Rebuilding the Past

Apr. 6th 2017


Death Records from 1853

April 6, 2017

Yesterday, I spent most of the day in Richmond. I had a meeting with the director of the American Civil War Museum. Last year, the week before our Civil War Weekend, we took President Lincoln (Ron Carley), General Grant (Curt Fields) and General Lee (Thomas Jessee) to see the museum and the Confederate White House. We had met the director during that time and he asked that we contact them when we did our next event in 2017.
I spoke to him yesterday about possibly having President Lincoln come and do an appearance before our June 3rd and 4th Civil War Weekend this year. He suggested that we make an appearance at the 1861 Tredegar Gun Foundry in Richmond. This location has more people and more open space for the appearance. Now I need to contact the Education Director for the museum and President Lincoln to see if we can mesh up schedules.

My meeting went earlier and a little faster than I had planned, so I had some time on my hands before returning to Belle Grove. I decided to hit up the Library of Virginia’s records to see what more information I could pull around our enslaved community.

Back in 2012, just before we got into Belle Grove, I had done tons of research on the people and the location. One of my stops was at the Library of Virginia. I found so much there. And I spent hours there! One thing I found at that time was Death Records for King George County. I wanted to go back and get a better copy of these records and see what more I could find.

I pulled the death records and hoped there were more than what I found last time. The information was from 1853 to 1870. But sadly, only the years 1853, 1854, 1855, 1857 and 1859 were available. The rest of the years were either missing or had no information.

After arriving home last night, I complied this information and created some display pieces to place in the museum. As I typed the information in, I found myself sadden by what I saw. Most of the deaths were children under the age of 2. The oldest death on record was Charles Washington at the year of 55. He died of an ulcer to his hand. I also found the names of the parents. How touched I was to see some of these parent’s names appearing again and again. What loss they endured.

But the hardest thing to see was the entries of slaves with just a first name. Then the cause of death to be listed as “unknown”. In some cases, the date of the death wasn’t known either. Then the ones who they didn’t know the parents or in case just to know the mother’s first name.

I think this is why this part of history has become so important to me. These people were born here, lived here and died here. Nothing was recorded for most of them. There is no grave marker that say “I was here.” No newspaper announcement. No fanfare. And the only way I know about them is the meager information that was listed.

In looking at the lists, I am sorry, but I think there had to be more that weren’t reported. There had to be. You can see diseases coming to the plantation and taking so many around the same time. Who else didn’t make the list? Who else is now lost to time.

One of the things I really want to do is to find the slave cemetery. There are no markers here. And to date, I haven’t found anyone that can point me to where it was. But yet, I have a feeling I know. Don’t ask me how, I just do. I really want to find someone with access to a ground penetrating radar so we can check and see. We don’t have a lot of extra funds available. All the foundation money is going to save the outbuildings. But if we can determine where it is, we can fence it off and have it consecrated. We may not know who is there, but at least we can say they were here.

My next step is to take these names and start doing some research on them. Maybe there is some connections somewhere. Who knows where it will lead me. What surprises I have in story. But it is a journey that needs to be taken, a journey that must be taken.

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Slavery | Comments Off on Rebuilding the Past

A New Chapter Begins

Apr. 4th 2017

April 3, 2017

It has been a long time since I have written in a post for my blog. We have been working hard at Belle Grove Plantation with the bed and breakfast and special events. But though we have been busy with day to day business, we never stray far from the historic side of this plantation.
In the beginning, I spent hours digging through the internet, library and historic archives and gathering as much information as I could about the property and its past owners. To this day, we still search to find more links, more information, more stories to recreate this grand old lady’s history.

Over the past six months, I have started going in a new direction with the history. To me, it is very important to tell all the stories, not just a small section of it. What would our history look like if we only talked about the Conway family and the birth of President James Madison? We would never talk about the Turner Family and their lives during the Civil War. Or the Hipkins-Bernard Family and their short time with us.
Six months ago, I started seeing more historic locations starting the conversation about their connections to slavery. This subject is one that I have wanted to tell for a while, but lacked the information and well, I just didn’t know how to tell it. So just as we did when we first looked at opening the bed and breakfast, we started visiting these locations to learn from their experiences. I started looking at tours all over the United States. I would pull any reviews from their tours to see how the public viewed them.

