ROANOKE
Sponsored by The Mill Mountain Garden Club and
The Roanoke Valley Garden Club
Saturday, April 26, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Chairman:
Deborah McDonald (Mrs. Thomas R., Jr.)
2929 Crystal Spring Avenue, SW
Roanoke, VA 24014
Telephone: (540) 345-1734
Email: dmcdonald2929@verizon.net
Co-Chairman:
Elaine Stephenson (Mrs. William C.)
2525 Cornwallis Avenue,
Roanoke, VA 24014
Telephone: (540) 342-4812
Email: esinteriors@yahoo.com
DIRECTIONS FROM THE NORTH, EAST AND WEST: Take I-81 to Roanoke. Take I-581
in Roanoke to Wonju St. exit. Go south on Wonju St. As Wonju
St. crosses Franklin Rd., it becomes Broadway Ave. Follow Broadway
about 0.4 mi. to McClanahan St. Turn right on McClanahan St. and proceed
three blocks to Jefferson St. Turn right on Jefferson St. and proceed
three blocks to the South Roanoke Methodist church on the left, where parking
will be available.
FROM THE SOUTH: From Rt. 220, take the exit to Franklin
Rd. Turn right at the end of the ramp. Go 1.5 mi. to the stoplight
at the intersection with Broadway Ave. Turn right onto Broadway and
follow above directions to the South Roanoke Methodist Church.
FULL TICKET: $20. No single-house tickets. Tickets may be purchased the day of the tour at South Roanoke Methodist Church. Children 6-12, half-price. Children 5 and younger, free admission. Children younger than 17 must be accompanied by an adult. Houses need not be visited in the order listed.
ADVANCE TICKETS: Tickets may be purchased until Monday, April 21, by sending checks payable to “Historic Garden Week” and mailed to Roanoke Council of Garden Clubs, 3640 Colonial Ave., Roanoke VA 24018. Tickets will also be available for purchase at several locations around the Roanoke Valley. For more information, call (540) 343-4519. Tickets may be purchased by credit card for an additional fee by accessing www.VaGardenweek.org
LUNCHEON: By reservation only. A gourmet box lunch by Chanticleer Catering will be available at South Roanoke Methodist Church from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for $10. Please make checks payable to Libba Lemon and mail to Mrs. Libba Lemon, 3169 West Ridge Road, SW, Roanoke, VA 24014. Checks must be received by Tuesday, April 22. For lunch information, telephone (540) 342-8616 or email Libbalemon@cox.net
REFRESHMENTS: Weather permitting, light refreshments will be served from 2-4 p.m. at 2705 Longview Avenue outside overlooking the Lawson garden.
SPECIAL EVENT: There will be a lecture/demonstration on “Garden Statuary” featuring containers and statuary from Black Dog Salvage during the lunch hour. Examples of garden statuary will be available at the lunch location at South Roanoke Methodist Church from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
APRIL AROUND AVENHAM
A WALKING TOUR OF HOMES AROUND AVENHAM AVENUE
2705 LONGVIEW AVENUE. This 1922 brick Georgian
Colonial graces the streetscape from a high vantage point. Its setting
on the surrounding almost-acre lot is proportionate and lends to a feeling
of permanence. The Gilbert Butler family lived here from the 1920s
through the 1940s. Mr. Butler was a prominent community leader and
a vice president of the N&W Railroad. Although the house is traditional
in design, the current owners have added their own distinct style in the
mixture of old and modern furnishings and art. A handsome central stairway
accents the entrance, with Persian rugs and English and American antiques
decorating the interior. Of special interest in the living room is
an American (Shenandoah Valley) step-back cupboard circa 1830 with its original
glass and an unusual Federal fireplace mantel. Two sets of French doors
lead to an airy, bright sunroom. In the dining room is an 1892 portrait
of Mrs. Julia Chaney, a relative of the owner. The portrait was painted by
an eighteen-year-old artist from New York and features the original frame
by Tiffanys of New York. Large central hallways on the ground level
and the second floor give a spacious feel to the house. A recently
added master suite with a separate dressing area and renovated bath provides
a comfortable and cheerful atmosphere.
The two-level kitchen is large for a house of this era,
and a back stairway conveniently adds access to the upstairs bedrooms. A
beautiful raised circular deck off the kitchen offers a lovely view of the
city, and a patio with a water feature and extensive landscaping invites guests
to stroll through the well-tended perennial gardens. Open for the first
time. Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Lawson, owners.
2730 AVENHAM AVENUE. Built in 1932, this Tudor-style
house was owned by the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Virginia for almost
seventy years. It served as home to two Bishops of the Diocese; hence
it became known as the Bishop’s House. The current owners purchased
the residence in 2001 and decided to keep the original feel of the structure,
so renovations were minor except for the kitchen. Doorways to the kitchen
were widened and arched in a similar fashion to those in the living room
and dining room. Rustic ceiling beams from a pre-Civil War barn were
added, along with pine cabinets and concrete countertops to give it a European
country kitchen feel. The butler’s pantry was turned into a breakfast
room, and a cozy banquette gives warmth to the room. A fireplace was
added to the den as well as French doors that allow the family to walk out
onto the patio overlooking the garden. The patio also features a scenic
view of Mill Mountain. Throughout the house, unusual artwork and pieces
of furniture reflect the family’s interest in travel. Interesting
mixes of paint and window treatments in each room attest to the owners’ creative
abilities.
The grounds have been lovingly planned and planted by the
owners, who have turned this corner lot into a beautiful garden enjoyed by
the entire neighborhood. A focal point of the landscape is a statue of
the Roman goddess Minerva, discovered and purchased by the owners on a trip
to Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. Many of the plants have been gifts
from gardening friends, including the peonies, sedum, hosta, Lenten rose and
many of the specimens in the rock garden. Designed to bloom from early
spring through fall, the shrubs, perennials and climbing vines are meant to
be enjoyed for their variety of color and texture. Open for the first
time. Mr. and Mrs. R. Gil Lynch III, owners.
2629 AVENHAM AVENUE. This handsome house was
built in the style of an English cottage in 1926. The present owners
have made extensive renovations since purchasing it in 2001. Designed by
the late Robert Allen, acclaimed Roanoke architect, the exterior is whitewashed
brick with a distinctive slate roof.
At the entrance, a tone is set which combines elegance with warmth and
comfort. The interior is filled with antiques collected by the owners
while living in Europe and were purchased during travels to France, Germany
and Switzerland. Of special interest are German and Scandinavian armoires,
French and American ice boxes, an English chest and a French antique bed that
had been converted to a hall bench. Enhancing the faux-finished walls
are works by artists Ann Hale, Betsy Glassie, Celeste Corbin, Lucia Sarto,
Joan Limbrick and Deborah McGee. Lovely Persian rugs cover the floors. The
kitchen underwent a complete renovation in 2007.
The grounds, originally designed by Blue Ridge Parkway landscape architect
Stanley Abbott, feature a sunken garden with a Japanese maple collection. A
massive oak centers the yard, with azaleas transitioning the upper and lower
gardens. Ferns, hostas and hydrangeas predominate in the lower beds
while the upper garden is a mixture of roses, gardenias, camellias and blackberry
lilies. Dr. and Mrs. Eric D. Swisher, owners.
Roanoke—2713 Avenham Avenue
2713 AVENHAM AVENUE. Fairacres, one of the
most prominent residences in Roanoke, was built in 1911-12 in the Tudor Revival
style. The house was constructed for business leader W. C. Stephenson,
and it remained in his family for fifty years until the Roanoke Council of
Garden Clubs acquired it in 1963. The current owners purchased the
residence in 2003, thereby preventing a probable demolition by developers.
The owners are experienced preservationists and have restored the home
with sensitivity to the existing structure and layout. The scale of the
public rooms is commensurate with a grand house from this period. The
dining room, drawing room, library and entrance hall did not require structural
renovation, and the original chestnut paneling is intact and treated to reveal
the beauty and age of the grain. The former service kitchen, scullery
and butler’s pantry became a modern gourmet kitchen, and the former coal
cellar now serves as a plant room where the owners raise seedlings for their
large vegetable garden. A state-of-the-art wine cellar is also located in the
basement. A grand entrance hall and staircase with original leaded-glass
windows grace the landing, and original glass windows are featured throughout
the public rooms. Furnishings of note include an extensive art collection
from the owners’ travels and antique floor coverings.
Fairacres’ exterior stone came from the nearby Rorer iron-ore
mine, no longer in use, and thus the stone’s distinctive color is influenced
by its high iron content. Recently constructed, an adjacent five-car
garage and office wing is separated by a breezeway and is architecturally compatible
with the original house. The property encompasses two and a half acres,
re-contoured with more than 150 specimen trees, and includes a woodland garden
at the north end of the house, an extensive vegetable garden at the south end,
and park-like landscaping in front. This splendid historic estate with
21st-century relevance is a must-see. Open for the first time. Mr.
and Mrs. J. David Wine, owners.
PLACES OF INTEREST: Visitors to the 2008 tour are invited to enjoy the many historic, cultural, horticultural and artistic attractions in the Roanoke Valley, including the following:
THE DENTON MONUMENT (old tombstone) located near the Hollins University campus in Old Tombstone Cemetery. This in one of Virginia’s most important works of folk art, created sometime around 1850 by Laurence Krone, a noted German stone carver of the 19th century.
CENTER IN THE SQUARE, the cultural hub of the Roanoke Valley, located in Roanoke’s historic downtown market area. THE WILDFLOWER GARDEN ON MILL MOUNTAIN, developed and maintained by The Mill Mountain Garden Club. VIRGINIA’S EXPLORE PARK, a living history venue featuring a re-creation of early settlements of Southwest Virginia.
AREA GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA RESTORATIONS:
BEALE MEMORIAL GARDEN at Hollins University. With funding from Historic Garden Week tours, The Garden Club of Virginia has restored the garden, given in 1930 in memory of Lucy Preston Beale, a student at the school during the Civil War.
HISTORIC SMITHFIELD, on the Virginia Tech campus, Blacksburg. Exit Rt. 314 off Rt. 460 bypass, follow directional signs. Frontier leader Col. William Preston finished this house in 1775. The 1,900-acre estate was home for his son, James Patton Preston, governor of Virginia. Sen. William Ballard Preston, who died in 1862, was the last real master of Smithfield. Originally, a stockade surrounded this elegant story-and-a-half frame house, and it was used as a frontier fort. The two Chinese Chippendale stair rails, high-paneled chimneypieces, wainscoting and dado paneling throughout are original. The drawing room, in particular, resembles the Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg, which Col. Preston frequented as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. The basement houses a museum with an outstanding collection of Indian artifacts. Included in the furnishings are some Preston family pieces. Two dependencies on the property have been restored. The Garden Club of Virginia landscaped the grounds at Smithfield in 1981-84 with proceeds from Historic Garden Week tours. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register, the plantation is open April 1 through the first week in December. Call (540) 231-3947 or use the web site listed below for hours of operation. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for children, and $3 for college students. Smithfield is the property of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. Web site: www.smithfieldplantation.org
FINCASTLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. Fincastle. The grounds of this historic church were a restoration project of The Garden Club of Virginia in 1942-43, using funds from Historic Garden Week. Structural repairs were necessary to the iron fences. A gate and brick wall were built along the west side of the graveyard. Simple plantings completed the restoration at the time.