Jefferson’s other home: The serene beauty of Poplar Forest
Inside. Outside. Home. MARCH-APRIL 2019
An ambitious makeover turns a traditional home into an airy family retreat
LOFTY GOALS HOLY CHIC!
The gamechanging style of 550 Water Street
Huge moth paintings, an entertaining garage, furniture gone mod, a tasteful tasting room, and more!
FLOUR POWER
Wade’s Mill grinds toward its 270th anniversary
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Justin H. Wiley
Peter A. Wiley
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503 Faulconer Drive, Suite 6 • Charlottesville, VA 22903
ESTATE PARCEL IN GREENWOOD
CUSTOM HOME IN A PRIVATE SETTING
HUNTINGFIELD FARM - Beautiful 305 acres located on Ortman Road in the Greenwood area of Albemarle County. Offered for the first time in over 60 years, this is a perfect estate parcel with numerous streams, open meadows, and wonderful mountain views. Though only 20 minutes to town, the farm is completely free of traffic noise. Situated amongst a block of large estates that are protected by conservation easements, it is protected with a maximum of 4 division rights. MLS# 574548 • Price upon request.
CHOPIN DRIVE - Custom home with incredible views across a 30-acre lake to the Ragged Mountains beyond, in a completely private setting. 15 minutes from town. This elegant home offers an open floor plan with an artfully designed kitchen, first floor, double master and a large sunroom looking out to the lake. Stairs or elevator to the second bedrooms and art studio. An attached 3-car garage with 1 BR apt, stable and paddock, extensive gardens, round out this incredible offering. 40 MBPS internet. MLS# 582974 • Price upon request.
Justin H. Wiley – 434.981.5528
Peter A. Wiley – 434.422.2090
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CLASSIC CHARM AND MODERN AMENITIES
LAUREL RIDGE - English country manor home designed by renowned architect and built by highly respected contractor. Located amongst large, protected estates in the North Garden area of Albemarle County just 20 minutes from town. Property also has a swimming pool, storage barn, kennel & workshop. House is in very good condition & the kitchen was recently redone. Completely private setting. MLS# 558793 • Price upon request.
GREEN MOUNTAIN CONSTRUCTION HOME - Transitional home packed w/ modern amenities, exudes classic charm. Includes: a modern kitchen w/ all amenities & walk-in pantry, separate mudroom & laundry areas, conveniently located near the garage entrance. 1st floor master suite is spacious & private. Open concept family room & flex spaces on the 1st floor allow the floor plan to be tailored to the purchaser’s specific needs. Large bedrooms & ample closet space on the 2nd floor. MLS# 573849 • Price upon request.
Justin H. Wiley – 434.981.5528
Peter A. Wiley – 434.422.2090
PRIVACY AMONGST LARGE ESTATES
EXCEPTIONAL FARM 14 MILES TO TOWN
LINDEN RIDGE - A private 70 ac estate among other estates in the Keswick Hunt area of Albemarle Cty. The 1920’s home is situated on a knoll in the center of manicured acreage, with dramatic views of the SW Mtns. Though very convenient to C'ville, this 4 BR home is insulated from road noise. The exterior includes a detached garage, formal gardens with irrigation, rear patio, numerous specimen trees, guest cottage, art studio barn, stable, fencing, stream, gated entry. MLS# 574653 • Price upon request.
SOUTHERN ALBEMARLE FARM - A beautiful, medium-sized horse farm or retreat, this turn-of-the-century farmhouse is well-sited in the center of 77 acres of fenced pasture and fields, with a beautiful stable, large pond and trails. The farm offers privacy and views and is adjacent to over 1500 acres of protected farmland. A 6-stall barn with power, water, bathroom, tack room, wash stall and shavings storage is positioned near the large outdoor ring. MLS# 558491 • Price upon request.
