Historic Garden Week in Virginia

STAUNTON

Sponsored by The Augusta Garden Club

Saturday, April 26, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Chairman:
  Anne Spencer (Mrs. Timothy D.)
  425 E. Beverley Street
  Staunton, VA 24401
  (540) 886-5071
  brandons@cfw.com

Co-Chairman:
  Jane Testerman (Mrs. E. Ross, Jr.)
  44 Orchard Road
  Staunton, VA 24401
  (540) 886-4719
  ertjmt@ntelos.net

TICKETS:  Full Ticket $25.  Children ages 6-12, half-price; ages 5 and under, free of charge. Advance tickets may be purchased from local shops for a reduced price of $20 or via www.VAGardenweek.org. Full-price tickets may be purchased on tour day at each house site. For advanced ticked sales for out of area guests, please contact tour chairman.

INFORMATION CENTER AND ADVANCE TICKET SALES:
  Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library at His Birthplace
  24 North Coalter Street
  Staunton, VA  24401
  540-885-0897

ADVANCE TICKET SALES:
  Donna's Hallmark
  2608 West Main Street
  Westwood Village
  Waynesboro, VA 22980
  (540) 943-5265

  The Fashion Gallery
  111 Lee Highway
  P. O. Box 586
  Verona, VA 24482
  (540) 248-4292

  The Bookstack
  1 East Beverley Street
  Staunton, VA 24401
  (540) 885-2665

DIRECTIONS:  From Richmond, Charlottesville and points east:  I-64 West to Interstate 81 North, Exit 225, then follow directions below:
From Charleston, West Virginia and points west:  I-64 East to Lexington, I-81 North to Staunton, Exit 225, then follow directions below:
From Harrisonburg and points north:  I-81 South to Exit 225, then follow directions below
From Lexington and points south:
I-81 North to Exit 225, follow 262 South to Rt. 11/Commerce Rd.
Go 1.6 mi. to stop light, left onto Rt. 11/Commerce Rd.  Go 0.4 mi.
Bear right at the junction (Rt. 11 Business).
Go straight at the next junction, continuing on Rt. 11 as it becomes Augusta St.
Follow Augusta St. to St. John’s Methodist Church (through one stop light)
St. John’s will be on your right on the corner of Augusta and Fallon
Turn right onto Fallon St. for parking

PARKING, SHUTTLE SERVICE AND OTHER INFORMATION:

STREET CLOSINGS:

LUNCH:  Lunch will be available at various restaurants in Staunton’s Victorian Downtown, located less than one mile from the tour site. 

SPECIAL FEATURE:  The Garden Club of Virginia Restoration Gardens at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Birthplace, the manse, and the museum are free to ticket holders.

  1717 NORTH Augusta Street.  Originally situated in a large apple orchard, this imposing 1921 Georgian Revival house was designed by local architect Samuel Collins.  Classic Revival features were a specialty of Collins, and his plan showcases these elements inside and out.  Arched dormer windows, a columned door surrounded by a broken pediment, and deep dentil work cornices define the Georgian style.  The interior features crown moldings, inlaid wooden floors and a wide, winding staircase. The original owner gave his home the name “Donamor,” an Italian expression meaning “gift of love,” which continues to describe its feel today.  Filled with family antiques, collectibles and needlework on a backdrop of soft, inviting colors, the house reflects the interests of the family who have called it home for more than 20 years. Their sensitive renovations used the original architectural details as inspiration in adapting the residence for family living.  The bright family room, a former screened porch, retains its 1920s pressed-metal ceiling and has a whimsical quilt-patterned tile floor.  New kitchen cabinets incorporate the style of the original butler’s pantry, while creamy tile countertops with blue accents give an updated feel.
  Also open will be the Carriage House with newly renovated living quarters, featuring a blue and white kitchen tucked in the corner, charming bed and bathrooms, and Staunton memorabilia and artwork.  The yard is bordered by perennial beds on the north and west and accented with handsome old American boxwood and dogwood trees.  Spring bulbs and annuals add bright patches of color.  Open for the first time.  Dr. and Mrs. James Huggins, owners.

Staunton—158 Woodland Drive

  158 Woodland Drive.  This elegant brick Colonial is located on four acres on the crest of a hill and is surrounded by private gardens and mature woodlands.   Constructed in 1955, it was one of the first houses built in the Forest Hills neighborhood and was designed by the Roanoke firm of Stone, Thompson & Payne.  The architect’s interior woodwork and attention to detail reflect a traditional sensibility, underscored by the furnishings – a mix of English and American antiques.  The floor plan encourages seamless flow between interior and exterior spaces, complemented by generously sized rooms and large windows.  A formal living room provides airy living space in the summer with windows on both sides. Bookshelves flank the fireplace, and French doors open to a terrace overlooking the rear garden.  The dining room also leads through French doors to the terrace, providing a circular flow for entertaining in warm weather.
  The original attached garage was converted into a casual sitting area which enjoys a view into an Oriental-style garden enclosed in boxwood.  The grounds were originally laid out by A. A. Farnham, a Roanoke landscape architect.  Barry Starke of Earth Designs in Casanova, Virginia, significantly enhanced and expanded the original concept.  A stone retaining wall is topped with a hemlock hedge and is bordered by peony bushes interspersed with Queen Elizabeth roses.  The lawn to the east side is lined on one side with English box and contains a fishpond accessed by stepping-stones.  Steps lead down the hillside to the terraced backyard shaded by oak and hickory trees.  Open for the first time by the current owners, Mr. and Mrs. P. William Moore, Jr.

