08-28-2013

By Richard Leggett

Historic Belle Grove, King George’s new bed and breakfast, is open for business

Belle Grove, the historic birthplace of former President James Madison and King George’s new luxury bed and breakfast, is open for business. And although the date for a grand opening has not been set, rooms and tours are available, and event planning is underway.

“We are currently in a soft opening as we get our curtains, rugs and décor added to the house,” said Michelle Darnell, who operated the majestic plantation with her husband Brett. “During this time, we are booking rooms and will be giving a ten percent discount during that visit and a ten percent discount on a return visit to see the finished house.”

The Darnells have leased the Belle Grove estate from Haas Belle Grove, Inc. which bought the plantation in 1987 and spent $3.5 million in historical renovations that were completed in 2003. Michelle and Brett have been hard at work acquiring furniture, landscaping the property, building a driveway and making plans for a parking area to accommodate their guests.

Several major events are already on Belle Grove’s schedule for the fall. On September 15, there will be a VIP Dinner and Salon with historical performers James and Dolley Madison. Scheduled for October 25, 26, and October 31 is a paranormal workshop and ghost hunting. Tickets for both events will be available on the Belle Grove website.

According to Michelle Darnell, the paranormal event will feature five classes with a paranormal team on ghost hunting, plus a session with a medium. Tickets for this event can be purchased per class or for the whole day event. The paranormal team is Southeast Virginia Paranormal Investigators out of Newport News, Virginia. This team is working on a pilot for a TV show called “Paranormal Apprentice”. Belle Grove will be featured in the show’s second episode.

Belle Grove is one of Virginia’s most historic homes. The Belle Grove property on the north side of the Rappahannock River was purchased by Captain Anthony Savage in 1670. The house and acreage were later acquired by Francis Conway and Rebecca Catlett Conway, James Madison’s grandparents.

Their daughter, Eleanor Rose Conway, returned to the riverside plantation in December 1750, for the birth of her child, the nation’s fourth president, on March 16, 1751. The plantation was named “Belle Grove” by Rebecca Conway’s second husband, John Moore.

Tours of Belle Grove are available daily from 12 to 3. “We do ask that you please call us at 540-621-7340 to schedule a tour. Cost for tours are $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under, and children 4 and under are free. We also encourage everyone to please visit our official website at www.bellegroveplantation.com,” said Michelle.

“We will be posting more events, as well as adding items to our online store. Gift certificates are now available in our online store. We have also been added to Tripadvisor, BedandBreakfast.com and ILoveInns.com. As always, to find out what’s going on today at the plantation, please follow us on our Facebook page.”

“If you are interested in a meeting or reception or party at Belle Grove, please call us to set up an appointment to schedule,” Michelle said. “If you are interested in Christmas parties, we ask that you book them early as dates are filling fast. Since opening the doors two weeks ago, we have had several sold-out nights, which is very exciting. We look forward to having many, many more.”

To see what we are up to at the plantation

Please visit our Facebook Page!

We have made press again!

We had the King George Journal at the plantation last Saturday and today our article was in their newspaper!

Below is the article for you to read!

Enjoy!

Old and Majestic Belle Grove Plantation to open in June

King George Journal

By Richard Leggitt

Like an old leafless but majestic oak tree transformed by springtime sun, Belle Grove, the historic birthplace of former President James Madison, is being slowly reworked and restored so that it can open in King George as one of the area’s top event sites within the next four weeks.

“We’re close to opening the doors,” said Michelle Darnell, who with her husband, Brett, will operate the plantation as a bed and breakfast and as a venue for weddings, dinners and meetings. “We just have to finish getting the furnishings and get the remainder of the work done outside.”

“There is a lot of work to be done, but we will be ready soon,” said Brett. It is a labor of love for the Darnells. Michelle is leaving her position at Wells Fargo to move full-time to Belle Grove. Brett, a former U.S. Navy Senior Chief who is now a civilian contractor, will be joining her soon.

The Darnells have been looking for a special Virginia mansion to turn into a bed and breakfast since 2010. “Everything we looked at was either too expensive or needed too many improvements. Then we came across this listing.” Michelle said. “It is such a special place, there is a peace, a serenity that just amazes me.”

The Darnells have leased the Belle Grove estate from Haas Belle Grove, Inc. which bought the plantation in 1997 and spent $3.5 million in historical renovations which were completed in 2003. Now Michelle and Brett are in the process of landscaping the property, building a driveway and parking area to accommodate their guests and acquiring furniture.

Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast will have four luxurious guest suites. “In addition to the suites, Belle Grove will also be available as a venue for catering events on the scenic grounds,” said Michelle. Brett said the goal is to be open for guests “by the middle of June.”

“We’re  almost two years into this,” said Michelle. “It has required a lot of patience and perseverance.” Among the tasks in recent weeks was the removal of several trees on the property that were dying and posed a threat to the historic plantation. One of them was a mulberry tree that was almost 200 years old.

The Darnells have sent the wood from the trees to area craftsmen so it can be made into furniture, and to a fountain pen company that will make pens from the wood. Brett expressed his admiration for the way his wife has dealt with the challenges that have come with the project. “She supported me for 20 years and now I am doing everything I can to support her.”

