Moving On...Changing My Focus

It was on July 18, 2010, 15 years ago today, that I first posted something on my blog site.  I have regularly published posts regarding historical, food, family, travel and restaurant experiences for most of the past many years.  At one point I was posting to the site 3 times every week.   Most recently, it's been twice a week.

I've decided to cease any regular publications/posts to the site.  Not gone...still will publish something from time to time as the spirit moves me, but my focus is moving elsewhere.  I want to spend more time researching our family histories and I've gotten much more involved with a local Knoxville collector's club.  I do enjoy the time spent in that endeavor...even with the work involved. 

What follows are a scattering of the many photos dating as far back as last October...a sampling of those taken near the conclusion of our long road trip through parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia.  I'd never completed the Virginia portion of the trip...

This is the entrance to the Reeves Museum of Ceramics at Washington and Lee University in Lexington Virginia.  The Reeves collection showcases one of America's best collections of Chinese export porcelain as well as European and American ceramics made between 1500 and 1900.

FYI, Washington and Lee University is the 9th oldest college in the USA.  Originally known as Liberty Hall Academy, it was renamed Washington Academy in 1796 and Washington College in 1813.  A gift of stocks from George Washington had saved the school from financial ruin.  Robert E. Lee, who had led Confederate forces throughout the Civil War, had previously been the Superintendent of the West Point Military Academy.  A few months after the war, he became President of Washington College and he helped build the university for the future.

In today's highly charged political atmosphere, Lee's name being attached to this University has been controversial.  For the university's outlook on this subject, go to https://www.wlu.edu/about-w-l/university-history/university-namesakes.

During our visit, there was a exhibition of ceramics adjacent to artwork with blank spaces in the paintings that are related to the ceramics.  I still don't get it...but both Laurie and I do love ceramics and this plate was a stunner!

I just had to include this 'fowl' piece of porcelain in my post.  Love the brilliant colors involved!  

Then there was this gorgeous brown and yellow teapot with raised decorations.  This teapot from the Yixing Dynasty teapot dates somewhere between 1725 - 1775.

This stunning hard paste porcelain 'tea pot' from China didn't start its life as a tea pot, but rather as a wine pot.  The English later repurposed it as a teapot.  Note the 'bamboo bundle' shape that was created by a master ceramics maker sometime between 1700 and 1720.

Moving on down the road, it was time to find a place for dinner.  Research had revealed the possibility of a fine German dinner near Staunton Virginia.  The Edelweiss Restaurant is a log structure in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The family that built it came from Karlsruhe Germany.  The menu is loaded with German specialties, something one doesn't see very often.

While Edelweiss is well rated on the Internet, Laurie and I weren't feeling it... The food was decent but not great and the service was rushed.  This restaurant is popular with long waits for customers so maybe our lack of enthusiasm isn't typical.  Check it out and give Edelweiss a try.  Let us know what you think... Website: https://edelweissvirginia.com/.

I love taking photos like this and imagining what might have been... Located at the eastern foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains on US Hwy. 60 in Amherst County Virginia, Forks of Buffalo refers to the place where the North and South Forks of the Buffalo River come together.

Since I like researching places, I came across this photo from the Forks of the Buffalo area, showing the Myers' Cash Store, United States Post Office and Esso Gas Station.  Perhaps the early to mid-1960s, the store opened in 1937.  Unfortunately, I also came across another photo from December of 2024, only 2 months after I took that first photo, now showing that the front of the old building had fallen down... Timing is everything.

This well preserved and restored railway depot is located at Amherst Virginia.  Amherst was founded in 1807 and it is the county seat for the county of the same name.  The town's population has never been much higher than its current level of about 2,200 residents.

Amherst was first known as Dearborn and the first depot here was completed in the late 1800s for the Orange and Alexandria Railroad.  It was replaced in the late fall of 1913 by the Southern Railway.  As was typical, the ticket booth extended outward from the center facing the tracks, with waiting rooms on each side...one for black folks and the other for white folks.  Three passenger trains stopped at the depot every day until the mid-1940s.  Passenger service was completely discontinued during the 1960s and finally freight service ceased in the mid-1970s.

