For this reason, Sutherlin is often referred to as the “Last Capitol of the Confederacy.”. 2. Not to be missed: Historic Garden Week, when many private properties in Virginia-the James River area included-are open to the public. Click the links below to find out more about the best plantations around Williamsburg, VA. Shirley tells the story of the Hill-Carter family, eyewitnesses to 11 generations of American history. Many buildings were destroyed by fire when Richmond was evacuated as Union troops approached in 1865. On December 4, 1619, early settlers from England came ashore at Berkeley Plantation and observed the first official Thanksgiving in America. A five-mile auto tour loops through the island’s marshes and the pine forests where the English began their first permanent settlement in America. Embarking on a guided tour will offer glimpses of the original family’s furniture, artwork, and portraits.

Westover One of the finest Georgian-style houses in America, Westover, unfortunately, opens its famous pineapple-topped door to visitors only during Garden Week in April. Weaving through this rural region, Rte. Included among the outbuildings are the servant’s quarters, a 17th-century tobacco barn, and President Tyler’s law office.

One of the last remaining antebellum homes on the Virginia Peninsula, Lee Hall Mansion was used as a headquarters by Confederate generals Joseph E. Johnston and John B. Magruder during April and May of 1862. One of the most notable features of the house is the 4,000-piece Tiffany stained glass window.

So if you’d like to step back in time, a visit to these 8 gorgeous Virginian homes will allow you to do just that. Richmond Nowadays modern skyscrapers cast their reflections on the James River in Richmond, where the streets were originally laid out in 1737. 5, the road that links them, serves as a virtual time line through that sometimes turbulent past. We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. The scenic Oatlands mansion can be found along Route 15, just outside of Leesburg. To this day, the 11th generation continues to own, operate, and work this grand southern plantation. The story behind Agecroft Hall is especially fascinating. 614, which takes you to Jamestown Island. Occupied by the Hill family and their descendants since 1738, Shirley was the birthplace of Anne Hill Carter Lee, the mother of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. For more information visit the Shirley Plantation website. Today, Shirley continues to be a working plantation, a private family home, a growing business, a National Historic Landmark, and a direct link between the past and the present. For more information visit the Endview Plantation website.