Justin H. Wiley – 434.981.5528
C-VILLE ABODE
W W W.W I L E Y P R O P E R T Y.C O M
Peter A. Wiley – 434.422.2090
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About face 45 His clients’ suggestion to reverse the orientation of the central staircase provided architect David Day with a pivotal design cue. After the flip—and the removal of the stairs’ surrounding walls—Day was well on his way to turning a traditional creekside home into an airy, loft-like retreat. Bathed in natural light, the finished product also provides wideopen views of the surrounding woods.
Jefferson’s other home 53
ADAM WAYLAND
It was a three-day carriage trip from Monticello to Poplar Forest, the former president’s retreat near Lynchburg. There, he relaxed with family, wrote letters to John Adams, and perfected what is “one of the most important neoclassical buildings in the world,” according to restoration director Travis McDonald. Today, the property gives visitors the chance to see a different side of TJ.
Spring is about transformation. The leaves on the trees unfurl, and plants emerge and come alive with color, replacing the grays and browns of winter. As the days grow longer and warmer, we trade our heavy sweaters for lighter clothing, and a sense of renewal lifts our spirit. In a way, every story in this magazine is about transformation. The architects of a groundbreaking new building downtown explain how it portends profound changes in Charlottesville’s urban fabric. Writer Erika Howsare explores the meticulous restoration of Thomas Jefferson’s other home, Poplar Forest, and architect David Day’s clever conversion of a traditional home into a loft-like retreat. And painter Deborah Davis opens up about her obsession with moths, one of nature’s great symbols of—you guessed it— Briar Hill , page 36 transformation. Here’s to spring, and to change in its many wonderful forms. —Joe Bargmann
308 E. Main St. Charlottesville, VA 22902 (434) 817-2749 n c-ville.com c-ville.com/abode C-VILLE ABODE
ABODE, a supplement to C-VILLE Weekly, is distributed in Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the Shenandoah Valley. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Editor Laura Longhine. Abode Editor Joe Bargmann. Copy Editor Susan Sorensen. Creative Director Bill LeSueur. Graphic Designers Tracy Federico, Max March, Lorena Perez. Account Executives Erica Gentile, Theressa Leak, Alex Patterson, Cindy Simmons, Beth Wood. Production Coordinator Faith Gibson. Publisher Aimee Atteberry. Chief Financial Officer Debbie Miller. Marketing Manager Anna Harrison. A/R Specialist Nanci Winter. Circulation Manager Billy Dempsey. ©2019 C-VILLE Weekly.
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BLUEPRINT 13
Patio perch 29
Turning point
Grand garage 33
A Q&A with the architects of 550 Water Street
Crafting a style all his own 17
The rustic-modern furniture of Tate Pray
Lounge act 19
It’s a place to park the cars— and entertain
Ready, set, grow! 35 How to start veggies and flowers from seed
Living history 37
After 269 years, Wade’s Mill still produces
Flying Fox Vineyard gets a clubby tasting room
We ask, designers answer 41
A kitchen full of light 23
PRETTY THINGS 66
Cooking space + family room = happiness!
Furniture, Art, Accessories, Mirrors, Porcelain, Fireplace and Lighting
New hardscaping with a killer mountain view
Lay of the land 27 The meticulous historic maps of Mike Crabill
Favorite coffee-table books. Plus, events!
Little big moths The sublime paintings of Deborah Davis
Cover photo by Adam Wayland. Comments? E-mail us at abode@c-ville.com. https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&view=btop&ver=jbkvw9kdo6f4#attid%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fmail.google.com%25252Fmail%25252Fu%25252F0%25252F
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Blueprint Design in all its many forms
KEVIN BLACKBURN
Turning point The new building on Water Street epitomizes upscale urban style. But what does it say about the future of downtown Charlottesville? The architects weigh in. By Joe Bargmann C-VILLE ABODE
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Abode: There’s plenty of opinion about 550 and its potential impact on Charlottesville real estate, especially downtown. How would you explain its position in the market, and the style you chose? Cecilia: There’s a fundamental thing you have to understand if you want to understand architecture, period: There’s style, and there’s typology. You can mix and match the two. So, you can have a courtyard building, which is a type of building, that is very modern, baroque, Tudor, or some other style. But style and typology get confused in the collective conversation about architecture, and it really mucks things up. In Charlottesville, because of the influence of Thomas Jefferson, there’s this idea that mimicking the style of his work is an architectural goal. To me, that mixes up the issues. It’s weird to apply to modern typologies what TJ did in terms of style.
