Yesterday, I took off for the day and made my way to Orange, Virginia. If you  have been following the blog, you know that Montpelier and the James Madison Museum are located here. I had read on Facebook that the James Madison Museum was going to have a new exhibition opening on July 7th and in this exhibition was something I would be interested in.

Before I went to the museum, I decided to stop off at Montpelier to meet Matt, the head of the Archeaology Department. I have wanted to meet him for some time now and being in the middle of the week, I knew this might be my only chance. As most of you have read, we have had some really great “finds” lately and I wanted to get his opinion on them.

The first piece I showed was our two plate pieces. I had gotten a date from Mara at Ferry Farm that this was from the time period of 1740-1755. Matt confirmed that it was. This really makes me excited because when we first started researching Belle Grove, we were told that the house that James Madison was born in had long ago disappeared into the river. We later heard that the foundation was located between the house and the current bridge. We recently read a letter from the early 1900s that placed it between the current house and the church. But by finding items that date to this time period it shows that there was active life here near the house from that period. It also gives some credibility to the foundations we have under the Small Dining Room and behind the Garage. Maybe one day we can fund a dig there!

He also answered my question on a second piece. It was a very badly rusted piece of metal that I thought might be a knife. Matt says it looks more like a barrel ring. It came from the same hole as the plate. Maybe we have a small trash pit here! We will have to see!

After my talk with Matt, I headed back into Orange and to the James Madison Museum. I couldn’t wait to see what I came to see!

The James Madison Museum

Orange, Virginia

http://www.thejamesmadisonmuseum.org

Bethany greeted me at the door with a warm smile and hug. Then she ushered me back to the new display.

Here before me stood three Virginia Sectional Sofas. The first one was the Salubria Sofa from Culpeper, Virginia. It had been in a home built by the Reverend John Thompson in 1757. Robert Grayson purchased it in 1851. His mother, Sara Mason Cooke Grayson was the granddaughter of George Mason of  Gunston Hall. (Funny how places we go and people we learn about here in Virginia seem to connect together) Robert Grayson was with the 6th Virginia Calvary during the Civil War and his brother, John Cooke Grayson was a surgeon in Farmville, Virginia Hospital. Robert Grayson’s son, Admiral Cary T. Grayson would serve as personal physician to President Woodrow Wilson. It is currently owned by the Memorial Foundation of Germanna Colonies in Virginia and was donated to this foundation by the Grayson family in October 2000. It is currently on loan for a short time to the James Madison Museum by the owner and descendant of Admiral Cary T. Grayson.

The second sofa to greet me was the Port Royal Sofa. This Sectional Sofa from Virginia was made between 1825 and 1840 and is thought to have begun its life in Warsaw, Virginia (just 30 minutes from Belle Grove Plantation) at the Mount Airy Plantation. It is known that it came to Port Royal (across the river from Belle Grove Plantation) in 1911 when Courtneyay Tayloe Crump married Richard Pratt of Camden Plantation in Port Royal. It has been almost two years since I last spoke of Camden, but I had the opportunity to view it in January 2012. This family is connected to Belle Grove through Elizabeth Pratt Hipkins (mother of Fanny Hipkins Bernard, who the main section of Belle Grove’s Mansion was built for in 1791) and Carolinus Turner, whose family married into the Pratt Family. This sofa spent much of its time at the foot of a bed at Camden. This sofa, unlike the other two in the exhibit, is held together with a simple latch to allow it to be used as a day bed. This sofa remained in the Pratt Family until 2007. Today it is on loan from Laura and Hal Stuart.

The last sofa was the one I came to see!

The Conway Settee is entirely original and unupholstered. It is believed that it was crafted and/or shipped in/from Falmouth, Virginia. (20 miles north of Belle Grove Plantation). It was shipped to Mrs. Lucy Conway on October 18, 1848. Lucy Hartwell Macon Conway was married to Reuben Conway during James Madison’s second term as President Jefferson’s Secretary of State. Her mother was Sara Madison Catlett and was James Madison’s sister. Reuben Conway was the son of Catlett Conway. Nelly Conway Madison, mother of James Madison was Reuben’s aunt. The settee is made entirely of yellow pine. They used animal blood based paint on the exposed wood to simulate mahogany. The frame is pegged and it has a slatted wood base. The upper upholstery is a heavy Osnaburgh linen. There is no evidence of casters ever being affixed to it. It has a deep seat box and a simple turned leg with original button-down covering tacked to the frame. On each of the sectional you can see Lucy’s name. This settee is a gift from the Orange County Historical Society.

