Restoration and Research Fellowships

September 11, 2024

Chairman Dianne Spence, The Williamsburg Garden Club

The Restoration Committee met on June 8-9, 2016, and visited the Beale Garden at Hollins University in the morning and Fincastle Presbyterian Church that afternoon. The following day the committee visited the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library.

The committee met on September 7-8, 2016, for a tour of the Dupont Garden and surrounding landscape at Montpelier led by Elizabeth Chew, Vice President of Museum Programs, and Allyson Marruffo, Assistant Horticulturist. The morning included an optional tour of the house. The committee visited Sweet Briar College in the afternoon. On the following day, the committee visited Poplar Forest and toured the property, led by Director of Archaeology and Landscapes Jack Gary, who focused on the carriage turnaround.

The committee met on January 12, 2017, in Richmond and approved projects at Mary Washington House, Burwell-Morgan Mill, Centre Hill, John Handley High School, St. John’s Mews, Stratford Hall, and the Kent-Valentine House. GCV Landscape Architect Will Rieley provided an update on the Poe Museum gardens, currently in progress. He reported that all but one of the tropical plants looks good. The wall has been rebuilt, and a new door is being installed today. The committee is taking a project-by project approach to this garden. The next proposed area is the Ragged Mountain Garden. The area is small but visible. Mr. Rieley said the plants in the different gardens refer to specific Poe stories.

He then reported on work at Poplar Forest with particular attention to estimates for the proposed carriage turnaround.

The Maintenance Workshop for restoration property gardeners and maintenance staff was held on February 22, 2017, at the Kent-Valentine House. Peggy Cornett, Curator of Plants at Monticello, spoke about seed saving and its benefits for historic landscapes, and Brittany Council, from the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service Master Gardener Program in Richmond, spoke on Turfgrass Management. There were 50 in attendance which included 34 gardeners from 18 properties. The updated GCV Maintenance Manual was distributed at that time.

The committee toured Lee Hall Mansion landscape on March 8-2017, led by Lee Hall Mansion Executive Director Laura Willoughby. Will Rieley noted a water problem at the dependency and pointed out the need for remedial work to be done with overgrowth of shrubbery. The GCV’s original board fence has been replaced by the Eagle Scouts and the City of Newport News. Ms. Willoughby then provided a tour of the house.

The committee then traveled to Williamsburg, visiting the College of William & Mary. Helen Reveley led the group to the site of the recently discovered  Gillette garden drawings, and Mr. Rieley discussed his research on the possibility of implementing Gillette’s vision for the area. Chairman Dianne Spence reported a sense of excitement that this proposal might become reality. The committee then walked to the historic President’s House for tea and ahouse tour. The committee met the following morning for a tour of the churchyard of Bruton Parish Church, led by Facilities Manager Mike Wanless.

At the GCV Annual Meeting on May 16-18, 2017, Restoration Committee Chairman Dianne Spence reported a collaboration between The Garden Club of the Northern Neck and Christ Church in Saluda to initiate repairs to the church wall (built by GCV in 1942) and to save a tree leaning on the wall. Mr. Rieley and some members of the Restoration Committee made a site visit and the project will move forward.

The Restoration Committee met at 11:00 a.m. on June 7, 2017, at Oatlands in Leesburg, Virginia. Director of Horticulture and Grounds Mark Schroeder led a tour of the gardens. The garden is comprised of terraces carved into the hillside on the east side of the house, with each terrace filled with plants and potted plants, the pots being moved to the greenhouse to overwinter. Before leaving the garden, the committee viewed the restored wall and the GCV plaque, which Mr. Schroeder said he had personally washed for the committee’s visit. The boxwood was thriving.

The committee then traveled to Clarke County for a tour of the Burwell-Morgan Mill,  led by Executive Director of the Clarke County Historical Association Nathan Stalvey. The mill was built between 1782 and 1785, and the wheel shaft came from a white oak tree from Stratford Hall. Mr. Rieley noted that the grounds are a 1960 Griswold design.

