And We Have Lift Off!

Aug. 1st 2013

Home Page

Our Official Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast Website has been Launched!

https://www.bellegroveplantation.com/

This has been an awesome day!

The website was designed by Adam and company

Bull and Company

with Bull & Company MediaWorks

http://www.bandcmediaworks.com/

Photography was provided by

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Chamberlin Photography

http://www.chamberlinphotos.com/

and

Rebekah Beasley

Rebekah Beasley Photography

http://rebekahbeasley.com/

Thank you to everyone for all your hard work and for giving of your talents to help us create a wonderful website!

You can now make reservations online!!

To see what we are up to at the Plantation

Facebook Link

Please visit our Facebook Fan Page

or

Visit our Website!

Home Page

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Darnell History | 57 Comments »

Chamberlin Photography

Jul. 7th 2013

Mark and Mary

One of the awesome Wedding Professionals that we met on June 30th is Mark and Mary Chamberlin of Chamberlin Photography in Stafford, Virginia. Mark and Mary Chamberlin officially started their business in June 2012. Mary stated out as a high school and American Legion Baseball Photographer and was asked to do her first wedding in the fall of 2009. Mark began shooting with good “ole film” and developing his own work when he was just a teenager. When they came together, in 2011, they were excited to be able to combine their individual talents and begin to create art that they felt would be timeless. Having each found their niches and supporting one another’s passion and creativity, they have found the incredible joy of working side by side.

Mark grew up in Athens, Greece and served in the Air Force for 22 years, retiring as a Major. Today he is a budget analyst. Mary was a stay-at-home mom and volunteer for 17 years. She now focuses, full-time, on the business. Mary is a member of the Rappanhannock Medical Reserve Corps. Both are members of the Stafford 6:3 Networking and are team sponsors for Stafford Baseball.

They always have their cameras with them. When they are not working, they love to explore new places and create even more art. They have an extensive fine art gallery and this month are featured artist at the Griffin Bookstore and Coffee Shop in Fredericksburg.

When Mark and Mary came to Belle Grove Plantation for the Vendor Fair, we asked them to point their lens at our beloved plantation to see what they saw. We have taken thousands of photographs of Belle Grove, but when we saw the beautiful pieces of art that Mark and Mary had created, it was as if we were seeing Belle Grove Plantation for the first time!

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By the way, these are the babies for this year!

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We are excited to have Mark and Mary working with us at Belle Grove Plantation! We know through their lens, they will be able to find those special shots of events and weddings that will be treasured photographs for years to come!

Thank you Mark and Mary Chamberlin for your wonderful work!

Please stop by Chamberlin Photography at 

http://www.chamberlinphotos.com/

Be sure to watch for their photographs on our Official Website once it launches!

To see more photographs of Belle Grove Plantation

Facebook Link

Please visit our Facebook Fan Page!

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Darnell History | 18 Comments »

Results are in!

May. 6th 2013

Just received my results from my ServSafe Food Management Course exam…

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I passed!

This is just one more step closer to our opening!

I don’t know about you, but the wait is killing me!

We still have some things to complete around the Mansion and grounds before we can open the doors. We were hoping to be open by May 1st, but that isn’t possible with some of the delays we have hit. Could it be by Memorial Day Weekend? I sure hope so, but there is still so much to be done!

This week, I am back in Chesapeake working on our website! We have the layout design completed and all we have to do is add text, photos and the reservation software. Sounds easy right? Argh! With the phone ringing and things going every which way, it has been hard to focus on what to say!

Yes, that’s right; Michelle is speechless… for once.

But I am determined to complete it this week. We still need more photos of the Mansion… with furnishing. So that is going to have to wait until we get that part done. The interior designer is on standby at this point. We still need to finish some minor plaster repairs before we bring in the furnishings. Everything is so connected to the next!

HPC was able to get ONLY 2 high quality pens to commemorating the battle of Gettysburg - July 1-3, 1863 in this the 150th Anniversary of the battle from the small section of blood stained floor planking from the Sheaffer Farmhouse, which was used as a Union Field Hospital during and after the Battle of Gettysburg.

HPC was able to get ONLY 2 high quality pens to commemorating the battle of Gettysburg – July 1-3, 1863 in this the 150th Anniversary of the battle from the small section of blood stained floor planking from the Sheaffer Farmhouse, which was used as a Union Field Hospital during and after the Battle of Gettysburg.

