STAUNTON
Sponsored by The Augusta Garden Club
Saturday, April 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Chairman:
Dana Krusz (Mrs. Kary L.)
1415 Dogwood Road
Staunton, VA 24401
Telephone: (540) 886-8590
E-mail: danakrusz@comcast.net
Co-Chairman:
Kathy Frazier (Mrs. William T.)
755 Opie Street
Staunton, VA 24401
Telephone: (540) 886-8634
E-mail: franzfam@comcast.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.
ADVANCE TICKET SALES:
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library at His Birthplace, 24 N. Coalter St., Staunton, 24401, (540) 885-0897; Waynesboro Landscape and Garden Center, 2032 W. Main St., Waynesboro, 22980, (540) 942-4646; The Fashion Gallery, 111 Lee Hwy, Verona, 24482, (540) 248-4292; Blue Mountain Coffees, 12B Byers St., Staunton, 24401, (540) 886-4506.
DIRECTIONS:
From Richmond, Charlottesville and points east: I-64 West
to I-81 North, Exit 227
From Charleston, West Virginia and points
west: I-64 East
to I-81 North, Exit 227
From Harrisonburg and points north:
I-81 South, Exit 227
From Lexington and points south: I-81
North, Exit 227
From I-81 South, Exit 227: Turn left
off the exit
toward Verona onto Laurel Hill Rd. Go 1 mi. to stop light. Turn right
onto Lee Hwy/Rte 11 North.
PARKING: Parking will be available near the tour homes.
LUNCH: Lunch is available at the August Stone Presbyterian Church, 28 Old Stone Church Lane, Ft. Defiance, VA 24437, $8/person. To reserve a lunch contact Linda Livick at (540) 248-7270, lindalivick@gmail.com or office@augustone.comcastbiz.net.
NOTES: As a courtesy to homeowners and for your safety, please wear flat walking shoes. Restrooms are available at Augusta Stone Presbyterian Church.
Properties May Be Visited In Any Order
WEAVERTON, 428 Dam Town Road, Ft. Defiance 24437. From the stoplight in Verona, go north on Rte 11. Drive 3.3 mi. and turn right on Dam Town Rd., go 0.9 mi. House on left. Weaverton is the lifelong passion of owners Jerry and Linda Weaver, filled with family treasures and collected antiques from the mid-18th to early 20th century. Designed using three distinct architectural styles of the Shenandoah Valley, Weaverton includes a typical 1750 log house, 1780 Hessian stone-side addition, and 1800 frame rear addition.
Built with the timbers of a 1780 double-pen barn found near Churchville, the log section houses a comfortable living room with guest bedrooms above. Architectural details include a 200-year-old brick floor, hand-forged iron hardware and pit-sawn, wide-oak floorboards.
The stone addition is the modern kitchen, rich with Shaker-style cabinets, old barn-floor countertops and beautiful mountain views. The first-floor master suite is filled with period Victorian furniture and pieces made by Mr. Weaver. A generous side porch takes in the wide expanse of rolling hills and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Water cascades down a rock fall into serene pools, while koi, songbirds, water lilies and flowering perennials inhabit the beautiful gardens built by the homeowner. Weaverton is open for the first time. Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Weaver, owners.
James Crawford House, 106 James Crawford Lane, Mt. Sidney 24467. Return to Rte 11 and continue north 0.3 mi. to Jas Crawford Lane, go 0.2 mi. House on left. At the end of a country lane stands the James Crawford House, a Federal-style, stucco brick home built in 1800. Descendents of the Crawford family resided there until 1928 when it was sold to the Roller family and became faculty housing for nearby Augusta Military Academy. As the fifth owners, Dr. and Mrs. McGee have added their own flair to this country home, displaying many family antiques and memorabilia.
The interior is welcoming and rich with original raised-panel wainscot and beautifully restored fireplace mantels. An extensive collection of Civil War relics, a Confederate officer’s field desk and historic images of the house will be of special interest. Large windows in the sunroom on the north side of the house overlook an enclosed terrace with outdoor kitchen and many private spaces for dining and socializing. With architectural features typical of the Federal period, symmetrical central hall plan, end chimneys, dentil cornice, a classical entablature entry, square fanlights and slender sidelights, this house is superb in its quaint rural setting. The James Crawford House is open for the first time. Dr. and Mrs. Gregory McGee, owners.
Holly Ridge, 3006 Lee Highway, Mt. Sidney 24467. Return to Rte. 11 and continue north 2 mi. House on left. Cresting a ridge overlooking the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains, Holly Ridge embodies the charm of contemporary rural living. One of three Houff family homes, Holly Ridge was designed by Mrs. Carolyn Houff and built in 1969. Family photographs and heirlooms fill much of the house, as well as Mrs. Houff’s collections of antique wooden boxes and P. Buckley Moss prints. The dining room and sitting room showcase many wonderful family pieces including flow blue china, crystal, a china press, an Irvin Rosen clock from Mr. Houff’s family home and a baby grand piano, a gift to Mrs. Houff on her 60th birthday from Mr. Houff.