After all this research, I started on my new journey. I started looking at the history of slavery, when it came to America, reading slave narratives and pretty much anything I could get my hands on. Early on, I decided it was time to tell our story. But sadly, unlike most of the owners of Belle Grove, the enslave community’s history at Belle Grove was very limited. Most historic records of this segment were reduced to just numbers on an inventory sheet or referred to as male negro in census records or just a first name in wills. Thankfully as I was researching the owners, I did have opportunities to pull slave records and hold them for future research. So at least I am not starting from scratch.

While researching, I kept in mind that I wanted to add a new tour to our tour program that spoke about our enslaved community. We have been reworking our temporary museum to houses this tour and started working on a script for the tour. It will be ready to go in the next few weeks. My goal is to have it done by May 1st for a grand opening of the tour.

Getting ready has really taught me so much about slavery. Things that surprised me. Things I wish I didn’t know. But most important, realizing that this story needs and must be told.

So, I am starting a new chapter in our blog. This journey isn’t going to be an easy one, but I hope you will join us.

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Slavery | Comments Off on A New Chapter Begins

Christmas Candlelight Tickets Now On Sale!

Nov. 18th 2013

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Belle Grove Plantation
1st Annual
Christmas Candlelight Tours

It is time to make history at Belle Grove Plantation as we celebrate our first Christmas at the plantation! We will be opening our doors to old and young to come and gaze upon this grand mansion and grounds that has seen so many Christmas past.

On Friday, December 6th, 2013, Belle Grove Plantation will celebrate their Official Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting. Come help us not only ring in the season, but celebrate officially opening our doors!

Saturday, December 14th from 5pm to 9pm, Santa arrives at the plantation! The last known visit from Father Christmas to the plantation appeared in the Free Lance Star dating to the 1890s! Come see him return once again and help us celebrate this return to tradition!

Each day, there will be entertainment and warm beverages to help you get into the Holiday Spirit!

Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast will be opening its doors for the 1st Annual Christmas Candlelight Tour for the following dates:

Friday, December 6th and Friday, December 13th
6:00pm to 9:00pm

Saturday, December 7th and Saturday, December 14th
Daytime Tours – 12:00pm to 3:00 pm
Evening Tours – 5:00pm to 9:30pm

Sunday, December 8th and Sunday, December 15th
Daytime Tours – 12:00pm to 3:00 pm
Evening Tours – 3:00pm to 6:00pm

IMPORTANT – This tour requires several stairs. We are sorry, at this time we are not handicap accessible.

Tickets are sold for scheduled times. Please make sure you purchase them for the time you wish to visit.

Ticket Prices:

Daytime Tickets

Adults – $15
Children under 12 – $10
Children under 5 – Free

Night Time Tickets

Adults – $25
Children under 12 – $10
Children under 5 – Free

I am sorry, we do not offer discounts for this event.

Please go to our Online Store to Purchase Tickets!

https://squareup.com/market/belle-grove-plantation-bed-and-breakfast/christmas-candlelight-tours-tickets

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Belle Grove History, Darnell History | Comments Off on Christmas Candlelight Tickets Now On Sale!

Look Who Stopped By The Plantation!

Nov. 17th 2013

Modern Molasses Cookies the Official Cookie of Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast birthplace of James Madison in King George Virginia at Port Conway

As many of you that have been following us over the last year or two know, we had an Official Cookie Contest last March. It was a wonderful contest and we had some really wonderful cookie recipes offered!

After a very close race and the public vote on Facebook, it ended with a delicious cookie called “Modern Molasses Cookies” submitted by Alyssa D’Alconzo. Since we have opened, we have been placing these yummy cookies on a silver tray on each bed during turn-down service. They are wonderful and everyone really enjoys the added “midnight snack”.

Modern Molasses Cookies the Official Cookie of Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast birthplace of James Madison in King George Virginia at Port Conway

Alyssa and Michelle – November 2013

This weekend we were excited to host Alyssa and her family for a couple days at the plantation! How wonderful to finally meet someone that we have been chatting with on our blog for so long. Alyssa isn’t the first from the blog to come by, but it was extra special to have her here to sample our “Modern Molasses Cookies”.

I think we passed the test!