This Saturday we are heading back to the plantation. It is a jammed packed day. We have Bob from The Historic Pen Company coming in to pick up the last of the Witness Tree wood from our trees. We are so excited to see what wonderful pens he will be producing from our wood! The best part is, the tree will still be with us… just in another form. I know allot of you have asked about pre-ordering the pens. Once I get all the information on them, I will let you know!

We also have a member of a Photography Club coming to see the plantation! I can’t wait to see how he views our beloved plantation through his lens! We are working on planning an event with this club at the plantation soon!

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Last, but not least, we have a journalist from the King George Journal Newspaper coming to do a follow-up article on our progress to opening. It is so exciting to see how everyone is looking forward to the opening! I will post the article once it is printed.

Some more exciting news!

We have started planning some events for this year!

Mrs. Madison

Mrs. Madison

We are excited to announce that we will be having Mrs. Madison stopping by Belle Grove Plantation in August for afternoon tea! This event will be two parts. At noon on August 24th, we will have a young girl’s afternoon tea with Mrs. Madison. Girls from 8 to 16 years can come to the plantation and enjoy tea and conversation with Mrs. Madison. At 4:00 on August 24th, we will have a Ladies Afternoon Tea with Mrs. Madison. This will be a full afternoon tea and conversation with Mrs. Madison.

The Historic Performer for Mrs. Madison is portrayed by Dr. Lynn Uzzell. From her website, dolleypmadison.com:

“Lynn Uzzell received her B.A. in speech communications at Black Hills State University, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in politics at the University of Dallas. Her doctoral dissertation explored the debates at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. She has taught courses in Political Philosophy, the American Political Tradition, American Rhetoric, and Leadership and the Humanities at Baylor University, the University of Virginia, and the University of Richmond. Dr. Uzzell is currently the scholar in residence at James Madison’s Montpelier and senior editor of ConText, an online resource for James Madison’s Notes of the Constitutional Convention. She has been portraying Dolley Madison for Montpelier since 2010.”

Mr. and Mrs. Madison (Dr. Lynn Uzzell and John Douglas Hall)

Mr. and Mrs. Madison
(Dr. Lynn Uzzell and John Douglas Hall)

We are also excited to announce that we will be having Mr. and Mrs. Madison at Belle Grove Plantation on September 15th for their 219th Wedding Anniversary. We will be having an Anniversary Lawn Dinner with food, music and good conversation with the Madisons!

We will release information about tickets and reservations soon!

Be on the look out for more events and classes to come!

We are also booking social events for this year and beyond!

We have several weddings, baby shower and social club events already booking! If you are interested in booking an event, please contact us as soon as possible. Contact us through email at virginiaplantation@gmail.com or through our Facebook Fan Page Messages.

Facebook Link

Follow us on our Facebook Fan Page for updates!

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Darnell History | 32 Comments »

Captain Jack Sails the Rappanhannock

Feb. 3rd 2013

When I began my search for Captain Jack, there were very few leads on him. So I first turn my research to the internet. Knowing he was from California, I started my search there. Libraries and museums have been some of my best resources of information so I looked to those located in Los Angeles. This search would reward me with one of the best finds I have had in regards of Belle Grove’s history.

I found the Seaver Center located at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles County. Here I found within its collections a group of photographs that were from John F. Jack. The photographs weren’t on the website to see. So I had to email the Seaver Center and request information on them. They told me that it was collection of photographs of Rappahnnock River and James River. I requested that they make copies of them and send them to me.

I have to tell you the wait was terrible. I didn’t know what they were of and I could only hope they would give me some ideas as to what it was like during this period at Belle Grove. Wild thoughts ran through my mind. Could there be a lot of pictures of the Mansion and grounds? Could there be pictures of Captain Jack himself? At this point, no one knew what he looked like. So I just held me breath and waited.

We were rewarded handsomely…

This collection was marked as 1906.

This would means they were taking during his search for the right land to try his experiment on alfalfa farming.

Emmanuel Church adjoining Belle Grove Plantation. We are assuming the man is Captain John F Jack.

Emmanuel Church adjoining Belle Grove Plantation. We are assuming the man is Captain John F Jack. 1906

Emmanuel Church adjoining Belle Grove Plantation. We are assuming the man is Captain John F Jack.

