HISTORICAL SOCIETYFounded May 1,1968

VOLUME 30 • NUMBER 3 • DECEMBER 2009

DECEMBER MEMBERSHIP MEETING WILL BE HELD AT CHASTAIN

Newsletter

CHASTAIN was built as “Woodlands” in Amelia County

1789-94 by Stephen Chastain Cocke. A Historical

American Building

Survey landmark, the house was

dismantled and rebuilt on its

present location in 1970-72,

with a kitchen wing addition.

The grounds were designed by

Thomas Church, a well-known

California landscape architect.

All of the paneling, mantels,

floors, doors, windows and locks

are original. The unusual plan of

four-over-four rooms with a large

stair hall is similar to Shirley

Plantation on the James River

and the John Marshall House in Richmond.

European hunting trophies in the guest room belonged to

a cousin, Colonel Charles Hancock Reed, credited with saving

the Lipizzaner horses for General George C. Patton in 1945.

The living room paneling is

more high-style, attributed to

Ingle and Hodgson who were

working on Jefferson’s State

Capitol at the same time the

original house was constructed.

The dining room features an

unusual pedimental mantel

and hand-blocked French

Zuber wallpaper of hunt-

scenes. Noteworthy are 17th,

18th and 19th century furnish-

ings, a Georgian miniature

house, a collection of ceramics

and a hidden greenhouse. Owned by the family of William T.

Reed III.

GOOCHLAND COUNTY

2 GOO CHLAND COUNTY HISTO RICAL SO CIETY NEWSLETTER

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Thanksgiving at the Goochland County

Historical Society is a good time to give

thanks for the many people, past and present,

who have contributed to the ongoing life and

success of the Society. This year, in my annual

letter, I tried to mention all the people from my

short one-year term of office who in 2009 con-

tributed their time, talent, or money to the

Society. However, I failed to mention some of

the many people whose contribution to the Society goes

before or beyond 2009, especially those ladies who organized,

coordinated, and ran the 2008 Goochland Historical Society

House Tour. This is especially embarrassing; because this

once every two years’ activity is one of the biggest fundraisers

for the Society. Unfortunately, the date of the event in 2008

fell between the end of my predecessor’s term and my taking

office in January, 2009. Now, at this Thanksgiving time I

want to salute and recognize Rachel Parker and Audrey

Eggleston, the hardworking chairpersons of this important

and traditional event. These ladies and the people who

opened their homes for the benefit of the Society including

Rob and Lynda Bloch, Bill and Grace King, the Adams

Family, Jim and Ginger Sanderlin, and Jim and Anne

Hardwick deserve our sincerest thanks and my apologize for

this delayed, but heartfelt, THANK YOU.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, we know that the

whole Holiday Season isn’t far behind. I hope

this season can begin for you at the Goochland

Historical Society’s Annual Holiday Members’

Meeting and Party which this year will be on

Sunday, December 6th, 3 PM, at Chastain, the

Sabot residence of Helen Scott Reed. During

the combination business meeting and early

holiday festivities the slate of board candidates

nominated by the GCHS’s Nominating Committee and

approved by the current Board of Directors will be announced;

nominations will be taken from the floor, with the election

of new board members following.

Also, I’d like to remind all GCHS members that their

annual dues to the Society are due in January. If, however, a

member would like a 2009 tax deduction, next year’s

membership may be paid in advance. Please see the member-

ship information on page 6.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

With Happy Holiday wishes to all, I am,

Yours truly,

Peter Rippe, President

The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, October 2009,includes an extensive article about the Goochland County

Historical Society. The front page article describes the Societyand its resources as well as highlighting the assistance receivedwhen doing research at the Center. “...Phyllis Silber, executivedirector of the Society, has a staff of more than sixteen volunteersincluding Sharon Perdue. The staff…is extremely helpful andmore than familiar with Goochland County history and genealogy,as well as Virginia records and research.… The GoochlandHistorical Society has a lot to offer to both focused researchers and

GOO CHLAND COUNTY HISTO RICAL SO CIETYFEATURED IN VGS NEWSLETTER

researchers starting with broader informational needs. The Societyhas genealogical information on every county in the Commonwealth.Researchers who visit will find someone to hold their hand, ifneeded, while developing a more directed approach to their research.The staff’s main objective is to guide them to the next step in theirstudy. Whether researchers visit Goochland County in person ortake advantage of the GCHS fee-based research service, the early,original sources and knowledgeable people of this county areinvaluable to any line of study involving this area of Virginiagenealogy.” The article was written by Robin Dwyer-Maurice.