The master bedroom was remodeled in 1989, creating a splendid master suite with walk-in closet and luxurious bath. The light-filled, rich-red kitchen was also remodeled in the early 1990s, making space for additional counter, cabinets and an island bar. Views from the house overlook an intimate brick terrace, pergola and pool, nestled into lush cypresses, pines, Japanese maples, roses and perennials. Grazing cattle add to the pastoral and bucolic view. Holly Ridge is open for the first time. Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Houff, owners.
Staunton—2810 Lee Highway
2810 LEE HIGHWAY, Mt. Sidney 24426. Return
to Rte. 11 and travel south 0.3 mi. House on right.
Atop Holly Ridge, overlooking the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains,
the home of Doug and Janet Houff is a phoenix from the ashes. A fire in 2005
destroyed their house and most of their belongings. This stunning new residence,
completed in 2008, is a modern interpretation of traditional Georgian and
Federal period architecture. It is symmetrical with tall end chimneys and
flanking wings housing the modern conveniences of a garage and master bedroom
suite. A grand, two-story pedimented portico and gracious entry complete
the elegant facade.
The interior is richly finished with bold colors, creative use of space and numerous fine architectural details. Of note are stained-glass windows, survivors of the fire, built into the wall of the second-floor hall. These colorful windows are backlight for viewing and are the centerpiece of the central-hall entry. The lovely kitchen and family room share a majestic stone fireplace and chimney, with French doors that open to a deep loggia overlooking a serene pool. The rear courtyard space is defined by a guesthouse, children’s play area and fantastic views to the Alleghany Mountains. Open for the first time. Mr. and Mrs. Doug Houff, owners.
Augusta Military Academy Museum, 1640 Lee Highway, Ft. Defiance 24437. From the stoplight in Verona, go north on Rte 11. Drive 1 mi. to museum on left. Founded in 1874 by Charles Summerville Roller, Augusta Military Academy was Virginia’s oldest military preparatory school. Having served in the Confederate Army under General J.E.B. Stuart and wounded in Appomattox, Private Charles Roller returned home with the intent of rebuilding his community. His patriotism came in many forms, tutoring students in his newly organized Augusta Male Classical Academy as well as serving in the Virginia General Assembly from 1871-74. The school remained open until 1984. As a military approach was adopted for the school, so too the architecture of the campus reflects its stoic and orderly nature. Early years of the school were spent at the Roller House, now the Alumni House Museum. The Gothic Revival campus as seen today evolved over time with the academic building and frame gymnasium built in 1910, and Main Barracks in 1915. The museum is open the day of the tour, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. www.amaalumni.org.
Augusta Stone Presbyterian Church, 28 Old Stone Church Lane, Ft. Defiance 24437. Return to Rte 11 and travel north 0.2 mi. Turn left on Old Stone Church Lane. Standing in a grove of oak trees, Augusta Stone Church is the oldest surviving church in the Shenandoah Valley and the oldest Presbyterian church in use in Virginia. Built in 1747, the rectangular meeting house has a clipped gable roof and thick limestone rubble walls. It is an exceptional example of a Colonial-era house of worship. The congregation was first organized in 1740 by the Rev. John Craig, Virginia’s first “settled” Presbyterian minister. Under his strong hand, many other neighboring congregations were organized: Tinkling Spring, Union, Mt. Horeb and Spring Hill. Through the years as the congregation grew and came to include Augusta Military Academy cadets, several additions were completed. The small stone Session House, once part of the church, was rebuilt as a separate structure in 1847. Today it serves as the church museum, preserving and sharing a rich collection of historical items, including an 18-piece silver communion service that is the largest set of Colonial church silver in Virginia. Listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. Open the day of the tour, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum at His Birthplace, 20 North Coalter Street, Staunton 24401. The historic Presbyterian Manse where President Wilson was born in 1856 has been restored to its original appearance and contains Wilson artifacts and period furnishings. The terraced boxwood gardens below the Manse, one of the early garden restoration projects of the Garden Club of Virginia, were designed in 1933 by noted Richmond landscape architect Charles F. Gillette. The gardens were expanded in 1967-68 to include a brick terrace designed by landscape architect Ralph E. Griswold. In 1990, the Woodrow Wilson Museum opened in a mansion down the street from the Manse, separated by an administration building. Also in 1990, the Garden Club of Virginia retained Rudy J. Favretti to design a forecourt and lawn around the Museum and added walkways connecting the Museum with the gardens. Last year, the Garden Club of Virginia brought new life to the gardens by rebuilding and expanding perimeter fencing and planting new boxwoods, lilacs, hostas and perennials. The new Library Research Center, located just below the Museum, also frames the gardens and is the next step in the Library’s expansion project. Open the day of the tour, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.