I have to say I was in awe at this piece! How exciting to see a piece of Conway Family History! 

While I was there, I also saw a very wonderful colonial table. I have seen many card tables in our search for tables for Belle Grove, but this one was very unique.

The top of the table rotates around!

Then opens up and lays on top of the frame!

This table dates to the 17oos and may have been made by slaves. It was on the farm of James B. Daniel , known as “Grandpa Jim”. Mr. Daniel ran the Post Office in the community that was named for him, “Daniel” Virginia. The family used this table for generations until it was donated to the museum. It was a gift from William Downer in 1986.

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The James Madison Museum

After we finish visiting with the Madison’s at Montpelier, we headed over to Orange, Virginia. Orange is just five miles from Montpelier. We have stayed here several times before. If you have been following the blog, you might remember the Holiday House Inn and Mayhurst. But this time we wanted to go to the first bed and breakfast we stayed in, Chestnut Hill Bed and Breakfast.

Before we made our way there, we made a stop at The James Madison Museum, another attraction in Orange that we enjoy seeing. At this museum, you can see items from James and Dolley Madison as well as others from contemporaries of theirs. The museum as has exhibitions that they carry for a limited time. On this visit, we wanted to see the Victorian exhibition.

Dress, Jacket and Cape

Dark blue taffeta with velvet trim and decorative buttons.

Worn by Miss Mildred Ann Bond when she wed Mr. Edward Virgil Huffman on January 10, 1886

Chair

This chair was owned and used in the White House by President James Buchanan

Shoes

2 Pair of High-Top Shoes

(left) two-toned black leather with grey/green brushed leather buttons

(right) black leather and black satin lace-ups

Doll

16 piece composition with bisque head, brown human hair wig and brown glass eyes.

Manufactured by Guttmann & Schiffnie (1897-1924)

The doll has original undergarments and wearing a period party dress

Carriage Parasol

Black silk parasol with lace covering and fully lined; Chinese ivory handle not carved or engraved. Carriage parasols were smaller and could be folded by sliding the brass fitting.

Hump-Back Dome Trunk

The dome lid trunk allowed for the packing of bulky items such as lady’s hat and it prevented other trunks from being put on top. The pictures are ancestors of the lender. Circa 1870s

Deck Chair

Early version of the folding lawn chair, it is hinged to fold in a number of positions. It was made in 1876 of walnut and caned back and seat with beautifully carved sunburst and flower petals.

To see more of the exhibition,

you will need to hurry to the James Madison Museum in Orange.

It is here for just a short time.

http://www.chestnuthillbnb.com/

After our visit to the museum, we headed to Chestnut Hill Bed and Breakfast. We were excited to see our favorite innkeepers, Troy and Kathleen. Most people don’t know this, but they have been mentoring us since the beginning. We first spoke to them shortly after seeing Belle Grove for the first time. It is these two wonderful people that we come back to with questions and who have helped guide us with their experiences. Brett and I can’t tell you what wonderful examples they have set in helping others reach for their dreams, just as they have gotten theirs. Brett and I hope we too will be able to help guide others as they have us.

Chestnut Hill is a wonderful B&B that sits at the top of a small hill. Many may not know this of Chestnut Hill, but this historic home was purchased by Kathleen and Troy through a city auction for just one dollar. But to see it today, you would never know that it was in such bad need of repair! Wonderful rooms and a grand breakfast await the tired travelers. In the evening, they serve some of the most delicious appetizers along with their wine social!

