Ellwood

Although it’s just a short drive from home, before today I’d never been to the historic Ellwood estate, part of the Wilderness Battlefield. In fact, I had no idea that it has been open to the public since 1998. The circa 1790 home was originally part of a 5,000 acre working farm that likely played host to notables such as James Madison, James Monroe, Lafayette, and “Light Horse Harry” Lee (Robert E.’s dad). Because of its unfortunate location right in the middle of two major Civil War battles, it was used by the Confederate Army as a hospital, and later by Federal troops as a field headquarters. But its major claim to fame may be as the final resting place of Stonewall Jackson’s arm, buried in the family cemetery (the rest of Stonewall is buried in Lexington). I was also interested to discover that the Lacy family, who owned the estate for 60 years, also owned Chatham Manor in Stafford, and originally used Ellwood as their “summer home.”

These days, it’s in the midst of an extensive restoration. The National Park Service, which owns the estate, has partnered with the Friends of the Wilderness Battlefield, who are raising the funds for the work, and who give tours to the public. Our volunteer guide today was a lively storyteller who would have been happy to go on for hours, I’m sure. The home is mostly unfurnished, and will likely remain that way, in keeping with how the house would have looked during the Civil War. The house tour, which currently includes a good look at the guts of the house, was informative, and the grounds are lovely. I’d recommend Ellwood to anyone who is doing the battlefield tour...especially anyone who is a little burned out on military strategy and troop movements.

Here lies Gen. Stonewall Jackson's arm:

Toiletries like the ones used by Union Gen. Gouverneur Warren during his occupation of the home. Bloody battles or no, good grooming is a must:

Here's part of the house that is still awaiting restoration:

Ellwood is open weekends and holidays through October 26 from 11-5. Admission is free, but if you make a donation to help fund the restoration, you get to choose a gift, like a commemorative cedar pencil ($2), notecards ($5), or this lovely mug for a $10 donation:

Mount Vernon

Here’s yet another nearby major attraction that I’ve somehow missed in the last 31 years of living in Virginia. Kind of like being a New Yorker who’s never been to the Statue of Liberty. (Yes, I’m guilty of that, as well.) At any rate, we decided to spend a few hours at Mount Vernon on our way north for a dinner engagement, and I was really surprised at what a wonderfully presented historic site this is. Which of course is only fitting for the Father of Our Country.

Mount Vernon is a beautifully preserved estate, and additional visitor buildings have been added to the site to tell the complete story of George Washington. The setting overlooking the Potomac River is gorgeous, and is surrounded by green fields and lush woods. Despite its size, the mansion is actually an intimate and relatively un-lavish space, with small rooms all furnished with many original items. I’ve been in quite a few historic homes lately (Kenmore, Montpelier, Ellwood) where there is no furniture, or barely any, and fully furnished rooms really do help transport visitors back in time and give a glimpse into the daily life of the inhabitants. In addition to the house, there are so many other outbuildings and features to see: the kitchen, smokehouse, blacksmith, weaver, slaves’ quarters, stable, coach house, greenhouse, and acres of gardens. But wait, there’s more! There were more outbuildings to see, trails to walk, farm and wharf exhibits to check out, films to watch and museum displays to digest than we could possibly fit into the mere three hours we allotted to the visit. Next time, we’ll plan to spend the whole day there.

The day was absolutely beautiful for walking the grounds (lots of walking), there wasn’t a big crowd, and the $15 admission price seemed fair. If you can stand the drive up I-95 (oh, how we hate I-95), this is a great place to take guests with an interest in history. Which you probably already know.

Martha greets visitors:



The view overlooking the Potomac:



Just a tiny corner of one of the many gardens:



George and Martha's tomb:



The memorial to the Washington family slaves:



George on horseback, just one of several wax figure displays in the education center: