Extended Weekend Getaways Presidential Pathways to Progress
“That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States.”
Declaration of Independence
By Renée Gordon
History Travel Writer
Virginia, as the initial Southern state, has always held a prominent place in the history of the United States, from the British colonization attempt to current political affairs. Britain’s first permanent colony in North America was, Jamestown, VA in 1607, after two prior attempts. In 1584 a group of explorers led by Captain Armadas and Master Barlowe, named the area in honor of the “Virgin” Queen Elizabeth, Virginia. The region was also the site of the landing of the first “twenty and odd” enslaved Africans in 1619 at Point Comfort Va. Tobacco became the cash crop and, in general, the colony was governed by wealthy planters. Virginians held leading roles in colonial politics and ultimately in resistance to British rule and the creation of a new nation. Seven Virginians, out of 52 signers of the Declaration of Independence lived in Virginia, as well as two signers who were born there.
The entire state has invited the world to share their pride of place by gaining first hand, immersive, knowledge of the people and events that helped make the American Revolution a success and has continued to be influential for the subsequent 250-years. The Virginia 250 PASSPORT is a 60-page booklet that showcases more than 35 noteworthy sites located throughout VA’s five regions. Seven of the locations have been designated “Significant Sites” and add substantially to the story. Visitors can receive an official passport stamp at each location as a keepsake, a 15% discount voucher after one visit and an entry for prizes after five visits. There will be 31 winners with a top prize of $2,500.
When the Europeans came ashore they were met by Native Americans. Currently the state is home to members of eleven state recognized tribes of which seven are officially federally recognized. The Mattaponi and Pamunkey Tribes reside on the oldest reservations in the country. The Sovereign Nations and Indian Tribes of Virginia are located throughout the state and they share their culture through festivals, art, music and educational programming. sovereignnationsva.org
Greater than nine million items comprise the collection of the Virginia Museum of History in Richmond. VMHC, established in 1831, recounts the state’s 16,000-year history through video, artifacts, documents and themed displays. A singular highlight is “The Story of Virginia and the Commonwealth.” The museum provides excellent information on the colonial and revolutionary eras.
A route, Presidential Pathways, leads visitors to four mansions presidents called home as well as a number of buildings that are strongly linked to these men. There is no better way to understand the true nature of an individual than to explore the spaces they created and occupied. In the U.S. the most visited of these historical edifices, hosting more than one-million guests annually, is George Washington’s Mount Vernon. The estate is located 16-miles south of DC. Washington lived in the home from 1754 until his death in 1787.
During his lifetime the estate consisted of 8,000-acres, 5 farms, orchards, a gristmill, open-hearth kitchen and gardens. A first portion of the mansion was built by George’s father in 1734. It was completed by Washington. The 21/2 story Georgian house is over 10,000 square feet. The mansion has been meticulously restored, with all textiles and furniture replicated. On the exterior of special note is the replicated weathervane in the shape of a dove of peace, 18th-century gardens and Washingtons’ Tomb.
When the Europeans came ashore, they were met by Native Americans. Currently, the state is home to members of eleven state-recognized tribes, of which seven are officially federally recognized. The Mattaponi and Pamunkey Tribes reside on the oldest reservations in the country. The Sovereign Nations and Indian Tribes of Virginia are located throughout the state, and they share their culture through festivals, art, music, and educational programming. sovereignnationsva.org
There were approximately 300 enslaved workers at Mount Vernon, 157 were Washington’s personal property. There is full interpretation of the story of the enslaved through displays and living docents and re-enactors and reconstructed slave quarters. Your first stop should be the museum and orientation center. Regular tours are scheduled throughout the year.
Pope’s Creek Plantation was originally purchased by John Washington in 1657. He owned 1,300-acres and 25 enslaved workers. Augustine Washington and his family took ownership in 1727 and George Washington was born 5-years later. The home burned down in 1799. They moved from the birthplace to Ferry Farm when George was six.
Pope’s Creek Plantation was originally purchased by John Washington in 1657. He owned 1,300-acres and 25 enslaved workers. Augustine Washington and his family took ownership in 1727 and George Washington was born 5-years later. The home burned down in 1799. They moved from the birthplace to Ferry Farm when George was six.
Ferry Farm was so named because a ferry to Fredericksburg, VA ran from the farm. The Washingtons knew it as Home Farm. The reconstructed house offers guided tours that are themed around the Washington family and the enslaved community. The Science of History at Ferry Farm and view into the Archaeology Lab are experiences available in the Visitor’s Center.
In 1772 George Washington purchased a 3-room cottage, of her choosing, for his mother. She lived there until her death from cancer in 1789. Highlights of a tour are articles of original furnishings and a garden. Nearby Meditation Rock, The Mary Washington Monument, is located on a site she visited to think and pray. She is interred at this location. An 1894 granite memorial, the first in the country dedicated to a female, is also situated there.
President Kennedy stated in 1962 at a dinner honoring Nobel Prize winners that it was the “most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.” Jefferson was a renaissance man whose quest for knowledge and creativity never ceased. His 43-room mansion, Monticello, was designed by him, over 54-years, is a blend of Jeffersonian, Neoclassical and Palladian architecture. Tours of the home reveal innovative touches he personally designed. Monticello was inscribed as a UNESCO site in 1987.
Jefferson believed that your home should serve as an exhibition space and a teaching tool. The interior tour begins in the Entrance Hall. Here Jefferson displayed objects brought back by Lewis and Clark, artworks and an 1804 Great Clock that still works. It marks both the day and the hour and is seen on both the interior and exterior of the home. His original 6,487 volume library, the country’s largest personal collection, was sold to replace the Library of Congress’ books after the War of 1812.He was paid $23,950 in 1815. A replica of his Monticello library is displayed in the Library of Congress. The Dining Room is topped by the impressive dome, the first in a private home.
Jefferson’s Private Suite includes a dressing area and bedroom uniquely placed so that if he got up on one side he was in the study, on the opposite side he was in his dressing area. A large closet is above the bed. There are several theories as to its use.
Beneath the main house are hidden rooms including kitchens, storage rooms and workrooms for housekeeping functions. Adjacent Mulberry Row was home to enslaved craftsmen and visitors learn about Jefferson’s enslaved community. During his lifetime he owned approximately 600 slaves with around 140 at Monticello at any given time. Also on the property is a cabin believed to have belonged to Sally Hemmings. Jefferson’s gravesite is an obelisk in the Monticello Graveyard. My suggestion: take out your Virginia Passport and meet the founders. VirginiaHistory.org/250Passport
