In the Southeast Virginia, just outside of Williamsburg, there are several historic plantations along the James River. One of these plantations is Berkeley Plantation, home to two Presidents of the United States, William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison. Originally called Berkeley Hundred this plantation was named after the Berkeley Company of England. This plantation is believed to be the oldest three-story brick mansion in Virginia. This plantation was also the location for many of American “firsts”.

In December, 1619, thirty-eight English settlers arrived at Berkeley Hundred on the north back of the James River in an area that was then known as Charles Cittie. Berkeley Hundred was about 8,000 acres and is about twenty miles upstream from Jamestown, the first permanent settlement in Colonial Virginia in May, 1607.

It was at this time, the one of the “firsts” occurred. In the group’s charter that was a requirement that the day of arrival be observed yearly as a “day of thanksgiving” to God. On December 4, 1619 the first service of thanksgiving was held. This was the also the first written annual Thanksgiving. Captain John Woodleaf held the first service.

Another first for Berkeley came in 1621. Reverend George Thorpe, an Episcopal priest brewed some beer from the native corn and declared that it was “much better than British ale.” He then ran some through his still and made the first corn whiskey. This whiskey would have been a forerunner of moonshine and bourbon. During this time, Reverend Thorpe was instructed to convert the Native Americans to Christianity and to establish a college for their education. The Native Americans rejected this and during the Indian Massacre in 1622, Reverend Thorpe was singled out. Reverend Thorpe was found in bits and pieces scattered all over the compound.

One of the many dangers that colonist faced was attacks by Native Americans. During the Indian Massacre in 1622, about a third of the entire population of the Virginia Colony was killed, which included nine from Berkeley Hundred. The remaining population would abandon outlying locations and would withdraw to Jamestown and other more secure points.

After several years, Berkeley Hundred would become Berkeley Plantation the home of one of the First Families of Virginia, the Harrison Family.

In 1700, Benjamin Harrison IV was born in a small house on the plantation. He would grow up all his life on this plantation. After attending the College of William and Mary, he would become the first of the Harrison family to become a college graduate. He settled on his family’s plantation and would marry Anne Carter in 1722 thus uniting to strong Virginia Families. Route 3 or Kings Highway in Virginia is named for Anne’s father, Robert “King” Carter.

Benjamin Harrison would build his Georgian-style three-story mansion from bricks that were fired on the Berkeley plantation in 1726. Over the side door, you can see a datestone that Benjamin had placed. It is his and his wife’s initials and the date the home was built. The handsome Adam woodwork and the double arches of the ‘Great Rooms’ in the mansion were installed in 1790 at the direction of Thomas Jefferson. From 1736 to 1742, Harrison would serve in the House of Burgesses representing Charles City County, Virginia.

The grounds and gardens consist of five terraced gardens leading from the house to the James River. These terraces were dug by hand before the Revolutionary War. Many hundred year old trees graces the boxwood garden while sheep graze on the distant rolling hills of the adjacent farmland. Miles of old fashioned gravel roads meander through the pastures and forest. Located near is a small woodland glade that is nestled in the trees beside the James River shore.

Benjamin and Anne would have eleven children. Benjamin would pass away with two of his daughters in 1745 when lightning struck the house.

This house would pass down through generations of Harrisons, two who would later serve as President of the United States. Benjamin Harrison V, a signer of the American Declaration of Independence and a Governor of Virginia, his son William Henry Harrison, a war hero in the Battle of Tippecanoe, a Governor of Indiana Territory and ninth President of the United States and finally Benjamin Harrison, great, great grandson and 23^rd President of the United States. Berkley Plantation is only one of two ancestral homes that from which two Presidents would come. The other is Peacefield in Quincy, Massachusetts birthplace of John Adams and John Quincy Adams.

During the Revolutionary War, William Henry Harrison was only nine years old. During this time he witnessed many historic events. He saw Benedict Arnold land and march triumphant through Berkeley Plantation on the way to seize Richmond. He would see British streaming back from defeats toward Yorktown, not too far from Berkeley. He also recalled the French and American troops as the moved to surround the British. During the siege of Yorktown, Lafayette and Washington dined at Berkeley. William recalled waving as his father rode off to join the Virginia militia that reinforced Washington’s Continnental Army. His father was a close associate of General Washington and Williams recalled seeing the General dine often with the family.

