Virginia -- A History-Laden String Of Plantation Homes

CHARLES CITY, Va. - Like necklaces sparkling with precious stones, the plantations of Old Virginia stretch along the James River east and west of this sleepy little town.

Having survived revolution, civil war, economic ruin and revival, more than a dozen of these splendid old manor houses are now open to the public, offering tantalizing glimpses of the nation's early life.

Many of our oldest legends and traditions stem from events that took place within the burnished brick walls of these old homes, or in surrounding tobacco fields where slaves once toiled.

Here dwelt many of the nation's earliest leaders and statesmen, and here was cultivated the flaming spirit that led to the American Revolution and the Civil War. Here remain great architectural treasures and period furnishings that are imitated even today.

It is no accident that these old homes are strung out along the banks of the James River. Most date to the early 17th century when water transportation was the only convenient method of getting around. The muddy, mile-wide lower James was an easily navigable route.

Of them all, Berkeley Plantation may have the most historic "firsts."

The 38 British colonists who landed at Berkeley on December 4, 1619, offered America's first thanksgiving, beating the Pilgrims by a couple of years. (The Pilgrims apparently had a better press agent.)

It also was at Berkeley where a thirsty transplanted Englishman named George Thorpe began experimenting with Indian corn and produced America's first home-grown whiskey.

Much later, during the Civil War, it was at Berkeley where Union Gen. Dan Butterfield told his bugler to write down the notes that became the haunting call now known as "Taps."

That seems like enough history for any one place, but it barely scratches the surface of all that happened at Berkeley.

In 1691, Berkeley was acquired by Benjamin Harrison III. His son, Benjamin IV, born at Berkeley, became a leader in colonial affairs and his grandson, Benjamin V, also born there, became a member of the Continental Congress, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and three-term governor of Virginia.

Benjamin V's own son, William Henry Harrison, became the "hero of Tippecanoe," a congressman and senator and 9th president of the United States. In fact, the first ten presidents all were entertained at Berkeley at one time or another, and William Henry's grandson, Benjamin Harrison, became the 23rd president.

The house now standing on the property, a fine example of Georgian architecture, was completed in 1726.

The Harrison family occupied Berkeley from 1726 until the 1840s, living off the proceeds from tobacco raised in fields around the plantation. But as with most Tidewater tobacco plantations, the soil at Berkeley finally failed after repeated plantings and the Harrisons lost control of the plantation.

In July, 1862, Union Gen. George McClellan's Army of the Potomac occupied the plantation after suffering a stunning series of reverses in the famous "Seven Days" battles around Richmond.

McClellan established his headquarters in the plantation house, which also served as a hospital for wounded soldiers.

After the Civil War, Berkeley changed hands several times and virtually fell into ruin. In 1905, when purchased by John Jamieson, who had been there in 1862 as a drummer boy in the Army of the Potomac, the house was being used as a barn with sheep in the basement and pigs on the first floor.

Jamieson's son, Malcolm, inherited the property and devoted his life to its restoration. Now Berkeley is an antique jewel, polished and rubbed to a high gloss inside and out, its grounds and gardens restored by hundreds of ornamental trees, shrubs and boxwoods planted by Malcolm Jamieson, who still resides on the upper floors of the old house.

The lower floor, refurnished with period antiques (the original furniture was destroyed in the Civil War) is open for tours, which take a half hour and cost $8.50 for adults.

It's said that if you can visit only one of Virginia's great old houses, Berkeley is the one. It's on Virginia Route 5 between Williamsburg and Richmond and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Other plantation houses

Just east of here is Sherwood Forest, plantation home of President John Tyler. Originally built as a two-room wooden frame house in 1730, it was acquired by Tyler in 1842 from William Henry Harrison. When Harrison died after only 30 days in office as president, it was his friend and neighbor Tyler who succeeded him.

Tyler added to the house until eventually it became what is believed to be the longest frame house in America, measuring 301 feet from end to end. (Tyler needed a lot of space; he had 15 children.)

The original house was of Georgian architecture, but the surviving structure also shows a Greek revival influence added by Tyler's second wife. Tyler's descendants still occupy part of the house, but its central portion, including furnishings from Tyler's time, is open daily for guided tours ($7.50 for adults).

Shirley Plantation, ancestral home of the powerful Hill and Carter families, is another magnificent example of colonial life on the north bank of the James. The plantation dates to 1613, but the great brick house now on the property was started in 1723 and completed in 1738. Many furnishings are original.

Robert E. Lee's mother was born at Shirley and the future general received some of his early schooling there. Shirley also has one of the finest surviving collections of "dependencies" - kitchens, smokehouses, slave quarters, stables, etc. Shirley is open daily for tours.

Carter's Grove, sometimes called "the most beautiful house in America," is another north-bank plantation. Now owned by Colonial Williamsburg, this 1755 Georgian-style brick mansion includes a drawing room known as the "Refusal Room." There, according to legend, both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson proposed marriage (to different women at different times) and were turned down. Now, it is said, flowers left in the room wilt overnight.

The house overlooks the site of Wolstenholme Towne, a British colony dating to 1618 whose remnants were not uncovered by archeologists until the 1970s. Located six miles east of Williamsburg, the mansion and town site are open to the public from March through November.

Other north-bank James River plantations include Belle Air, Westover and Evelynton, each with its own unique attractions and history (the first two are open to the public only during Virginia's annual spring Garden Week).

The south bank of the James River offers a similar collection of grand old plantation houses, all accessible from Virginia Route 10. These include Appomattox Manor, where Union Gen. U.S. Grant made his headquarters during the Civil War siege of Petersburg; Weston Manor, Flowerdew Hundred, Bacon's Castle, Brandon and Chippokes.

Visiting hours vary, and some of these houses are closed during the winter season (usually from November through April). Brochures listing the visiting times and admission costs usually are available at Tourist Welcome Centers located on major Virginia highways. More information

Virginia Tourism, (804) 786-2051.

Steve Raymond is a former member of The Times' news and production staff.