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The Intriguing Stories Behind Virginia’s Most Historic Buildings

Every historic building in Virginia has a story contained within its walls. From small residential homes to great churches and castles, hidden narratives can always be found — if you know where to look. Here are the intriguing stories behind some of the oldest buildings in the Commonwealth. 

Jamestown Church 

Current view of the rebuilt 1907 church | ©Tony Fischer/Wiki-Commons

Constructed in 1639, Jamestown Church is the oldest building in Virginia — and one of the oldest structures in the entire United States. Although much of the modern church was in fact constructed in 1906, the 1639 church tower and foundations still remain. Amazingly, the church had already been rebuilt three times by 1639, with the original construction thought to have taken place in 1607 under the oversight of Captain John Smith. The first Jamestown Church burned to the ground in less than a year, and the second fell into a state of disrepair not long after. Undeterred, colonists constructed a third church in 1617, which thankfully avoided the fate of its two predecessors and was used until 1639 when the colony expanded to the point that a new structure needed to be built. The fourth version was never finished and in 1676 it suffered the same unlucky fate as the first when parts of it burned during Bacon’s Rebellion. The foundations and tower of the 1639 version survived until modern day, however, thanks in part to the efforts of Preservation Virginia. Today, the aforementioned tower is the last above-ground structure from when Jamestown was still the capital.

Broad Bay Manor — Virginia Beach

Broad Bay Manor | ©Bri/Wiki-Commons

A building so old it’s unclear exactly when it was constructed, Broad Bay Manor is thought to have been built sometime between 1640 to 1660 by a colonist named Thomas Allen. A tapestry of history from many eras, only the middle of the house is thought to be from the 17th century. The right addition is thought to have been constructed during the 1770s, and the left side is an even more modern addition from the 1980s. Due to its diverse background, the history of Broad Bay Manor comprises more than just the colonial era. Accounts indicate that the part of the house burned down from a lightning strike during the 1920s and was the site of large parties during the prohibition era. Today, the historic building remains a residential home.

Bacon’s Castle — Surry County

Built in 1665 by colonist Arthur Allen, Bacon's Castle is the oldest documented brick building in both Virginia and the larger United States. Originally considered to be just a house, the building became known as "Bacon's Castle" during Bacon's Rebellion in 1676 when the followers of Nathaniel Bacon occupied it as a defensive outpost. Although Nathaniel Bacon himself never lived at Bacon's Castle, his legacy remains tied to the location. Today, Bacon's Castle is maintained by Preservation Virginia as a historic museum and a living monument to a key chapter in Virginia history.

Willowdale — Painter

Untitled | ©Rick F./ZPost

First constructed in 1666 by a farmer named John Smith (unrelated to the historic figure), Willowdale has been owned by the same family for an astonishing 352 years. Located in a small town of 200 called Painter in Accomack County, the family home is thought to be the oldest building on the entire Eastern Shore. Although only a few small parts of the original house are thought to remain, the building is nonetheless historically significant as one of the only standing examples of a building from its era.

Toddsbury — Gloucester County

Wiki-Commons

Built around 1669 by a colonist named Thomas Todd, the history of Toddsbury remains something of a mystery. For one, it is unclear exactly which Thomas Todd built the house. Records show one colonist Thomas Todd alluded to the Toddsbury property in his will, however he gave the land to his son (also named Thomas Todd), and it is unclear whether the father or the son was the true builder of the Toddsbury building. In any case, records indicate the Todd’s continued to live at Toddsbury until 1880, where it was sold to a different family. Today, the house continues to be a private residence.

Preservation Virginia is a private, non-profit organization and statewide historic preservation leader founded in 1889 that is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and serving as an advocate for Virginia's cultural and architectural history.

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The Early Party Games of Colonial Virginia

With no electricity and limited resources, games played at parties in colonial Virginia were often quite different from modern forms of entertainment. Some games were safe and laid-back, while others went out of style over two-hundred years ago for good reason. In any case, here are some of the most interesting colonial games Virginia had to offer.

Ninepins

1973-470-154 | ©Studio Alijn/Flickr

Originating in Medieval Europe, ninepins was brought to colonial Virginia during the early 1600s. Enjoyed by people of all classes, the game was played on a tabletop and involved rolling a ball at a series of small pins. The pins were set up across the table from the players, and whoever could knock down the most pins won the game. Colonial Virginians also played a larger version of ninepins outdoors. Thanks to the simple rules, ninepins is one of the few colonial party games which has endured to the modern day. Sometime during the mid-1800s, a tenth pin was added and the game was renamed — as you might have guessed — bowling.

Battledores

Shuttlecock | ©Amalina A/Flickr

A more active game, Battledores was played using rackets made of animal intestine and parchment. Not unlike modern badminton, the rules of Battledores centered around keeping a shuttlecock airborne for as long as possible. Using the rackets, two players would hit the shuttlecock back and forth to each other until it fell to the ground. Although a rather simple game enjoyed by people from all backgrounds, the game’s origins are thought to be quite ancient. Although brought to colonial Virginia by European settlers, the game is thought to have originated in southeast Asia over 2,000 years ago.