So...just where is this old structure located?  Our next significant stop was at the Appomattox Courthouse National Historic Park at the village of Appomattox Courthouse...redundant I know.  This is not the original Appomattox Courthouse, but rather a reconstruction.

In the 1800s the original courthouse gave its name to the village around it.  As many of us know, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army here in 1865.  I always thought that Lee had surrendered to Grant at the courthouse but the courthouse was closed that day so the surrender took place in a nearby home.  In any case the village was already in a state of decline in the 1850s.  The original courthouse burned down in 1892 and the county seat was relocated.  This structure was rebuilt in 1964 and it now serves at the Visitor's Center for the more than 1,700 acre Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park.

So this is the house...or an almost exact replica of the house...where Lee surrendered to Grant, virtually bringing America's long and painful Civil War to an end.  This is the McLean House at the Appomattox Courthouse National Historic Park and it was chosen for the surrender as it was the most substantial home or building in the Village.

The McLean House was originally built by Charles Raine in 1848.  It had served as a tavern/inn and it was sold to Wilmer McLean in 1863.  In an interesting historical quirk of fate, the First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) took place on McLean's farm.  Seeking to avoid the war, and too old to serve in the Confederate Army, McLean moved here to 'avoid the war'.

This is a recreation of the setting where Lee formally surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant.  The original furniture is in the possession of the Smithsonian and the Chicago History Museum.

The terms of surrender were: "The officers to give their individual paroles not to take up arms against the government of the United States until properly exchanged, and each company or regimental commander to sign a like parole for the men of their commands,"... neither "side arms of the officers nor their private horses or baggage" to be surrendered; and, as many privates in the Confederate Army owned horses and mules, all horses and mules claimed by men in the Confederate Army to be left in their possession.

As for the McLean house, Wilmer McLean was broke as all his money was in Confederate dollars, which he'd accumulated by running sugar through the Union blockade during the war.  Ownership passed from one person to one scheme or another.  At one point it was disassembled and labeled for possible reconstruction as an attraction in Washington D.C.  That project never got off the ground and much of what was left of the house was pilfered over the years.  The re-built house was opened to the public on April 9, 1949.  Over 5,000 of the home's original bricks were used in the construction.

To learn more about the Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park and to plan a visit, go to https://www.nps.gov/apco/index.htm. 

This is the Booker T. Washington National Monument near Hardy Virginia.  Booker T. Washington was born a slave on the 207-acre farm of James Burroughs in April of 1856.  Following the Civil War, he became the first principal of  the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial School.  Later, as an advisor and confidant of President Theodore Roosevelt, an author and orator, he became the most influential African American of his era.

Booker T. Washington (1856 - 1919)

To learn more about Booker T. Washington, you can go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booker_T._Washington.

This National Monument preserves portions of the tobacco farm where Booker T. Washington was born and where he lived for the first 9 years of his life.  The facility also provides interpretation of Washington's life and achievements as well as an interpretation of slavery and farming in the 1850s through the use of buildings, gardens, crafts and animals.

You can learn more about The Booker T. Washington National Monument at https://www.nps.gov/bowa/index.htm.  

The last stop on our long but interesting and relaxing road trip was of course, dinner on the last night of the trip.  We were tired and looking forward to getting home.  The decision was made that we should go casual for our final meal on the road so we picked JJ's Restaurant and Sports Bar in Abingdon Virginia from my list of dining options.  Laurie stuck to soup and cornbread and I went for fried catfish, beans, coleslaw and cornbread.  The food wasn't gourmet but it was tasty, reasonably priced and satisfying.

JJ's Restaurant and Sports Bar is located at 115 Charwood Drive in Abingdon Virginia.  Open daily for lunch and dinner.  Phone: 276-525-4999.  Website: https://www.eatatjjs.com/.

As I mentioned at the start of this post, I'll be back from time to time and I'll also check in on those who I've been following...

Just click on any of the photos you'd like to enlarge.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care...and, as the saying from the 50's (the era of 45 rpm records), "I'll see you on the flip side".

Big Daddy Dave

Family Visit continued...

...and the family visit continues.  Cousin Nathan, my mother's oldest brother's son, and his wife Janice recently spent a couple of days with us.  FYI, Nathan 'caught' Janice while he was serving in US military in the United Kingdom...or did Janice 'catch' Nathan?  Those Scottish women are pretty determined and very focused!  I should know given Laurie's Scottish heritage...

