This afternoon, someone knew I needed a “pick me up” kind of moment.

Last Sunday, while Brett was pulling up bricks on the riverside of the Mansion, I got started on the old fountain. It has been there since the early 1900s and we aren’t able to save it. So we are pulling the bricks and will be using them in the walkway as a way to “repurpose” them.

The bricks were coming up pretty easily because the cement has dried up and started cracking. As I got the first level of bricks off, I started hammering the cement and wire messing down so we can fill the hole and make it a beautiful space for a bride and groom to say “I do”. After about 20 minutes of breaking this cement up, I remembered we had a chisel we had bought just for this task.

Just a few minutes later, I was starting to really go to town on the fountain. Bricks were coming up and the cement and messing were falling away.

Then it happened….

One good hit and I was screaming. The hammer had missed the chisel and came down on my left, ring finger. I knew it wasn’t going to be good. Brett rushed over and his former Navy Corpsman came out. We pulled off my work glove and my finger was already dripping blood. As soon as I saw it, I ran to the porch. The whole time I was crying and telling Brett how bad it hurt. He got me up and we ran to the kitchen to get it under cold water. As I ran to the kitchen, I started doing the “Oh my this really hurts” dance. But when I put it under the cold water, I started doing the “OMG!  This really hurts” dance.

Poor Brett! I was crying and telling him that it hurt so bad. Then I started feeling light headed and telling him I was going to pass out. (I didn’t) But Brett was trying to see the finger and hold me all at the same time. I just love him. All he could see was the blood running down my finger and my hand. We could see that I had two really good cuts. So he did whatever great Corpsman does in an emergency.

Since we haven’t really moved all our things up yet, we don’t have allot of supplies at the house. So needing a plastic bag for ice, he dumped out a hot dog bun bag and made me an ice bag. That plus two towels and we were off to Patient First in Fredericksburg.

One hour and one x-ray later, we found out that it wasn’t broken and I had two cuts, one across the top and one down the side. Luckily, Brett got my wedding band off before the swelling started. They couldn’t do stitches so I ended up with a bulky wrap for a finger. The good thing was by the time we left, my finger had gone numb. And it stayed numb for three days.

The second day after, I got a call from Patient First. Guess what! I did break it. Right on the tip. There isn’t much you can do but splint it and let it heal. But that night, the feeling started coming back. I spent most of yesterday with my hand up, trying to stop the throbbing.

Today has been a little better. The bulky wrap is off and I am just in a splint. But this afternoon, I hit it on the steering wheel as I was driving back from Stafford. It was just a little painful, even with the splint on there. But someone must have taken pity on me as I pulled into the driveway.

Sunset over the wheat field

As I drove down our long drive, I say one of the most beautiful sights. The sun was setting over the wheat fields and it turned them to a beautiful golden color. I stopped the car and jumped out for a picture. I have started carrying my camera everywhere because you never know when it’s going to happen.

I headed on up to the main gate, hoping I might see some of our wildlife. As I rounded our circle, the only thing I saw was a cat laying in the grass by our wooded area.

But then I saw them!

Out from the riverside ran two white tail deer! They had been on the riverside of the Mansion eating. Imgine sitting on the balcony and seeing them come up to eat! It would have been wonderful! I grabbed the camera and got one picture before they disappeared into the woods.

After I got in, I stopped to look back out at the riverside hoping they would come back. Instead I caught two sweet rabbits eating right close to the window. All of a sudden, one started chasing the other. It was so much fun to watch them run and play.

Then I saw it!

Sunset over the River

One of the most beautiful sunsets we have ever had. I grabbed the camera and flew out the door. I got down just to the bluff as the sun slipped down behind the trees. The river was so calm and flat. Almost like glass. And the color. Oh the color was glorious to see. It was as if someone had set up this perfect shot for me to take.

As I came back in, I wasn’t worried about my finger any more. It had stopped throbbing. All I could think about was how beautiful this plantation is and how very lucky we are to be here.

How great to see the wonders of this place and to be able to capture it and share it with you.

Wheat Fields at Belle Grove Plantation

Before I left Belle Grove last week, I got a real treat!

The farmer who leasing the fields at Belle Grove scheduled a crop duster for his fields. I know it may not be a big deal for most, but for me, a little girl from the big city, it was like Disney World. The farmer told me that the pilot was a former stunt pilot and that if I stood there and started taking pictures, he would start showing off.

So as I stood by the field of wheat, I started snapping away.

After a few passes, he let me know that he knew I was there!

This is his first pass….

After about two more passes… 

I got the thrill of my life!

This is our street sign at the entry of the plantation!

This is the 1860 church on our plantation!

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James Madison

The Conway Family had a very big impact on the land that would become Belle Grove Plantation as well as the nation as a whole. When Edwin Conway passed in 1698, Francis Conway I inherited the plantation as well as took care of his mother, Elizabeth Thornton Conway until her death in 1732. Francis would marry Rebecca Catlett in 1717. They would have six surviving children.