We arrived just towards the end of the wine social and had the chance to meet several wonderful guests who would also be staying at Chestnut Hill with us. We met people from Hampton, Stafford and Richmond. But it isn’t unusual to see couples from across the United States staying here.

http://www.elmwoodcatering.com/_index.php

For dinner we headed over to our favorite place in Orange, Elmwood at Sparks. We have been here three times now, but you wouldn’t know that if you saw us enter. We were greeted by staff who knew who we were and got a wave from the open kitchen from the Executive Chef, Randy Cooper. This time we set at the back counter so we could watch the kitchen staff at their craft. To see some of their food leaving the kitchen, it was just too beautiful to eat!

We started our dinner with our favorite, Shrimp and Grits! I just love Chef Randy’s version of this classic Southern dish. Being back by the kitchen, I was able to pull together the recipe for Belle Grove!! What a great dish to serve to our guest!!

We were able to order our favorite entrees, Wild Mushroom Pasta for Brett and Filet Mignon for me. These are the same dishes we have ordered each of the time we have come. Believe me, they have several other wonderful dishes, but we just love these entrees!

For dessert, we ordered Sweet Crepes with Port Butter Sauce, Raspberry Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream. We should have started with dessert!! Wow! It was just so good that we could have licked the plate if it had not been bad manners.

Our Room at Chestnut Hill B&B

Chestnut Hill B&B

Chestnut Hill B&B

After a great night’s sleep and filling breakfast, we sat down for a quick conversation with Kathleen and Troy. As other guests came to say good-bye, it was funny to see each couple lingering in the hall as if they just didn’t want to leave.

Funny, we had the same feeling.

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The Museum of the Confederacy
Richmond, Virginia

On Saturday, January 12^th, I headed to Richmond to do some more research and to work on adding to our “Virginia Traveler Passport” that is being sponsored by the Virginia Executive Mansion. I decided it was time to visit the White House.

No… not that White House.

White House of the Confederacy
Richmond, Virginia

I am speaking of the White House of the Confederacy located in Richmond, Virginia. It stands next door to the Museum of the Confederacy. It was funny that I selected this day to visit there because the Museum was celebrating Lee-Jackson Day, which was just the day before.

Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson

Lee-Jackson Day is a holiday celebrating the birthdays of Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. Celebrated in the Commonwealth of Virginia, this holiday was originally created in 1889 to celebrate Lee’s birthday. Stonewall Jackson’s name was added to the holiday in 1904. In 1983, the holiday was merged with the new federal holiday Martin Luther King Jr. Day to become Lee-Jackson-King Day in Virginia. However this merge was reverted in 2000. Lee-Jackson Day is now observed on the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is the third Monday in January.

The Museum of the Confederacy was opened on February 22, 1896. Before the current museum was opened, the museum items were housed in the White House of the Confederacy. Started by influential Richmond society ladies, Isabel Maury, Ann Crenshaw Grant and Isobel Stewart Bryan, their work with the Relics Committee was instrumental in securing much of the Museum’s current collection. Even today, through the Isabel Maury Planned Giving Society this spirit continues.

This Museum houses the largest and most comprehensive collection of artifacts, personal effects and other memoriabilia related to the Confederacy. Among these are the provisional Confederate Constitution and the Great Seal of the Confederacy.

Hat Worn by Robert E. Lee

Enamel, Brass and Silver Dagger
found on the Union Retreat Route

Field Notebook of Captain James Keith Boswell

One of the most notable items in the Museum’s collection is over 500 original, wartime, battle flags that were carried by the Confederate Army. Flags were donated by veterans in the early years of the Museum. Other regimental flags that were captured during the war and housed in the archives of the U.S. War Department were formally transferred to the Museum either by Act of the U.S. Congress or by Act of the Virginia General Assembly, depending on the level of unit identification of the flag.

This current building was built and opened in 1976 to better preserve and exhibit the Museum’s collections. It was build adjacent to the White House and covers ¾ acres of the property. Adorning the front entry to the Museum is the anchor of the first ironclad warship, CSS Virginia which fought the USS Monitor in the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862.

This Museum has seen over 5 million visitors since its first opening in 1896. President Theodore Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher are among the famous visitors to the Museum.

White House of the Confederacy
Richmond, Virginia

The White House of the Confederacy is located just next door to the Museum. It is a gray stuccoed neoclassical mansion that was built in 1818 by John Brockenbrough, who was the president of the Bank of Virginia. It was designed by Robert Mills and served as Mr. Brockenbrough’s previate residence located in the affluenet Shocke Hill neighborhood in the early nineteen century Richmond. Shocke Hill, later known as Court End was two blocks north of the Virginia State Capital.

