ABOUT THE 2009 AUTUMN PILGRIMAGE HOUSE TOUR

Westover Church invites you to the 2009 Autumn Pilgrimage House and Garden Tour in Charles City, Virginia.  This year’s tour will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2009 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 2009 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. 

This year, several lovely historic homes along Weyanoke Road are featured on the house and garden tour. Weyanoke and Upper Weyanoke are part of
properties owned by several Virginia families prominent in Virginia history, such as Governor Yeardly, Abraham Piersley, William Harwood, Fielding Lewis Douthat and his wife Mary Willis Marshall, granddaughter of the Chief Justice.  North Bend was built in 1819 for Sarah Harrison, the sister of
William Henry Harrison. The plantation lands are still under cultivation by the current owners, the Copland family, descendants of the Ruffin and
Harrison families. Kittiewan (c. 1728) was donated to the Archaeological Society of Virginia and is undergoing physical and archaeological study.
Richmond View (c.1790)  was originally built in Chesterfield County and moved to Charles City by barge in 1998 by the current owners. The house was recognized by Southern Living magazine in 2006 as the "Best Preservation" project of the year.

All the properties are on the National Register of Historic Places and/or are Virginia Historic Landmarks. There are fine gardens to explore at many of the homes and visitors are welcome to enjoy them.

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 box lunches by reservation and entertainment by various groups from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 

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 and hot dogs. Crafts will be on sale, as well as a selection of 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 and other spring blomming bulbs.

TICKET AND LUNCH INFORMATION

Advance admission tickets may be purchased through September 22, 2009 for $30 per person. Tickets may be purchased on the day of the tour for $35 per person at Richmond View, Westover Church, Westover and Sherwood Forest. 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 26 at Richmond View, Westover Church, Westover and Sherwood Forest.

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

BENEFICIARIES

To date, the tour has generated almost $160,000 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 local relief fund, the Crow Indian Reservation in North Dakota, and the Diocesan Relief Fund, among others. 

Berkeley Plantation (1726) 12602 Harrison Landing Road Berkeleyis the site of the first official Thanksgiving in America in 1619. It is the birthplace of Benjamin Harrison V, signer of the Declaration of Independence and three times governor of Virginia. The estate is also the birthplace of William Henry Harrison, 9th President of the United States, and ancestral home of his grandson, Benjamin Harrison, the twenty-third President. 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. Kittiewan (c.1728) 12104 Weyanoke Road The original property where Kittiewan is sited was given by Chief Opechancanough, half-brother and successor 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.Several families have occupied Kittiewan. About 1640, William Justice, an active member of the House of Burgesses at Jamestown, acquired Kittiewan and it remained in the Justice family until 1768 when Dr. William Rickman bought the plantation.  Most recently, Kittiewan was the home of Wilma and Bill Cropper, both of whom are now deceased.  The property is now held by the Archaeological Society of Virginia. North Bend (1819) 12200 Weyanoke Road. North Bend  was built in 1819 by John Minge a wealthy land owner, for his wife, Sarah Harrison, the sister of William Henry Harrison, ninth President of the United States. The property passed through the Harrison family until 1843, when it was purchased by Thomas Wilcox. It was remodeled and doubled in size in 1853 using designs of noted builder/architect Asher Benjamin. The Kitchen Wing was added in 1922.  Richmond View (c 1790) 14931 Sandy Point Road Richmond View was originally built in Chesterfield County ca. 1790. The house was located in an industrial corridor between Interstate 95 and the James River and was in danger of complete ruin until the owners moved it to Charles City by barge in 1998. The center chimney represents a New England style which has few surviving period examples in Virginia. The property’s listing on the Virginia Historic Landmarks Register is due to its unusual floor plan. 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. Upper Wyanoke (c1620s) 13905 Weyanoke Road Upper Weyanoke is believed to have been erected in the 17th century as a stronghold against Indian assault following the massacres of 1622 (347 colonists were killed, including five on the Weyanoke property). Although no one knows how many garrison houses may have been built after the massacres, Upper Weyanoke is the only one that remains. The date of construction has been impossible to authenticate, but this small dwelling, laid in Flemish Bond, is believed to be one of the oldest homes on the James River. 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. Weyanoke (1798) 1440 Weyanoke Road Weyanoke is a late Georgian mansion was built in 1798 for Fielding Lewis and his wife, Agnes Harwood. The work of master builders, the stairway is an unusual example of Chinese Chippendale trellis design. Other outstanding architectural features include the handsome paneling, deep cornices, wide, random-width pine floors and beautifully proportioned high ceiling rooms. Former owners of the land, prominent in Virginia history include Governor Yeardly, Abraham Piersley, William Harwood, Fielding Lewis Douthat and his wife Mary Willis Marshall, granddaughter of the Chief Justice.  Autumn Pilgrimage Press Release 2009 Autumn Pilgrimage Map for 2009 Autumn Pilgrimage Ticket Order Form for 2009 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