Cockfighting

Roosters | ©cuatrok77/Flickr

Once one of the most popular games in Virginia, Cockfighting has thankfully now been outlawed in the United States. A cruel and obscene practice, Cockfighting involved forcing two roosters to fight to the death using metal spikes attached to their legs. Though a bloody and unpleasant concept to modern sensibilities, during the colonial era people from every class would attend parties structured around the Cockfights. Even ‘genteel’ colonists attended these grizzly gatherings, which often involved drinking and dancing once the fight had concluded. Thankfully, the game went out of style in the early 1800s and never returned.

Quoits

Quotis | ©Michael Coghlan/Flickr

A far move civilized, relaxing game, Quoits is thought to have been similar to a game of horseshoes. Players would toss rings made of various materials onto a set of small poles called hobs. Points were assigned depending on which hob the rings landed on, and whoever had the most points after all rings had been thrown was declared the victor. Many different versions of the game made it to colonial Virginia, including a small set which could be played on a table. Although the game might sound somewhat ordinary, it is believed to have originated in ancient Greece.

Dueling

Flintlock pistols | ©Les Chatfield7/Flickr

Although perhaps less popular at parties than the other games on this list, dueling was nonetheless a rather popular activity in colonial Virginia. The rules of the game were rather simple — two people would brandish swords or pistols at each other over a disagreement until a truce was reached (which sometimes involved the death of one or both participants). Although the idea might seem harsh or even insane, colonial Virginia’s considered it a gentlemanly endeavor, with many ‘civilized’ upper-class people engaging in the activity. As a result, most duels didn’t end with death. Instead, the participants would either work out their differences before drawing their weapons or would aim for a non-vital area. Not all duels ended in such a clean manner, however. In fact, seventh President of the United States Andrew Jackson once killed a man in a duel over an argument about a horse race.

Preservation Virginia is a private, non-profit organization and statewide historic preservation leader founded in 1889 that is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and serving as an advocate for Virginia's cultural and architectural history.

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Must-See Historic Towns and Cities in Virginia

Few states can claim to have a history as rich or extensive as Virginia, the home of the first successful English colony in the United States. Though there are far too many places rich in history to fit onto a single list, here are some that you must-see while hitting the road this summer!  

Richmond

Founded in 1737, the capital city of Virginia features the only avenue in the country considered to be a National Historic Landmark — Monument Avenue. Richmond also has no shortage of historic buildings, making the city one of the best places to explore the rich past of the state. Visit St. John’s Episcopal Church, where Patrick Henry first spoke the famous words, "give me liberty, or give me death!" Or visit the John Marshall House, former home Chief Justice John Marshall, one of the creators of the modern Supreme Court. Maintained by Preservation Virginia and dating back to 1790, guided tours of this historic building are available to the public.

Fredericksburg

Historic Fredericksburg | ©Ken Lund/Flickr

Officially founded in 1728, Fredericksburg was a prominent port during the colonial era and the hub of many important battles during the Civil War. Unsurprisingly, the city is home to many historical sites. Visit the Fredericksburg Museum and Cultural Center, which documents centuries of local history. Or take a trip through the 40-block Fredericksburg Historic District, a collection of over 350 buildings dating back to the 18th and 19th century. Four of the oldest houses in this district were saved in part by the efforts of Preservation Virginia — including the house of Mary Washington, George Washington's mother.

Charlottesville

University of Virginia's Rotunda | ©Craig Fildes/Flickr

First founded in 1762, Charlottesville is perhaps most well known as the hometown of president Thomas Jefferson and location of his public university the University of Virginia. Although much of the University of Virginia is a reconstruction, the architecture and layout remain largely true to Jefferson’s original design. Charlottesville also features Jefferson’s mountain-top home Monticello, making the city’s connection to the third president of the United States even greater. However, the city features many more historic homes and buildings than just those of Jefferson, including the home of fifth U.S. president James Monroe in the surrounding area.

Staunton

Staunton, Virginia | ©OZinOH/Flickr

First founded in 1747, Staunton is not as famous as the other cities and towns on this list. However, like most places in Richmond, the town still hides historical richness. Birthplace of president Woodrow Wilson and home to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, the town is more famous for its World War I era history than colonial or civil war history, making it a unique destination.

Williamsburg

Maze / Colonial Williamsburg | ©Richard Due/Flickr

Founded in 1638, Williamsburg is so tied to the history of Virginia that leaving it off a list of must-see historic towns just didn’t feel right. The city is most famed for the Colonial Williamsburg museum in the historic district, which is considered to be the largest living history museum in the world. Although parts of Williamsburg are just replicas, the former capital of Virginia still contains many genuine historical homes and buildings worth visiting.

