Westover Plantation | |
 Westover from the front (river) side | |
   | |
 Interactive map showing the location of Westover Plantation | |
| Location | 7 mi. W of Charles City on VA 5,Charles City County, Virginia,United States of America |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°18′40″N77°8′58″W / 37.31111°N 77.14944°W /37.31111; -77.14944 |
| Area | 1,025 acres (4.15 km2) |
| Built | c. 1750 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000923[1] |
| VLR No. | 018-0027 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | October 9, 1960[3] |
| Designated VLR | September 9, 1969[2] |
Westover Plantation is a historic colonialtidewater plantation located on the north bank of theJames River inCharles City County, Virginia, United States. Established c. 1730–1750, it is the homestead of theByrd family of Virginia.State Route 5, ascenic byway, runs east–west to the north of the plantation, connecting the independent cities ofRichmond andWilliamsburg.
The plantation has been designated as aNational Historic Landmark in the United States, cited for the architectural quality of its early Georgian mansion house and the history of its influential family.[4] In the early years of the Virginia colony, the plantation was one of the sites of the courts of Charles City County.
Sir John Pawlett, by deeds oflease and release,demised most of Westover Plantation in 1665 toTheodorick Bland of Westover for £170.[5] Bland lived on the property until his death in 1671 and was buried in thechancel of the originalWestover Church, which he helped build.[6] His eldest son,Theodorick, inherited the land and joined with his brother,Richard, in its ownership.[5] The brothers eventuallyconveyed 1,200 acres of the property toWilliam Byrd I in 1688 for £300 and 10,000 pounds of tobacco and cask.[5][7]
The plantation is notable for its 18th-century and later history. The mansion, Westover Plantation, was built in theGeorgian style. It was considered the seat of theWilliam Byrd family in Virginia.William Byrd II, the founder ofRichmond, was thought to have built themansion c. 1730 and designed by architectRichard Taliaferro.[8] This date was part of the 1960 designation of the house as aNational Historic Landmark.
But, since the late 20th century, recentdendrochronologic testing on boards and planks in the house showed that they dated to the 1750s. The house was thus probably built and first occupied byWilliam Byrd III, not his father. The revised construction date has been recognized by theNational Park Service.[7]
Like the otherplantations along the James River, Westover was first devoted to the cultivation of tobacco, the majorcommodity of colonialTidewater Virginia. The Byrd family depended on the labor of hundreds ofenslavedAfricans, as tobacco was a labor-intensive crop. The original grounds included slave quarters. In addition to working as field hands, other slaves worked as domestic servants and skilled artisans of many types. Tobacco cultivation exhausted the soil and, pushed also by changes in markets, in the 19th centuryplanters shifted to mixed crops, which were less labor-intensive. As development of the Deep South ensued, planters in the Upper South sold "excess" slaves in thedomestic slave trade, which continued to the Civil War.
During theAmerican Civil War, Westover was used as headquarters of theUnion Fifth Corps and one of the wings burned during this time.[9] After the death of William Byrd III's widow in 1814, Westover was sold out of the Byrd family. Since then, Westover has had three subsequent owners, including lawyer John Armistead Selden (a member of theSelden family and theLee family), whose detailed diaries of daily life at Westover remain in publication as a popular primary source on the economic and cultural history of nineteenth-century Virginian agriculture,[10] andConfederate Army officer Augustus Harrison Drewry. Drewry, who is best known for commanding the gun batteries ofFort Darling duringBattle of Drewry's Bluff in 1862, lived at Westover until his death in 1899 and made many changes; including rebuilding the burned wing, connecting the dependencies and enlarging the dining room so that it ran the depth of the house.
In the early 20th century, Westover was acquired by United States diplomatRichard Teller Crane, II, who restored the mansion and grounds. It has remained in the Crane family ever since. The site was damaged byHurricane Isabel in 2003. Ten feet of riverbank, a 250-year-old road, and a 150-year-old poplar from the south lawn were eroded into the river during the storm.[3]
The house is noteworthy for its symmetry and balance of proportions,secret passages, mid pack gardens, front door, and its Georgian style (which was inspired by the Governor's Palace in Williamsburg, Virginia). The grounds and garden are open to the public from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, and one can tour the mansion with an appointment.
The exterior of Westover was used in the pilot episode of "The West Wing" as the home of fictional White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry.
The plantation was a set location in every season of AMC's Revolutionary War drama series “Turn” (2014–2017). It was also featured in the HBO miniseries “John Adams” (2008) and, most recently, in the film “The Field of Lost Shoes" (2014).
