If you’ve read my bio, you know that I was born and raised in Pennsylvania, a beautiful state in my opinion. I moved from its rolling green hills to eastern North Carolina for a year and a half and was in serious culture shock when everything was flat and brown for at least 10 months out of the year. That said, I always knew I would not live in PA when I was older.
Around the age of ten, I was on vacation with my family in Virginia. We were touring Presidents’ homes and, being a history buff, I was in my element. When our tour of Mount Vernon was cut short because one of my sisters left her purse at a McDonald’s and we had to go get it, I declared in a peevish tone that it was fine because one day I would live in Virginia and could go to Mount Vernon whenever I wanted. The move came in 1994, but I am embarrassed to report that I have not yet returned to Mount Vernon.
That said, I have been to Williamsburg on more than one occasion and visited James Monroe’s Museum and Memorial Library. I have passes for Hugh Mercer’s Apothecary and Rising Sun Tavern, both of which have been high on my list for research purposes. But one place I had heard about but not thought much of was Chatham Manor which is practically in my backyard. When I told my photographer what I wanted for the cover of the second book in my Defying Propriety Series, she immediately suggested the Manor’s gardens, and I trusted her completely.
The house was closed the day we went, but the gardens are open to visitors and there were several photo shoots happening while we were there. As I wandered down the paths, I thought of my characters and imagined them strolling through the garden (even though their garden was behind a London townhouse). As it happens, one of the characters in the next book, Son of an Earl, is from Virginia and makes references to her mother’s garden back home.
So, since I am unable to reveal the cover this month due to my poor scheduling, I thought I would share pictures I took while waiting for the photographer to arrive.
The manor house is located on the eastern shore of the Rappahannock River and looks out over the City of Fredericksburg. During the Civil War, Union troops occupied the empty manor (the owners had packed up and gone to their summer home) and used it as a headquarters during the Battle of Fredericksburg. Following the battle, the house was used as a field hospital. “Clara Barton, Mary Walker, and Walt Whitman served in the hospital at Chatham, caring for sick and wounded soldiers.”*
For our purposes, we focused on the gardens which are located “behind” the manor (the “front” of the manor has flip-flopped depending on the various owners’ preferences).
We visited on September 30 of this year, so many of the plants were dormant, but there were still plenty of blooms.
If you are ever in Fredericksburg, I highly recommend a visit to this lovely estate.
Sources:
*https://www.nps.gov/frsp/learn/historyculture/chatham.htm
Bronwen, I totally get your love affair with Virginia. DH and I “eloped” to Virginia Beach to be married, then did the James River tour of all the beautiful old houses and estates. We went back the following year for vacation, driving from the beach to the mountains and enjoying both nature and history. Natural beauty is as appealing in Virginia as historic sites like Williamsburg. We even attended an historic “starvation ball” in Petersburg. There are few places anywhere that are more beautiful than the Shenandoah from Skyline Drive. DH tried to get a job in Virginia but it didn’t work out, and when his employer relocated to South Carolina we went with them. How I envy you … altho’ I must admit we have learned to love South Carolina with all its lakes and waterfalls. Your post is a lovely paean to a beautiful state.
Just lovely! I hope to visit the area one day!
Lovely pictures. Thanks for sharing. I can’t wait to see your cover… cause I know where the photoshoot took place. Blessings.
Thank you!
Lovely gardens! Alas it’s a little too far for me. I can’t fly so getting from the U.K. is out of the question. However there are some gorgeous gardens here, check out Joana Starnes photos of Lyme Park which is near me!
Thank you for sharing these, I do enjoy ‘visiting’ these places by gazing at the photos posted!
Oh, I love to see her photos. Can’t wait to visit the U.K. again, but it will probably be a few more years. I “visit” via photos frequently. ???
Not far from where I live… but seems like a completely different world! Can’t wait to visit.
Great! If you are close by, you should watch for JAFF Reader/Writer events. Before 2020, we would get together in Tyson’s Corner once a month. Hopefully that will start up again.
Great article and beautiful pics! Wish my flowers bloomed that way!
Thank you! I was so tickled when we got there and so much was still in bloom. To be safe, I had purchased a few flowers from my local florist, but we had plenty for background shots.
Enjoyed your article and the beautiful pics!
Thank you!