Both Darnells said they are excited by the prospect of returning Belle Grove to glory. “It’s a living piece of history,” Michelle Darnell said. “We want to honor it.” Belle Grove is one of the most historic homes in King George County and one of only six historic plantations in the area.

The Belle Grove property, located on the North side of the Rappahannock River, was purchased by Captain Anthony Savage in 1670. The house and acreage were later acquired by Francis Conway and Rebecca Catlett Conway, James Madison’s grandparents. Their daughter, Eleanor Rose Conway return to the riverside plantation in December 1750 for the birth of her child, the nation’s fourth President, on March 16, 1751.

Over the decades, the stately home passed through several members of the Conway family and their descendants. Captain Francis Conway, III, James Madison’s cousin set aside 13 acres in 1788 for the newly formed Town of Port Conway, the site of a ferry crossing the Rappahannock River.

The plantation and its acreage were purchased by John Hipkins and Elizabeth Pratt Hipkins in 1790. Hipkins built the current Belle Grove mansion before passing along the tree laden site to his descendants who eventually sold the home and farm land to Carolinus Turner in 1839. Turner successfully developed Belle Grove.

The plantation is believed to have been used as a Union Army headquarters during the Civil War, which may explain why it was undamaged by Union gunboats moving up and down the Rappahannock during the war.

After Preside Abraham Lincoln was assassinated and John Wilkes Booth used the Port Conway ferry in his ill-fated attempt to escape, Union soldiers in pursuit of Booth rested and ate at Belle Grove before crossing the river to trap Booth in the Garrett family barn near Port Royal.

Over the next century, Belle Grove would have a series of owners and overseers. But in 1987, the Franz Haas Corporation of Vienna, Austria bought the property and embarked on its historical restoration. The Darnells signed their lease on the property in 2012 with their dream of turning it into a bed and breakfast, a dream that will be realized within just a few weeks.

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Just received my results from my ServSafe Food Management Course exam…

I passed!

This is just one more step closer to our opening!

I don’t know about you, but the wait is killing me!

We still have some things to complete around the Mansion and grounds before we can open the doors. We were hoping to be open by May 1st, but that isn’t possible with some of the delays we have hit. Could it be by Memorial Day Weekend? I sure hope so, but there is still so much to be done!

This week, I am back in Chesapeake working on our website! We have the layout design completed and all we have to do is add text, photos and the reservation software. Sounds easy right? Argh! With the phone ringing and things going every which way, it has been hard to focus on what to say!

Yes, that’s right; Michelle is speechless… for once.

But I am determined to complete it this week. We still need more photos of the Mansion… with furnishing. So that is going to have to wait until we get that part done. The interior designer is on standby at this point. We still need to finish some minor plaster repairs before we bring in the furnishings. Everything is so connected to the next!

HPC was able to get ONLY 2 high quality pens to commemorating the battle of Gettysburg – July 1-3, 1863 in this the 150th Anniversary of the battle from the small section of blood stained floor planking from the Sheaffer Farmhouse, which was used as a Union Field Hospital during and after the Battle of Gettysburg.

This Saturday we are heading back to the plantation. It is a jammed packed day. We have Bob from The Historic Pen Company coming in to pick up the last of the Witness Tree wood from our trees. We are so excited to see what wonderful pens he will be producing from our wood! The best part is, the tree will still be with us… just in another form. I know allot of you have asked about pre-ordering the pens. Once I get all the information on them, I will let you know!

We also have a member of a Photography Club coming to see the plantation! I can’t wait to see how he views our beloved plantation through his lens! We are working on planning an event with this club at the plantation soon!

Last, but not least, we have a journalist from the King George Journal Newspaper coming to do a follow-up article on our progress to opening. It is so exciting to see how everyone is looking forward to the opening! I will post the article once it is printed.

Some more exciting news!

We have started planning some events for this year!

Mrs. Madison

We are excited to announce that we will be having Mrs. Madison stopping by Belle Grove Plantation in August for afternoon tea! This event will be two parts. At noon on August 24th, we will have a young girl’s afternoon tea with Mrs. Madison. Girls from 8 to 16 years can come to the plantation and enjoy tea and conversation with Mrs. Madison. At 4:00 on August 24th, we will have a Ladies Afternoon Tea with Mrs. Madison. This will be a full afternoon tea and conversation with Mrs. Madison.

The Historic Performer for Mrs. Madison is portrayed by Dr. Lynn Uzzell. From her website, dolleypmadison.com:

“Lynn Uzzell received her B.A. in speech communications at Black Hills State University, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in politics at the University of Dallas. Her doctoral dissertation explored the debates at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. She has taught courses in Political Philosophy, the American Political Tradition, American Rhetoric, and Leadership and the Humanities at Baylor University, the University of Virginia, and the University of Richmond. Dr. Uzzell is currently the scholar in residence at James Madison’s Montpelier and senior editor of ConText, an online resource for James Madison’s Notes of the Constitutional Convention. She has been portraying Dolley Madison for Montpelier since 2010.”