During the Civil War, Berkeley Plantation was occupied by General George McClellan’s Union Army of the Potomac. In July and August of 1862, one hundred and forty thousand soldiers camped in the surrounding fields, and the entire U.S. Navy, equivalent to 10,000 men in gunpowder, brought supplies and food between Hampton Roads and Harrison’s Landing. President Lincoln visited Berkeley on two occasions during McClellan’s encampment.

While at Berkeley, General Daniel Butterfield composed the familiar tune” Taps”, fist played by his bugler, O.W. Norton. Of all the military bugle calls, none is so easily recognized or more apt to evoke emotion than “Taps”. The melody is both eloquent and haunting and the history of its origin is interesting and somewhat clouded in controversy and myth.

“Taps” originally began as a signal to extinguish lights. Up until the Civil War, the infantry call for “To Extinguish Lights” was the one set down in Silas Casey’s “Tactics”, which had been borrowed from the French. The music for “Taps” was changed by Union major General Daniel Butterfield for his brigade in July, 1862. Butterfield was not pleased with the call for “Lights Out”, feeling that it was too formal to signal the day’s end. With the help of brigade bugler, Oliver Willcox Norton, he created “Taps” to honor his men while in camp at Harrison’s landing, Virginia, following the Seven Days’ battles during the Peninsular Campaign.

The Harrisons were not able to regain possession of the plantation after the war, and it passed through several owners’ hands and fell into disrepair. In 1907, the house and 1,400 acres was purchased by John Jamieson, a Scotsman who had served as a drummer boy with McClellan’s forces when they were encamped at Berkeley and Westover. The property was inherited by Jamieson’s son, Malcolm Jamieson (who bought out the interests of other heirs after John’s death) in 1927. Restoration of the grounds began immediately and in 1933 the new owner was assisted with the restoration and furnishing of the house by his bride, Grace Eggleston. The property remains in the Jamieson family and is open to the public for tours. A portion of the site is permanently protected by a historic preservation easement.

Today the house attracts visitors from the United States and other parts of the world. The architecture is original, and the house has been filled with antique furniture and furnishings that date from the period when it was built. The grounds, too, have been restored, and cuttings from the boxwood gardens are available as living souvenirs for its visitors.

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Along the James River, near Williamsburg lays several plantations. One of these grand estates is Westover Plantation. A beautiful Georgian style mansion with numerous Tulip Poplars Trees sits quietly on the banks of the James River and is considered the seat of the Byrd Family of Virginia. Known for its secret passages, magnificent gardens and architectural details.

The first owner of Westover was Sir John Pawlett. He sold the plantation in 1665 to Theodorick Bland for 170 pounds. Bland would live on the property until his death in 1671 and would be buried in the chancel of the original Westover Church which he help build. His eldest son, also known as Theodorick and his brother, Richard would jointly inherit the plantation. In 1688 with 1,200 acres of property, the brother would sell the plantation to William Byrd I for 300 pounds and 10,000 pounds of tobacco and cask.

The Georgian style mansion is thought to have been built by William Byrd III in the 1750. It was first thought to have been built in 1730 by his father, William Byrd II, founder of Richmond, but after testing was conducted on boards and planks of the house, it was shown to be dated later in the 1750s. The plantation was named for Henry West, fourth Lord Delaware and son of Thomas West, Governor of Virginia.

Like the other plantations along the James River, Westover was first devoted to the cultivation of tobacco, the major commodity of colonial Tidewater Virginia. The Byrd family depended on the labor of hundreds of enslaved Africans, as tobacco was a labor-intensive crop. The original grounds included slave quarters, and slaves served also as domestic servants and skilled artisans of many types. As tobacco cultivation exhausted the soil, in the 19th century planters shifted to mixed crops.

After the death of William Byrd III’s widow in 1814, Westover was sold out of the Byrd family.

During the American Civil War, Major General George B. McClellan was headquartered at nearby Berkeley Plantation; McClellan’s protégé, General Fitz John Porter was stationed at Westover with his troops. Legend has it that Westover’s East wing was hit by a cannon—intended for Union troops—shot by Confederate soldiers on the south side of the James. The wing caught fire and lay in ruin until Mrs. Clarise Sears Ramsey, a Byrd descendent, purchased the property in 1899. She was instrumental in modernizing the house, rebuilding the East wing and adding hyphens to connect the main house to the previously separate dependencies, thereby creating one long building.

