Westover Plantation

Coordinates: 37°18′40″N 77°8′58″W / 37.31111°N 77.14944°W / 37.31111; -77.14944
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the site in Charles City County, Virginia. For other places with similar names, see Westover (disambiguation).

Westover Plantation
United States of America
Coordinates37°18′40″N 77°8′58″W / 37.31111°N 77.14944°W / 37.31111; -77.14944
Area1,025 acres (4.15 km2)
Builtc. 1750
Architectural styleGeorgian
NRHP reference No.66000923 [1]
VLR No.018-0027
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1966
Designated NHLOctober 9, 1960[3]
Designated VLRSeptember 9, 1969[2]

Westover Plantation is a historic colonial tidewater plantation located on the north bank of the

scenic byway, runs east–west to the north of the plantation, connecting the independent cities of Richmond and Williamsburg
.

The plantation has been designated as a National Historic Landmark in the United States, cited for the architectural quality of its early Georgian mansion house and the history of its influential family.[4] In the early years of the Virginia colony, the plantation was one of the sites of the courts of Charles City County.

History

Sir John Pawlett, by deeds of lease and release, demised most of Westover Plantation in 1665 to Theodorick Bland of Westover for £170.[5] Bland lived on the property until his death in 1671 and was buried in the chancel of the original Westover Church, which he helped build.[6] His eldest son, Theodorick, inherited the land and joined with his brother, Richard, in its ownership.[5] The brothers eventually conveyed 1,200 acres of the property to William Byrd I in 1688 for £300 and 10,000 pounds of tobacco and cask.[5][7]

The plantation is notable for its 18th-century and later history. The mansion, Westover Plantation, was built in the

mansion c. 1730. This date was part of the 1960 designation of the house as a National Historic Landmark
.

But, since the late 20th century, recent dendrochronologic testing on boards and planks in the house showed that they dated to the 1750s. The house was thus probably built and first occupied by William Byrd III, not his father. The revised construction date has been recognized by the National Park Service.[7]

Like the other

domestic slave trade
, which continued to the Civil War.

Interior view, downward in main stairway, Westover Plantation

During the

Confederate Army officer Augustus Harrison Drewry. Drewry, who is best known for commanding the gun batteries of Fort Darling during Battle of Drewry's Bluff
in 1862, lived at Westover until his death in 1899 and made many changes; including rebuilding the burned wing, connecting the dependencies and enlarging the dining room so that it ran the depth of the house.

In the early 20th century, Westover was acquired by United States diplomat

Richard Teller Crane, II, who restored the mansion and grounds. It has remained in the Crane family ever since. The site was damaged by Hurricane Isabel in 2003. Ten feet of riverbank, a 250-year-old road, and a 150-year-old poplar from the south lawn were eroded into the river during the storm.[3]

Architecture

The house is noteworthy for its symmetry and balance of proportions, secret passages, mid pack gardens, front door, and its Georgian style (which was inspired by the Governor's Palace in Williamsburg, Virginia). The grounds and garden are open to the public from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, and you can tour the mansion with an appointment.

Popular culture

The plantation was a set location in every season of AMC's Revolutionary War drama series “Turn” (2014-2017).

It was also featured in the HBO miniseries “John Adams” (2008) and, most recently, in the film “The Field of Lost Shoes" (2014).

See also

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 15, 2006.
  2. ^ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Westover". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved June 27, 2008.
  4. ^ "NHL nomination for Westover Plantation" (PDF). Virginia DHR. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  5. ^
    JSTOR 1914946
    . Retrieved December 11, 2010.
  6. ^ Bland, Theodorick (1840). "Appendix". In Campbell, Charles (ed.). The Bland papers: Being a Selection from the Manuscripts of Colonel Theodorick Bland Jr. of Prince George County Virginia. Vol. I. Petersburg, Virginia: Edmund & Julian C. Ruffin. pp. 145–149.
  7. ^ a b "Westover" Archived 2011-12-06 at the Wayback Machine, James River Plantations, National Park Service, accessed 9 December 2010
  8. ^ :The Gentry", James River Plantations, National Park Service Travel Itineraries, accessed 9 December 2010
  9. ^ "About Westover". Archived from the original on July 14, 2012.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Westover Plantation.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Westover_Plantation&oldid=1169594974"