From Montpelier we drove eight miles into Orange, Virginia, to The Inn at Willow Grove for another fancy elopement dinner.
{Unbeknownst to us, they had a huge surprise in store for us!}
HISTORY
The original manor house was built in 1778 by Joseph Clark, an important land surveyor.
Apparently, one of his famous clients was Dolley Madison!
Designed to serve as a farmhouse, it featured some of the best American-inspired Neoclassical architecture in the state. In fact, in 1820, the original frame portion of the structure was valued at $1,125 (for reference, a “nice” home at that time was usually valued at about $200!) The Clark family expanded the house in the mid-1800s, when the brick structure with Jeffersonian columns and hanging porches were added by the same craftsmen chosen by Thomas Jefferson for the University of Virginia campus. –The Inn at Willow Grove
In 2008, the current owners purchased this property and immediately set to work with renovations to restore its glory.
What began as a pet project grew in scale and scope over time – as renovations are wont to do. Two years and a few headaches later, the end result was a truly astonishing transformation – and The Inn at Willow Grove was born. –The Inn at Willow Grove
Hmmm…I have a feeling the house my new hubby bought a few years ago, into which I’ll be moving after our honeymoon, will give us the same angst. Stay tuned for that story.
TOUR
Since we arrived a bit early, we had time to survey the property.
DINNER
After we were seated for dinner…
…we opened our menus and to our surprise we found our names at the top, congratulating us on our special event!
Into our take home bags of left over delicious food, our personalized menus were rolled up and placed inside.
RETURN TRIP
We definitely want to return for another trip to stay at the inn and explore this part of Virginia.
While I’m 18th century, my new hubby is very much into the Civil War…which abounds nearby.