  123 Woodland Drive.  Tucked into a wooded hillside, this Colonial Revival brick house was built in the 1950s by the Phillippe Brothers. The structure has undergone several renovations by the present owners and is brilliantly transformed. The driveway, set on a diagonal, leads past the house and a shade garden to a garage with a two-story Colonial Williamsburg-style guesthouse above. The guesthouse, constructed in 1988 and further renovated in the 1990s, has its entry through an intimate boxwood and flower garden.  The lower floor, with a living room and dining/kitchen area, contains handsome hundred-year-old, heart-pine flooring. Upstairs includes a cozy bedroom and bath. A slate walkway connects the driveway to the formal entrance to the house. The shaded front courtyard and water garden, adjoining more gardens in the back, give a sense of intimacy with nature.
  In the main house, a gracious entrance hall features French doors that open into the sunken formal living room. Beyond is access to the kitchen, the master bedroom, and two additional bedrooms. A den with a stone fireplace adjoins the living room. This area is a treasure-trove of Christmas collectibles, many by Yorktown artist Nancy Thomas. The study, dining room, and newly modernized kitchen and breakfast room have abundant windows that overlook terraced gardens, a water garden and patio, and woods. A large dormered addition upstairs, accessible by front and back staircases, contains a large, inviting den and two bedrooms. This house is open for Historic Garden Week for the first time.  Mr. and Mrs. William Chapman Goodwin, owners.

  326 Greenway Road.  Crowning the crest of a hill, this stately two-story, brick Colonial Revival is screened by oaks and maples and offers a splendid wintertime view of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east. Extensive beds of daffodils bloom brightly in the spring before leaves fill the trees.  Built in 1953 by local architect James Harper for Mr. and Mrs. R.R. Smith, the house contains many interesting features. Formal moldings and paneling create a gracious setting for family collectibles and antiques. The entrance hall leads to a modern kitchen, breakfast room and family room, and to the sides, opens onto a formal living room, den and master bedroom suite. Stonework for the fireplace in the den was crafted by masons who worked on the Blue Ridge Parkway.   In 1996, the present owners did extensive remodeling and added a sunken family room and bedroom above. French doors on the south side of the living room open to a covered porch with slate flooring that adjoins a slate patio and walkway. The patio is also accessible from the dining and breakfast rooms through French doors.   
  Boxwood hedges give privacy to the porch, while miniature boxwood and perennials enhance the patio. The upstairs has four cozy bedrooms and a reading room tucked into the dormer windows. The pine-paneled den/office downstairs displays a collection of wildlife prints. Although opened for Historic Garden Week many years ago, this is the first offering by the present owners. Dr. and Mrs. Robert M. Driscoll, owners.

  113 Oak Terrace.  The design of this house reflects a modern sensibility. Completed in 2002 by Drumeller Construction of Waynesboro, it is the most recently constructed residence in the immediate neighborhood.  Staunton architect Michael Brown worked closely with the owners to create a custom home that was inspired by a house in California with a semicircular view wall overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The owners requested a similar wall to capture the wintertime view of the distant Blue Ridge. The exterior is a composition of colored concrete blocks and brick, presenting an update of the Art Moderne style of the late-1940s, with a touch of Frank Lloyd Wright. Exterior features include the sheltering entrance porch, with a flanking masonry mast anchoring the house to the site. Also notice the polished blocks perforating the mast and the brick “racing stripes” along the curved wall. A “summer patio” is located at the rear of the house, and the front lower level contains the south-facing “winter patio” with a hemicycle lawn.
  The exterior flows into the foyer as the masonry mast continues into the house. To the right are the living, dining and kitchen areas which merge while achieving a visual separation with the use of curving ceiling planes. Note the striking curved countertop. Also at the upper level are a cozy library, guest bedroom and master bedroom. Stairs lead to the lower level, housing a family room, office and another bedroom, along with the utility basement. A screened porch adjoins the office. The daughter of the owners christened this a “healing house” for its calming atmosphere.  Open for the first time.  Mr. and Mrs. Edwin B. Brown, owners.

  WOODROW WILSON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AT HIS BIRTHPLACE.  18-24 North Coalter Street, Staunton.  This historic Presbyterian manse where President Wilson was born in 1856 has been restored to its original appearance.  The house contains many Wilson artifacts and period furnishings.  Charles F. Gillette, noted Richmond landscape architect, designed the terraced boxwood gardens behind the manse. The gardens were the third restoration project of The Garden Club of Virginia with funding from Historic Garden Week tours.  In 1990, the Woodrow Wilson Museum opened in a handsome mansion in the same block.  The museum contains exhibits of the life and times of our 28th President.  The garden and the courtyard outside the museum are additional gifts of The Garden Club of Virginia.  Designed by Rudy Favretti, the new garden ties the museum building together with the older gardens behind the manse and the Emily Smith Administration Building, creating a unity for the complex. Plans for the new Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, to be built on the campus, are on display in the carriage house below the garden.