MATT WAGNER
he address of the wedge-shaped building is 550 E. Water St., but it is better known simply as 550. That’s what happens when a piece of architecture breaks new ground. It becomes a symbol, and a shorthand reference is enough to identify it. Designed by Cecilia Hernandez Nichols and her husband, Robert Nichols—founders and principals of Formwork—550 did not come into this world quietly. Construction of the six-story building forced street closures and riled some business owners, who said it was hurting their bottom line and blocking mountain views. One complained that the building threatened the character of the neighborhood. “I really, really dislike that every open space on Water Street is going to be gone,” she told C-VILLE Weekly. “It’ll be so cold.” The architects don’t contest the point that 550 could be a harbinger of downtown densification. And they make no apology for the high prices commanded by its commercial space and six opulently appointed condos, which are listed for as much as $2.5 million. In fact, they are proud of its elegant, contemporary design, and they believe 550 could inspire the building of more— and more affordable—downtown living space. Over lunch at Brasserie Saison recently, they discussed 550 and much more.
The clean lines of the building’s architecture echo in one of the apartments, with modern furnishings and unadorned finishes.
Robert: Up until 10 years ago, the thought that somebody might invest in residential construction on that tiny site, much less expensive residential construction, was preposterous. So designing for residential living at that location is unprecedented. A site that was once peripheral is now central. Can you expand on the idea of the forms that make up the building, and why they might be a good model for future development? Robert: 550 consists of a tall portion that com-
pletes the intersection of 5th and Water streets; a short connector piece that is somewhat utilitarian in nature, with garage doors; and finally, next to the old train station, a small volume that’s more or less the scale of a duplex. If you were to take those forms, and move them around to other potential building sites, especially close to downtown, they would create the variety of scale that makes blocks pleasing, and could also help transition to lower density streets further from the center. Cecilia: Are you getting at the fact that we didn’t
maximize the zoning envelope? Robert: Yes, but that shouldn’t be a goal.
Robert Nichols and Cecilia Hernandez Nichols
AMY JACKSON SMITH
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What’s really new about 550? What makes it unique?
Why? Cecilia: There exists a default attitude that building, in general, is bad. But I think for social creatures, urban density is a good thing. The world’s great cities, large and small, demonstrate this. But we must manage changes in this regard so that the scale of buildings and density of population are consistent with the needs of the community. Of course, factors other than scale also figure in: economic, environmental, and so on. In Charlottesville, we have this small, nicely scaled, walkable part of the our city that is enormously desirable, but the community often acts as if density should be resisted. We can fit more people here—upper, middle, and lower income members of the community. Density of population entails a certain density of construction, otherwise the people who work downtown return to bedroom communities
Did you sense that when you were designing 550? Robert: Yes and no. It’s easy to hear public grumbling (I try not to read the comments!) about brick color and stylistic issues. But conversations with the Board of Architectural Review are more substantive. There, and before the planning commission, the conversation was almost entirely about scale. What makes 550 right for Charlottesville at this time, and for that location? Cecilia: What Robert said: scale. Regardless of whether we would have liked to see an extra
at the end of the day. The question is, what will be the nature of the increasingly dense built form—the architecture—that comes along with a greater population?
story on the taller volume, or how we could have slightly reshaped the massing, the foundational concept of the massing and how the volumes relate to the street are an appropriate next step for Charlottesville.
Cecilia: I agree. The development and design team
started with the idea that we were not going to maximize the by-right envelope for many reasons. If you look at the rhythm of the buildings on both sides of Water Street, it’s very higgledy-piggledy. C-VILLE ABODE
One block from 550 is a huge parking garage. That blows the massing equation out of the water. We were just looking at what a livable meter might be along the street, and trying to fit the project to that. There’s the C&O restaurant right across the street, for God’s sake.