Jamestown

Founded in 1607, Jamestown was the first successful English settlement and the first capital of the Virginia colony, making its historical significance too great to be left off this list. Although the Jamestown Settlement museum is just a recreation of the original colony, Historic Jamestowne is the actual site of the first permanent British settlement in North America. Owned and managed through a private/public partnership between Preservation Virginia and the National Park Service, guided tours of the site are available to the public.

Many, many more historical towns and cities can be found in the state of Virginia than are mentioned here. The oldest of the thirteen colonies, Virginia remains a place of endless history unlike any other.

Preservation Virginia is a private, non-profit organization and statewide historic preservation leader founded in 1889 that is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and serving as an advocate for Virginia's cultural and architectural history. 

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Defining Race in Marshall’s Court

All throughout June, stop by the John Marshall House to learn how race and identity were constructed in early Federal America and the role the Marshall court played in its creation. Several court cases were brought in these years that show the evolution and change in perception of racial identity throughout this period. They include:

Angela Barnett – 1793

Angela Barnett, a free African-American living near Richmond, was attacked by two white men over her allegedly harboring an enslaved boy in 1792. Barnett murdered one of her attackers in self-defense and was initially refused a pardon by the governor, despite elite whites petitioning on her behalf. In an extremely rare act of justice, the governor granted Barnett a full pardon in 1793 due to her being pregnant with a white man’s child.

Pleasants v. Pleasants – 1798

In this landmark case, members of the Pleasants family feuded over the private manumission and continued freedom of 400 enslaved individuals which would have resulted in economic losses totaling over $100,000.

Gabriel’s Rebellion – 1800

Gabriel Prosser led an unsuccessful rebellion in and around Richmond in 1800. This attempted revolt was so notable because of the intricacies and massive scale of the thwarted attempt. The group was betrayed by two men before their plan to gather on the night of August 30, 1800 was thwarted by a heavy rainstorm. The conspiracy led to 27 African Americans being hanged, including Gabriel, and a newly repressive slave system.

The Antelope Case – 1825

The Antelope was the name of a ship that was found by U.S. federal authorities carrying approximately 300 enslaved Africans with the intention of selling them in the southern United States. During this period, it was illegal for U.S. citizens to be involved in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, however slavery, itself, was still legal.

Want to learn more? Stop by the John Marshall House this June, Fridays through Sundays to take our special tour “Defining Race in Marshall’s Court.”

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Preservation Stories, Part 1: Historic Jamestowne and Bacon’s Castle

Every historic place has a unique preservation story. There’s something about it that makes it special to the people who live near it, something that makes it part of the fabric of that community. Every person passionate about historic places and their history has a unique preservation story. Something that compels them to spend their hours learning more, visiting and falling in love with a particular building, architectural style or moment in time.

Preservation Virginia is the oldest statewide historic preservation group in the nation. We have 130 years of preservation stories, hundreds of places that have touched us, and innumerable “preservation people” who have made their mark. Here are two highlights:

Historic Jamestowne

In 1893, the founders of Preservation Virginia (then known as the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities) acquired 22.5 acres of land along the James River where it was believed that Jamestown had been founded. It had on it the remains of a 17th-century church tower and was in danger of coastline erosion. After a survey found the remains of the early statehouse, these preservation trailblazers conducted their own archeological search and built the 1907 Memorial Church around the remains of the 1639 and 1617 church foundations. The land saved by the founders of Preservation Virginia is now known as Historic Jamestowne and its preservation story continues. Active archeology is being conducted on the site and we’re continuing the fight against coastline erosion.

Bacon’s Castle (Surry, Virginia)

Built in 1665, Bacon’s Castle is a striking plantation built in High Jacobean style with triple stacked chimneys. It gained its name after several of Nathaniel Bacon’s troops camped on the grounds during his rebellion, although it was previously known as Arthur Allen’s Brick House. The home was purchased by Preservation Virginia at auction in 1973 and meticulously researched, restored and furnished through the 1980s. The Garden Club of Virginia sponsored an archeological survey of the grounds that yielded the remains of the earliest English formal garden in the United States, which has been restored to its glory. This year, we’re stabilizing and restoring the outbuildings, including a slave dwelling and smokehouse.

As you probably know, historic preservation work and preservation stories are never complete. Come be a part of the narrative and learn the preservation stories of all of our historic sites: Historic Jamestowne, Bacon’s Castle, Smith’s Fort Plantation, Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown, Cape Henry Lighthouse and the John Marshall House.

Follow the hashtag #PreservationStories on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram this Preservation Month as we highlight the many years of hard work done to preserve our historic sites.

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African American poets of the 18th and 19th century

This Poetry Month, we’re exploring underrepresented stories and poets. From Lucy Terry Prince to Paul Laurence Dunbar to Maya Angelou, African American poets explored rich and complicated themes in several genres, from verse to ballads and epics and every form in between.

In the early parts of the 18th century, many African American poets emulated the traditional forms popularized by white publishers and audiences. Some common themes included historical narratives, like Lucy Terry Prince’s account of an Indian Raid in Massachusetts in 1746. Others, like Jupiter Hammon and Phyllis Wheatley, focused on the importance of religious piety and morality. Wheatley found her poems exceedingly popular and became the first African-American woman to have her poems published.

In later years, many African American poets chose to write about the struggle for freedom and the unique double consciousness of the African American identity. From George Moses Horton’s vivid and visceral depictions of slavery in the 1820’s to Frances Ellen Watkins Harper’s abolitionist writings, these poets confronted mainstream discourse in the way that only poetry can. Frances Harper based a poem on the same events chronicled in Toni Morrison’s Beloved and powerfully described the experience of slavery.

The poets of the Harlem Renaissance refined their predecessors’ messages and dealt with the new challenges of the 20th century—how to be both black and American in a country with a deep racial divide. Poets like Langston Hughes and Georgia Douglas Johnson explored the “beauty and the pain” of black life, melding influences like jazz and the blues into their poetic forms.

Today, poets and artists of all kinds continue exploring the cultural legacy of their forebears, incorporating oral traditions, popular music and vernacular into their works. In honor of Poetry Month, take the time to explore the depth and wealth of the African American poetry movement.

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Native American Poets you Should be Celebrating During National Poetry Month

Native American poetry is steeped in oral tradition, which is the legacy of passing down cultural stories from older generations to younger generations through speech. In fact, within Native American culture, poems are often referred to as “songs” because they were traditionally sung not written. Historically, Native American poetry has focused on many themes, including reverence of spirituality, oral tradition and seeking balance in life, that are unique to the Native culture but still have a universal appeal.

The influence of Native American poetry reaches throughout the Americas and many authors have made significant contributions to the genre, including:

Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, Ojibwa Tribe Born in 1800 in what is today Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, Jane Johnston Schoolcraft is known for setting several precedents in the world of poetry. She’s the first known poet to write in a Native American language - Ojibwa, the first indigenous woman to publish literary works in the United States and Canada and the first known American Indian to write out traditional Native American stories. During her 2008 induction into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame, it was noted that, “as a poet, essayist, storyteller and translator, she was dedicated to preserving her people’s cultural contributions by committing them to the written word.”

Emily Pauline Johnson, Mohawk Tribe  

The daughter of a Mohawk chief and English mother, Emily Pauline Johnson began her journey as a poet in 1884 to support her family after her father’s death. After a successful poetry reading for the Young Men’s Liberal Club of Toronto in 1892, she began a series of performances across Canada where she developed a dual onstage persona. During the first half of her performance she wore the costume of Native princess and for the second half, an English drawing-room gown. Johnson would go on to release three collections of poetry and fiction and ultimately attain international recognition after 17 years of touring.

And the list goes on! Head over to the Poetry Foundation for a curated selection of Native American poets and articles that explore the Native American experience. Preservation Virginia is a private, non-profit organization and statewide historic preservation leader founded in 1889 that is dedicated to preserving, promoting and serving as an advocate for Virginia's cultural and architectural history.

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Romantic Poetry at the Castle: The Love Letters of Sid & Ginna

The romantic poetry shared between Sidney Lanier and Virginia Hankins stands as one of the most passionate periods in Bacon’s Castle’s history. Born in Georgia, Sidney Lanier served in the Confederate Army and became well-known for his highly musical poems.  While serving in the Confederate Army in Virginia, he met Virginia Hankins, who lived at Bacon’s Castle.

Ginna, as she was known to family and friends, was well-educated and a writer herself. When Lanier visited Bacon’s Castle with the Hankins brothers, the two hit it off immediately. They began a romantic relationship, exchanging letters throughout the war and his imprisonment for being a blockade runner. They wrote many poems back and forth, proclaiming their deep love for one another. Most intriguingly, Ginna even began a friendly correspondence with Mary Day, a hometown friend of Sidney’s who would become his wife.  Sidney proposed to Ginna in 1867, but she refused out of obligation to her young, motherless siblings.

Sidney later married Mary Day and became a professor at Johns Hopkins University. His poems were published in magazines and he frequently wrote about the state of Florida. Ginna eventually sold Bacon’s Castle to support her siblings and moved to Richmond, continuing to write her own poems and eventually an unpublished novel. The two maintained their correspondence until his death in 1881.

To learn more about the romantic poetry of Sidney and Ginna, visit Bacon’s Castle during National Poetry Month.

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The Stamp Act

We’ve all heard the phrase, “No taxation without representation!” In 1765, the passage of the Stamp Acts unexpectedly unified American colonists in protest against a tax. The Act threatened American liberty, freedom of the press and incited rebellion and mob attacks throughout the colonies. One of the loudest voices to oppose the Stamp Act was Patrick Henry, who would submit a series of resolves and ultimately set the colonies on a steady path towards revolution!