Drawing Rooms

Front Foyer

Dinning Room

Library

Staircase

The home was sold by the Brockenbrough family in 1844 and passed through a succession of wealthy families throughout antebellum period, including U.S. Congressman and future Confederate Secretary of War James Seddon. Just prior to the Civil War, Lewis Dabney Crenshaw purchased the home and added a third floor. He would later sell the home to the City of Richmond, which in turn rented it to the Confederate government as its Executive Mansion.

Jefferson Davis

In August 1861, Jefferson Davis and his family moved into the home and would lived there for the remainder of the war. Jefferson Davis suffered from recurring bouts of malaria, facial neuralgia, a cataract in his left eye, bone spurs in his heel from his time in the Mexican War and insomnia. Due to his illnesses, he would maintain a home office on the second floor of the White House. This was not an unusual practice at that time. The West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C wasn’t added until the Theodore Roosevelt administration. President Davis’ personal secretary, Colonel Burton Harrison also lived in the house.

Varina Davis

When the Davis family moved into the home, they consisted of the President and First Lady Varina, six year old Margaret, four year old Jefferson Davis Jr. and two year old Joseph. William Davis would later be born in the White House in 1861 and Varina Anne “Winnie” Davis would later join the family in 1864. From the stories told by the tour guide, the Davis children were an unruly bunch. President and Mrs. Davis didn’t believe in punishment and allowed the children to run wild within the home. One story tells us how Jefferson Davis Jr. use to stand in the front window overlooking the front door of the home cursing at visitors as they waited for the servant to answer the door. Another story tells us of a small cannon toy that was given to the two Davis boys that would fire real gunpowder. The boys were said to dress in their Confederate uniforms and stand out back firing their little cannon. No word if anyone was harmed in this little “battle”, but it is said that the cannon would raise the neighbors.

Davis Children

None of the Davis boys would live to marry and have children. Joseph Davis would die in the spring of 1864. It is believe he was tight rope walking the railing around the portio and fell 15 feet to his death at the age of five. William would pass away in 1872 of diphtheria at the age of eleven. Jefferson Davis Jr would pass away in 1878 of yellow fever at the age of twenty-one.

Jefferson Davis Jr

Winnie Davis

The house was abandoned during the evacuation of Richmond in April 1865. Within twelve hours, the Union army seized the former Confederate White House intact. President Lincoln, who was in nearby City Point, now known as Hopewell, Virginia, would travel up the James River to tour the captured city. He would visit Davis’ former residence for about three hours, but would only tour the first floor of the home, feeling it improper to visit the more private second floor of another man’s home. Later a number of meetings would be held in the home with local officials.

South Portico with Maj Gen E.O.C. Ord and staff

During Reconstruction, the White House of the Confederacy would serve as the headquarters for the Military District Number One and was occasionally used as the residence of the commanding officer of the Department of Virginia. When Reconstruction ended in October 1870, the City of Richmond took possession of the house and used it as Richmond Central School, one of the first public schools in postwar Richmond.

In 1890, the City of Richmond announced plans to demolish the building to make way for a more modern school building. This is when the Confederate Memorial Literary Society was formed with the sole purpose of saving the White House from destruction.

South Portico

In 1976, after the new building for the Museum of the Confederacy opened, the White House was closed and was fully restored to its wartime appearance. This milestone restoration project was complete in 1988 and was giving high marks for the preservation, accuracy and richness of detail. It was reopened in June 1988 and now features extensive reproduction wall coverings and draperies as well as significant numbers of original White House furnishing from the Civil War Period.

Window on the South Portico

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James Madison Museum
Orange, Virginia
www.thejamesmadisonmuseum.org

After a great night sleep and a wonderful breakfast at the Mayhurst Inn, Brett and I headed to our first meeting for day at James Madison Museum in Orange, Virginia.  Brett and I had wanted to talk with them about forming a working relationship. Through our connection with James Madison, we felt that together we could offer those who are interested in and love James Madison a great experience in discovering the man.