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At 550 you have the most expensive living spaces in the city. Is that a point of pride or shame? Robert: There’s a couple of things going on.
One is super-tight proximity to the center of town, where there’s a lot of pressure on land values. Housing that’s considered affordable— especially if it’s going to benefit from some incentive or subsidy—can’t be expensive to build. And so, a site like that, small and close to downtown, where it’s difficult to benefit from economies of scale, precluded 550 from playing a role as affordable housing. Parking is a major issue downtown. How did it influence the design of 550? Cecilia: We had to accommodate cars at the base
level. In a sense, we designed around the parking spaces we needed to include, but it doesn’t look that way. In the end, we wanted to design spaces that were enjoyable to live in, and we wanted the building to be beautiful. I hope people think that it is, and if the design brings a premium to the price, that’s a total point of pride! What statement does 550 make, design-wise, in the context of other downtown buildings? Robert: I think it says that tackling any empty
or underutilized site is worth a stab. It would be great if the mechanisms imposing constraints, economic or regulatory, would support greater density. I mean, when we built this building and the Holsinger, we heard a lot of people lamenting the loss of a parking lot. And a parking lot, especially a surface parking lot, is not something to be desired downtown. I would like to think that any site should be seen as fair game for building up and tightening up the urban fabric. Cecilia: Sites should be exploited for what they are. There needs to be a sliding scale. You figure in whatever incentives are available, and our priorities as a community, and hopefully that makes for a healthy mix of housing that includes everybody. But doesn’t 550 cut against that grain?
Cecilia: Just because 550 has expensive apartments doesn’t mean each piece of land downtown should be exploited in the same way. The scale of the building was what alarmed many during the approval process. They said, “That’s a huge building!” But it’s not a huge building. I think if people get comfortable with the approach to scale that 550 demonstrates, we will be able to fit a lot of us here, downtown, in a very livable, walkable way, at every income level. C-VILLE ABODE
“
We have this small, nicely scaled, walkable part of the our city that is enormously desirable, but the community often acts as if density should be resisted. We can fit more people here —upper, middle, and lower income members of the community.”
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B L U E P R I N T
Crafting a style all his own Piece by piece, local artist Tate Pray builds furniture and a brand By Nathan Alderman
AMY JACKSON SMITH
T
he fundamental nature of art,” says Tate Pray, “is that it has no use.” But the Charlottesville-based designer seems bent on proving that maxim wrong, crafting wooden furniture that’s both functional and reflective of his playful sense of humor. Pray seems to thrive on contradictions. He uses traditional woodworking techniques to give his stylish Modernist designs a rustic touch. And he balances his pieces’ clean, stark lines with witty accents. He’s built boxy dressers and side tables that hunch on insect-like legs, crate furniture “fastened” with cartoonish painted-on nails, and a trestle table with surface planks that follow the contours of the tree from which the boards were cut. “I love humor and whimsy,” Pray says. “I think they are two of the great treats of life. So they have, and will, find their way into my work so long as I feel the expression is worthwhile and original.” From his woodshop off Harris Street, Pray collaborates on projects with local interior designers
and creates his own furniture and accessories. Furniture has to work like it’s supposed to, he says, but it also needs to look good. Pray says he tries to strike a balance between form and function that will best meet his customers’ needs. Pray’s currently renovating a 500-square-foot showroom space next to his workshop, planned to open in late spring. There, he aims to “develop a cohesive collection of furniture, art, and home accessories that I hope will be a resource for designers as well as my local community,” he says. “I’m going for a New York loft-like, home-decor gallery vibe.”
C-VILLE ABODE
The showroom is key to Pray’s goal of building his own brand here. “Charlottesville is wildly supportive of the arts and design,” he says. “If I can add something unique and honest to that, I know this town will support me.”
