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Bacon's
Castle–Take a ride across the
ferry to Surry County and turn left on Route
10 at the courthouse. Go ten miles east to
Bacon's Castle crossroads and make another
left.There you'll find one of the  earliest
surviving homes in Virginia. Considered one
of the oldest brick structures in this country,
Bacon's Castle was built in 1665 by the Allen
family. The details in the brickwork and triple
chimney stacks and the cruciform-designed floor
plan are virtually extinct in this country.
Rooms are furnished in period antiques reflecting
the different eras the house witnessed. The
house's unusual name derives from a revolt
that took place at this site between followers
of the then deceased Nathaniel Bacon
and troops of the Governor of Virginia. Bacon
probably never visited or saw this house. (Dual
admission tickets are available for Bacon's
Castle and Smith's Fort.) Open Tuesday through
Sunday (757) 357-5976
Berkeley–About
30 miles west of Williamsburg, just off Route
5, stands Berkeley Plantation. It is the site
of the former town of Berkeley's Hundred, a
place lost to history after a 1622 Indian attack.
In early December of 1619, local colonists
gathered here for a day of Thanksgiving, which
was one year before the Mayflower landed and
two years before the Pilgrims' "first"
Thanksgiving in New England. In the early 1700s,
the Harrison family purchased the land and
built both a plantation and dynasty. This is
the ancestral home of two presidents—Old
Tippecanoe (William Henry Harrison) and his
grandson Benjamin Harrison. Open daily from
8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Christmas. (804) 829-6018
Chippokes Plantation
State Park–From Williamsburg,
board the Jamestown-Scotland ferry to Surry
and turn left on Route 10 at the courthouse.
About three miles down Route10, you’ll
find the entrance to Chippokes State Park on
the left. A plantation since the 1600s, the
park is run as a working farm. There's lots
to explore here—a Farm and Forestry Museum,
hiking trails, and of course, the 1854 plantation
house with its 18th century out buildings.
Open weekends, and Monday through Friday
by appointment. (757) 294-3625.
North Bend Plantation–This
Federal and Greek Revival style plantation
home was built in 1819 as the home of Sarah
Harrison, the sister of President William Henry
Harrison. North Bend is located west of Williamsburg
along the Route 5 Scenic Byway. The home is
furnished with family furnishings that descend
in the Harrison and Ruffin families. The grounds
include the original dairy, smokehouse and
ice house site, as well as garden terracing
and cultivated fields. A self-guided grounds
tour is offered daily from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
and highlights Civil War and Plan.
Piney Grove at Southall's
Plantation–This National Register
landmark is located west of Wiliamsburg along
the Route 5 Scenic Byway. The plantation was
established in the eighteenth century by Virginia's
prominent Southall family. The original portion
of the house built in 1790 is a rare survival
of Early Virginia Log Architecture. The grounds
include Ashland (1835), Dower Quarter (1835),
Ladysmith (1857) and Duck Church (1917), as
well gardens, the Harwood graveyard and the
Woodland Nature Trail. A self-guided grounds
tour is offered daily from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
and highlights Civil War and African-American
history. Special tours are offered for Garden
Week, Halloween and Christmas. Progressive
Candlelight Tours and Dinner offered on most
Saturdays. (804)829-2196
Sherwood Forest–As
you travel from Williamsburg along Route 5,
the first plantation you'll see is Sherwood
Forest, the home of President John Tyler. Sherwood
Forest is known as one of the longest frame
houses in America and is still maintained by
his descendants. The house was expanded by
adding rooms to either end of the house. One
story states that the owner wished to have
a room added so that the Virginia Reel could
be danced properly inside its space. The gardens
and out buildings are quite interesting. Open
for tours by appointment, although the gardens
and grounds are still open, the family
hosts an annual birthday celebration for their
famous ancestor in March. (804) 829-5377
Shirley Plantation – The
Carter family invites you to experience eleven generations of American
history
through the eyes of one family. Our family is grateful to
the visitors who support the preservation of our historic home. Shirley
Plantation is Virginia’s first plantation (1613) and is the
oldest family-owned business in North America (1638). Today,
Shirley continues to be a private family home sharing its famous “flying” staircase,
original woodwork, Hill and Carter family portraits, Carter family
silver, original furnishings, and family stories during guided
house tours. The self-guided grounds tour includes eight
original outbuildings. Archaeology exhibits and excavations,
educational programs, and interpretive signs are some of the new
experiences awaiting our visitors with no additional fee. Located
at 501 Shirley Plantation Road in Charles City County, Shirley
is open year-round, seven days a week from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Closed
Thanksgiving and Christmas Days. 1-800-232-1613 Website: www.shirleyplantation.com
Smith's Fort Plantation–Take
a pleasant ride on the ferry, south to Surry
and two miles on your right is Smith Fort Plantation.
What looks like a handsome small manor house
and garden is only part of the allure of this
site. Once part of the original lands deeded
to John Rolfe and his wife Pocahontas by her
father Powhatan, this plantation was also the
site of an earth fort. The fort was built on
high ground in a secluded cove by Captain John
Smith as a defense plan in case of attack by
Spanish ships. The entrance to the cove lies
directly across the James River from Jamestown.
A footpath from the house leads to the fort
site on a wooded bluff which is marked by a
plaque. The early to mid 18th century plantation
house is furnished with authentic 17th- and
18th century antiques and has some interesting
original interior architectural details. Dual
admission tickets are available for Bacon's
Castle and Smith's Fort. Open to the public
March through November, Tuesdays through Sundays.
(757) 294-3872
Westover Plantation
- America's premier example of Georgian architecture
was built about 1730 by William Byrd II, founder
of Richmond and Petersburg. The grounds include
boxwood gardens, original dependencies and
the finest eighteenth-century gates in America.
The lawn, with century-old tulip poplars, offers
a commanding view of the James River. Gardens
and grounds open 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily. House
open during Historic Garden Week. Group house
tours by appointment. (804) 829-2882
Reserve
Early...while your preferred accommodations
are still available.
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