Rosewell Plantation Ruins

                                                                            circa 1725

                    Gloucester County, Virginia

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Deep into the COVID-19 Pandemic of this year which never seems to end, and in the need of a day

out of the house, my daughter Dee and I took a nearby day trip to the ruins of this magnificent plantation house.

 

Tucked back off of US Route 17 on State Road 644, in the fields of Gloucester County above Gloucester Court House, VA, lies the remains of what was one touted as the "best house in Virginia" and indeed, was the largest in Virginia at the time and considered to be one of the finest in America.

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After a quick stop at the visitor center to get tickets and view the photos and artifacts on display, we proceeded down a long unpaved driveway to the house for our self-guided tour of the grounds.  The tour is well marked with informational signs so you can get a true feel of this preserved site.  The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a registered Virginia Landmark.

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Construction was begun in 1725 by then owner, Mann Page I, who unfortunately did not survive to see this wonderful home completed. His widow, Judith Carter Page (daughter of the powerful Robert King Carter family) oversaw its completion.  Built in what was described as the "London Townhouse" style the three-story house contained more than 12,500 square feet of living space, with a full basement, 33 rooms, 17 fireplaces (3 in the basement, 4 large ones on the three upper floors and two small ones in closets). The house had a flat lead roof, four chimneys and two large cupolas.  Flooring was marble and woodworking and paneling were described as exquisite.  The brick walls were laid in the Flemish * style popular at the time.  The Great Hall with its grand staircase basked in light from a long Palladian style window *.  During its lifetime, the home hosted hundreds of galas, dances and visits from noted guests such as Thomas Jefferson.  As friend and former classmate of owner John Page, grandson of the builder, he is said to have written an early draft of the Declaration of Independence in one of the upper bedrooms.

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Rosewell was home to a branch of the powerful Page family for more than 100 years.  They served in Virginia's Colonial government and the Revolutionary War.  In 1916 when owned by the Taylor family a tremendous fire swept through the house totally destroying it.  They chose not to attempt to restore the home so time and climate took their toll. The ruins have been stabilized and have survived more than 100 years now with the constant attention and care of the non-profit Rosewell Foundation.

 

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