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B L U E P R I N T
Lounge act PHOTOGRAPHY BY VIRGINIA HAMRICK C-VILLE ABODE
Flying Fox Vineyard gets clubby with its new tasting room By Joe Bargmann
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The richness of the furnishings, in both color and fabrication, contrasts with the building’s stark interior, which has concrete floors. Whimsical details—such as, wallpaper featuring the caricature of a fox in a red hunting jacket and antique flying machines—keep the mood light and enhance the travel theme.
T
he style of central Virginia’s wine-tasting rooms generally reflects their rural, agrarian roots. Some have a rustic, barn-like feel, because vineyards are essentially farms. Others exude the refinement and grandeur of a country estate, where one might relax with a glass of viognier after a morning on horseback. There are exceptions. Gabriele Rausse Winery built a trapezoidal modern glass box in the woods, and Stinson Vineyards chose a minimalist design, converting a three-car garage to house its production facilities and tasting room. Flying Fox Vineyard—which opened its new location in Afton in September 2018—presents something entirely different. “We have a running joke,” says George Hodson, who co-owns the winery with his sisters Emily Pelton and Chloe Watkins. “If an old English pub and a ’70s carpet factory and a Virginia winery all had a baby, this is what you’d get.” To deliver this unlikely mash-up, Hodson turned to Folly, the Charlottesville home furnishings store and interior design studio of Victoria Pouncey and Beth Ann Kallen. Pouncey is 20
a friend of Hodson and his wife, Tralyn. “I knew they were working on this project,” Pouncey recalls, “and George said, Oh, we need help!” “I came onboard in mid-June, and they were supposed to open August 1,” Pouncey says. “I told them, ‘I don’t see how you can do that.’” The clients pushed back the opening one month, which gave Pouncey time to solidify her design ideas, select her color palette, and source light fixtures, wall coverings, art, and furnishings, including a custom leather-upholstered settee and couches. The latter were especially daunting, since made-to-order pieces usually take eight weeks or more to complete. Luckily, Hodson had friends at Moore & Giles, the leather goods company headquartered in Forest, Virginia, which Pouncey put in touch with custom furniture makers she knows in North Carolina. Everyone agreed to work on an accelerated timeline. The elements came together quickly. “I wanted it to be industrial with a somewhat old-fashioned look,” Pouncey says. “There’s a friction between those two styles that creates a unique energy.”
The industrial feel is endemic to the building, a stark brick structure with concrete floors that once was a yarn and fabric factory. The oldfashioned theme announces itself with a whimsical mural on a towering exterior wall. Rendered in black-and-white—except for the blazing-red Flying Fox logo—the painting depicts a wine cask held aloft by a hot-air balloon. Inside, a wall extends three-quarters of the way across the cavernous room, creating two distinct spaces. The one in front feels like a Victorian parlor, with dark furniture and splashes of color provided by details such as the red leather shades Pouncey selected for the floor lamps. “I wanted this area to be lounge-y, and I think it is,” Hodson says. The rear portion of the room, by contrast, is much larger, with a high ceiling and plenty of open space. Along the back wall stretches the tasting bar, made of concrete that matches the floors. But the clubby feeling is not lost here; it carries through with a rather grand, round leather sofa and sconce-studded walls partially covered with the same material. C-VILLE ABODE
What’s in a name? Visitors to Flying Fox may notice the winery’s namesake on a table inside the front door. The weather vane depicts a leaping fox and once stood atop a shed at the vineyard’s original Nelson County location. Flying Fox Vineyard was established in 2001 to supply grapes to its parent property, Veritas Vineyard & Winery, which is owned by Andrew and Patricia Hodson—George, Emily, and Chloe’s parents. The Hodsons eventually began selling wines with the Flying Fox label, but the brand really came into its own when it moved to the current location. The family now calls the old weather vane Mr. Fox, and is developing the character as a brand symbol and representative. “Mr. Fox is a world traveler,” Pouncey says. “That’s why you see the globe in the Flying Fox logo, and also why there are so many maps on the walls at the winery.” There’s one of Nelson County, two of Jacksonville, Florida, George and Tralyn’s former home, and a very impressive one of London. “George’s parents are English,” Pouncey says. “At Folly we happened to have this huge map of London—it’s really an installation, framed in 18 sections.” While the fictional Mr. Fox travels the world, Pouncey found ways to place other fox imagery in the winery. For instance, on an accent wall in the men’s restroom, the caricature of a fox in a red riding coat repeats in a regular pattern against a creamy white background. It’s bold, playful, and a clever design choice, perfectly fitting the message Flying Fox wants to convey. And like the rest of the interior appointments, it came in just under the wire. “I was there, making finishing touches, the day before the winery opened,” Pouncey says. “I can’t believe we got it done.”