In my last post, we'd done a little shopping at Everhart Lumber, a furniture and decor store in Tellico Plains Tennessee.  Out next stop with any first time visitors in Tellico Plains was at the Charles Hall Museum and Heritage Center.  This photo...with a handsome fully restored 1934 Plymouth as our backdrop...was taken in Building 2 at the Museum.  From the left, Nathan, my better half Laurie and yours truly.  Janice took the photo.

Among other items, Building 2 features over 400 antique telephones, 16 old-time manual telephone switchboards, a complete local moonshine still, commemorative Harley motorcycles, antique tools, and a plethora of early Appalachian homesteading artifacts.  It also offers a shopping opportunity, "The Museum Marketplace".

Laurie took this group 'selfie' in Building 2 of the museum.  From the left, Janice, Laurie and myself.  Nathan is in the back.  Our backdrop is just a portion of the more than 800 unique telephone insulators on exhibit.

Thousands of collectors covet old or antique glass insulators.  There actually is an annual National Insulator Show.  This year it will be held in June in Marlborough Massachusetts.  

I didn't take any photos in Building 1 of the Museum.  The varied displays in Building 1 includes a wide variety of items, including 350 historic firearms, antique coins and currency, office machines, and Native American artifacts.  This building also features a shopping opportunity..."Timeless Treasures".  

The Charles Hall Museum and Heritage Center is located at 229 Cherohala Skyway (aka TN Hwy 165) in Tellico Plains Tennessee.  Admission is FREE!  The museum is open 7 days per week from March through December.  Phone: 423-253-8000.  Website: https://www.charleshallmuseum.com/.

Our next stop was at the Old Order Mennonite Community Farm Market near Tellico Plains.  The market is owned by the local Mennonite community and it's one of three such markets located within a reasonable driving distance from our home.  A wide variety of produce and other items are grown, raised or built by members of the community.  In addition to the produce (amazing!), they also sell jams, jellies, pickled just about everything, honey, molasses, baked goods, wooden tools, soap, and much more.

Laurie just had to stop at the greenhouse shown above.  This time of the year she always 'needs' more plants...especially herbs.  Tomato plants of various types are a big seller at the market.

Entrepreneurial...a good way to describe the members of this community!  Furniture is available in addition to all the other items for sale.  Oh yes, do you like to eat rabbits...or just have them around?  They are also for sale...as are rabbit hutches. 

Laurie snapped this photo of a Old Order Mennonite carriage moving along one of the roads near the store.  

Keep in mind that the store only accepts cash.  Don't expect air conditioning or fans...there is no electricity.  Hand cranked adding machines are used at checkout.  It is important that shoppers/visitors need to respect the modest dress code that is posted on site.  Also no photos of community members...

This is truly an old-time bucolic scene.  It's the peaceful looking valley just below the store where the people live and work.  The Old Order Mennonite Market near Tellico Plains Tennessee is located at 1472 Fairview Road.

We loaded up at the market.  Heirloom tomatoes, pickled beets, fresh bread, jalapeno cheese rolls and Laurie's favorite granola mix...2 big bags of it!  To see photos of the market, go to the following post on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amishmennonitetn/posts/the-tellico-community-farm-market-in-tellico-plains-tennessee-is-such-a-pretty-p/479923548199930.  If you go to https://www.visitmonroetn.com/farmers-markets, you can view a calendar that projects what produce you can expect to find at the market on a month to month and week to week basis.

When we got home, the exhausted shoppers took a break on our screened porch overlooking the patch of wooded common ground behind our home.  Photo by Nathan as were most of the others in this posting.

Nathan had very fond memories of my mother, his Aunt Beth.  We gifted he and Janice with a couple of my mother's woven wall hangings or couch blankets as well as this ceramic/pottery bust of Grandma Estelle Sibbald Weed.  My mother did an excellent job of capturing my grandmother's features.

This final photo was taken by guess who?  Nathan at least warned me that he was taking a photo so although I'm giving him that 'walleye look', at least I'm not frowning.  Here I am in our bonus room at action central.  Computer, printer, TV, Radio/CD player and lots of family artifacts...what more could a fellow want?!