It was under Francis Conway I that Belle Grove grew to become one of the most successful plantations in the area.  The primary crop from the beginning of this plantation had been tobacco. While tobacco constituted a major percentage of the total agricultural output, tobacco growth was hard on the land itself. Tobacco is a weed that uses up the nutrients of the land quickly. This is why most tobacco plantations had large acres of land. As the land become less fertile, the plantation owner would clear more land and plant a new crop. A plantation would also grow corn and wheat to feed the plantation as well as vegetable gardens and herbs for medicinal purposes. There would be livestock too, generally pig and cattle, but the animals would be marked and set loose in the woods so they would not have to raise feed for the animals as well. At the height of this plantation under Francis Conway I, there would be a warehouse to store tobacco and a granary for the corn and wheat. There was also a wharf for shipping these items to Europe and for receiving goods.

Of the children of Francis and Rebecca, there are two I would like to talk about. The first is a daughter named Eleanor Rose Conway, known as Nellie. Nellie Conway was born on this plantation in 1731 and grew up here until she married James Madison Sr. in 1749. James Madison Sr. was from Orange County Virginia. He was a prominent plantation owner and was a colonel in the militia during the Revolutionary War. His father, Ambrose Madison was the plantation owner of Mount Pleasant. Ambrose Madison died in 1732, thought to have been poisoned by his own slaves. James inherited Mount Pleasant in 1744 and called the plantation Home House. He would acquire more land throughout his life, bringing his holders to 5,000 acres. He was the largest land owner in Orange County.

James Madison Sr.

Nellie Conway Madison

Shortly after their marriage, Nellie became pregnant with their first child. In the middle of winter, she traveled back from Orange County to her childhood plantation to have her child. There are no records of her thoughts of her childhood home, but it can be assumed that she had a great love for Belle Grove.

James Madison as a young boy

On March 16, 1751, Nellie gave birth to James Madison Jr. Jemmy as he was called would grow up to become our 4^th American President and the Father of the Constitution. Nellie would have nine more children. Nellie would return to her husband’s plantation and would live at Montpelier until her death in 1829. One of her children, Nellie Madison Hite would marry and settle down in Middletown, Virginia. When she and her husband, Isaac Hite built their plantation from 1794 to 1797, she chose to name her plantation “Belle Grove” after her mother’s childhood plantation.

Belle Grove Plantation – Middletown, Virginia
Home of Isaac and Nellie Madison Hite

The second child I want to point out is Francis Conway II (1722-1761). At the death of Francis Conway I, Francis would have inherited the plantation, but he was only 14 years old at the time. His mother Rebecca Catlett Conway would retain the plantation until he would become of age. Rebecca married a second time sometime after 1737 to John Moore (1698-1759). Together, she and John would have two more children. It was John Moore that is credited with giving Belle Grove its name. Rebecca and John managed Belle Grove well and at her death, Belle Grove was still a very successful plantation.

Conway Family Bible

Francis Conway II married Sarah Taliaferro (1727-1784) in 1744. They would have three surviving children. In 1748, Francis Conway III was born.

In 1743, Francis Conway II should have taken possession of Belle Grove. But from my research, it looks as if he did not get the plantation until the death of his mother, Rebecca in 1761. There is a record of another plantation that was owned by Francis Conway II, Mount Sion located in Caroline County. Shortly after his mother’s death, Francis Conway II also passed away. For Francis Conway II, the same circumstance that had happened to his father was now being played out with his mother. At his father’s death, Francis Conway III was only 13 years old. His mother, Sarah Taliaferro would remarry in 1765 to George Taylor, but have no more children.

Captain Francis Conway’s signature

Francis Conway III would grow up and become distinguished gentleman.  Francis became a member of the King George County Committee of Safety form 1774 to 1776. He served for 3 years in the Continental Line as a Minutemen from 1775 to 1778. He was commission a 1^st Lieutenant on September 12, 1776. He served as 1^st Lieutenant of the four companies of Minutemen from the Caroline District. He was commissioned a Captain in October, 1776.

Later in 1842, his service was called into question. He was one of the cases of Revolutionary Claims rejected by the Congressional Committee on claims in 1842, with the statement that, “His name is not on any roll now to be found, nor was he paid, by Virginia, or the United States for any service. It is altogether impossible he could have performed a service of these years, though his heirs were allowed the bounty of 4000 acres for that service, September 1, 1838.” In 1844, this claim was proven.

During the Revolutionary War, Belle Grove Plantation started to decline. Unlike Rebecca, Sarah and her husband did not manage Belle Grove well. Sarah held onto Belle Grove until her death in 1784. Shortly after his mother’s death, Captain Conway took possession of Belle Grove. He sectioned off 10 acres of his land and divided it into half acre lots. In May, 1784, Captain Conway received rights by Act of Assembly to sell the lots and to establish a town by the name of Port Conway, of which John Skrinker, George Fitzhugh and others were made Trustees.

Elizabeth Fitzhugh Conway

Captain Conway married Elizabeth Fitzhugh March 20, 1770. They would have six surviving children. One of these was Francis Fitzhugh Conway (1772-1803).

After years of decline, Captain Conway sold Belle Grove Plantation on July 1st 1790 to John Hipkins for a sum of 2,000 pounds. This tract of land had been in the Savage/Thornton/Conway Family for 120 years.