Berkeley Plantation

While David was working on Thursday morning I drove to visit Berkeley, a plantation house on the banks of the James river, dating to 1726.

Berkeley is well known in Virginia as the home of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence - Benjamin Harrison - and birthplace of two Presidents - William Henry Harrison (9th President) and his grandson Benjamin Harrison (23rd President).

Built of locally made brick in the Georgian style, the house is very solidly constructed and inside (no photos allowed) had interesting later Adam style wooden ceiling and door surround decorations.

As represented by these huge plants growing in the kitchen garden, this was one of the many Virginia tobacco plantations.  Still farmed today, although on less acres,  it now specializes in soy bean and other vegetable crops.

This summer house/tea room in the grounds is a replica of a Chippendale gazebo that was created for the house.

There are several acres of formal gardens leading down towards the river - much of the garden surrounded with box hedges.



At each side of the main house, two matching smaller houses built at the same time but later covered in stucco.  This one was the kitchen and house slave quarters, the other was for the young bachelor sons of the original Harrison family.

During the guided tour of the house there was much to learn about the history of the house and its families and the beautiful antique furniture and works of art owned by the current family.  Once back in the garden, however, I turned my lens on the butterflies enjoying the flower garden.

This was a tiny butterfly, resting on a warm stone, I don't recognize it.

This is a Tiger Swallowtail - very difficult to capture with its wings open or in flight.

Two views of a beautiful Monarch butterfly.

Another unidentified butterfly enjoying the flowers.

On a tree near the butterfly garden a tiny lizard was sunning itself.  What an amazing coloured tail!