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

The Woodrow Wilson Library - Staunton Virginia

...continuing with our October 2024 road trip, we had spent the night in Staunton Virginia.  I had previously researched possible attractions and places of interest with the Woodrow Wilson Library and Museum in Staunton popping out as a promising destination.    

This is a view of the Woodrow Wilson Museum and Library complex.  It consists of 3 adjoining structures. 

This is the entrance to the Visitor's Center (and shop) for the Presidential Library and Museum.

The actual Woodrow Wilson Museum has it's own entrance.  Note the big doors and big windows at the right of the photo.

For those who aren't familiar with Woodrow Wilson, he was a politician and academic who served as the 28th President of the United States from 1913 until 1921.  A Democrat, Wilson had served as the President of Princeton University and as the Governor of New Jersey prior to winning the Presidential election in 1912.  He was President during World War I, aka "The War to End All Wars".

After the war when Wilson returned from France after negotiating the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, this then brand new Pierce-Arrow limousine was waiting for him at the dock in New York City to take him back to Washington.  He liked this auto so much that when he left office, his friends purchased it for him to use.  This was the Buffalo New York based Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company's Series 51 Model.

This automobile was distinguished by 2 special emblems.  The Presidential Seal was displayed on each of its arched rear passenger doors.  On the front of the radiator panel was the AAA (American Automobile Club) symbol.  Wilson was the first President to join that association.  This auto was donated to the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace Foundation by his widow, Edith Bolling Galt Wilson.

We did like this striking American Flag-Wilson display setting off a number of personal artifacts.  Of note is the woman featured in the photo as the right of the display.   She is Ellen Bolling Galt Wilson, Woodrow Wilson's second wife.

Unlike more recent Presidential libraries and museums, the collections here at Wilson's birthplace are not as extensive one might expect.  The complex includes the President's birthplace, (aka the Manse), a museum that basically covers the President's life and times, a research library and a gift shop as well as several other buildings that aren't open to the public.  

Note: All United States Presidential Libraries for administrations prior to that of Herbert Hoover, including Wilson's, are not part of the Federal National Archives' Presidential Library System.

                            

While attending graduate school at Johns Hopkins University in 1883, Wilson met and fell in love with Ellen Louise Axson.  Like Wilson, she was from the southern United States.  She had graduated from the Art Students League of New York and worked in portraiture...but she sacrificed her artistic pursuits in order to marry Wilson in 1885.  

The photo above shows Ellen and Woodrow with their daughters in 1912.  From the left...Margaret, Ellen, Eleanor, Jessie and Woodrow.  Sadly, in August of 1914 Ellen died from Bright's Disease" a kidney disorder.

President Wilson reportedly fell into depression following Ellen's passing.  However, in March of 1915, he met Edith Bolling Galt at a White House tea.  She was also from the south and she was a widow, her husband having been a wealthy jeweler in Washington D.C.  After several meetings, Wilson proposed to Edith in May of 1915.  He was initially rebuffed but she warmed to the relationship and they were married in December of 1915.  Wilson is one of the three Presidents that got married while in office, the other two being John Tyler and Grover Cleveland.

These photos show part of a re-creation of the study that was in the house that he and Ellen had built at Princeton in 1895.  His focus was on his career and politics.  The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library houses materials from during and immediately after his lifetime, memoirs of those who worked with him and governmental volumes concerning World War I.  Other larger collections of Wilson's official papers and documents are maintained at The Library of Congress and Princeton University.

This display is related to Woodrow Wilson's family after they'd settled in Staunton Virginia.  Thomas Woodrow Wilson was born in Staunton in December 1856.  His parents were Scotch-Irish and Scottish.  Woodrow's father Joseph met Jesse, his mother, in Ohio.  Soon after the couple married, Joseph was ordained as a Presbyterian pastor and he was assigned to serve in Staunton.  When Woodrow was quite young, the family moved to another parish in Augusta Georgia.

Woodrow Wilson's earliest memory was when he was in the family's front yard in Augusta.  He recalled a passerby announcing in disgust that Abraham Lincoln had been elected and that a war was coming.  Woodrow's father identified with the Southern USA and he was a staunch supporter of the Confederacy during the Civil War.  Joseph Wilson owned slaves himself...