The wildly unpopular Stamp Act was passed by British Parliament on March 22, 1765, as a way to offset the costly Seven Years’ War and specifically the French and Indian War. The tax required all paper products, including legal documents, magazines, playing cards and newspapers be produced in London and embossed with a special stamp. The Colonists couldn’t use their paper money for the tax; they had to use British currency, further driving up the costs and allowing the British to keep a watchful eye on all written and published correspondence that passed through the colonies.

The Pennsylvania Journal ran this satirical ad on October 24, 1765, to protest the passage of the Stamp Act. The skull and crossbones symbolized the death of the free press resulting from the passage of the act.

Newly elected to the Virginia House of Burgess, Patrick Henry vigorously attacked the Stamp Acts and Parliament. He wrote seven resolutions, five of which passed (the other two were said to be too close to treason). The press published all seven throughout the colonies to stir dissent.  In these resolutions, he declared that American colonists possess the same rights as all British citizens, and as such, have the right to be taxed only by their own representatives. They also went so far as to say anyone supporting the right of Parliament to tax Virginians should be considered an enemy of the colony.

Due to mass protest by colonists, Parliament repealed the Stamp Act after one year. The damage had already been done, however, and the Stamp Act of 1765 remains one of the defining schisms between Great Britain and the American colonies. Patrick Henry had become famous on a national stage for his unabashed defense of personal liberty. Ten years later, on March 23rd, 1775, he would stand in front of representatives of the Second Virginia Convention at St. John’s Church in Richmond, VA to rally Americans to revolution with his stirring “Give me liberty, or give me death” speech. And from that, he would be known as “The Voice of the Revolution.”

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Bray Tobacco Barn Restoration

Preservation Virginia has partnered with JTI Leaf Services for the past five years to provide a Tobacco Barns Mini-Grant program to restore historic barns in Caswell County, North Carolina and Halifax and Pittsylvania Counties in Virginia. We’re pleased to highlight one of our recent projects, the Bray Tobacco Barn.

The tobacco barn owned by Joe Bray is located on R and L Smith Road on White Oak Mountain in the Blairs community of Pittsylvania County. The White Oak Mountain area is known for having the best soils in the state for growing bright leaf tobacco. The barn was built in the early to mid-1900s and is a typical log curing barn with a tin roof. It originally had stone fireboxes that were changed later to oil burners.

The barn was part of a large farm owned by the Adams Family who purchased it from the Reynolds family. The Reynolds family produced tobacco and also sold fertilizer from the farm during the World War II era.

Before the repairs, the barn was in poor condition. The repairs included replacing sections of the roof and replacing the boards in the gables. The foundation stones were re-laid and the front lean-to was rebuilt. A small ledge or eyebrow on the front of the barn was also rebuilt using cedar shingles. Fortunately, the logs were in fair enough condition that none had to be replaced.

A neighbor has recently painted a quilt square and hung it on the side of the barn which has generated a lot of interest in creating a barn quilt trail in the county. Adjacent Franklin and Halifax Counties both have barn quilt trails.

For more information about the Tobacco Barns Mini-Grant project or to apply for the 2018 Grant cycle, please visit: https://preservationvirginia.org/press-room/release/2018-tobacco-barns-grant-cycle-announced

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Preservation Virginia Restoration Crew in Action

Our restoration craftsman, Mike Adams, has been hard at work at our historic sites during the off-season. Historic preservation is an ongoing, never quite finished process, and these cold months are the perfect time to tackle small projects, like remaking and replacing windows. Today, we’re highlighting two recently completed projects at Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown and Smith’s Fort.

At Smith’s Fort, Mike remade the louvered window for the outdoor necessary. He last replaced it nearly 25 years ago but decided to use pressure-treated pine for the frame and the louvers out of heart poplar siding boards leftover from a previous restoration job instead of the previous high-grade pine for both. He expects this one to last even longer.

The new windows are now installed with Plexiglas and a framed screen so Tom Forehand, Smith’s Fort site coordinator, can easily switch for more ventilation in the summer.

Mike has also been hard at work at restoring the kitchen windows at Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown. He removed one a few weeks ago to use as a pattern to create two new ones.

While installing the windows, he noticed some rot in the sash, sill, jamb and trim so he stripped the windows to the frames and used epoxy to rebuild them. He used pressure-treated pine to make two new sashes and other elements. They had previously been made of fir and lasted for about 40 years—the new ones should last even longer.

Come see the new windows at Smith’s Fort and Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown when both sites reopen on March 2!

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Where are they now? An Update on Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Places, Pt. 2

In part two of our update on past Most Endangered Historic Places listings, we’re diving into the grassroots efforts that helped protect the Rappahannock River at White Stone and the rebirth of Selma Mansion in Loudoun County.