DECEMBER 2009 3

The building that served as Rockett’s voting precinct has been made available to the Historical Societyas a permanent part of the yearly events at the Field Day of The Past. These photographs taken by

Research Assistant Lee Ellen Harris provide a glimpse into the displays inside the building as well as thewonderful new sign created by Ed Wilson and personally installed by him on the outside of the building.Thank You Ed and all the volunteers who came to greet the public and help with calendar sales, namelySara Bonovitch, Craig Bright, Tom Daniels, Isabel Duke, Mort Eggleston, Jeff Mabry, Doug Price, JamesRichmond, Peter Rippe, Sandie Warwick and Mel Sanderlin. Lee Ellen and VCU intern John Portelle setup the exhibit on Friday. Good Job and many thanks to you both.

OUR NEW HOME AT FIELD DAY OF THE PAST

The story of the Brit i sh occupation ofGoochland County by the Redcoats in

June 1781 was told in masterful and enter-taining detail by military historianDr. John Maass to the GoochlandHistorical Society on Sunday, Oct. 4at the Goochland Courthouse.Maass described the movementsof Lt. Gen. Lord Cornwallis’5000 troops from GuilfordCourthouse, North Carolinathrough Petersburg, Hanoverand into Goochland County.Their presence in the countyhas been described as “the great-est terror imaginable” and was thetitle of Maass’ talk.

Cornwallis’s mission was tostop the flow of rebel supplies fromVirginia into the Carolinas. Heassigned two other missions to his cav-alry elements: to capture GovernorThomas Jefferson and disrupt the GeneralAssembly at Charlottesville and to capture thepatriot arsenal and supply depot at Point of Fork[now Columbia, Va.] in Fluvanna County.These missions were assigned to Lt. ColsBanastre Tarleton and John Simcoe.

Cornwallis’ main forces proceeded throughOilville, down Glebe Road [now Fairgrounds

Road], to Goochland Courthouse and thenwest on River Road to Jefferson’s Elk-hill

plantation. Cornwallis and his forcesspent several days there destroying

crops and livestock and seizing whatthey needed. After Simcoe’s suc-cessful raid at Point of Fork andTarleton’s unsuccessful ventureto Charlottesville, Cornwallisand his men moved east throughRichmond into TidewaterVirginia and ultimately to surrender at Yorktown.

Cornwallis left in his wake acitizenry suffering from destroyed

barns, crops and livestock and anoverall feeling of anxiety about

the future.The Historical Society has pub-

lished its 2009 Magazine which is devotedin large part to Cornwallis’ troop movements

complete with photos, maps and documents toprovide the reader greater insight into this tumultuous

period in Goochland’s history. This 248-page magazine is on sale for $12.00 atthe Society’s Museum Gift Shop.

4 GOO CHLAND COUNTY HISTO RICAL SO CIETY NEWSLETTER

GOO CHLAND 1781: THE HIGH WATER MARK OFTHE BRITISH INVASION OF AMERICA

(IT WAS DOWNHILL TO YORKTOWN FROM HERE)

A brief summary of the presentation by Dr. John Maass at Goochland Courthouseby ANDREW J. DONNELLY, 1st Vice President & Programs Chairman

Guest speaker and author, Dr. John Maass

Lt. Gen. Lord CornwallisCourtesy of the Library of Virginia

DECEMBER 2009 5

Approximately 80-90 members attended

the October meeting held in the historic courthouse.

PICTURED CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT:

Bowlman---- Bowles and Harry Warthen

Ennion Williams, Ed Wilson, and Judy Wilson

Phyllis Silber and Mason Taylor

Sandie Warwick, Pam Bryant, and Valerie Johnson

John Maass, Doug Price and Fred Sorrell

Peter Rippe, Temple Bayliss, and Bob Warwick

6 GOO CHLAND COUNTY HISTO RICAL SO CIETY NEWSLETTER

Membership LevelsJAMES RIVER $500 and upBYRD CREEK $250 - $499GOLD MINE $100 - $249COURTHOUSE $50 - $99BUSINESS $50TUCKAHOE CREEK $25 - $49

RENEW YOURMEMBERSHIP FOR 2010Membership runs with calendar year.

Your support is important to us. Please take a

moment to renew your membership.

Invite your friends to become members in the

Goochland County Historical Society. Consider giving special friends a

Gift Membership.

Membership in the Goochland County Historical Society is open

to all persons who have an interest in history and preservation. You are cordially invited to join

us in this exciting and fulfilling endeavor. Memberships are annual. Contributions

to the Society above $15.00 are tax deductible.

ORAL HISTORY VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDWe need Volunteers to work on our Oral History Project. Trainingwill be provided to interview and document the history ofGoochland County. Please Call the Society to volunteer 556-3966.