But we would like to share the recipe with all those who are new or those who would like to know how to make them. Here at the plantation, I did make a copy of changes to the recipe. I don’t serve them with chocolate because there are those who may be allergic. I also make a batch and freeze the raw dough balls. Then in the afternoon, I pull out what I need and cook them so they are fresh and warm when our guests return from dinner. By freezing them, it helps give them a puffy center too. (A trick I learned from Mrs. Field’s cookies)

You can check out Alyssa’s blog and read about her adventures visiting us at

http://suitcasesandsweets.com

So make a warm batch and enjoy!

Modern Molasses Cookies – Alyssa D’Alconzo

Ingredients (4 dozen cookies)

2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons allspice
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
sugar
2 1/2 ounces dark chocolate
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil or shortening

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine first 5 ingredients; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together shortening and dark brown sugar. Beat in egg, molasses, and vanilla. Mix well.

Fold in dry ingredients and stir by hand.
Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets.
Shape teaspoonful of dough into balls; roll in sugar.
Place balls onto cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.

Bake 8-10 minutes until set. Cool for one minute on cookie sheet and remove to wire rack to cool completely.
In a small bowl, break up chocolate into small pieces, add coconut oil or shortening, and microwave on medium heat until melted.

Using a fork, drizzle chocolate over cookies.

Allow chocolate to set and store in an airtight container.

The Finer Things In Life

Nov. 13th 2013

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On Saturday, November 9th, Belle Grove Plantation hosted the Victorian Ladies Society for an afternoon of tea and tours.

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What a sight they were to see in their finest as they approached the grand mansion!

I could almost see days gone by as ladies during the Turner Family period would have hosted such gatherings.

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Our Afternoon Tea was served in the Formal Dining Room on plates and cups that many of you have seen as we have collected them over the last year or two. Our menu included four flavors of scones. Pumpkin, White Chocolate Raspberry, Apple Cinnamon and Blueberry were served with traditional sides of Lemon Curd, Clotted Cream and Strawberry Preserves. Our tea sandwiches were a two layer, opened face Cucumber Sandwich, a two layer Olive and Pecan Spread on Wheat, Chicken Salad in a Puff Pastry and Asparagus with Virginia Ham and Dijon Mustard rolled in a crescent. For our pastries we served a Lavender Shortbread, Chocolate Rugula and a Puff Pastry Shell with Italian Orange Cream. Our tea select was Classic Earl Gray and Youth Berry with Wild Orange Blossom.

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The ladies enjoyed their tea and conversations for the first hour. The second was spent touring the mansion and hearing the history of Belle Grove Plantation from the beginning in 1670 to the present. Our tour ended on the Riverside Balcony where the ladies enjoyed a moment of warmth as the sun shone down over the river.

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Peering out the Turner Master Suite window where the Carrie Turner etching is located

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We are so excited to announce that the Victorian Ladies Society will be returning in April, 2014 for a very special event with Belle Grove Plantation!

The Victorian Ladies Society and Belle Grove Plantation will be hosting our first Titanic Tea!

Be on the watch for the announcement and ticket sales!

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Thank you to the Victorian Ladies for visiting with us at Belle Grove Plantation!

If you are interested in an Private Afternoon Tea at Belle Grove Plantation, please email us at information@bellegroveplantation.com.  We are sorry, but we do not serve tea to the general public at this time.

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Darnell History, Food and Recipes | Comments Off on The Finer Things In Life

Deck the Halls and Be Apart of History!

Nov. 11th 2013

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Belle Grove Plantation

1st Annual

Christmas Candlelight Tours

It is time to make history at Belle Grove Plantation as we celebrate our first Christmas at the plantation! We will be opening our doors to old and young to come and gaze upon this grand mansion and grounds that has seen so many Christmas past.

On Friday, December 6th, 2013, Belle Grove Plantation will celebrate their Official Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting. Come help us not only ring in the season, but celebrate officially opening our doors!

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Saturday, December 14th Santa arrives at the plantation! The last known visit from Father Christmas to the plantation appeared in the Free Lance Star dating to the 1890s! Come see him return once again and help us celebrate this return to tradition!

Each day, there will be entertainment and warm beverages to help you get into the Holiday Spirit!

Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast will be opening its doors for the 1st Annual Christmas Candlelight Tour for the following dates:

Friday, December 6th and Friday, December 13th

6:00pm to 9:00pm

Saturday, December 7th and Saturday, December 14th

Daytime Tours – 12:00pm to 3:00 pm

Evening Tours – 5:00pm to 9:30pm

Sunday, December 8th and Sunday, December 15th

Daytime Tours – 12:00pm to 3:00 pm

Evening Tours – 3:00pm to 6:00pm

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The 1st Annual Belle Grove Plantation Decorating and Wreath Contest

will be held this season as part of our Christmas Candlelight Tours.

Come help us “Deck our Halls” and be entered to win some amazing prizes!

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Decorating Contest

We will set aside six common rooms for florist, interior decorators, ladies groups or anyone else that would like to help make Belle Grove Plantation grand for the season. Each room, to be decorated in the Colonial theme, will be part of our Christmas Candlelight Tour and will be eligible for the public to vote – the winner gets a free three-day weekend at Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast.

As a Contestant, your room will be on display for our guests and tour guests, along with your information to promote your organization or business. In addition, you will receive your own half-page write up and one banner-sized ad in our Christmas Candlelight Tour Programs that will be given to everyone taking the Tour.

We will be promoting our event through multiple media outlets, as well as all social media outlets.

To enter, please email us for an application form, commitment form and rules at information@bellegroveplantation.com. We will be taking applications and room selections, first come, first serve. Please do not call to apply.

Before entering, please read the contest rules carefully. If you have any questions, please contact us at information@gmail.com or call 540-621-7340.

Entry Application Period:              Monday, November 11th through Friday, November 22nd

(or until all rooms are taken; whichever comes first)

Judging will be by public vote during our Christmas Candlelight Tours from Friday, December 6th to Sunday, December 15th (weekends only). We will contact the winner first, and then publicly announce the winner on Facebook, Twitter, and our Blog. Each contestant will receive a personal email with the results prior to the announcement.

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Wreath Contest

If a room is a little too ambitious for you this year, why not enter our Wreath Contest?

Each Colonial Themed Wreath will be part of our Christmas Candlelight Tour and will be eligible by public vote to win a free night at Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast.

As a Contestant, your wreath will be on display for our guests and tour guests during our Christmas Candlelight Tour Programs.

We will be promoting our event through multiple media outlets as well as all social media outlets.

To enter, please email us for an application form, commitment form and rules at information@bellegroveplantation.com. We will be taking applications and room selections, first come, first serve. Please do not call to apply.

We ask that you only select one door to allow others to participate this year.

Before entering, please read the contest rules carefully. If you have any questions, please contact us at information@gmail.com or call 540-621-7340.

Entry Application Period:              Monday, November 11th through Friday, November 22nd

(or until all doors or doorways are selected, whichever comes first)

Judging will be by public vote during our Christmas Candlelight Tours from Friday, December 6th to Sunday, December 15th (weekends only). Each contestant will receive a personal email with the results prior to the public announcement of the winner on Monday, December 16th on Facebook, Twitter, and our Blog.

We will have 15 exterior doors and two swags over the Main Riverside and Plantation doorways available to choose from. We will be lighting the mansion with exterior spotlights to accent these beautiful creations.

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Tickets for the Christmas Candlelight Tour will go on sale soon!

We look forward to seeing you at the plantation this Holiday Season!

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Belle Grove History, Darnell History | 4 Comments »

Hello Mr. President

Nov. 11th 2013

Today we had another first!

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Our first tour bus!

This tour was from the “In the Footsteps of John Wilkes Booth” Tour. They start at Ford’s Theater and trace the places that John Wilkes Booth and David Herold took. Their last stop is the site of Garrett’s Farm on Route 301. Today, we were the last stop!

So how does Belle Grove Plantation fit in? Well, Booth and Harold didn’t stop at Belle Grove Plantation, but they did take the Port Conway ferry crossing to Port Royal. Just a day or so later, the detachment pursuing them, stopped at Belle Grove Plantation. Here they ate and slept until it was time to cross the river.

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One of the officers, Lieutenant Colonel Everton Conger, who had been wounded three times during the Civil War, was allowed to sleep in Belle Grove Plantation’s Grand Hallway. One of the wounds that Lt.Col. Conger had received had been so severe that they had given him up for died. It was during this time that he was cared for by Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross. After leaving the plantation and finding Booth and Harold at Garrett’s farm, Lt. Col. Congar pulled up brush from around the barn, lite it on fire and stuffed it into the barn setting it on fire.

