03.22 WB pages 01-03.indd - The Rappahannock Record

Historic Garden Week in VirginiaDuring the 80th Historic Garden Week in Virginia, April 21-28, visitors will step through the gates of morethan 250 of Virginia’s most beautiful gardens, homes and historic landmarks. Three dozen Garden Week tourswill present a rich mosaic of some of the country’s finest properties at the peak of Virginia’s springtime color.Sponsored by The Garden Club of Virginia, local events are scheduled from the Atlantic Ocean to the AlleghenyMountains and will span the centuries from the early 17th through the early 21st. In the Middle Peninsula,tours are planned in Middlesex (April 27) and Gloucester (April 28). On the Northern Neck, a tour isplanned in Lancaster (April 25). The tours present an opportunity for visitors to enjoy some of the most eleganthistoric sites and breathtaking gardens the area has to offer.Tour visitors to experience ‘CivilWar History along our Waterways’The Garden Club of theMiddle Peninsula will holdits tour of Middlesex County,titled “Civil War Historyalong our Waterways,” onFriday, April 27, from 10a.m. to 5 p.m.Visit Middlesex Countyduring its 2012 SesquicentennialCommemoration ofthe Civil War. Step back intime and enjoy the viewsand history from the silentsentinels, and its river-fronthomes. Walking shoes areadvised.Ticket price includesadmission to the followingsix properties:The Cryer House isat 31 Shell Court Road atCedar Pointe near Urbanna.Whimsical animal statuarydecorate the winding gardentrails and manicured paveddrive to this contemporaryFrench country home facingLaGrange Creek and lookinginto the RappahannockRiver.The gardens feature nativeVirginia and Coastal HonshuJapanese plants suited to themicro-climate of MiddlesexCounty. Many of the specimensare labeled with theirbotanical names. A sandybeach and pier extend thewaterfront lawn and inviterecreational activities or justa relaxing afternoon in achair.Constructed in 2003 bylocal craftsmen, the homewas designed by the ownersfor comfort and low maintenance.An open floor planaccommodates large groupsincluding family, friends andthe many foster children towhom they have opened theirhome. The formal blends withthe informal to feature newShenandoah Valley furniturealong with Philadelphiaantiques including an early1800 dining room suite.Collections of Art Decoprints by Icart, oyster platesand nautical sailboats andlighthouses decorate this sixbedroomhome. Movie fanswill enjoy the theater roomposters, while sports enthusiastswill appreciate the collectionof signed baseballs,footballs and an autographedhome plate.Mr. and Mrs. David Cryerare the owners.Urbanna Light is at 105Mariner’s Way next to thebridge leading to Urbanna.Standing majestically overthe harbor of Urbanna, thislighthouse home appearsto be a landmark from thepast. Completed in 2005,the house is modeled aftera lighthouse on a St. LawrenceSeaway island. The650-pound Fresnel lens inthe lighthouse once lit Australia’sPerth Harbor.The main house andgarage/guest house are madeof bricks rescued from an oldwarehouse and have colorfulslate roofs. Anchored on oneside of the octagonal pool isa stone sculpture of a fisherman’sdaughter searchingthe harbor. Hollies, naturalgrasses and evergreens lendprivacy to the property.Mr. and Mrs. David Cottrellare the owners.Christ Church Parishis at 56 Christ Church Laneoff Route 33 East, four mileseast of Saluda. The churchwas founded in 1666. Theoriginal structure was probablywood and was replacedby the present brick building“to be finished in 1714,”according to the Vestry Bookof Christ Church Parish,1663-1767.The churchyard includes anumber of colonial tombs andis surrounded on three sidesby a brick wall donated bythe Garden Club of Virginiain 1942 with proceeds fromHistoric Garden Week tours.Christ Church is listed onboth the Virginia HistoricLandmarks Register and theNational Register of HistoricPlaces.For centuries, parishchurches in England havecoupled the beauty of theirchurches with the beautyof flowers. Christ ChurchParish follows this tradition.Especially for HistoricGarden Week, enjoy beautifulfloral arrangements celebratingthe theme “Beautyand Holiness” and vestmentsreflecting the colorsof the church liturgical year.Urbanna LightThe Rev. Paul J. Anderson,rector of Christ ChurchParish, presides.Millmont is at 987 MillWharf Road in Wake. Thefirst of two historic homes onthe tour, Millmont, built in1810, derives its name fromits location on a hill (mont)overlooking Mill Creek.The original four-story, oneover-onehalf frame housewas built to take advantageof the spectacular views ofthe Rappahannock River,Chesapeake Bay and a privatepond. Today, the shadetrees and gardens still dotthe long expanse of lawnwhere a hand-pegged barnis located near the house. Afew remaining shrubs of forsythiaand lilac mark the siteof a former nursery.Mr. and Mrs. W. DavidSouth are the owners.The LeBoeuf House isat 1411 Wilton Creek Road,Hartfield. This private, contemporaryfarm house has acircular drive screened withmature trees, hollies, dogwoodand wax myrtles. The11-acre property is situatedon a bluff overlooking thePiankatank River facing theChesapeake Bay. The gardenshave been designed todisplay color all year. Thesummer garden is resplendent30 • windows on the Bay •