For my birthday, my kids announced that they were kidnapping me for the day. Where would I like to go? Now that’s my kind of kidnapping!
Choosing a historic location that had long been on my list of places to visit, I joined the kids on a journey to Gloucester Point, full of 18th century history.
Our first stop was Rosewell, the famed home of the prestigious Pages of 18th century Virginia.
ROSEWELL MANSION LARGEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL IN VIRGINIA
Rosewell was the largest home in Virginia, and the finest in the colonies, even surpassing the grand Governor’s Palace in the capitol of Williamsburg across the York River.
Bordering the property is Carter’s Creek, which flows into the nearby York River, which flows into the nearby Chesapeake Bay, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean…all of which we were quite near.
Visitors of the 18th century often arrived by boat and were then taken by carriage to the estate.
The primary building materials were brick, mahogany, and marble, much of which was imported from England.
At 12,500 square feet, Rosewell was double the size of the Governor’s Palace.
While the vision and beginning building of the grand estate began with Mann Page I, it culminated after his death under the management of his son, Mann Page II.
MANN PAGE I – 1691 to 1731
Mann Page I was a third generation Virginian who envisioned a home that rivaled that of the majestic Governor’s Palace in nearby Williamsburg.
It is thought that Mann Page I designed his own home, and gleaned ideas from the more strictly designed London townhouses that were built to stringent new building codes after the Great Fire of London in 1666.
After his first wife’s death, Mann Page I married Judith Carter, daughter of Robert ‘King’ Carter, the wealthiest man in Virginia.
Mann Page I, served on the Governor’s Council, an appointed position from the Crown, which worked directly with the Royal Governor, while the burgesses were elected by the people of Virginia, to help legislate.
When Mann Page I died in 1731, his son, Mann Page II, completed the building of the grand estate.
MANN PAGE II – 1718 to 1788
After his first wife’s death, Mann Page II married Ann Corbin Tayloe.
Wanting a grand estate for each of his sons, Mann Page II began building another mansion in Spotsylvania County, called Mannsfield.
Mann Page II’s plan was to leave Rosewell to his oldest son, John, who was born from his first marriage.
Meanwhile the oldest son from his second marriage, Mann Page III, would inherit Mannsfield.
MANN PAGE III – 1749 to 1781
Colonial Williamsburg’s street theater features Mann Page III furiously riding his horse from Fredericksburg announcing that blood had been shed in Lexington and Concord.
JOHN PAGE – 1743 to 1808
John Page attended the College of William and Mary where he met fellow classmate, Thomas Jefferson, a frequent visitor to Rosewell.
It is said that on one of his visits, Jefferson wrote a draft of the Declaration of Independence in the Blue Room.
John Page fought under George Washington in the American Revolution, rising to the rank of colonel.
From 1802-1805, John Page served as governor of Virginia.
ROSEWELL RUINS
Unfortunately, a fire ravaged the grand home in 1916.
The massive ruins, towering over our heads and overgrown by vegetation, have further crumbled from exposure to the elements.
In 1979, the ruins were donated to the Gloucester Historical Society, who began preservation efforts.