The James Madison Museum was established in 1976. The museum exhibits personal items, papers and furnishing of James and Dolley Madison. There are also other related items that connect to the Madisons and the town of Orange. When you pull up to the building, you may at first think that is just a small museum with limited items, but that would be far from the truth. This building extends to two floors and has items I would have never guessed that would have been there.

Dr. Smith
President of the James Madison Museum

When we arrived, we were warmly greeted by Bethany, the museum’s curator and former docent at Montpelier. She introduced us to the President of the James Madison Museum, Dr. Smith. Dr. Smith started guiding us through the museum pointing out some of the precious items they have on display.

The oldest dishes in Orange, Virginia

The display we saw was a feature display of Civil War artifacts. There were beautiful dresses of days gone by. It would have been easy to see Melanie from Gone with the Wind wearing them. She also pointed out a display of a sailor in “cracker jacks” with an arm band showing that he had served on the USS James Madison. The USS James Madison was a Navy Submarine that has since been retired. Brett and I were drawn to this display, not only because Brett also served on a submarine, but because we have had the honor of meeting and becoming friends with an Officer who served on the James Madison.

Sailor in his “cracker jacks”
USS James Madison on his shoulder

James Madison’s Chair
He sat in this chair while he wrote the Bill of Rights

Dr. Smith guided us into the main display room where she pointed out a chair. This chair belonged to James Madison and was the chair that he wrote the Bill of Rights in! How hard it was not to reach out and touch this wonderful piece! Above the chair were portraits of James Madison as well as statues of him sitting nearby. I mention to Dr. Smith and Bethany that we had just purchased an engraving of James Madison. Bethany got excited and asked me if I wanted to see the portrait the engraving was done from.  Wow what a difference in what he was in this portrait and what the engrave made him.

Portrait of James Madison
age 82
This is the portrait used to make our engraving portrait

Our James Madison engraving portrait

At this display, they had several personal items from Dolley Madison. There was a black shawl of hers and a baby’s cap that she made. There were other displays of other presidents of Virginia here too. Did you know that Virginia has given America the most Presidents? There have been eight US Presidents born in Virginia: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson.

Black Shawl circa 1800s
Owned and worn by Dolley Madison

Baby Cap circa 1815-1820
Embroidered by Dolley Madison for her friend Mary Dabney Hoomes

After viewing this case, we walked back to the conference room to have our meeting. In the conference room, we had a chance to see a piano forte that was built in 1884. They had stored it here until they could find a new home for it. Who knows, maybe one day you might see it at Belle Grove.

Brett looks at the piano forte
Built in 1884

Piano Forte
Built in 1884

During our meeting we discussed our goals with Belle Grove and what we had to go through before we open. We were so excited to find out that Dr. Smith is a master gardener and works with the Master Gardeners of Virginia. She told us that she would love to be able to help with the landscaping and would be happy to offer suggestion and advice on what to plant to represent the plants of Virginia and its history in gardens. We have a goal of establishing a formal walking garden at Belle Grove. We would like to have a representation of the temple at Montpelier to grace the center of this garden. She told us she would be happy to help us make this garden one of the best.

Sadly, Dr. Smith had another appointment and wasn’t able to stay with us long. But both she and the James Madison Museum have offered any help we need to and would love to be a partner with us to make Belle Grove Plantation one of the best plantations in Virginia.

After our meeting, Bethany walked us around and showed us more of the museum. She even showed us some of the items that weren’t on display! What a treat that was! We showed her our artifacts from Belle Grove and told her about our hopes in doing some archaeological digs at Belle Grove. We would love to be able to find something that would be connected with the Conway family and James Madison.

James Madison

James Madison

James Madison
This is one of my favorite portraits of him

Fruit Dish owned by the Madisons
Note the “M” in the center
This is a French piece. Dolley loved anything French.

This is a letter written by George Washington

George Washington’s signature
In his own hand!