“
I wanted it to be industrial with a somewhat old-fashioned look. There’s a friction between those two styles that creates a unique energy.” Victoria Pouncey
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A kitchen full of light
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A big, bright cooking space blends beauty and functionality By Erika Howsare 23
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C-VILLE ABODE
Sunlight pours in through an atrium skylight and large double-hung windows bracketing the stove and exhaust hood. The rich colors of the tile backsplash and painted finishes lend contrast and depth to the design.
F
C-VILLE ABODE
While the house itself is traditionally styled, the clients have modern taste. This gave the project a “pleasing tension,” according to Turner. Interior designer Alexandra Bracey added contemporary touches, like the Urban Electric light fixture above the island “The clients wanted color,” Turner says. “They had a picture of tile with blues and greens.” The new backsplash is composed of a variegated tile in those same hues. This harmonizes with honed quartzite countertops and Shakerstyle cabinets in Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue. Satin brass hardware is contemporary in form
PHOTOGRAPHY BY VIRGINIA HAMRICK
or the interior redesign of a large house in a leafy Charlottesville neighborhood, architect Bethany Puopolo reassigned many of its spaces—a family room became the master suite, and the living and dining rooms switched places—in order to make them work better for her clients, a couple with three young children. But the father, the family’s primary cook, decided where the kitchen should be. “He was quite skillful in his analysis of the house,” Puopolo says. The couple wanted the kitchen and family room to be the heart of the house, where they and their kids would spend most of their time. To accomplish this, the kitchen was relocated from one end of the sprawling home to its center, and given a larger footprint. Puopolo and kitchen designer Karen Turner worked together to craft a kitchen that would be full of light and highly functional. “In order to create some centerline, I changed a big back window to two narrow windows,” Turner says. This design decision reduced the room’s natural light, but others compensated for it. The sun shines in through a skylight over the kitchen’s center island and a big window in a breakfast nook. The latter is separated by a built-in hutch with glass doors on both sides, allowing light to flow freely between the kitchen and family room, and providing access to dishes from either room.
but “the finish lends more traditional flavor,” Turner says. On one end of the island, a walnut section appended to the quartzite countertop lends an unusual touch. The wood was added because structural considerations prevented centering the skylight above the island; however, it appears to be on center because it is positioned directly above the stone slab. Functional considerations dovetailed with aesthetics. Because the cook/husband is tall, Turner increased the counter heights. She also divided the kitchen into two zones—cooking and cleanup. She kept things efficient for the cook, with stove, fridge, sink, and trash all within a few steps. The dishwasher is placed so that it can be unloaded directly into the hutch. With a 12-foot opening between the kitchen and family room, the two rooms are intimately connected. “I tried to hide appliances so that when you look in from the family room, all you see is the range,” Turner says. “I added a paneled wall to hide the fridge and create a hall closet.” Despite the big changes accomplished in the renovation, Turner says, the house’s footprint stayed the same. “We revisited the layout and simplified it,” she says. “I think it’s important to make the house give you everything it can.” And, of course, to give the cook a space that makes him happy. 25
CONFIDENCE
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I have had better results with one laser hair removal treatment from Charlottesville Skin and Laser Center than in the 7 treatments I had elsewhere. – Chelsea
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B L U E P R I N T
Lay of the land A Lovingston mapmaker painstakingly pieces together history By Lisa Martin
C