The items displayed above are related to President Woodrow Wilson and actions surrounding World War I.  From 1914 until early 1917, Wilson's primary foreign policy objectives were to keep the US out of the war in Europe.  Ideally, he wanted to broker a peace agreement.  He insisted that all American government actions must be neutral so as to avoid the perception that the USA had a preference of one side of the conflict over the other.  The sinking of the Lusitania and similar actions by Germany finally forced American involvement.

This is our tour group at the entrance to Woodrow Wilson's birthplace.  It is called the Manse, which is the name of a Presbyterian minister's home.  This home was built in 1846 by the Staunton First Presbyterian Church.  The home has 12 rooms with 12 fireplaces and it originally cost about $4,000 to build.  At that point the Wilson family consisted of Joseph, his wife Jessie and their 2 daughters.  Another son, Joseph Jr. as well as Woodrow, were born in this home.

In general, this Wilson home in Staunton was much like any other middle to upper middle class home of its time...comfortable but not overly plush.  The sitting room above proves the point.

This is one of the family bedrooms.  Our photos from inside the home were cluttered with the tour group so they weren't much use for this posting.  Note the chamber pot under the bed.  It was use that or run outside to the outhouse in bad weather!

Perhaps because it was the home for Presbyterian ministers, the home is quite plain with minimal decor.  Practical and simple are words that come to mind.  

As previously mentioned, Woodrow Wilson became the President of Princeton University.  In that role he strove to raise admission and educational  standards...taking the school from a nice place for upper middle class men to attend to a place that actually promoted and required serious study.  He aggravated and lost some support from alumni but with the help and donations of such wealthy supporters as Mose Taylor Pyne (Cuban investments, sugar and railroads) and Andrew Carnegie, Woodrow did make meaningful changes.  He also promoted the first Jew and the first Catholic to the faculty.  He managed to loosen the conservative control of the conservative Presbyterians on the board.  However, at the same time he worked to keep African-Americans from attending Princeton...this while other Ivy League schools were beginning to do so.

We've seen a lot of toys in old homes and museums over the years but this was the first horse-tricycle we'd ever seen.  Note that it is operated by moving the handles back and forth.  It was located in the 'birthing room' of the home.  

Woodrow Wilson made a lot of progress improving Princeton but eventually he'd made so many 'enemies' that he grew tired of the constant roadblocks to progress and he found a way out.  He attracted the attention of the Democratic Party in New Jersey as they desperately sought a viable candidate for Governor of that state.  He became Governor in 1910 and his clashes with state party bosses enhanced his reputation with the rising Progressive movement.  

In addition to the progressives, Wilson enjoyed the support of key Princeton alumni such as Cyrus McCormick and a number of Southerners who believed that Wilson's status as a transplanted Southerner gave him broad appeal.  Consequently, Wilson became a key contender for the Democratic Presidential ticket as the election year of 1912 approached.  Wilson faced two major opponents in the election.  They were one-term Republican President William Howard Taft and former Republican President Theodore Roosevelt, the latter running as a third party candidate for the "Bull Moose" Party.  The split in the Republican party between Taft and Roosevelt led to Woodrow Wilson's victory and his first term as President in 1913.

Remember...the Manse was built in 1846 and its been refurbished to fit the period.  The kitchen is pretty basic as is the rest of the home.  Note the sand box that the stove is sitting on.

Wilson was a 'progressive', a term that is liberally used in today's politics.  He introduced a comprehensive program of domestic legislation at the beginning of his administration.  No other President had ever done such a thing before.  His 4 major priorities were: conservation of natural resources; banking reform, tariff reduction, and; better access to raw materials via the breaking up of Western Mining Trusts.  This agenda was introduced to a joint session of Congress, making Wilson the first President since John Adams to address Congress in person.  

The Revenue Act of 1913 reduced tariffs, replacing the lost revenue with a Federal Income Tax of 1% on those with incomes of more than $3,000.  That impacted the richest 3% of the population.  Wilson also was instrumental in the creation of the Federal Reserve System...making the banking system 'public not private' and he helped create the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate antitrust violations...