A copy of the Virginia Constitution

Colonial Money 1751
Printed by Benjamin Franklin

Dress Styles that Dolley Madison made popular

Sheer Hindu Gown
Printed Fabric over Cream Cotton Lining
Circa 1840s

Purple Moire Gown with Dark Purple Velvet Trim
Circa 1840s-1850s
Ivory Silk Brocade Shawl
Circa 1840s – 1850s

Striped Silk Gown with Military Trim
Circa 1815

Ivory Silk Gown
Circa 1815 – 1820

Printed Organdy Gown
Circa 1815 – 1820

Bed owned by Zachary Taylor

Horse Drawn Sleigh
Circa 1816

Man’s Jacket
1700s
Not on display – check out the sleeves!

Man’s Jacket (back)
1700s
Not on display

Patient Medicine Bottle
Still has the medicine and stopper!

Patient Medicine Bottle
(back) – Not on display

Ramon’s Pink Pills Circa 1940s
For Sick Headache, Sluggish Bowels, Biliousness due to temporary Constipation
Contains Strychnine and Belladonna among others
not on display

Before we left, we collected some books from the book sale. These books will go to Belle Grove’s library and will be available to our guest to read. Bethany also gave us several books on James and Dolley Madison and even a PBS video of Dolley Madison! Brett and I watched it later that evening at the plantation. It was a very revealing look at the life of Dolley Madison. I would recommend this video if you want to get to know the woman who made James Madison president!

When we left we realized that we had spent almost three hours looking at the displays, talking with Bethany and wondering in awe at the pieces the unassuming museum had collected! We have driven by this museum so many times. After spending the time to see it now, we just want to shoot ourselves for waiting so long to stop and see it! If you are in the area of Orange or Charlottesville, Virginia and you love or have an interest in James Madison, you must stop here to see the collection. It will be well worth your time! Tell them Belle Grove sent you!

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View of the Mountain Range
Hite Family Cemetery

From the Hite Family cemetery, we headed out to find a place to stay for the night. We ended up in Winchester, Virginia. As we drove we used my cell phone to look for bed and breakfast locations. There we found three and chose to stay in the oldest place.

Nancy Shepherd Inn
Winchester, Virginia

Nancy Shepherd Inn
Winchester, Virginia

www.nancyshepherdhouse.com

This was the Nancy Shepherd Inn. The history of this inn according to the inn’s website is:

“The Nancy Shepherd House Inn was built as a dwelling in the 1700s on the south end of Winchester’s main street, lot 213 on South Loudoun Street. So far, our earliest findings of its existence are from insurance policies from 1792, but it was certainly built much earlier. In 1792 the building was listed as a one-story wooden dwelling.

Nancy Shepherd Inn
Winchester, Virginia

It is constructed of log and was originally one and a half stories high with two rooms and a large central chimney. In 1798, the house was bought by Robert Cochran who considerably enlarged and embellished it for the purpose of an ordinary or tavern. He also added the fine moldings and a grand three-story staircase.

Nancy Shepherd Inn
Winchester, Virginia

Nancy Shepherd Inn
Winchester, Virginia

Nancy Shepherd Inn
Winchester, Virginia

In 1814, the inn, now enlarged and greatly improved, was passed on by Robert Cochran to his daughter, Mary (then Mary Schenck), for $500. She, her husbands, and her children ran the inn until it was sold to O. M. Brown for $1,500 in 1840, a considerable amount of money at the time, indicating that the business was quite successful.

Front Parlor
Nancy Shepherd Inn

The property remained a thriving tavern until the war, but since Winchester repeatedly changed hands between union and confederate forces, the local economy was crushed and so was the tavern business. During the war, the building was used as a rooming house for occupying soldiers of both sides, and also as a hospital for the injured from surrounding battles. By the end of the war the property was listed in city records as a “two story wooden tenement”. After its glorious pre-war days as an inn, the building began a slow process of deterioration as it changed owners over the years. From the 1860s until we acquired it, Robert Cochran’s old tavern remained a rooming house or multi-unit apartment building. To this day, it has not been a single family dwelling since 1798!

Dining Room
Nancy Shepherd Inn

The property was bought at public auction on the Winchester courthouse steps in early 1987 by Nancy Shepherd McLaughlin who realized that most of the building’s original fabric still lay intact under aluminum siding, dropped ceilings, drywall, and plywood & carpet floors. She decided that its preservation was critical and that it was too important to allow it to continue to deteriorate. Her mission was to bring the tavern back to life as a historic B&B inn, just as it had originally been during it grandest days between 1798-1861.