The committee than traveled to Blandy Experimental Farm — the State Arboretum of Virginia, where Curator T’ai Ralston led the committee through Dogwood Lane and noted that about 20 new trees will be planted this year and a few wall repairs will be done. The wall is a dry stack stone and quite beautiful.

The following day the committee visited John Handley High School in Winchester and was greeted by Kevin McCue of the Winchester school system. Mr. Rieley guided committee members through the landscape work, noting how various groups working on a project would spur other groups to join, fundraising efforts being part of an amazing body of work.

After leaving JHHS, the group arrived at Belle Grove and was met by Executive Director Kristen Laise, who handed out guides for the garden and pointed out the fencing at the Teaching Garden, a GCV project completed three years ago, and the proposed memorial walkway designed by Mr. Rieley.

Mr. Rieley then provided the following updates of recent activity to the committee:

Belle Grove: The Yellowwood is in bloom, a tree that blooms every other year.

John Handley High School:  The sugar maples are doing well, and Jean Gilpin has been diligent to see that maintenance of the liriope continues in good fashion. The landscape committee of JHHS has asked for advice for new sign, which is certainly a beautiful enhancement to the grounds.

St. John’s Mews: Two large trees have been taken out and two Cornus ‘Venus’ have been planted.

Mary Washington House: The dogwoods were in sad condition, so were taken out and replaced with serviceberry, which are doing well.

Poe Museum: This is an ongoing project with five gardens, each independent. Ragged Mountain will be the next piece to have attention, using plants from Charlottesville. All the gardens are related to Poe’s writing. Maggie’s Garden is ready to be done.

Stratford Hall: Mr. Rieley reviewed the background study that has gone into the East Garden at Stratford Hall, including study of a 1929 aerial photo, as well as different styles of gardens that have been on the grounds. Excavation has helped to understand some of the design works that have been used. There are still questions to be resolved as to exactly what style garden best fits, but Mr. Rieley believes that Prestwould might be a good one to look at, also Mt. Vernon is a good example, with the thought that an 18th-century garden is the most authentic.

The committee traveled on September 6-7, 2017, to Petersburg and Richmond. It met at Centre Hill in Petersburg on September 6 for a tour of the house and grounds. The group then traveled to Richmond for lunch and a meeting at the Kent-Valentine House. The following day, the committee toured Maymont house and grounds, followed by a tour of the Grace Arents Garden at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

At the GCV Board of Governors meeting in Lexington on October 10-12, 2017, Restoration Committee Chairman Dianne Spence reported that the entire committee visits each site within a three-year period, and that property liaisons from the Restoration Committee visit their sites four times a year. These important meetings help convey the GCV mission and serve as a one-on-one personal contact between the property and the GCV.

She provided the following property updates:

Belmont, Fredericksburg: A pre-design lighting assessment by a noted consultant, David Tozer. Cost of installation to be assumed by the property.

Burwell-Morgan Mill, Millwood: Repairs to the roadside fencing installed in the 1970s.

Centre Hill, Petersburg: Planting ground cover.

Mary Washington House, Fredericksburg; Replaced dying dogwood with serviceberry trees at the entrance.

Poe Museum, Richmond; Fall planting in Maggie’s Garden and work to begin in the Ragged Mountain Garden. The museum has pocket gardens that reflect Edgar Allan Poe’s writing i.e. Low Country Garden.

Christ Church, Saluda; Repairs to the wall that was built by the GCV in 1942.

Point of Honor, Lynchburg: Beginning work on creation of rear garden plan.

Kent-Valentine House, Richmond: Roof and gutter repairs getting ready for our Centennial.

Dianne then introduced GCV Landscape Architect Will Rieley who presented an overview of future projects.