The house is considered one of the most outstanding example of Georgian architecture in America. Of special notice is the unusually steepness of the roof, the tall chimneys in pairs at both ends. Another special touch is the elaborate doorway, which continues to be recognized as “the Westover doorway” despite its adaptation to many other buildings.

The special charm of the house lies in its elegant yet extremely simple form and proportions, combined with its perfect setting in the landscape, the essence of the artistic ideals of its period adapted to the style of living in Colonial Virginia.

The two wings were originally identical and not connected to the three-story central structure. The east wing, which once contained the famous Byrd library of more than 4,000 volumes, burned during the War Between the States.

The present east wing was built about 1900, and both wings were connected to the main home at that time.

The shady tulip poplars framing the building are more than 150 years old. “Ancient” is the best word to describe the boxwood hedges which enclose the lawn.

Dry Wall with tunnels

Just east of the house are the ice-house and a small structure containing a dry well with passageways which led under the house and to the river, as an escape from the Indians. Across the driveway from the ice-house is the Necessary House.

Westover Plantation
Necessary House
(Outhouse)

Turning from the river to the north side of the house, the visitor will find the famous Westover gates, with William Evelyn Byrd’s initials incorporated in the delicate ironwork. The lead eagles on the gateposts are a play on the name “Byrd.” The pillars of the iron clairvoyee on the north side of the house are capped with icons of virtue:

Continuing to circle the house, the visitor will come to the formal gardens, which were re-established about 1900. At the center, where the paths cross, is the handsome tomb with its interesting epitaph honoring the colorful William Byrd II, “Black Swan of Westover,” who was buried there in 1744.

Westover Plantation

Tombstone of William Byrd III
Located in the Formal Garden

His epitaph begins on the north side of the monument:

Here lyeth the Honourable William Byrd Esq being born to one of the amplest fortunes in this country he was sent early to England for his education where under the care and instruction of Sir Robert Southwell and ever favored with his particular instructions he made a happy proficiency in polite and various learning; by the means of the same noble friend he was introduced to the acquaintance of many of the first persons of that age for knowledge, wit, virtue, birth, or high station, and particularly attracted a most close and bosom friend-ship with the learned and illustrious Charles Boyle Earl of Orrey. He was called to the bar in the Middle Tem-ple, studied for some time in the low countries, visited the court of France and was chosen Fellow of the Royal Society.

It continues on the south side:

Thus eminently fitted for the service and ornament of his Country, he was made Receiver general of his Majesty’s revenues here, was thrice appointed publick agent to the Court and ministry of England, and being thirty-seven years a member at last became President of the council of this Colony to all this were added a great elegancy of taste and life, the well-bred gentleman and polite companion the splendid Oeconomist and prudent father of a family with the constant enemy of all ex-horbitant power and hearty friend to the liberties of his Country, Nat: Mar. 28 1674 Mort. Aug. 26 1744 An. AEtat 70.

His daughter, the beautiful and tragic Evelyn Byrd, is buried near the original site of Westover Church, up the river a quarter-mile west of the house. There also are buried Theodorick Bland, from whom William Byrd I bought the Westover property in 1688; William Byrd I and his wife, the former Mary Horsemanden; and other distinguished early Virginians. Here also, according to some historians, is the third oldest known tombstone in America–that of Captain William Perry, who died August 6, 1637. The arms and epitaph engraved on this stone have been effaced by the elements in recent years.

One last story, that of Evelyn Byrd, daughter of William Byrd II. When Evelyn was young, she was considered to be an intelligent, but spoiled child. When she turned ten, her father sent her to England to be schooled. It was during this time that she fell in love with a man, many historians believe to be Charles Morduant. But her father was adamantly against the relationship. He told Evelyn,

“As to any expectation you may fondly entertain of a fortune from me, you are not to look for one brass farthing… Nay besides all that I will avoid the sight of you as a creature detested.”

So reluctantly, Evelyn returned to Westover in 1725. But she never forgot her lost love. In 1737, Evelyn passed away from what most say was a broken heart.

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