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Today’s group of forty-three were from Michigan. Their tour guide was Michael W. Kauffman, author of “American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth”, a modern edition of Samuel B. Arnold’s Memoirs of a Lincoln Conspirator, and the book and CD – “In the Footsteps of an Assassin”.

As historian William C. Davis once wrote, “no one has studied [John Wilkes] Booth longer or more in depth than Michael W. Kauffman, a well-known figure and voice of reason in the field of Lincoln assassination studies.”

For thirty-five years, Kauffman has been a fixture at assassination-related symposia, tours, and news events. He has written numerous articles on the subject, and his bus tours of the John Wilkes Booth Escape Route have been a staple of feature publications all over the U.S., making Kauffman “legendary,” according to The Washington Post. Taking a full-immersion approach to history, he has rowed across the Potomac where Booth rowed, leaped to the stage in Ford’s Theatre, and burned down a tobacco barn almost identical to the one in which Booth was cornered and killed. (It was already slated for demolition!) For a time he even took up residence in Tudor Hall, the Booth family home in Maryland.
Kauffman has written for Civil War Times, the Washington Post, American Heritage, Blue and Gray, and the Lincoln Herald, among others. He has lectured throughout the United States, and has appeared in more than twenty television and radio documentaries, including programs on A& E, The Learning Channel, the History Channel, National Geographic Channel, and the Discovery Channel.

One of the highlights of the day was the appearance of “President  Lincoln”. Ron Carley, a Professional Lincoln Impersonator from Detroit surprised us today with his wonderful performance as “President Lincoln”. It was amazing! He is the same height as President Lincoln standing at a towering 6 feet and 4 inches tall! With his hat and hand at his jacket, you could have swore he was in fact President Lincoln!

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He even had his photograph taken on one of our “Lincoln Movie” Settees! It just make this settee even more special!

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Just as we were finishing up with the “John Wilkes Booth” Tour, we had two couples from Port Tobacco, Maryland come in for a tour of Belle Grove Plantation. Little did they know who they were bumping into as they came into the door!

All and all it was a wonderful day with many great surprises. This is just the first in many more “John Wilkes Booth” Tours we will be a part of in the years to come. I guess you can now say we have had TWO “Presidents” grace our halls at the plantation!

Thank you to all the wonderful tourist we met today! We had a wonderful time getting to know you and sharing our love of Belle Grove Plantation! Thank you to Liz and Michael for including us in such a wonderful tour!

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Belle Grove History, Darnell History | 6 Comments »

Take a Tour with Us

Feb. 19th 2013

If you have been following the blog for any length of time, you have see a lot of pictures of the exterior of the plantation. We thought since we are about to start the interior, you might like to see what it looks like now. So come with us and let’s take a tour of the mansion!

First let me give you a perspective of how the mansion is configured. Here are the floor plans for the first and second floors.

First Floor Plan

Second Floor Plan

Below shows when each section was built.

Red Lines – Built in 1791

Green Lines – Added in 1839

Orange Lines – Added in 1997

First Floor Plan add

Second Floor Plan add

When you come to the Plantation, you will pull up to the Carriage Side of the Mansion. This side originally would have been the back door since many guests arrived via the River Side of the Mansion. As modes of travel evolved, the Carriage Side was dressed up to look more like the River Side of the Mansion. The curved porches, portico, balcony and curved steps give the Carriage Side a very impressive and distinct look, certain to impress all arriving guests.

So let’s step in the “front door” of the Mansion on the Carriage Side.

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The first thing you see is the staircase that leads up to the second floor. The door to the back of the Grand Hallway is the River Side Door. This would have been the front door before 1839. The arch with its keystone is where the original back wall would have been in 1791.

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If you look up, you will see a step ceiling with a beautiful plaster medallion that is original to the 1839 section.

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Let’s move now to the Parlor. It is just to the right behind the staircase.

This side of the Mansion is our North Wing.

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The Parlor has two arches with the same keystone. It has a beautiful black marble fireplace mantle. If you look just to the left of the fireplace, you will see the entry to our elevator. The Parlor has views of both the plantation and river.

Let’s move through the right side doorway into the Library.

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The Library has two beautiful sets of shelves that were added during the 1997-2003 restoration. From this room, you have a view of the river.

Let’s move into the Business Center off the Library.

