ST. MARGARET’S HALL, 444 Water Lane
There are two houses on Water Lane, St. Margaret’s Hall and McCall-Brockenbrough House. St. Margaret’s Hall is the academic center of St. Margaret’s School, an Episcopal boarding school for girls founded in 1921 by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. The house was built in the1840s in Greek Revival style with English basement by Dr. Thomas C. Gordon. The floors on the first and second floors are wide heart pine. A
Palladin window dominates the stair landing. Its exterior chimneys support 12 fireplaces. A high one-story porch with fluted Greek columns faces Water Lane. A two-story porch with square vernacular columns overlooks the Rappahannock River. Large crape myrtles and dogwoods surround the high porch. The day of the tour refreshments will be served between 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
MCCALL-BROCKENBROUGH HOUSE, Water Lane
The other house on Water Lane, the Mccall-Brockenbrough House, was built c.1763 by a wealthy merchant. The elaborate woodwork inside is equal to that of the region’s great Colonial homes. The floors are wide heart pine. The house was both the scene of a demonstration against the Stamp Act in 1766 and a target for British artillery in the War of 1812. Legend holds that the closed fireplace in the cellar is a passageway to the river used by smugglers to avoid customs inspectors. Thomas Brockenbrough purchased the house at auction
in 1811. It remained in the family for many years. The family served the country in many capacities as member of the House of Delegates, physician to the Virginia Navy and president of the Bank of Virginia. The John Peyton McGuires also lived in the house. The Rev. McGuire is known for reviving the post-Revolution Episcopal Church in the region. Mrs. McGuire conducted the Academy for Young Ladies. St. Margaret’s School purchased the home from Virginia Supreme Court Justice Joseph W. Chinn. Currently owned by St. Margaret’s School, it is listed in both the Virginia Landmarks and National Register of Historic Places.
OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST
Tappahannock has preserved places that reflect the past. There is a nineteenth century court house and clerk’s office, a debtor’s prison, a tiny Confederate cemetery behind the Essex County Museum and Historical Society as well as the 19th
cemetery
adjacent to St. John’s Episcopal Church on Duke Street. At its center there are distinctive, varied shops and restaurants. Fast food chains are located along Route 17. St. Margaret’s School for girls is situated on the banks of the Rappahannock River overlooking the Downing Bridge which connects the Middle Peninsula to the Northern Neck. At the corner of Prince Street and Water Lane, River
Country Artists, who are artists from the Northern Neck and Essex County, will stage an exhibit and sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be paintings in acrylic, water color and oil.
DIRECTIONS
To reach the tour area drive north along Route 17 from Newport News or Williamsburg, or South on Route 17 from Fredericksburg. Drive along Route 360 East from Richmond, Tappahannock sits at the intersection of the two routes.
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TICKETS
Advance tickets can be purchased before April 15 for $25.00 by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope with a check made out to GCMP to Elizabeth Randy Brown, P.O. Box 2764, Tappahannock VA 22560. They may be purchased via the internet by accessing
www.VAGardenweek.org. No refunds. Tickets are available on the day of the tour for $30.00 Single admission is $15.00.
LUNCHES
Lunches will be available at the many restaurants and fast food chains. Picnicking will be allowed on the grounds of St Margaret’s School, 444 Water Lane, overlooking the Rappahannock River, at the Meriwether-Richie House at 229 Prince Street, and at Mahockney on Mt. Landing Road. Also complimentary refreshments will be served from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at St Margaret’s Hall. Comfort stations will be available at all homes. H
HISTORIC TAPPAHANNOCK— A VIBRANT TOWN AT THE INTERSECTION OF ROUTES 360 & 17
E a town. It became a center of commerce during the 17th
stablished in 1645, Tappahannock is one of the first Colonial port towns in Virginia. Benjamin Goodrich sold 50 acres to the British Crown to be used as the site for and 18th
centuries. In modern times it continues to thrive as commerce has shifted from the river to the highway. The first Downing Bridge across the Rappahannock River was built in 1927 and the second one was built in 1963 to connect the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. The Tappahannock Historic District includes 13 structures
within a few blocks of each other. There are the 1808 Clerk’s Office, the 1769 Debtor’s prison, the 1848 Essex County Court House, St. John’s Episcopal Church, an ordinary and several colonial merchants’ homes. All these structures are evidence of this port town’s place in the development of Essex County. Its location at the intersection of two highways has proven to
be an important site for antique shops and restaurants. The antique shops feature everything from country to 18th
and 19th century
American and English furniture. A collector can also find coins, dolls, glass bottles, china, clocks, silver and jewelry displayed in these shops. As well as traditional restaurants there are Italian, Chinese and Mexican restaurants. Notable is the Roma Italian Restaurant operated by the Giambanco family, residents of Tappahannock since 1776. Java Jacks Coffee House brings an elegant coffee house style to town. Ferebee’s Food and Spirits is also a fabulous choice. There are fast food restaurants nearby on Route 17. Hobbs Hole Restaurant just off Route 17 is located at the Hobbs Hole golf course. They serve distinctive steaks, ribs, pork, rockfish and pasta along with fine wines, salads and sandwiches. H
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