I'm ending this post with another highly decorative stove...this one which would have provided heat to one room in the Wilson family home in Staunton.  Whether it was original or not is not the point as far as I'm concerned.  I just love the design...it is so ornate!

So, once in office what else did Woodrow Wilson accomplish?  He pushed for legislation providing for an 8 hour work day and a six day work week, various health and safety measures, the prohibition of child labor and a number of safeguards for female workers.  He also favored a minimum wage for all work performed by or for the Federal government.  Many credit or blame Wilson for the creation of the welfare state as we know it today. 

Wilson was narrowly re-elected in 1916 and while he did all he could to keep America out of the War in Europe, he did begin building up our ability to fight if it became necessary.  The Democratic Party had campaigned on the slogan "He Kept Us Out of War".  Unfortunately, our late entry into the war in 1917 was not without enormous problems in staffing, training and equipment.  President Wilson is considered by many to have been a segregationist or racist.  He escalated the discriminatory hiring practices and segregation of government offices that had begun under Theodore Roosevelt and continued under Taft.  Under his Administration, many departments were segregated and some adopted whites only employment policies.  Many black office holders were simply fired.

Following the Allied victory in late 1918, President Wilson attended the Paris Peace Conference.  He successfully pushed for the establishment of a multinational organization, the League of Nations, which was incorporated into the Treaty of Versailles, which Wilson signed.  However, when he returned home, the Senate wouldn't approve the treaty unless they were given the power to declare war...taking that ability away from the President or any treaty agreement.  The Treaty was never signed and America never joined the League of Nations.  Wilson suffered a stroke in late 1919 that left him incapacitated.  Some historians debate the impact, but his second wife Edith and his physician controlled Wilson and despite pressure for the Vice President to take over the reins, it never happened.  Allegedly no important decisions were made on the President's 'behalf' for the remainder of his second term.

All in all, our visit to the Woodrow Wilson Library and Museum was very interesting and we both learned a lot.  To learn more about this Presidential attraction located in Staunton Virginia, go to https://www.woodrowwilson.org/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Spring Photos Plus a Look around Culpeper Virginia

Who doesn't love spring...that is if you weren't hammered with the horrid storms that have sadly impacted much of the middle of the USA!  While much of central and western Tennessee suffered from flooding, high winds and tornados, here in East Tennessee all we received was needed spring rains...with some wind mixed in.  We live in the Tennessee River valley, that lies running northeast to the southwest, and we are usually but not always protected  from the worst weather by the Cumberland Plateau at the west and the Smokey Mountains at the east.

This bush always grabs our attention when it blooms!  The flowers look like delicate little bottle brushes.  It is one of the several 'bottle brush' bushes that are popular with landscapers.  This particular bush is called a Mount Airy Fothergilla. 

We love our little Japanese Maple Tree.  It cozies up in a niche in front of Laurie's 'plant room' between our laundry room and the garage.  Love those feathery red leaves when the tree first comes 'back to life' every spring!

My personal spring favorite are the Redbud Trees.  Rarely shaped in an orderly fashion, these pretty little violet colored blooms just adorn the limbs of the trees in early spring.  They are one of the very first trees to bloom every year.  Sadly, we had a white dogwood tree nearby that provided a terrific contrast with the dogwood blossoms...but no longer.

FYI... One of the biggest and best known events in the Greater Knoxville Tennessee area is the Dogwood Festival...with dogwood trails through neighborhoods and plenty of related events.  Learn more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogwood_Arts_Festival and https://www.dogwoodarts.com/dogwoodartsfestival.  

No...I'm not done posting photos and talking about things we did during our fall 2024 road trip.  Continuing with the last leg of that trip from Virginia...

One of the first posts from this road trip saga was about a terrific restaurant that Laurie and I dined at in Culpeper Virginia.  I posted our experience at it out of sequence with the trip because we liked it so much.  If you missed that post, just go to https://bigdaddydavesbitsandpieces.blogspot.com/2024/11/its-about-thyme-fine-dining.html.

Now back to Culpeper and a brief look around this bustling small town.  Believe it or not, the original section of the large building shown above was built in 1820 by Revolutionary War General Edward Stevens.  The family of future Confederate States of America General A.P. Hill bought the home in 1832, enlarging it to its current size just prior to the American Civil War.  Timing is everything and the Hill family sold the property in 1962.  The building is referred to today as the A.P. Hill building.  Occupants include a wellness spa and a fashion boutique as well as at least one apartment.

