We were not able to travel far this summer, but that did not stop us from visiting historical spots in our backyard.
Today we drove to a nearby plantation that has greatly intrigued me.
Every time we’ve driven past the plantation in the last few years, the tree lined drive beckoned me to the hidden mansion and the stories it had to tell.
Over the years I’ve collected surprising twists and turns to the story, bit by bit, which has built an intricate web of fascination.
CARTERS OF VIRGINIA
George Carter I built this home in 1804 with a blend of architectural styles in the early 19th century.
His father was the famed Robert Carter III whose townhouse is next door to the Governor’s Palace in Colonial Williamsburg.
Carter III inherited great wealth from his even more famous grandfather, Robert “King” Carter who helped to settle Virginia in the 17th century.
Known as the First Emancipator, Robert Carter III freed all his slaves in his lifetime.
I had hoped to see an interpretation of this last weekend on the Great Neck of Virginia, but that unfortunately did not work out for us.
Not wanting his sons to be influenced by the slavery in Virginia, he sent them to college in Rhode Island (today’s Brown University).
His son, George Carter I who built Oatlands, sadly bought his own slaves to run this plantation on land he inherited from his father, near Leesburg.
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Interestingly the plantation was part of the Underground Railroad route…and many of the slaves simply left the property during the war.
Near here lived President James Monroe, at his plantation called Oak Hill, which continues to be a private home today.
GARDENS
Most beautiful on the Oatlands Plantation tour were the Italian Renaissance gardens, restored by the Garden Club of Virginia.
George Carter I created intricate gardens of multiple terraces, with steps gleaned from locally excavated stone, while bricks were molded and fired on the property.
After his death in 1846, and then his wife’s in 1887, their son inherited the property.
Ten years later they sold the property to the founder of the Washington Post, who merely bought it for investment purposes, so he never lived there.
In 1903, he sold it to William and Edith Eustis, who restored the property that had fallen in disrepair.
Much attention was put onto the gardens, restoring them as best they could with what they knew.
Not sure of some specifics, they referenced an architecture book they knew George Carter I had referenced.
After the repairs were made, Mrs. Eustis established a few new elements, but by and large this interesting terrace property is the original work of the original 1804 owner.
Apparently this is a typical Virginia Tidewater garden, in that it is terraced.
Although George Carter I grew up at Nomini Plantation which was flat, his great-uncle Landon Carter had terraced property at Sabine Hall that is thought to have possibly inspired him.