Mr. and Mrs. Madison
(Dr. Lynn Uzzell and John Douglas Hall)

We are also excited to announce that we will be having Mr. and Mrs. Madison at Belle Grove Plantation on September 15th for their 219th Wedding Anniversary. We will be having an Anniversary Lawn Dinner with food, music and good conversation with the Madisons!

We will release information about tickets and reservations soon!

Be on the look out for more events and classes to come!

We are also booking social events for this year and beyond!

We have several weddings, baby shower and social club events already booking! If you are interested in booking an event, please contact us as soon as possible. Contact us through email at virginiaplantation@gmail.com or through our Facebook Fan Page Messages.

Follow us on our Facebook Fan Page for updates!

The entry drive to the Mansion

Just a few weeks ago, I did an interview for the King George Journal, a local newspaper in King George, Virginia. The article ran in their March 8, 2013 paper in a section for their 24th Annual Home & Craft Show. We were so excited and can’t tell you how much we appreciated the coverage!

The photos on this post were the ones that ran with the article.

You can read the piece below:

The Riverside of the Mansion at Sunset

“In the years leading up to the Civil War, Carolinus Turner, a Virginia planter who grew Belle Grove Plantation into a successful and grand estate, would gather friends and family on the mansion’s upstairs balcony overlooking the Rappahannock River for conversation and drinks at 5pm.

If Brett and Michelle Darnell have their way, and the King George Board of Supervisors approves their application for a special exception permit at their March 19^th meeting, those 5pm gatherings on the balcony at Belle Grove will once again be filled with laughter, music and tales of old.

“Our goal is to be open May 1^st, said Michelle Darnell, who is leaving her position at Wells Fargo Bank to move with her husband, full-time to Belle Grove, the birthplace of President James Madison. “We will establish residence and prepare to receive house guest.”

“Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast will have four guest suites. In addition to the guest suites, Belle Grove will also be available as a venue for catered events on the scenic grounds.” Mrs. Darnell said. “Our business plan projects one to three catered events per month during the fair weather months.”

The Darnells have been looking for a special Virginia mansion to turn into a bed and breakfast since 2010. “Everything we looked at was either too expensive or needed too many improvements. Then we came across this listing.” Michelle said.

Belle Grove
1937 Riverview side

The Darnells are leasing the Belle Grove estate from Haas Belle Grove, Inc. which bought the plantation in 1987 and spent $3.5 million in historical renovation which was completed in 2003. If they received their permit from the Board of Supervisors, the Darnells will be making their own improvements including repairing the road to the historic plantation, building a parking lot and landscaping.

Belle Grove is one of the most historic homes in King George County. The Belle Grove property on the North side of the Rappahannock River was purchased by Captain Anthony Savage in 1670. The house and acreage were later acquired by Francis Conway and Rebecca Catlett Conway, James Madison’s grandparents.

Their daughter, Eleanor Rose Conway returned to the riverside plantation in December 1750 for the birth of her child, the nation’s fourth President, on March 16, 1751. The plantation was named Belle Grove by Rebecca Conway’s second husband, John Moore.

Belle Grove
1906

Belle Grove
1906

Over the decades, the stately home passed through several members of the Conway family and their descendents. Captain Francis Conway III, James Madison’s cousin set aside 13 acres in 1788 for the newly formed Town of Port Conway and a “burying ground”.

The plantation and its acreage were purchased by John Hipkins and Elizabeth Pratt Hipkins in 1790. Hipkins built the current Belle Grove mansion before passing along the tree laden site to his descendents who eventually sold the home and farm land to Carolinus Turner in 1839. Turner successfully developed Belle Grove. He also donated land for the near-by Emmanuel Episcopal Church in 1859.

First known photo of Belle Grove
1894

The plantation is believed to have been used as a Union Army headquarters during the Civil War, which explain why it was undamaged by Union gunboats moving up and down the Rappahannock during the war.

J T Hearn on steps of Belle Grove 1920s

After President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated and John Wilkes Booth used the Port Conway ferry in his ill-fated attempt to escape, Union soldiers in pursuit of Booth rested and ate at Belle Grove before crossing the river to trap Booth in the Garrett family barn near Port Royal.

Over the next century, Belle Grove would have a series of owners and overseers. But in 1987, the Fraz Haas Corporation bought the property and embarked on its historical restoration. The Darnells signed their lease on the property in 2012 with their dream of turning it into a bed and breakfast.

Smokehouse and Summer Kitchen Outbuildings

Among other things, they want to restore three plantation outbuildings, an ice house, a smokehouse and a summer kitchen. “Our hope is to turn the summer kitchen into a small museum to house all the artifacts we have found and tell the family and plantation history,” Michelle said. Part of the summer kitchen was used as a slave quarters and the Darnells plan to use that space to tell the story of the slaves who worked, lived and died at Belle Grove.

To turn the elegant and historic plantation into a successful bed and breakfast, and a event and wedding venue, will required a lot of hard work by the Darnells and even more of their time and money. But they are excited by the prospect of returning Belle Grove to glory. “It’s a living piece of history,” Michelle Darnell said. “We want to honor it.”

Postcard of Belle Grove
1950s

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