Yes, Laurie did do a bit of shopping in Culpeper... I was more interested in this cat in a basket, even if she wasn't interested in me.  We both love cats, but between Laurie's allergies and the probability that over half of our family, (who have allergies or don't like cats), would never come to visit, deters us from any new feline member for our household.

The two photos above are general views of downtown Culpeper.  It is an attractive and active small town at one corner of 'horse country' in Virginia.  The building at the right side of the photo immediately above, is the Fairfax Masonic Building.  It was completed in 1902 and it currently is home to a real estate company and a gift boutique.

I borrowed this photo from the Internet.  The first Culpeper County Courthouse was built in 1750.  A replacement was built on the same site in 1808.  The second courthouse was torn down in 1871 and it was replace by this Classic Revival structure in 1873.  

There is a reason for all the good restaurants and shopping opportunities.  About 70% of the fast growing population of the county commute out of the county for work.  The town is 55 minutes from Manassas Virginia and just a little over an hour to Dulles International Airport.  How fast is this county growing?  In 1980, the county recorded 22,620 residents.  By 2000 there were over 34,000 and the 2020 census recorded 52,552 residents.

Factoids:  

• By the middle of the 1970s, Culpeper County was the last county in the Commonwealth of Virginia to desegregate its schools.

• Commonwealth Park in the county is the site for many world-class equestrian events.  This is where actor Christopher Reeve suffered the equestrian accident that paralyzed him in 1995.

This is a photo of the cookie display case at Knakal's Bakery at 146 East Davis Street.  This bakery has been a fixture in Culpeper since the 1930s and they offer a wide selection of donuts, cookies, pastries and cakes.  We did buy a couple of very nice cookies to take with us as a treat for later in the day.  This is my kind of shopping experience!

This is the oldest commercial building in Culpeper.  George Washington surveyed and plotted the town back in 1749.  The first indication of any structure being built on this plot of land was a deed of sale in 1790 to Thomas Reade Rootes...a lawyer and a member of Virginia's House of Delegates.  In the 1890s it was known as the Martin Furniture Company but it was originally built (ca ?) to house the post office, the Farmer's and Merchants Bank as well as Clark and Company Grocers.  

This structure has been used by a number of other businesses including a tobacco warehouse, stables, a tin shop, a Civil War jail for soldiers from both sides of the conflict and for much of the 1900s, as the Yarnell Hardware Store.  The structure survived the Civil War, two major fires and an earthquake.  Today it is the home of The Grass Rootes Restaurant, an upscale dining venue.  To learn about this restaurant, go to https://www.grassrootescu.com.

This is the oldest church in Culpeper.  St. Stephen's Episcopal Church was built in 1821 on land donated to the parish by Brigadier General Edward Stevens, a hero who led his militia in several key battles during the Revolutionary War.  Originally, this church was a relatively plain rectangular structure.  The slender steeple and the entrance vestibule were added in 1861.  Other renovations and additions took place ca. 1870 and it 1884.  This was one of the few churches in the area that remained unscathed during the Civil War.

Part of Culpeper's Central Historic District, the old Southern Railway Depot at 109 South Commerce Street was built in 1904.  It replaced another that had been built in 1874, which itself had replaced 2 depots that had been originally built by the Orange and Alexander Railroad.  Threatened with demolition in 1985, the community rallied to save it and then to renovate it.  Part of the structure at 111 South Commerce Street now serves as the Culpeper Visitor's Center.  Located at 113 Commerce Street, the Museum of Culpeper History occupies a larger portion of the structure.  To learn more about the museum, go to https://culpepermuseum.com/.

The best part about this old depot is that it is still served by passenger trains.  Options include: Amtrak's 3 time a week round trip service (the Cardinal line) from New York City to Chicago; the daily round trip service (the Crescent City line) from New York to New Orleans and; the twice daily Amtrak Northeast Service from Washington D.C. to Roanoke Virginia.  The Commonwealth of Virginia provides financial support for the Northeast Service.  In 2023, the Culpeper station served 17,386 passengers.

That's all for now.  Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit! 

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave