152 Orange Each venue of this history and garden focused tour highlights County the evolution of farming and architecture along the Spotswood Trail in Orange County, home to Montpelier, the estate of President James Madison. The tour is illustrative of the evolution of garden design from the 1700s to the 21st century. Tour includes admission to three private homes, gardens and outbuildings and to the Barboursville Ruins, The 1804 Inn, tasting Saturday, April 18, 2015 room, hospitality center and Barboursville 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. vineyards, making for a full day. Properties feature late-18th- and early-to-late- 19th-century homes, replete with period architecture and artifacts, antique furnishings, and significant art collections. Gardens range from boxwood-lined drives to extensive formal parterre gardens and perennial landscapes. Photo courtesy of Erler Catriona Tudor Hosted by Palladio Restaurant is also located on the The Dolley Madison Garden Club tour route. Pomme Restaurant, the Barbeque Exchange in Gordonsville, Elmwood at __________________________Co-Chairmen Sparks and Willow Grove in Orange are all Gail Babnew nearby. (540) 832-2845 or Facilities: Available at Barboursville Vine- [email protected] yards and Springfields. Catherine Brooks Plein-Air artist Armand Cabrera will be (540) 661-0087 or painting at Springfields (weather permit- [email protected] ting) from 1 to 4 p.m. Handmade pottery is on display at Annadale. __________________________Tour Information Tickets: $30 pp. Tours of Barboursville Vineyards are available from noon to 4 p.m. or by Advance Tickets: $25 pp. www.vagarden- appointment. The tasting room and hospital- week.org. Available locally until noon on ity center are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 17 at Elmwood at Sparks and The Arts Center of Orange in Orange and at the Laurie Directions: From Richmond: take I-64 west, Holladay Shop and Colonial Florist in Gor- exit at Zion’s Crossroads, head north on Rt. donsville. By mail through April 6. Checks 15 through the roundabout at Gordonsville. payable to DMGC with a stamped, self-ad- dressed, legal-sized envelope to Cynthia Continue west on Rt. 33 (Spotswood Trail) Whitman, P.O. Box 1017, Orange, VA 22960. to tour venues. From Charlottesville take Rt. 29 north to Ruckersville, turn right (east) to Stonefire Kitchen (5361 Spotswood Rt. 33, and continue for 5 mi. to tour venues. Trail, Barboursville) is serving a special tour-day luncheon. Barboursville Vineyards’ Parking is available at each tour site. 153 Orange County Aerie Farm Ticket includes admission to the following The present owner, Gianni Zonin, sixth 3 private homes, gardens and outbuildings generation heir to a family wine enterprise and to the Barboursville Ruins, The 1804 active since 1821 in the Veneto, purchased Inn (open only from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), tast- the plantation in 1976. Here 138 acres are ing room, hospitality center and vineyards: now under cultivation with an array of va- rietals produced. Visitors are encouraged to tour the award-winning winery and to dine Barboursville Vineyards, at Palladio Restaurant. Gianni Zonin, owner. 1804 Inn and Ruins 17655 Winery Road, Barboursville Aerie Farm Thomas Barbour settled this 4,500-acre 8123 Spotswood Trail plantation in the 18th century. The land passed to his fourth son, James, who served The residence at Aerie Farm was built as as Governor of Virginia (1812-1814), U.S. an elegant Colonial Style farmhouse in the Senator, Secretary of War and Ambassador 1850s. It is perched atop a hill overlooking to England. The 1804 Inn was originally one Spotswood Trail. The principal entrance of a matched pair of adjacent Georgian vil- to the home originally ascended an out- las, joined by a common foyer and central side staircase to the main living space on stair. Featuring Flemish bond walls, hand- the second floor. Today, the home features hewn floors and 11-foot ceilings, this house two-story galleries spanning the width of the is now the home of the Vineyards’ owners house, all comfortably furnished with Amer- when they are in residence. The 1804 Inn ican and English antiques. An original tack was eclipsed as the focal point of the estate room within the home has been converted with the completion of the residence for to a “snuggery” in the British tradition. The then-Governor James Barbour, one of only dining room at the center of the house con- three homes Thomas Jefferson designed tains the original mantel and the remodeled for his friends. The Barbour family’s home kitchen features a light-filled breakfast area was destroyed by fire on Christmas in 1884, overlooking a garden. The original one- after which they relocated to the villa next room-deep house has been enhanced by a door, now the 1804 Inn. Ruins of the Bar- large living room designed by the owners bour home exhibit signature characteris- and added in 2001. The mahogany pan- tics of Jefferson’s design: integration of the eled room and handcrafted bookcases blend three-story structure into an elevated knoll, seamlessly with the adjacent original yel- hidden stairways and an octagonal room. low pine and oak flooring. The living room Orange County 154 opens onto a formal garden replete with restored to its historic use as a family farm. perennials, leading to a less formal peony Interestingly, the estate had been in the cur- gar- den and pergola. A beautifully sited rent owner’s family from 1928 until 1996. 1850s guest house adjacent to the residence Now it is preserved for future generations ram- bles in the landscape, illustrative of nu- of the family by a conservation easement. mer- ous additions over time. Now ten rooms, Century-old cedars line the long drive that the guesthouse features a large multi-pur- announces the Federal-Style home built in pose room with pastoral views. Both the 1816 by Robert King, whose wife, Priscilla, main res- idence and guest house face formal rose and perennial gardens. Nearby is a was the daughter of Nathaniel Gordon, the large fenced vegetable and fruit tree garden. founder of Gordonsville. Priscilla is buried Jane and Bill Remington, owners. on the property in the family cemetery. The house reflects its simple origins with period Springfields moldings, mantels and doors. Period fur- nishings and artwork are featured through- 19240 Springfield Road out. Outbuildings on the property include a historic slave kitchen that has been convert- A 100-acre property listed on the National ed to a guesthouse and office. In the center Register of Historic Places, Springfields was is a huge, working fireplace anchoring both part of the original Nicholas Meriweth- rooms. The smokehouse is unique because it er land grant first settled by Revolutionary was constructed entirely of wood, including War hero, Col. Reuben Lindsay, who built the lock on the door. The granary has been a home here in 1791. During the spring of converted to an art studio, where the own- 1864, 500 Confederate soldiers were en- er’s pottery will be exhibited. Merrill and camped on the property. Most of the original Philip Strange, owners. home burned in 1893 and was replaced by the present residence, a fine example of Co- Place of Interest: lonial Revival architecture, only two years James Madison’s Montpelier, Rt. 20. later. The house has been renovated with the Home of the fourth President of the intention of preserving historic architectural United States, James Madison, and his wife, features. High ceilings and large windows Dolley, the main house has undergone a na- permit breathtaking lawn and garden views. tionally acclaimed restoration to its original The interior features fine American, English 1820 design. Past Historic Garden Week and French period furnishings. Original ar- proceeds have enabled the Garden Club of Virginia to assist in restoring the two-acre chitectural features include staircases, heart- formal terraced Annie DuPont Garden. Visi- pine flooring, windows, cabinetry, moldings tors can explore the mansion, gardens, old and a tin frieze. Original porches and ter- growth forest, current archaeological execa- raced gardens invite outdoor living while the vations and the Gilmore slave cabin. www. newly converted “garden room” with a large montpelier.org fieldstone fireplace permits direct access to gardens. The house, extensive grounds, gar- dens and several outbuildings will be open. These include Col. Lindsay’s mysterious 1791 hexagonal stone tower (which served as Christ Episcopal Church from 1869- 1874), a smokehouse (1791), the Lindsay family graveyard, a dairy barn (1840), a stable and the riding arena. Formal gar- dens and parterres contain over 500 David Austin rose shrubs, 700 English and Amer- ican boxwoods, 300 hydrangeas and other perennials. The extensive grounds show- case 40 separate gardens with centuries-old trees in a park-like setting. Keep an eye out for the rare-breed, free ranging chickens! Gail Babnew and Joel Silverman, owners. Annadale 19195 Annadale Farm Drive Rescued by the current owners in 2012 from plans for a subdivision of 291 residen- tial units, the 244-acre Annadale has been 513 . Main Street, Gordonsville, VA 22942 .