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The Business Center is noted as “Office” on the floor plan.

We are going to use this room as a Business Center for our guests.

This room has a view of the plantation with one of the two distinct curved doors.

Let’s move back into the Library and head into one of the two Junior Suites.

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The front room is to the right off the Library.

This room will be our Hipkins-Bernard Junior Suite.

This room has a “Dressing Room” that we will use as a Sitting Room.

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This room has a private bath and a view of the plantation.

It was named after the Hipkins-Bernard Family that lived on the plantation from 1790 to 1839.

Let’s walk across the small vestibule into the second Junior Suite.

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This room will be our Conway Junior Suite.

This room also has a “Dressing Room” that we will use as a Sitting Room.

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This room has a private bath and a view of the river.

It was named after the Conway Family that lived on the plantation from 1670 to 1790.

The Conway Family is James Madison’s Mother Nelly Conway Madison’s Family.

Let’s now walk back through the Library and Parlor to the Grand Hallway.

From here we will walk across to the Formal Dining Room. 

This room is just to the left off the Grand Hallway and is in our South Wing.

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The Formal Dining Room, like the Parlor has two arches with the same keystone as the Grand Hallway. The fireplace has a wooden mantle. The Formal Dining Room and the Parlor both have beautiful plaster medallions which are both original to the 1839 remodel. This room has a view of both the plantation and the river.

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Let’s now move through one of the two arch way doors to the Small Dining Room.

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The Small Dining Room will be used for addition guest services. This room has a view of the river.

Let’s step into the Foyer off the Small Dining Room.

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The Foyer will be used in the future as access for our guests. It is similar to the Business Center, just a little smaller.

This room has a view of the plantation with one of the two distinct curved doors.

Let’s step back into the Small Dining Room and head back to the Grand Hallway and walk up to the Second Floor.

Just to let you know, the Kitchen, Bedroom and Breakfast Room will be used by us as our personal space.

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When you get to the top of the stairs, you will be in our Upper Grand Hallway. The view you see here is looking toward the plantation side of the Mansion. We will be having our Wine and Cheese Receptions in the evenings in this space. Imagine how relaxing it will be during the warm months to enjoy a cool breeze through the open doors and being able to sit on the balcony or curved porch enjoying a glass of wine or lemonade. It will also allow us a great view of the “Evening Show” as we watch the sunset over the river.

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This is the view from the opposite side of the Upper Grand Hallway. The door to the right leads up to the attic space. We won’t have the attic space open to the public, but will use it as storage.

Let’s move now to one of the Master Suites. The first is at the top of the stairs and to the right in the North Wing.

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This is the Madison Master Suite. It is a large room with a working gas fireplace. To the left of the fireplace is the elevator. It has a private bath suite and views of the plantation and river. The room is named after President James Madison, who was born on the plantation in 1751.

Let’s now move across the hall to the other Master Suite in the South Wing.

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This is the Turner Master Suite. It is a large room with a working gas fireplace. To the right of the fireplace is a large walk-in closet. This room also has a private bath suite and views of the plantation and river. The room is named after the Turner Family who lived on the plantation from 1839 to 1894. This is the room with the etching in the window done by the oldest daughter, Carrie Turner.

Int Etching in Window in Turner room

Let’s take a look at the bath suite. This bath suite is the same in both Master Suites.

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You first walk through a small vestibule with built-in dressers and then into the first part of the bath suite. The suite has double sinks and a small built-in dressing table.

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Let’s move into the second section of the bath suite. 

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Both Bath Suites have a claw foot tub with a view of the river.

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And a built-in shower with wonderful rain shower heads.

Let’s move back down to the Grand Hallway.

If you look through our windows, you will not only see wonderful views of the plantation and river, but will see what looks like warped glass.

This is because these planes of glass are original glass.

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View from the Upper Grand Hallway to one of the side curved porches. These porches can be accessed from the Grand Hallway.

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View from the Formal Dining Room to one of the Plantation Side curved porches. These porches can be accessed from the Grand Hallway.

There is also a full basement that features a sauna and Jacuzzi tub. Another room in the basement may become either an exercise room or a lounge.

Grounds Back Yard Sunset

Thank  you for taking a tour with us!

We can’t wait to show you the Mansion and Plantation in person soon!

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Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Belle Grove History | 161 Comments »