas Jefferson. Tuckahoe is considered to be the most
complete plantation layout in North America dating from the 18th century, containing
some of the most important architectural ideas of the early Georgian period. Probably
unique in American architecture are the rare outbuildings, including paired
structures which were the office and schoolhouse where Thomas Jefferson went
to classes. In 1935, the late Mr. and Mrs. N. Addison Baker saved the
mansion from being partially dismantled and moved away for museum display.
The beautiful plantation grounds include a cemetery and a small 18th century
style kitchen garden with perennials, vegetable plots, and a Memorial Garden
designed by Charles F. Gillette. House and grounds open on Tuesday,
April 22, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., $10 per person. Grounds open for self-guided
tours on Wednesday and Thursday (April 23 and 24), 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., $4 and
the house can be toured on these days for an additional fee. Grounds
open year-round for self-guided tours, $4 and house by appointment. Telephone
(804) 784-5736. Home of Mr. and Mrs. Addison Baker Thompson.
SHIRLEY PLANTATION. Located 20 mi. east of
Richmond, via Rt. 5. What does Shirley have that no other
plantation can offer? The story of eleven generations of one
family who to this day continue to own, operate, and work this grand
Southern plantation.
Shirley is Virginia's first plantation (1613) and one of the first economic
engines of the New World. Only six years after John Smith's settlement
at Jamestown, the crown grant carving Shirley Plantation out of the
Virginia frontier was established. Shirley Plantation is the oldest family-owned
business in North America, dating to 1638. The present mansion was begun
in 1723 when Elizabeth Hill, great-granddaughter of the first Hill, married
John Carter, eldest son of Robert "King" Carter. Completed in
1738, the mansion is largely in its original state and is owned, operated,
and lived in by direct descendants of Edward Hill. The mother of Confederate
General Robert E. Lee, Anne Hill Carter, was born at Shirley and in 1793
married "Light Horse" Harry Lee in the mansion's parlor.
The mansion is recognized as an architectural treasure. A guided tour
of the main floor features original 18th century hand-carved woodwork,
family portraits, silver, and original furnishings. The square-rigged, "flying" staircase
rises three stories with no visible means of support. Gardens and eight
original outbuildings are included on the self-guided grounds tour. Today,
Shirley continues to be a working plantation, a private family home, a
growing business, and a direct link between the past and the
present.
Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving and Christmas days. Admission:
adult $11.00, youth (ages 6-18) $7.50. Discounts for seniors, military
personnel, and AAA members. Groups of 10 or more by reservation. A Virginia
and National Historic Landmark. Telephone 1-800-232-1613, www.shirleyplantation.com.
Mr. and Mrs. C. Hill Carter Jr., owners.
BERKELEY. Located on Virginia state Rt. 5 between Richmond and Williamsburg. Berkeley is a center of great historic interest, a beautifully restored example of the mansions that graced Virginia's "Golden Age." It is the site of the first official Thanksgiving in America in 1619. Berkeley is the birthplace of Benjamin Harrison V, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and three times governor of Virginia. The estate is also the birthplace of William Henry Harrison, 9th president of the United States, and ancestral home of his grandson, Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd president. "Taps" was composed here when Gen. McClellan headquartered 140,000 Union troops on the property for two months in 1862. The original 1726 Georgian mansion is furnished with a magnificent collection of 18th century antiques. The handsome Adam woodwork and the double arches of the AGreat Rooms@ were installed by Benjamin Harrison VI in 1790 at the direction of Thomas Jefferson. Five terraced gardens, leading from the house to the James River, were dug by hand before the Revolutionary War. Many hundred-year-old trees grace the restored boxwood gardens offering breathtaking vistas of the James River. Flowers bloom spring through fall. The plantation gift shop, located in one of the original buildings, has a unique collection of historical mementos and charming gifts.
Open Wednesday, April 23, and Thursday, April 24, for Historic Garden Week. Otherwise open daily year-round, except Thanksgiving and Christmas day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission, adults $11; students (13-16) $7.50; children (6-12) $6. Discounts for seniors, military and AAA. Group rates for 10 or more by reservation. A Virginia and National Historic Landmark. Telephone (804) 829-6018 or 1-888-466-6018. Website: www.berkeleyplantation.com. Owned by the Malcolm E. Jamieson family.
WESTOVER. Located on the James River via Rt.
5, in Charles City County, 25 miles east of Richmond and west of Williamsburg. The
house, one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in America,
was built in 1730 by William Byrd II, author, diarist, colonial leader
and founder of the cities of Petersburg and Richmond. His tombstone,
in the center of the walled garden, gives an interesting resume of his
life and provides an insight into the values of his time. The lawn,
with its century-old tulip poplars, offers a commanding view of the James
River. The grounds are still protected by wrought iron gates hung
by William Byrd in 1709 and are known to be the finest set of 18th century
gates in this country. The interior, normally closed to the public, is
noted for the beautiful proportions of the rooms, ornately carved ceilings,
the detail of the cornice and stairway, and an unusual black mantelpiece. House
interior and grounds open Thursday, April 24, through Saturday, April 26,
for Historic Garden Week, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission $10; children
under 16, $2; children under 6, free. Otherwise grounds only open daily. Group
house tours available by appointment. A Virginia Historic Landmark and
a National Historic Landmark. Westover is one of the charter houses for
Historic Garden Week in Virginia. Telephone (804) 829-2882. Mr. and Mrs.
Frederick S. Fisher, owners. Web site: www.jamesriverplantations.com/westover.htm.
YEARDLEY HOUSE GARDEN, HISTORIC JAMESTOWNE, near Williamsburg, site of the establishment in 1607 of the first permanent English settlement in North America. The Yeardley House Garden is a restoration project of The Garden Club of Virginia, with funding from Historic Garden Week tours. The project reinterpreted a 1920s garden in the general style of the original one at the Yeardley House. The house was built by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1907, the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, to support significant historic research activities of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA). The garden is a tribute to the preservation efforts of both the APVA and The Garden Club of Virginia (GCV). Visit www.apva.org for more information about this organization’s many preservation programs and www.GCVirginia.org for a list of The GCV’s other important historic restoration projects.