The committee met March 14-15, 2018, on the Northern Neck, with visits to Christ Church, Saluda; Historic Christ Church, Lancaster, and Stratford Hall. The committee  examined the recently repaired wall at Christ Church, Saluda. The Executive Director at Historic Christ Church, Lancaster presented proposals to the committee for new signage. The committee approved GCV Landscape Architect Will Rieley’s time to review the sketches of the signs and to also draft a plan for plantings in the parking areas consistent with the landscape. Director of Landscape at Stratford Hall Matt Peterschmidt led a tour of the gardens, and Will Rieley outlined the configuration of the new pathways and how the design of the garden will be implemented. The major plantings are scheduled to be in place in the fall of 2018.

At the Annual Meeting in Martinsville on May 16, 2018, Dianne provided the following property updates:

Christ Church, Saluda: The committee toured the church and examined the wall repaired by the GCV. As mentioned previously, the GCV built the wall in 1942. The rector, senior warden, and members of the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck garden clubs were present and all were appreciative of the work that was completed by Charles Funk. The project came in under budget.

Historic Christ Church, Lancaster: The GCV has strict standards for signs and plaques surrounding the properties, and the executive director and their liaison presented proposals to the committee for new signage. The committee approved GCV Landscape Architect Will Rieley’s time to review the sketches of the signs and to also draft a plan for plantings in the parking areas consistent with the landscape.

Point of Honor: The agreement between the GCV and Point of Honor has been signed and work is proceeding. The committee will visit in June.

Stratford Hall: The agreement between the GCV and Stratford Hall has been signed and work is already in progress. A tour of the site by Director of Landscape Matt Peterschmidt and Will Rieley outlined the configuration of the new pathways and how the design of the garden will be implemented. The major plantings are scheduled to be in place in the fall.

William & Mary, Reveley Garden: The agreement between the GCV and William & Mary has been progressing and has been approved by the GCV attorney. It has now been sent to William & Mary for signature. The first phase, which is preparation for the garden, will be completed by William & Mary. The second phase will be implemented by the GCV and will oversee the design and planting of the garden. The Board of Visitors will have a groundbreaking ceremony on June 13 to honor Helen and Taylor Reveley, who retires June 30. It will be held at the future site between Jefferson Hall and Ewell Hall.

Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library: The Augusta Garden Club received a Founders Award from the Garden Club of America for their “Project Dogwood.” The club has offered to give WWPL dogwoods for the south side of the museum and has asked the GCV for guidance. The committee approved Mr. Rieley’s time to consult with the planting.

Ongoing work, approved by the committee, continues at Belle Grove, Centre Hill, Lee Hall, the Poe Museum, Point of Honor, and Poplar Forest.

Dianne referenced the digitization project, initiated by the Restoration Committee in the 1990s in collaboration with the Virginia Museum of History & Culture (formerly the Virginia Historical Society). The committee allocated funds to digitize records dating back to 1939, which were stored mostly in boxes at the museum. Since then, a committee has been working with the properties to grant permission for use of their photographs and archives. Dianne pointed attendees to the digital records on the GCV website, as well as the website of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Research Fellowships

The 2017 William D. Rieley Fellowship was awarded to Krista Reimer, graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania in Landscape Design. She researched the landscape at Westover Plantation in Charles City County.

The 2017 Rudy J. Favretti Fellowship at Berkeley Plantation was awarded to Kathleen Conti, who is in her second year of a Masters of Historic Preservation at the University of Texas at Austin. She is also pursuing a PhD in Architecture. Kathleen has an ABD PhD in History from the University of Wisconsin, a Masters in Russian and European Studies from University of North Carolina, and an undergraduate degree from Randolph College.

The 2018 Rudy J. Favretti Fellowship was awarded to Mary Fesak, who completed her final year with a Masters of Historic Preservation from Clemson/Charleston. She received her BA in Historic Preservation and History in 2016 from the University of Mary Washington. Mary’s subject of research will be at Sherwood Forest Plantation in Charles City County.

The 2018 William D. Rieley Fellowship was awarded to Penelope Cottrell-Crawford, who finished her first year toward a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Arizona (2020). She received her BA in Art History, Environmental Art, and French Language from Lewis & Clark College (2011.) Penelope will research the landscape of Shirley Plantation in Charles City County.

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