Wednesday, September 11, 2024

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!






















12 comments:

  1. Ah, but just think how happy those slaves were learning a trade! They were happy too! The gardens are an impressive testament to their labour and I hope that their dependents visit them today and do so without hassle. They above all are entitled to appreciate the beauty, as do you. Nature is therapeutic and there are countless benefits from a visit to such a place. Thanks for bringing it to us.

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    1. David the past is the past but also the present. The enslavement of any human being should give us all great pause. If we don't learn from history we are doomed to repeat it. I support the efforts made by Chatham to tell the real story of its existence.

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  2. We definitely need to hear the entire story! Enslaving people for them to do our bidding is not an outstanding part of our history. I’ve never been to Chatham. Now it’s on my list!

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    1. Nellie, the entire story is painful, but should be told like you said, my friend! You would really enjoy Chatham. Glad to hear you have it on your list.

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  3. Marvelous series of photos Martha Ellen. I haven’t heard about this place but thanks to you it is now on my bucket list. Looks like wonderful place to visit.

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    1. Denise, Chatham is a lovely spot to visit during any season. I hope we remember to go there more often. Have a great weekend!

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  4. Many thanks for a beautiful post, it looks a very interesting place to visit and I certainly enjoyed your photographs.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind thoughts Jan. All the best to you as well!

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  5. Lovely gardens, Martha Ellen, and they look very kept up. The wisteria is so pretty. Those old twisted trees are something else, and it's incredible that they go as far back as the Civil War. I like all the sweet statues surrounding the whole area. And that wall by the fountain looks so old. Sounds like these gardens have a lot of history behind them. Thank you for sharing all the beauty. And a dear photo of you, Martha Ellen.

    ~Sheri

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    1. Thank you Sheri! The Friends of Chatham do an outstanding job keeping the gardens in tip top shape. Chatham Manor is a beautiful spot to enjoy any time of the year. The statues are very special like you say. Have a great weekend!

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  6. Hot and humid are not my favorites . . . but you look fresh as a daisy in your spot beneath the wisteria! Chatham looks like a charming place to visit, full of history and natural beauty too! It is wonderful that these places are preserved by the National Park System.

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    1. Cheryl, that afternoon was a doozy of a day but still enjoyable. Looks can be deceiving as we both were feeling the heat that afternoon. We forget to visit the places in our own backyard as our area is so full of history.

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