Wood Floor
Nancy Shepherd Inn

Nancy Shepherd McLaughlin (1927-1996) put her son David in charge of the restoration. David has had a life-long interest in the preservation of America’s early buildings. As the steward of the Nancy Shepherd House Inn, he has worked non-stop for twenty years making the old tavern suitable for a true historic bed & breakfast inn, undoing alterations and unsympathetic modernizations. He has brought it back to its early 19th century state, preserving everything that is original from the Robert Cochran period, and has done so without removing its essence of ‘old.’”

Back Parlor
Nancy Shepherd Inn

We met David and he walked us through this wonderful old building. It is filled with antiques from David’s family. Our room, located on the second floor was very comfortable. Unlike the grand rooms we have been staying in, this room had charm and atmosphere. It wasn’t large and gave us the feeling of what it would have been like staying in a tavern inn. Our bath was just across the hall and would have been a shared bath if another guest had been staying on the same floor. But since we were the only ones on the second floor, we had it to ourselves.

Our Room
Nancy Shepherd Inn

After showing us the room, David informed us that he was on his way to a concert he was performing in with friends just a town over from Winchester. He walked me through the house and showed me the kitchen area where he invited me to take anything we needed. As we were walking through, his friends were in the front parlor room playing banjo and preparing for their night. They were playing folk music at the concert. What a treat to hear the music and to see such a wonderful place.

Front Door
Nancy Shepherd Inn

Once David left, Brett decided to take a quick nap and I headed out to an antique mall I saw as we were coming over to the Inn. Sadly, I didn’t find any tea items to add to my collection. When I arrived back to the Inn, Brett was just waking. Our bed was like a Tempurpedic, but not a name brand Tempurpedic. It was glorious! We have a Tempurpedic at home so when we travel now, I find it hard to go back to a spring bed. I end up with sore spots from the springs. I think we could have slept the whole next day because it was so comfortable. Brett and I have been talking about what mattress to purchase for the plantation and I am sure we have to have at least two Tempurpedics.

Old Towne Walking Mall
Winchester, Virginia

We headed out to find some dinner at the Winchester Pedestrian Mall. This mall is located on Loudon Street and is about three or four blocks that has been closed off and is now a nice open air mall area. We have been here before, so we had a good idea where we wanted to go. It was up to two choices, Union Jacks, which is a British Pub and Violino’s Italian Restaurant. We had eaten at Union Jacks before, but never at Violino’s so we head that direction.

Godfrey Miller House – Built in 1785
Old Towne Walking Mall
Winchester, Virginia

As you walk down the mall, you can see limestone buildings dating back to the 1700s, brick building dating to the 1800s and early 1900s. There is a courthouse which is now a Civil War Museum as well. We stopped there first to check the hours, which we found that they would be open until 9pm, just for a special night that night. So off to dinner and we would return to see the museum after.

Violino’s
Winchester, Virginia

www.violinorestaurant.com

Violino’s was quite the place. It is fine dining, but it is open for both formal, business casual and street wear. Brett and I were in blue jeans. The atmosphere is wonderful. They have both indoor and outdoor dining. The wait staff went over and above in their service. As we walked up to the door, the hostess opened it before I could and welcomed us. We had a cozy table for two and were surrounded by Italian pictures and musical instruments hanging on the wall.

After reading the menu, our waitress tempted us with delicious specials of which we tried one of the appetizers. This plate was fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with mascarpone and mozzarella cheese, a zucchini fritter, caramelized figs and fresh slices of tomatoes. As we delighted in this appetizer plate, I heard someone walk by with a strong Italian accent.

