Category: Virginia

Orange County VA

So we took advantage of a beautiful Presidents’ Day holiday this year, and went to Orange County, home of one US President and birthplace of another.

MONTEBELLO

Zachary Taylor, our 12th President, was born at this site in 1784. The house where he was born no longer stands, and the current Montebello farm is private and not open to the public. Taylor’s family lived in Kentucky, and they visited family in Virginia, and on their return trip, several people became ill, so they stopped here to recover before continuing on to Kentucky. It was during this time that the future president was born. President Taylor was a cousin of President James Madison, whose house is…

MONTPELIER

Just a few miles from President Zachary Taylor’s birthplace is Montpelier, the home of James Madison, the 4th President of the United States, and author of the US Constitution.
Approaching the front of Montpelier.
This is a beautiful house! Maybe even more impressive than Monticello!
This is the view from the front porch at Montpelier.
Gazebo with brick columns.
Entrance foyer
Parlor
Dining room
James Madison’s desk in his office
President Madison’s bed in his later years, when he was too weak to walk upstairs.
This is also the room that he died, June 28, 1836, six days short of July 4, the day that Presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe all died on. He was last signer of the Constitution to die.
One of his nieces asked him “What is the matter?”
His last words were “Nothing more than a change of mind, my dear.”
James and Dolley Madison’s bedroom
This is the room where James Madison wrote the United States Constitution.
Actually, he carefully drafted a proposal to replace the failing Articles of Confederation. He took his proposal to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, and as discussions progressed, became know as the Virginia Plan, which was mostly adopted with a few changes based on ideas from other states. Virginia was the tenth state to ratify the new constitution in 1788, and the current United States form of government was launched!
Outbuildings, such as smoke houses and slave quarters
A pitcher honoring President Madison, misspelled “Maddison”.
President Madison was our shortest president. When I first started studying about the presidents, I read that he was 5’1″ tall, and when I reached that height in fourth grade I was very proud to be as tall as a president! Now, depending on whose research you read, President Madison’s height was anywhere from 5’1″ to 5’6″.
Graves of President James Madison and First Lady Dolley Madison.
Shortly up the road from Montpelier is this house, which was the home of freed slave George Gilmore, who built it in the 1860s.
Inside of George Gilmore’s house..

MONTPELIER STATION

Train depot at Montpelier.
Interesting scene here. Notice the signs above the doors. This is what life in the south was like during Jim Crow.
This is the room for the “colored” people.
This is the much larger room for Whites.

JAMES MADISON MUSEUM

In the town of Orange, there is this neat museum called James Madison Museum. It is basically a museum about the history of Orange County. This house, completed rebuilt inside the museum, is a typical Virginia house in the 1800s for Virginians who didn’t live in mansions like Mount Vernon, Monticello and Montpelier.
A horse-drawn Rockaway carriage from the 1880s.
1912 Ford Model T
President James Madison’s favorite chair
Bust of President James Madison
Everything in the picture belonged to President Zachary Taylor:
Bed, grandfather clock, general’s chest and chair.
Although born in Virginia, President Taylor grew up near Louisville, Kentucky.
He enlisted int he US Army in 1806 and eventually rose in the ranks to brigadier general. He fought in the War of 1812, Black Hawk War, second Seminole War, and finally the Mexican-American War, during which he emerged as a national hero for winning the Battle of Buena Vista even though outnumbered 4 to 1. As a national hero, he won the 1848 presidential nomination from the Whig Party, and then the presidency. He died in office in 1849, elevating Millard Fillmore to the presidency.
Slave’s clothing and other items.
The museum holds a pretty large collection of arrowheads, and Indian tools, as well as ancient rock drawings.
The town of Orange once had a very busy silk mill, and there are artifacts from that mill in the museum. This ball of silk would be spun into silk thread one mile long!

