country homes, it was added on to during the following centuries; but by the 1920's it was vacant, falling into ruin and threatened by a planned highway. An American bought it, had it dismantled and had the parts shipped to Richmond, Virginia. There it was reassembled (but only a quarter as big as it had been before) as a home for the purchaser and his wife and as a centerpiece for a large development of houses, built in an English style and with street names like Canterbury and Banbury. A tour includes rooms with large mullioned windows, big fireplaces, linenfold paneling and a lovely carved staircase. There are furnishings as well: paintings (one original to the house), rush lights, rushes on the floor and some early chests and chairs. There are even a few books including a Gerard’s Herbal, lying open on a table in full sun (ouch! Maybe it was a reproduction.)Surrounding the house are gardens, added over the years by the purchaser’s widow. These
include a knot garden, a herb garden and a Tradescant Garden containing only plants first identified by the English naturalist John Tradescant. On the other side of the house is a turf maze and a bowling green.Docent Emeritus Marie Anne Schiffmann and I made a lovely day trip of it, having lunch and also visiting an antebellum mansion that was built by a member of Virginia’s famous Randolph family. I recommend the excursion to any of you.