If there’s an endangered historic place in your community, submit a nomination for the 2018 Most Endangered Historic Places list by March 9!

(Photo Credit: Selma Mansion Rebirth)

Selma Plantation Mansion, Loudoun County

Selma is a 113-year-old mansion located five miles north of Leesburg in Loudoun County. The original estate at Selma was established in 1815 by Armistead Thomson Mason, nephew of George Mason. The property is part of the Catoctin Rural Historic District, a 25,000-acre area in northern Loudoun County that contains a mixture of historic churches, schoolhouses, bridges, small farms and large estates. When we listed Selma on the 2009 Most Endangered list, no obvious maintenance or improvements had been made to the property since 1999. As a result of its vacancy, a leaky roof and vandals had ruined the interior of the building.

A rebirth for Selma Mansion came in 2016 when couple Sharon D. Virts and Scott F. Miller purchased the property and began a multi-year restoration project. The project - Selma Mansion Rebirth - chronicles the restoration of the historic site and was awarded the 2016 Community Blue Ribbon Honor by the Loudoun County Joint Architectural Review Board (JARB). The award was given in recognition of the extensive and ongoing documentation of the restoration of Selma and the dedication to include the Loudoun County community throughout the project. After Selma is restored, the couple plans to make the property their private home and hold fundraising events for the Sharon D. Virts Foundation.

Read more

(Photo Credit: Chesapeake Bay Magazine)

Rappahannock River

Utility infrastructure projects can threaten the integrity of natural and historic resources, like the Rappahannock River at White Stone. It was listed on our 2016 Most Endangered list after plans were introduced to construct a transmission line across the river up to 173 feet in the air. Construction of a transmission line across the river could have posed navigational hazards for boats, ruined the historic waterfront view and ultimately disrupted the local heritage tourism industry.

In response to the planned construction, the Save the Rappahannock Coalition was formed to oppose the transmission line installation proposal. Save the Rappahannock rallied hundreds of witnesses to testify at State Corporation Commission (SCC) hearings in White Stone and Richmond. Preservation Virginia and Scenic Virginia also testified to the importance of finding alternatives in order to preserve the setting and thus the region’s tourism and recreation industry. Great news came in December 2017 when the SCC ordered the transmission line to be constructed underwater. Victories like these are a testament to the importance of supporting grassroots organizations who are fighting to protect Virginia’s historic places.

Read more

Stay tuned for more updates on previous Most Endangered Historic Places listings and be sure to submit your nomination for the 2018 Most Endangered list by March 9. 

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Where are they now? An update on Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Places, Pt. 1

For more than a decade, we’ve presented our annual list of Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Places. The list raises awareness of the Commonwealth’s historic places, including buildings, archaeological sites and cultural landscapes, at risk from neglect, deterioration, insufficient funds, inappropriate development and/or insensitive public policy.

Protecting and preserving endangered places is a complex process that requires the work and passion of community members, preservationists and advocacy groups. Through the years, we’ve witnessed the successes achieved on behalf of endangered places as well as the challenges that are still facing many. Continue on for quick updates on some of our past listings and be sure to submit a nomination for the 2018 Most Endangered Historic Places list by March 9 if there’s a site in your community that needs support.

Taylor Hotel, Winchester When we included the Taylor Hotel on our Most Endangered list in 2010, it had been declared blighted by the Common Council of the City of Winchester that same year. A slow post-civil war economy left the hotel vacant after only having been open for 16 years. In 2007, heavy rain caused the theater’s roof at the rear of the hotel to collapse. The community and preservationists feared that without stabilization, further deterioration and the potential loss of the structure was imminent. A significant piece of history would have been erased from the downtown core of Winchester had the Taylor Hotel been lost. Built in 1848, General “Stonewall” Jackson used the hotel as a temporary base of operations after the outbreak of the Civil War. Thankfully, public support for saving the hotel reached a groundswell, which led to its renovation, with the help of Historic Tax Credits, and eventual reopening in August 2014. The hotel and fly tower now house apartments and commercial spaces, while the former theater space has been transformed into an outdoor pavilion.

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Belmont Slave Cemetery, Loudoun County Historic African American cemeteries statewide continue to be a relevant listing for our advocacy work, year after year. In 2017, we highlighted Belmont Slave Cemetery, which was originally a part of a Robert E. Lee family plantation in Loudoun County. The site was under threat of encroachment from construction associated with the Route 659 Belmont Ridge Road overpass project, but two difficult years of negotiations paid off recently. The Loudoun Freedom Center was granted ownership of the three-acre burial ground by a northern Virginia developer, ensuring that it will no longer be threatened by the surrounding construction. This milestone was achieved because of the advocacy work of the Loudoun Freedom Center and other local groups to recognize the county’s African American historic and cultural resources, sacred burial grounds and communities.

