Shirley Plantation
Charles City, VA 23030-2907
Phone: (804) 829-5121
- Hours:
- Daily 9am-5pm
Editorial Review for Shirley Plantation – by Judi Goldenberg
Driving east from Richmond along Route 5 in rural Charles City County, you can visit a number of stately historic plantations. Berkeley claims to be the site of the first Thanksgiving because English settlers gave thanks for getting here alive. President William Henry "Tippecanoe" Harrison was born in this elegant 1726 Georgian mansion with acres of terraced boxwood gardens. Evelynton, originally part of Westover, was burned during the Civil War. The restored Georgian-revival house that stands now on a working farm was built in 1937. Shirley is still owned and operated by the original family. Note the woodwork here, especially the three-story walnut staircase. The 1730 house at Westover is not open to the public, but the grounds and gardens make it a congenial stop. President John Tyler owned Sherwood Forest. His descendants restored the 1730 house, including the 68-foot ballroom designed in 1845 for dancing the Virginia reel.
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