RAPIDAN VA

Driving through the countryside of Orange County, we passed through the little village of Rapidan, which spans the Rapidan River, and rests in both Orange and Culpeper Counties.
This is the Waddell Memorial Presbyterian Church, built in 1874 in the Carpenter Gothic style with board and batten siding.
This is the Rapidan Schoolhouse, built in 1887 for the rector’s eight children. It was later used as the town library.
The inside of the schoolhouse.

MITCHELLS VA

This is Mitchells Presbyterian Church in Mitchells, Virginia. This is the village where my father was born in 1925.
These are the graves of my grandparents.
These are the graves of my great-grandparents.

CULPEPER VA

This memorial park is located in the town of Culpeper.
Dedicated to Culpeper County natives who have served in the US military.
These stones honor my father’s five brothers who served in World War II.
Civil War battlefield at Brandy Station.
This battle on June 9, 1863, the largest cavalry battle of the entire Civil War, lasted for one day, as the Union forces slowed down (but did not stop) General Robert E. Lee’s progress toward Gettysburg, and the battle that would occur there on July 1-3.
We finished our day here at the Frost Cafe in the town of Culpeper.
They have the best fried chicken!

George Washington’s Mount Vernon

After all these years we FINALLY made it to Mount Vernon!
Entrance with the circle drive. Again, we visited a landmark that was hidden by scaffolding! They are doing some structural rehabilitation on this side.
This is the porch that faces the Potomac River.
Potomac River from Mt Vernon’s front porch
Tulip Poplar planted by George Washington in 1785.
The ballroom, where the Washingtons entertained.
Mirror actually owned by George Washington.
George and Martha Washington’s bedroom. George died in this bed in 1799. Martha closed the door and never slept in this room again. She died in 1802.
George Washington’s office.
The actual key from the French Bastille. This was a gift to George Washington from French Marquis de Lafayette.
The Washingtons’ tomb.
George Washngton’s casket.
The museum was very full and informative. There are several videos that are very well done.
This is a scene of young George Washington as a surveyor
Revolutionary War General George Washington on his horse
George Washington’s inauguration
George Washington’s actual dentures. They were not wood, but a combination of human and cow teeth, and elephant ivory!
George and Martha with grandchildren “Washy” and Nelly
As our nation’s first president, Washington was certainly self-aware of his importance in the country’s future and continuity.
So it looks like people have been rubbing Washington’s nose, so…
… since we did it with Abraham Lincoln, why not Washington?!

Salubria

This is a hidden gem in Culpeper County on Route 3. The house was built in 1757. It is now an archeological site of 19 acres controlled by Germanna Community College Foundation. They rarely open this site to the public, but on Friday June 21, they opened it for 2 hours, and I had an opportunity to take a look.

Salubria, facing south.
Close-up of a south-facing window. Notice the Flemish bond brick laying – one long side, one short side, alternating. This style created a thicker outside wall than the standard bond of today.
At some point in the mid-19th century, the owners stoccoed over the brick exterior. Interestingly, they also “stamped” the stucco so it had the appearance of blocks. Over time, some of the stucco has fallen off, leaving an mix of stucco and brick appearance.
Apparently the stucco process was abruptly stopped when the Civil War broke out. The east side of the house has no stucco at all. There is an obvious color difference in the brick on this wall – there was an attached kitchen here until at least the 1940s.
This is an interesting landing at the south entrance. The bricks are laid out in a wagon wheel pattern, with river rock filling in the blank spaces.
This historical marker indicates that Salubria was built in 1742, but it has been discovered that 1757 was the actual year. When the earthquake hit in 2011, it knocked over the western chimney, and severely damaged the roof. During the reconstruction of the roof the type of beams used in the were determined to have not been around in 1742, but 1757. Further confirmation was that some of the bricks that had tumbled had the builder’s name and the year 1757 etched into them.
Salubria, facing north.
Southeast room.
Close-up of the dentil moulding.
Woodwork above the fireplace.
The northeast room is the only room with flooring original to the house.
This is heart-of-pine plank flooring from 1757.
Northwest room.
Southeast room.
Southwest room – the “family room”.
Entrance hall facing north.
Stairs to the second floor.
The entire estate is a 19 acre archeological site. The site has been marked off (on paper!) into a grid of 50-foot squares. The archeologists are digging holes every 50 feet, and if nothing is found, the hole is filled in, and on to the next hole fifty feet away. There are no outbuildings on the site, so the professionals are hoping they can find foundations to map out the estate.
Paydirt! This find is yet unidentified, but they will keep digging!
They have not determined what this find represents.
There are several graves on the site. The Graysons were owners of Salubria in the 19th century. One Grayson who was born here grew up to be the White House physician for President Woodrow Wilson during the 1910s.
The house facing south from the family graves.