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Compton-Bateman House, Roanoke Constructed in 1835, the Compton-Bateman House in Roanoke is one of the few remaining antebellum houses in Roanoke and was included on our 2013 Most Endangered list. The house and its surroundings were formerly used by the city as a public park and recreation center. Damaged by a fire in 2011 and left open to the elements, the structure has been in need of attention for quite some time. However, progress has been made to preserve the historic house. In August 2017, it was announced that the Roanoke City Council approved the sale of the house to Restoration Housing, a local non-profit. The group plans to renovate the house with the help of fundraising, historic tax credits and grants and lease it to the Boys and Girls Clubs, which will provide after-school programming for underprivileged children.

Read more

Stay tuned for more updates on previous Most Endangered Historic Places listings and be sure to submit your nomination for the 2018 Most Endangered list by March 9.  

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The Marshall Trilogy Part 3: Worchester v. Georgia (1832)

The follow up case to Cherokee Nation v. Georgia solidified the relationships between states, Native American tribes and the federal government. It found that the United States inherited sovereignty over American lands from Great Britain, including the sole right to deal with Native American tribes. This meant that the states had no authority to create laws that impacted the tribes, only the federal government could do so.

This ruling invalidated the laws Georgia had attempted to impose on the Cherokee Nation, but they were still eventually forced from the state via the Trail of Tears. The opinion was frequently cited in opinions on the sovereignty of the Native American tribes, and established the way courts think about the ability of modern Native tribes to govern themselves within the borders of the United States.

Stop by the John Marshall House Friday – Sunday during National Native American Heritage Month to learn more about the impact of the Marshall Trilogy cases on the Cherokee Nation.  

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The Marshall Trilogy Part 2: Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831)

For the second part of our series on the Marshall Trilogy, we look into Cherokee Nation v. Georgia. In December of 1829, the state of Georgia enacted a series of laws that stripped rights from the Cherokee people, calculated to force them off their lands. The Cherokee Nation, led by Chief John Ross, sought an injunction to block those laws from going into effect. In May of 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act into law, authorizing the President to set aside lands west of the Mississippi for the tribes. The Cherokee refused to agree to the conditions of Jackson’s treaties and attempted to defend their land claims in the courts.

The case wound its way through the court system, eventually ending up in front of John Marshall and the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court eventually ruled that the tribes did not have the standing to sue as a foreign nation, although they were not found to be “a distinct political society, separated from others, capable of managing its own affairs and governing itself.” Their relationship to the United States was described by Marshall in his opinion as that “of a ward to its guardian.” The case left open the potential to hear the Cherokee Nation’s case in the future, if they found a “proper case with proper parties”—something they would attempt the following year in Worchester v. Georgia, the final case of the Marshall Trilogy.

Visit the John Marshall House during National Native American Heritage Month to learn more about the Cherokee Nation’s fight to protect their lands.

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The Marshall Trilogy Part 1: Johnson V. McIntosh (1823)

Between 1823 and 1832, the Supreme Court, under the leadership of Chief Justice John Marshall, ruled on what would become known as the “Marshall Trilogy.” These cases established the basis for the relationship between the United States government and Native American tribes and had repercussions that would echo over the centuries.

During National Native American Heritage Month, we’ll be incorporating the Marshall Trilogy cases into our tours at the John Marshall House and also highlighting each case on our blog.

We begin with Johnson V. McIntosh (1823).  One of the most important cases of the Marshall court, Johnson v. McIntosh held that American citizens’ right to land superseded the rights of Native Americans. Land bought from a Native American tribe by Thomas Johnson was ruled to actually belong to William McIntosh, who had purchased the same parcel from the United States government at a later date. Marshall, writing the opinion for a unanimous verdict, found that a European nation and its successor, the United States, gains sovereignty over a nation once it is discovered. The new nation also has the power to invalidate the “right of occupation” of any indigenous groups, in this case, the Native American tribes. This gave ownership rights to traditional Native American lands to the United States, along with the right to sell the land to settlers as it chose.

This case remains one of the first taught to incoming law students in the United States and has been used as precedent for land ownership claims in the United States. It is still used by lower courts as precedent today.

Join us at the John Marshall House to learn more about the Marshall Trilogy cases and commemorate National Native American Heritage Month.  

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Richmond Justice Exhibit Extended at John Marshall House

We’re excited to announce that the Richmond Justice exhibit has been extended through the end of the year at the John Marshall House! Richmond Justice started in 2016 as a year-long project produced by Field Studio to share portraits and stories of Richmonders whose lives have been shaped in some way by the justice system.  The project grew from years of co-directors, Hannah Ayers and Lance Warren making media about incarceration. The duo’s experience led them to discover that the number of people touched by the justice system is greater than what people tend to imagine and the stories of those affected by the justice system are profound and must be told. 

