James River Plantations - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 1037

2. Shirley
Motorists approach the mansion here by driving down Shirley Plantation Road, which be-
comesadirtlanethatendsataclusterof18th-centurybrickoutbuildings,calleddependen-
cies. In earlier times guests arrived by boat along the James River, where they looked up to
see the front of this perfectly proportioned Georgian Colonial house. The plantation itself
was begun in 1613, making it the oldest in Virginia, and to this day its 700 acres are sown
with seeds each spring.
Owned by the same family for 10 generations (Robert E. Lee married into the family),
the house has an outstanding portrait collection and a stunning three-story staircase that
seems to float unsupported. Also noteworthy is the wooden pineapple—a symbol of hos-
pitality—perched atop its mansard roof.
3. Berkeley
FoundintheUniontroopsthatbivouackedonthegroundsoftheelegantbrickmanorhouse
at Berkeley during the Civil War was a young Scottish drummer boy; some 45 years later
he returned to purchase the property, which by then had become an uninhabitable ruin sur-
rounded only by forlorn, neglected lawns.
Afterdecadesofrestoration,thebirthplaceofPresidentWilliamHenryHarrison,which
was completed in 1726, regained its standing as one of America's most distinguished land-
marks. The rooms feature handsome woodwork and are furnished with a magnificent col-
lection of 18th-century antiques. The grounds, at their best in late spring, also have been
nursed back to health, with roses, azaleas, daffodils, and dogwoods growing on five beau-
tifully groomed terraces that stairstep to the James River.
4. Westover
One of the finest Georgian-style houses in America, Westover, unfortunately, opens its
famouspineapple-toppeddoortovisitorsonlyduringGardenWeekinApril.Therestofthe
year, you'll have to be content with admiring its magnificent exterior as you stroll around
the landscaped grounds. They boast 150-year-old tulip trees, a formal garden, and a sweep
of lawn that unfurls like a carpet down to the ever-present river.