Emmanuel Church adjoining Belle Grove Plantation. We are assuming the man is Captain John F Jack. 1906

A Tenant and His Family on the Walsingham Plantation, next door to Belle Grove Plantation1906

A Tenant and His Family on the Walsingham Plantation, next door to Belle Grove Plantation
1906

Barns on the Walsingham Plantation1906

Barns on the Walsingham Plantation
1906

Barns on Walsingham Plantation1906

Barns on Walsingham Plantation
1906

Barns on Walsingham Plantation1906

Barns on Walsingham Plantation
1906

Building on the bank of the river on the Walsingham Plantation1906

Building on the bank of the river on the Walsingham Plantation
1906

Farm Building on the Bank of the River1906

Farm Building on the Bank of the River
1906

Granary near the old home site on the Walsingham Plantation1906

Granary near the old home site on the Walsingham Plantation
1906

Granary on the Back Field of the Walsingham Plantation1906

Granary on the Back Field of the Walsingham Plantation
1906

Old sheds on the Walsingham Plantation1906

Old sheds on the Walsingham Plantation
1906

Old Tenement House on the Walsingham Plantation1906

Old Tenement House on the Walsingham Plantation
1906

Showing Mill for shelling corn and apparatus for discharging grain into schooners on the river1906

Showing Mill for shelling corn and apparatus for discharging grain into schooners on the river
1906

Showing method adopted by the Government Engineers for deepening the channel of the river1906

Showing method adopted by the Government Engineers for deepening the channel of the river
1906

Teams plowing on the Walsingham Plantation1906

Teams plowing on the Walsingham Plantation
1906

Tenants Quarters on the Walsingham Plantation1906

Tenants Quarters on the Walsingham Plantation
1906

Tenement House on the Back Field of the Walsingham Plantation1906

Tenement House on the Back Field of the Walsingham Plantation
1906

The Spring House at Walsingham Plantation1906

The Spring House at Walsingham Plantation
1906

The steamer Middlesex passing the Walsingham Plantation1906

The steamer Middlesex passing the Walsingham Plantation
1906

Walsingham Plantation on the Northerly Shore of the River. Lumber on the Port Royal Side1906

Walsingham Plantation on the Northerly Shore of the River. Lumber on the Port Royal Side
1906

Loading of Freight on a Steamer at Port Conway1906

Loading of Freight on a Steamer at Port Conway
1906

Loading of Freight on a Steamer at Port Conway1906

Loading of Freight on a Steamer at Port Conway
1906

Looking up the Rappahannock. Railroad Bridge in the Distance1906

Looking up the Rappahannock. Railroad Bridge in the Distance
1906

Preparing for Departure1906

Preparing for Departure
1906

Schooners loading grain from the Walsingham Plantation1906

Schooners loading grain from the Walsingham Plantation
1906

Showing Port Royal Wharf and Lumber Ready for loading opposite Port Conway. If you look to the left on the high bank you will see Belle Grove. Across the river is Port Conway's Ferry and Wharf. Today this area is lost to the wooden area around Belle Grove and the James Madison Bridge.1906

Showing Port Royal Wharf and Lumber Ready for loading opposite Port Conway. If you look to the left on the high bank you will see Belle Grove. Across the river is Port Conway’s Ferry and Wharf. Today this area is lost to the wooden area around Belle Grove and the James Madison Bridge.
1906

Belle Grove viewed from the river1906

Belle Grove viewed from the river
1906

Belle Grove seen from the river1906

Belle Grove seen from the river
1906

Belle Grove from the Carriage side in the Bowling Green. Some of these trees are still standing there today.1906

Belle Grove from the Carriage side in the Bowling Green. Some of these trees are still standing there today.
1906

North View Belle Grove1906

North View Belle Grove
1906

North View of Belle Grove1906

North View of Belle Grove
1906

River side of Belle Grove1906

River side of Belle Grove. The tree to the far right is still standing there today.
1906

River side of Belle Grove. We are assuming this is Captain John F. Jack.1906

River side of Belle Grove. We are assuming this is Captain John F. Jack.
1906

To see more photographs of Belle Grove over the years

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Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Year of the Virginia Historic Homes | 16 Comments »