Brett and I have friends who own an Italian restaurant here in Chesapeake that are from Sicily, so we are familiar with that accent. I asked our waitress if it was one of the owners and if she was from Italy. She told us that it was an owner and she was from Italy, but wasn’t sure where. So she asked the owner, who came to our table to talk with us. Her name was Marcella and she was from Torino, Italy in the Northern Region. She told us that her husband, Franco was the chef and he was from Friuli, Italy. Brett has traveled to Italy with his job in the Navy and his current job so he and Marcella were able to talk about places in Italy that he had been and food he had eaten. We talked with her about why we were in the area and about our Belle Grove. She told us that she would love to come see us once we opened and that she and her husband would jump on the motorcycles and take a ride over soon.

Our dinner came shortly after our conversation with Marcella. Brett ordered the basic spaghetti with Bolognese sauce and I had manicotti filled with ricotta cheese and asparagus and topped with a cream sauce, fresh basil, pine nuts and red currants. What a meal! It was beyond delicious! As I sat there enjoying the meal, I was working out in my head how to make this dish into a savory breakfast dish. So I am going to make it using crepes instead of pasta and call it “Crepes Marcella”. So next week, you may see my new menu item!

We finished up and were offered desert. As wewere eating, we had seen the deserts coming by and could not say no. We decided on the Chocolate Hazelnut Torte with Raspberry and Whip Cream. It was heavenly! What made it even better was as we were eating our desert, they had a violinist come out and play. It was a great dinner!

Violino’s
Winchester, Virginia

Old Courthouse Civil War Museum
Winchester, Virginia

www.civilwarmuseum.org

After dinner, we headed over to the Courthouse Civil War Museum. The Courthouse was built in 1840 on the site of the previous 1741 Courthouse. The tour started with a small speech located in the court room of the courthouse. The room reminded me of the courtroom in the movie “The Patriot” with Mel Gibson. You could almost see him standing there expressing his views. After the speech, I was able to talk to the director and we talked about how the Civil War affected the Winchester area compared to our plantation. Afterwards we headed upstairs for a self guided tour of the artifacts and history of this area.

Old Courthouse Civil War Museum
Winchester, Virginia

Old Courthouse Civil War Museum
Winchester, Virginia

During the Civil War, Winchester, just like Belle Grove in Middletown, Virginia, exchanged hands many times. Most of the local buildings and churches in the area were destroyed by the Union army. The courthouse had been spared and had been used for a hospital and prison. When it was in the hands of the Union army, they had housed 1500 prisoners in the front yard area.

Civil War Cannon

The collection upstairs was a range of items from guns, cannons and artillery to personal items like belt buckles and buttons. One of the most interesting parts was the graffiti that the soldiers left behind. During the restoration of the courthouse, they have preserved this graffiti and have it on view to the public.

Civil War Graffiti
Old Courthouse Civil War Museum

Civil War Graffiti
Old Courthouse Civil War Museum

Civil War Graffiti – Jefferson Davis Curse
Old Courthouse Civil War Museum

One of the most interesting pieces was a curse on Jefferson Davis. It reads as follows:

“To Jeff Davis -May he be set afloat on a boat without compass or rudder then that any contents be swallowed by a shark the shark by a whale whale in the devils belly and the devil in hell the gates locked the key lost and further may he be put in the northwest corner with a south east wind blowing ashes in his eyes for all eternity.”

As we walked out, I felt sad by the loss of so many. You know Brett and I poke fun at each other because he was born in the North and I was born in the South. He likes to point out that they were the ones who won. But you know I don’t look at it that way anymore. I look at it as we all lost. So many died, so many came back without arms and legs and families were torn apart. It truly was a sad part of our history.

Confederate Memorial
Front Lawn – Old Courthouse Civil War Museum
Winchester, Virginia

We arrived back at the Inn and settled down for the night. Our room was without television so I grabbed a book and settled into bed to read for awhile. As I lay there, I realized how quiet and peaceful this place was. I tried to imagine what it would have been like with the Inn and Tavern next door to each other and how the people who came to stay felt. I thought about the solders from the Civil War that hid out in the Inn. One thing David had told us was that they had found both Union and Confederate uniforms stuffed into the walls. I thought about the fear of discovery for those men. And what the owners felt as they watched this drama unfold around them.

I finally turned the light off and drafted to sleep. This time, my mind wasn’t racing with the thoughts of what we needed to do for our Belle Grove. This time, it was quiet and peaceful.

The Story Continues Tomorrow…

Going Sky High!