MUSEUM GIFT SHOPNew in the Goochland County Historical Society Gift Shop: TheMagazine of the American Revolution – a new publication bythe American Revolution Association. Price $8.95 per issue

2010 CALENDAR CAPTION CORRECTIONThe January caption for the Taylor Family of Little Dover incor-rectly identified one of the children in the photograph. The cor-rect caption should read:This 1909 photograph is of the Charles W. Taylor family. TheTaylors lived at Little Dover, a plantation in Crozier whereCharles was a farmer and caretaker. Left to Right: Anna ParrishTaylor; Annabelle Taylor, age 3; Olivia Virginia Taylor, age 9;James Marshall Taylor, age 4; Charles W. Taylor. Photograph courtesy of Mason Taylor

WELCOME NEW MEMBERSRECENT GIFTS TO THE SOCIETY

James Richmond ~ Photographs of Crozier, GoochlandWomans Club Yearbook 1963, Cardwell High Schoolclass of 1921 Commencement Book

Dennis and Melinda Gammon ~ Rocket’s Voting PrecinctRegistration 1895

James A. Wash Family ~ Photograph of the Goochland Diner, 1937

Rick Evans ~ Photographs of Vinita on River Road

Hermitage Country Club ~ Book, A History of the FirstHundred Years

Jeff Mabry ~ Photographic Services for Society Events

Volunteer Opportunities.You Can Do It.

Brandon & Nancy Taylor Gum SpringBetty J. DeHart ColumbiaJames & Rebecca Blake MechanicsvilleSharon Jensen Faribault, Minnesota Warren & Suzanne Rose ColumbiaMelvin and Elsie Katz Manakin Sabot

Holiday SaleON SELECTED

MUSEUM SHOPITEMS THROUGH

DECEMBER 24TH

10-15% DISCOUNTS

Our winter hours are Wed.-Fri. 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

DECEMBER 2009 7

Our 2010 Calendars are available at these locations:Goochland County Historical Society • Goochland County Administration Building • Brookview Farm Store

• Dameron’s Market • JavaJodi’s Coffee Café • White Hawk Music Café All proceeds from calendar sales support the Society.

V intageGoochlandOur People, Places & Pleasures

GOOCHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 2010 CALENDAR

O.B. TAYLOR’S STORE, SABOT

THE 2010 VINTAGE GOO CHLAND CALENDARThe Perfect Gift!

Our custom designed, 32-page

2010 wall calendar is unique to

Goochland County.

Each month is beautifully illustrated

with vintage images of people & placesfrom bygone days.

Commercially printed on acid-free paper in sepia-toned

colors.

Features national holidays, county board of supervisors’meetings and schoolholidays.

Pages provide amplespace to write daily notes.

Size is 11” x 17” hanging.

COLLECT ALL FOUR BACK ISSUES

2010 collection of vintage Goochland County photographs

featuring people & places from bygone days

2010 CALENDAR only $8 each.~ Purchase 5 or more calendars for $7 each.Published by the Goochland County Historical Society.

A collection of vintage GoochlandCounty photographs featuring

people & places from bygone days

Enjoy fun scenes of Goochland’s heritage EVERY day of the year.

VISITOUR WEBSITE

FOR MOREGIFT IDEAS.

www.goochlandhistory.org

Visit the Goochland Historical SocietyThe Society’s headquarters are located ahalf mile east of the Goochland Courthouseat 2875 River Road West (Route 6).

Winter hours (October - March) are:Wednesday - Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.,or by appointment.

Summer hours (April - September) are:Tuesday - Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., orby appointment.

Those traveling long distances should callthe Society to confirm it will be open thatday. (804) 556-3966

E-mail the Societygoochlandhistory@verizon.net

Visit the Society’s Websitewww.goochlandhistory.org

Society Phone & Fax(804) 556-3966

Phyllis Silber, EditorDouglas Price, Designer© Copyright 2009 by the Goochland County Historical SocietyAll rights reserved.

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDGoochland, VAPermit No. 19

Goochland County Historical SocietyP. O. Box 602Goochland, Virginia 23063

The Goochland County Historical Society is a non-profit organization founded and operatedfor the perpetuation and preservation of Goochland County heritage and tradition.

Goochland County Historical SocietyPhyllis Silber, Executive Director

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2009Peter Rippe, President

Andrew Donnelly, 1st Vice PresidentMarty MacMillan, 2nd Vice President

Louise Thompson, SecretaryFred Sorrell, Treasurer

Craig BrightHoward Cobb

Carolyn ComerfordMorton Eggleston

Janet Lehre Jeffrey Mabry

David PlagemanDoug Price

James Richmond Sandie Warwick Pete Williams

Ed WilsonJohn M. Williamson, Esq., Registered Agent

U P C O M I N G E V E N T SAnnual Members’ Meeting

Will be Held at

“CHASTAIN”the Sabot residence of Mrs. William T. Reed III

Sunday December 6th at 3:00 p.m.

DIRECTIONS:

From Goochland:Travel east on Route 6 (River Road) approximately eight miles. Turn left on

Sabot Hill Road. Follow the signs to the house.

From Richmond:Travel west on Route 6 (River Road) approximately seven miles. Turn right

on Sabot Hill Road. Follow the signs to the house.

The address is: 1010 River Road West, Manakin-Sabot 23103