Chatham on a Hot Afternoon

I realized I had not shared our visit to Chatham garden this summer.  It is not far from our home, just a couple of miles, and we found it the perfect spot to enjoy on a Sunday afternoon even in the heat of summer.  I have posted before about this lovely spot on the Rappahannock River overlooking Fredericksburg, Virginia.  It has a long varied history that is now owned by the National Park Service.

We were able to park our car easily and walk to the garden.  The manor interior is normally open but is now closed for maintenance of the fire suppression system. You may still visit the garden and its grounds.  If you wish to read more about this very interesting place visit -- https://www.nps.gov/frsp/learn/historyculture/chatham.htm

Lining the entrance are beautiful grape vines full of grapes!

I'd say it's been a great year for them.  

Like all of the large manor homes in Virginia the land and homes were toiled by enslaved people.  Chatham Manor was built by enslaved labors in 1771.  As much as this is disturbing, it is a fact.  

On this day we were there to view the gardens.  Rounding the gate we see lovely Chatham.

 There are many statues that are featured in these gardens.

Diana is featured in the entrance.  She was added to the garden between 1921 and 1927 at the recommendation of Ellen Biddle Shipman.  Shipman was the esteemed landscape architect who designed the gardens for Chatham's owners at the time, Daniel and Helen Devore.  John Lee Pratt and his wife were the last owners of Chatham.  They donated the statue to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in 1959.  When the museum decided to remove the statue from storage in 2017 Diana was offered to the National Park Service that owned Chatham Manor.  After $12,000 dollars was raised by the Friends of Chatham the statue was restored.  I must say she is lovely!

We have had such an oppressive summer that has made it difficult for volunteers to keep up this garden space.  Still it is a great place to come particularly when it is empty.  The garden is defined by walls along with ionic columns gracing the center.

Garden Phlox is blooming to the delight of the pollinators.

There is a water feature that had to be covered to protect the inhabitants of the small pond. We have bald eagles and hawks and cranes and herons that patrol the river for food.  If this small pond were not covered there would be no fish here.  

We both needed to find a shady spot under the wisteria on the pergolas.

We both are very aware of the invasiveness of wisteria, but it is always so lovely when in bloom.

There are many out buildings associated with Chatham.  The laundry house is quite large, but served the needs of the day.

The Summer House with the small pond in front.

We decided to walk around to the riverside of the manor and viewed more lovely statuary framed by Crepe Myrtle in bloom.

Walking along the pathway we pass the giant old Catalpas that witnessed the horrors of the Civil War when Chatham served as a field hospital.  

The National Park Service is trying its best to preserve the life of these trees, but sadly in time they will not be here.  As you can see the front of Chatham Manor faces the river. 

 

You can see the giant Catalpa trees to the left.  Because of the foliage the river is not quite visible from this view.

Though it was quite warm that day we walked up to the cupola that houses Pan.

We both enjoyed our little afternoon adventure on this very hot, humid day in Virginia.  Thank you for coming along with us!  I hope it wasn't too hot for you!