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Berkeley Plantation And its History Located In Virginia

Berkeley Plantation And Its History Located in Virginia

The Berkeley Plantation is a very historic plantation located between Williamsburg and Richmond, Virginia. The plantation is one of the first plantations in America. The Berkeley Plantation sits on approximately 1000 acres. The Berkeley Plantation was first called Berkeley Hundred, named after the Berkeley Company of England.

In 1619 the Good Ship Margaret landed at Berkeley with 36 men. The men had the first official Thanksgiving in America by the instruction given in a charter by the Virginia Co.

In 1691 the Harrisons purchased Berkeley. In 1726 they built their mansion. Benjamin Harrison V signed the Declaration of Independence, and William Henry Harrison was our ninth US President.

Mrs. Harrison did not like her husband and friends smoking in their home. She told him to smoke with his friends and colleagues in the guest house. The family loved their pets, and they have a pet cemetery on the site. There was also a house used as a kitchen. They also had small cabins for their slaves.

Benjamin Harrison IV and his two youngest daughters were killed when lightning struck their home while trying to close their windows and shutters upstairs on July 12, 1745. His wife took to her sick bed after she lost her husband and two daughters. She never recovered and died 30 days later. William Henry Harrison was only 18 and cared for his four younger surviving siblings while attending college. He later became the ninth President of the United States of America. William Harrison’s Grandson, Benjamin Harrison, became the 23rd President of the USA.

During the Civil War, General GeorgeĀ  McClellan’s troops were in the buildings with tents in front of the plantation. The upstairs of the house was used as a hospital and a guest house, and with help from O. W. Norton, General Butterfield, a bugler, created Taps while camped at Harrison’s Landing on the plantation.

The Berkeley Mansion is made with bricks made from the site’s materials. Some of the bricks are a rich purple and shine like diamonds when you look at them. The brick’s colors vary by how long they are in the kiln. The house is built up high, and the bricks shine brightly to tell people that a wealthy family resides there. It was popular with all wealthy families to have a house that was built up high as it was a status symbol.

I loved my tour of the Berkeley Plantation. We had an excellent and knowledgeable guide that was dressed in appropriate attire for that time frame. Our guide knew all of the histories of the plantation and other items of interest. He told us years ago, yarn was dyed with tobacco juice as the smell of the tobacco dye killed off bed bugs for many years. Families have donated furniture and other household items that fit the timeline of the mansion.

I would highly recommend taking a tour of this beautiful old plantation with all of the rich and vast histories that it holds. Travel often and enrich your mind.

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Berkeley Plantation And Its History Located in Virginia

184Fans
1.4kFollowers
81Followers
338Followers