Check out our Q&A with Hannah and Lance:   Can you discuss the importance of providing a platform for those affected by the justice system to tell their stories?  Lance: The justice system is hard to see. If you're not inside of it—and often, even if you are—the reasons why people are jailed or freed, prosecuted or merely warned, tend to be shrouded in legal jargon and bureaucracy. Not only that, the very nature of arrest and incarceration separates those charged, and those doing the charging, from the rest of the community. And yet, this hard-to-see system makes decisions that transform our community, one life at a time, and often not for the better.   We believe that a sensible, fair justice system could serve Richmond as it should. But first, we need to understand the people in our justice system in their own words. We couldn't find a platform that enabled Richmonders whose lives are shaped by the justice system to share their wildly varying experiences and perspectives, and so, we decided to create one. What were some common experiences that you all discovered that Richmonders face when it comes to interacting with the justice system?  Hannah: One thing that’s easy to forget is that in many cases, families interacting with the justice system are doing so for the first time. And unless you’re a lawyer or an advocate, you’re thrust into a system that’s immensely complicated and requires a steep learning curve. So it’s not uncommon for Richmonders to feel completely lost, or worse, neglected as they navigate hearings and trials. We also discovered that a lot of community members are interacting with the justice system because they struggle with a substance use disorder. They need treatment, but due to the way that our laws and institutions are set up, many of them end up in jail. Some get treatment there, but treatment through jail is a counterintuitive way to address treatment for a disease.

Which organizations are spearheading reform efforts within Richmond’s justice system and where has progress been made?  Hannah: This was the most heartening thing we found as part of this project: Richmond is fortunate to have progressive people who are deeply committed to broadening access to justice and seeking reform. The Legal Aid Justice Center has done tremendous work on a number of fronts, especially when it comes to juvenile justice and the school-to-prison pipeline. There is good work being done as part of the REAL Program at the Richmond City Justice Center. The REAL Program works to address addictive behavior through classes and workshops, and we’ve met graduates whose lives were transformed because they finally learned about their addiction and what to do about it. Some of the change is coming from the state policy level; Governor McAuliffe signed a bill last month to reform the Virginia Board of Corrections, strengthening their oversight of jails and tasking them with investigating the deaths that occur with frightening frequency.  There are also promising partnerships among foundations, nonprofits, arts groups, and legal organizations working to address problems from multiple angles. All of these changes are positive, but it’s hard to feel hopeful when some of the problems are so vast: the poverty that drives people to desperate situations and desperate decisions; the opioids and guns that are too readily available; the laws that criminalize drug use, homelessness, and mental illness; the corrections facilities that do little to rehabilitate.  There’s an overwhelming amount to do, but we’re grateful for the folks who are committing their time and expertise to move Richmond in a positive direction. Can you all describe the significance of featuring the exhibit at the John Marshall House?  Lance: John Marshall was a child of the American Revolution, schooled and shaped by the struggle's many strategies to secure self-government rooted in the will of a united people. This very unity, this common sense pursuit of common purpose—this is one key force we found often missing in the way justice is measured in Richmond. "We're arresting the wrong people," the Sheriff told us. "You could do 12 months in jail on a littering charge," noted a public defender, explaining that homelessness itself has been criminalized and locks those without shelter into a destructive cycle of incarceration and vulnerability. 

The Commonwealth's Attorney for Richmond told us that he wouldn't want his post in "any other jurisdiction in the state," because voters here "are at least willing to entertain non-traditional approaches to criminal justice." But too often, he told us, his office and other reformers haven't been enabled to bring good ideas to scale. The result is injustice done to those convicted as well as to the welfare and public safety of the city: "Most of the people we’ve convicted for felonies, we will see again—not because they’re inherently bad, as we've told ourselves, but because of the consequences of the felony in terms of difficulties in securing stable housing, employment, and recovery. Forgotten felons come back again and again."  John Marshall understood the need for fairness and logic in the prosecution of law. It's impossible to know what he would've thought of today's challenges to justice in Richmond. But his example makes clear to us that the place where we can begin to study his legacy today is exactly the place to consider how to do justice to those in Richmond in a way that treats them as they are—our neighbors, our fellow Americans, sometimes our family members, and hopefully our friends.

What’s next for the Richmond Justice project?  Lance: Through exhibits like the one we're fortunate for the chance to launch at the John Marshall House, we hope to give more Richmonders the chance to hear the voices that so captured us over the last year.  We started with a family-and-friends mailing list of 129 people and grew the project to an audience of more than 20,000 by the end of 2016. We were active in-person, too, hosting in October the only mayoral debate focused squarely on the justice system, and then convening hundreds more at UR Downtown during the inaugural First Fridays gallery opening this year. We pledge to keep the site accessible indefinitely, so that an unlimited number of people may read and learn from these stories. And we look forward to welcoming attorneys, visitors, and supporters of all sorts to the John Marshall House in the coming months. Visit www.richmondjustice.org to learn more about the project and like the Richmond Justice Facebook page to keep up with their latest updates.