Hollywood Cemetery

Richmond, Virginia

I had never been here, but had always wanted to, so here is Hollywood Cemetery, one of three locations that contain the graves of 2 Presidents of the United States. Fun trivia: the other two are United First Parish Church, Quincy, Massachusetts (John and John Quincy Adams); Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia (William Howard Taft and John F. Kennedy). Amaze your friends with this fact!

A dog statue, which is listed as a “Visitors’ Favorite”
Pyramid dedicated to Confederate Women
Grave of Confederate General George Pickett
There are over 18,000 graves of Confederate soldiers in this cemetery.
Quite sobering.
Grave of Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart
Grave of US Supreme Court Justice Lewis Franklin Powell
Grave of US Supreme Court Justice Peter Vivian Daniel
Grave of Matthew Fontaine Maury, known as “Pathfinder of the Sea”.
Maury (from Fredericksburg) was a highly regarded 19th century cartography.
Grave of James Monroe, 5th President of the United States, surrounded by a grove of beautiful, full-bloom cherry trees.
Grave of James Monroe, 5th President of the United States
This sarcophagus contains the remains of President James Monroe.
Monument and grave of John Tyler, 10th President of the United States.
President Tyler was the first president to ascend to the office of upon the death of a president (9th President William Henry Harrison). Since he was not elected President, there was uncertainty about how he should proceed in office. His decisive actions upon taking office set a precedent that such a presidency is as legitimate as the presidency of an elected president.
Close-up of the front of President Tyler’s monument
View from the west of President Tyler’s monument
Statue and grave of Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. Last year we visited his postwar prison cell at Fort Monroe in Hampton.
Monument of my relative Fitzhugh Lee, who had a varied and distinguished life. During his life, he was a Confederate General, Governor of Virginia, Brigadier General in the United States Army (Spanish-American War), and Consul General to Cuba.
The Lee Family Coat-of-Arms
On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, from Hollywood Cemetery,
downtown Richmond’s skyline

Historic St. John’s Church

Richmond, Virginia

Historic St. John’s church, originally built in 1741, is the site where Patrick Henry gave his famous “Liberty or Death” speech in March 23, 1775, which helped convince those in attendance to begin preparing Virginia’s troops for war against Great Britain. The most famous lines from the speech are:

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

This speech cemented Patrick Henry’s reputation as the premiere speaker in all the American colonies. He later became the first governor of Virginia after American independence. A fascinating figure worth further study.

Historic St. John’s Church today.
This is the only part of the church that existed in 1775, and is where Patrick Henry gave his speech during the Second Virginia Convention.
Patrick Henry gave the speech here, in the front of this sanctuary.
Patrick Henry’s pew.
Our tour guide Andrew was fantastic, offering excellent historical details.
Grave of George Wythe – the first law professor in America; teacher of Thomas Jefferson, John Randolph and John Marshall; “first” Virginia signer of the Declaration of Independence (I leave it to you to learn why I put “first” in quotation marks!)
The entire church yard is filled with graves. There are even graves underneath the church floor – some stacked three deep! Many of these graves date to the 1700s.
Interesting story about the reason for these graves that look like tables. They were laid in this manner to prevent the livestock from grazing the grave.
Grave of Eliza Poe, mother of Edgar Allen Poe