ABOUT THE 2008 AUTUMN PILGRIMAGE HOUSE TOUR

Westover Church invites you to the 2008 Autumn Pilgrimage House and Garden Tour in Charles City, Virginia.  This year’s tour will be held on Saturday, September 27, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and includes the ancestral homes of two past presidents and several major historical figures.  The event also will offer tours of contemporary and historic houses, two historic churches, and several significant gardens, as well as a horse-drawn antique carriage display, live lunch-time musical entertainment, a farmers market, a raffle, and much more.

HOUSES TO VISIT ON THE 2008 TOUR

The Autumn Pilgrimage House & Garden Tour allows visitors to see Charles City’s numerous historic structures and private homes, many of which are not generally open to the public.  Westover (c.1730), Berkeley (c.1726), and Sherwood Forest (begun c. 1660 with additions through 1845), all offer unique perspectives on plantation life and the cultural milieu of 300 years ago.  Kittiewan (c. 1728) was donated to the Archaeological Society of Virginia and is undergoing constant archaeological study. Other homes of historic and architectural significance are Burlington Farm (c.1770-90), Dogham Farm (c.1700s), Eagles Nest (c.1685), Edgewood Bed & Breakfast (c.1849) and Woodbourne (c.1813).

All the properties are on the National Register of Historic Places and/or are Virginia Historic Landmarks. There are fine gardens to explore at Berkeley, Burlington, Dogham, Eagles Nest, Edgewood and Westover; visitors are welcome to enjoy them.

Transitioning between old and new is the River House at Hardens, a 150 year old barn moved to its present location in the 1970s. Mariwood is a charming 3200 square feet post and beam construction home situated on a bluff overlooking the James River. The home is set among 300 wooded acres and also features a beautiful stable of post and beam construction.

OTHER HISTORIC SITES ON THE TOUR

Two historic churches are featured again in the Autumn Pilgrimage House Tour:  Bethany Presbyterian Church, a beautiful wooden Greek Revival church built in 1869, and Westover Parish Church (Episcopal, 1730), one of the oldest churches in the country.  Through the centuries farmers, plantation owners, slaves, and presidents (including Washington, Jefferson, Harrison, Tyler and Theodore Roosevelt) have worshipped at Westover Parish Church.

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE DAY

Kicking off the activities for the day include a presentation of the foxhounds from Princess Anne Hunt Club at Sherwood Forest Plantation from 9 until 9:30 a.m. A variety of activities follow at Westover Church throughout the day including lunch time entertainment by various groups from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m,, featuring gospel singing by the Charles City Spiritual Ensemble and The Virginia Benefit Chorale, an a capella choir and a Colonial dancing troupe.  A Civil War era encampment will be at displayed at Westover Church.

New this year will be a farmer’s market. The Women of The Memorial United Methodist Church and the youth of Westover Church will sell homemade goods and a la carte lunch items, including chili. Crafts will be on sale, as well as a selection of two distinctive plants highly favored in local gardens: Poet’s Laurel (danae racemosa), an evergreen shrub useful for flower arrangements and Spider Lily bulbs (lycoris radiata of the amaryllis family), a favorite fall blooming flower.

TICKET AND LUNCH INFORMATION

Advance admission tickets may be purchased through September 22, 2008 for $30 per person. Tickets may be purchased on the day of the tour for $35 per person at Westover Church, Eagles Nest, Sherwood Forest and The River House at Hardens. Box lunches may be ordered in advance for $12 each and can be picked up at Westover Church between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

For advance tickets and lunch reservations, send checks, payable to Westover Church by September 22, to Teresa Coyne, 13101 Tyler’s Mill Road, Charles City, VA  23030.

Tickets may be purchased on the day of tour, September 27 at Eagles Nest, Sherwood Forest Plantation, Westover Church and The River House at Hardens.

For more information or questions, contact Teresa Coyne at (804) 829-9077, teresa@shecrabcleaning.com or Kay Tyler at (804) 358-6248, ktyler@sherwoodforest.org or the Westover Parish Church webpage:  www.westoverparish.org/AutumnPilgrimage.html

RAFFLE

Win this Getaway to Pirate’s Cove, located in Manteo, NC on the Outer Banks. Enjoy the view of Nags Head and Pamlico Sound from the lovely waterfront four bedroom, three bath condo. Amenities include pool and snack bar, fitness center, bike rentals, playground, basketball and volleyball courts. Special activities are offered by the Pirates Cove Recreation Staff for children and families. www.pirates-cove.com for more information about this gated community near historic and scenic Manteo, North Carolina.

 Condos at Pirate’s Cove                                                                             Pool at Pirate’s Cove

Wine or Tea Reception at Sherwood Forest Plantation

Invite 20 of your friends or family and enjoy an afternoon tea or wine reception at Sherwood Forest Plantation, home of President John Tyler. This is a unique opportunity to meet President Tyler’s grandson (yes, grandson) and his direct descendants during this private tour and reception. www.sherwoodforest.org

Tickets for the raffle are $25 each or 5 tickets for $100. For more information about the raffle, contact Sharon Christian (804) 829-5231 or sharron1952@aol.comm or Jim Daniels, (804) 796-5692. Tickets may be purchased in advance by send a check payable to Westover Church to Teresa Coyne, 13101 Tylers Mill Road, Charles City VA, 23030.

The raffle tickets will be on sale the day of the tour at Eagles Nest, The River House at Hardens, Westover Church and Sherwood Forest Plantation.

BENEFICIARIES

Over the years, the tour has generated well over $120,000 for Westover Church and its charitable outreach programs. “Meals on Wheels” is the primary recipient, along with other local, national and international concerns which benefit from this event. Significant contributions have been made to the Katrina storm victims, the Crow Indian Reservation in North Dakota, and the Diocesan Relief Fund, among others. 

Berkeley Plantation (1726) 12602 Harrison Landing Road Berkeley is the site of the first official Thanksgiving in 1619. It is also the birthplace of Benjamin Harrison, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and William Henry Harrison, ninth President of the United States, as well as the ancestral home of the 23rd U.S. President, Benjamin Harrison. Taps was composed here in 1862. Berkeley remains in its traditional state, furnished with authentic antiques and surrounded by terraced boxwood gardens. Burlington Farm (1770-90)  11301 John Tyler Memorial Hwy. Burlington is an example of 18th century farmhouse architecture, and has experienced a resurrection of its historic Charles City past. Portions of the existing structure date back to the 1770-1790 period. Renovation, furnishing and landscaping have been an on-going process since the farm was purchased in 2002 by the Cundari family. Exacting effort has gone into the reconstruction by Colonial Williamsburg craftsmen. A smokehouse and ice house have prevailed against time and are being reconstructed. Bethany Presbyterian Church (1869) 8001 Adkins Road Bethany Church was formed from a Sabbath School located in a one-room school house a few miles south of the present church. A lovely example of Greek Revival Architecture in wood, Bethany has a classical portico façade with Doric columns. Its simple interior features an impressive hand-hewn pulpit, pews and gallery. Dogham Farm (1770s) 1601 Dogham Lane The land comprising Dogham was granted by the Crown to Joseph Royall in 1637 and the earliest records on the property refer to it as Doggams. The farm is notable for its continuous ownership by the same family. After the death of Royall, his widow, Katherine Banks Royall, married Henry Isham and the property has remained in Royall and Isham lines ever since. Today, it is comprised of 750 acres of land with outbuildings which are in active use. Eagles Nest (1685) 12500 Eagles Nest Road Eagles Nest is one of seven brick dwellings of similar age and construction located in the Tidewater area. The history of the house begins in 1651 with William Armieger, an indentured servant who rose to a position of some substance in Jamestown. Over the years, through many owners, a hunting club and finally derelict from neglect, the home was purchased from the APVA by the family of its present owners. Eagles Nest was carefully restored and is a picturesque outdoor venue for special events. Edgewood Bed & Breakfast (1849) 4800 John Tyler Memorial Hwy Edgewood was built in 1849 by New Jersey native Spencer Rowland. Once a part of Berkeley Plantation, it served as Westover Church, a post office and a signal post for the Confederacy. During the Civil War, the third floor was used as a lookout for Confederate generals to spy on McClellan’ troops when they were camped at Berkeley. The Gristmill, built in 1725, ground corn for both the Union and the Confederacy. Decorated in high Victorian style, tea will be served during the pilgrimage. Please call 1(800)296-3343 for reservations. Kittiewan(c.1728) 12104 Weyanoke Road The original property where Kittiewan is sited was given to Chief Opechancanough, half-brother and successor of Chief of Chief Powhatan, to Virginia Governor George Yeardley in 1617. At that time, the plantation consisted of over 1,000 acres and was known to native Americans as ‘Kenwan.’ It now encompasses 700 acres. The core of the 1 1/2 story colonial plantation house of heart pine was built before 1728. The extraordinary paneling in the main drawing room is considered to be comparable to any of the best in the country. Several families have occupied Kittiewan including the Williams Justice family in 1640, the Rickman family in 1768. The last private owners were Bill and Wilma Cropper, who bequeathed the home to the Archaeological Society of Virginia. Mariwood (1995) 13420 Tyler’s Mill Road This charming post-and-beam construction home made of stacked stone and cedar shakes is situated on a bluff overlooking the James River and was built in 2006. The home features a large great room with a massive stone fireplace, tongue and groove ceiling and heart pine flooring as well as a hand-forged iron chandelier. The home’s interior blends both the rustic and refined with its stained beams, stucco-finished walls and lovely fabrics. The home is set among 300 wooded acres and also features a stable of post and beam construction. The exterior of the stable is made of board-and-batten and stacked stone and the interior features stone flooring and tongue and groove ceiling. River House at Hardens (1970) 1421 John Tyler Memorial Hwy. This beautifully appointed residence was originally built as a grain barn for Hardens, a prosperous plantation of the mid-19th century. It was probably built in the years before the Civil War, soon after the main house at Hardens was completed in 1846 for Lewis Warrington Carter. This beautifully appointed residence was originally built as a grain barn for Hardens, a prosperous plantation of the mid-19th century. It was probably built in the years before the Civil War, soon after the main house at Hardens was completed in 1846 for Lewis Warrington Carter. Sherwood Forest (1660-1845) 14501 John Tyler Memorial Hwy. Sherwood Forest was the home of President John Tyler from his White House retirement until his death in 1861. The house is the longest frame house in America. It was expanded to its present length, 301 feet, by President Tyler in 1845, when he added the 68 foot ballroom. The Greek Revival architecture was added by John Tyler’s second wife, Julia Gardiner Tyler. She and President Tyler had seven children and the house is still owned by the direct descendants. The landscaping of the house was based on the mid-19th century landscape architect Andrew Jackson Downing. Westover Church (1724) 6401 John Tyler Memorial Hwy. Westover Parish was established in 1613 in close proximity to the original settlement at Jamestown. Through the centuries, farmers, plantation owners, slaves and Presidents, including Washington; Jefferson, Harrison, Tyler, Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, have worshipped here. The church has a growing congregation that is active in outreach. Westover (c. 1730) 7000 Westover Road Westover is considered one of the finest examples of early Georgian architecture in America. William Byrd I, prominent planter, diarist and Colonial leader, built this graceful dwelling in 1730. The lawn has a commanding view of the James River. The grounds still are protected by the three wrought iron gates originally hung by Byrd an dare the finest set existing from the 18th century in this country. The rooms are noted fro their proportions, ornately carved ceilings, the details of the cornice and stairway and an unusually black mantelpiece. Woodbourne (1813) 9601A Adkins Road Woodbourne was built by John Tyler, 10th President of the United States, shortly after his marriage to his first wife, Letitia Christian in 1813. The house is a provincial version of the tripartite Palladian form, which was popular in Virginia in the late 18th and 19th centuries and was home to Tyler and his family while he served as a Congressman and as Governor of Virginia. The interior of the house is noted for its fine woodwork. Original dependencies are still intact: a dairy, a smoke house and an ‘old kitchen’ along with the pump house and barn. The house return to the Tyler family in 1847 when it was purchased by its present owners, who is a great granddaughter of President Tyler. Autumn Pilgrimage Press Release 2008 Autumn Pilgrimage Map for 2008 Autumn Pilgrimage Program of Events

Charles City Calendar

For other events in Charles City, see the Calendar.

Carriages are a part of Autumn Pilgrimage tradition