enturies before Google Earth and Google Maps, taking the measure of a piece of property was grueling work. A surveyor produced rudimentary descriptions, such as: “Beginning at the white oak, head true north 30 degrees, then east 500 poles to a red oak, then south to the muddy creek.” Lovingston cartographer Mike Crabill, 75, relied on information like this when he set out, in 1995, to render a map of Nelson County showing land-ownership grants (or patents) made as early as 1722. His work was almost as arduous as the surveying itself, in part because most of the boundary-defining landmarks were impermanent. “Corners were usually a wooden stake, a pile of rocks, maybe a tree with a chop in the trunk,” Crabill says. He also racked up a lot of miles—and countless hours of research—to get the job done. “Before everything was available on the computer, I had to go to Richmond to look at microfilm of the deeds and print off copies,” Crabill says. No wonder it took him eight years to complete the map. Searchable online records helped Crabill with subsequent mappings of Amherst and Albemarle counties, but the process is still laborious and slow. Following descriptions found in patents, he draws parcels at scale, cuts them out, and pieces them together, using landmarks such as watersheds and adjacent properties as guides. Like a puzzle in progress, his maps come into view. Crabill, like the customers who buy his maps, is interested in the history of the region, and the land patents tell a story of both adventure and C-VILLE ABODE
greed in the colonies. “The [British] Crown sold patents under certain conditions, such as a promise to improve the land, but it was rarely enforced against the wealthy men,” he says. And, yes, it was almost always men. Across all three county maps, Crabill encountered only a handful of patents registered to women, and just one to a black man. “The [British] Crown used a ‘headright’ system, where if a person paid for someone else to cross the Atlantic, he received the right to a 50-acre patent for each ‘head’ he
Following descriptions found in patents, he draws parcels at scale, cuts them out, and pieces them together, using landmarks such as watersheds and adjacent properties as guides.
brought over.” Upon arrival, those people typically became indentured servants for seven years. Local residents interested in genealogy look to Crabill’s maps to find their ancestors, and a copy of his Albemarle map hangs in the record room of property deeds in the Albemarle County Courthouse. Crabill used fine art pens to carefully outline each parcel so the boundaries are easy to see, and he mimicked the naturalist style of Audubon to illustrate the borders with indigenous wildlife. He describes his drawings as “folk-y and primitive.” Will neighboring counties benefit from Crabill’s meticulous detective work? “At my age it’s quite a commitment,” he says, though he doesn’t shut the door. Augusta? Buckingham? Maybe it’s time to call Crabill. NEED TO KNOW For more about Crabill’s maps, visit crabillmaps.com. 27
STEVE & DEBBIE MILLER Two different recoveries in the same year
From two big recoveries Rehabilitation care that got them both back home fast and fishing together again.
TO TWO BIG BASS!
“When Debbie had back surgery and I injured myself shoveling snow, we both needed a lot of care to rebuild our strength. LifeWorks Rehab helped us get back to the things we love doing faster than we ever would have expected.”
– Steve & Debbie Miller
The award-winning LifeWorks Rehab program is available exclusively at these local centers:
1540 Founders Place | Charlottesville, VA 22902
505 West Rio Rd | Charlottesville, VA 22901
(434) 260-8211
(434) 202-5133
www.AlbemarleHealthRehab.com
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www.CharlottesvilleRehab.com
C-VILLE ABODE
STEPHEN BARLING
B L U E P R I N T
Patio perch A new hardscape offers a knockout Blue Ridge view By Erika Howsare
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fter living for decades in a grand house in Suffolk, Virginia, overlooking a 27acre lake, Diane Grieder and Marion Grigg retired to Charlottesville and a whole new landscape. They were glad to downsize to a smaller home, Grieder says, but “it was hard to give up that lake view.” Two years ago, when they found a house in Lake Reynovia facing the Blue Ridge, they knew they’d make it their new spot. C-VILLE ABODE
Perched on a rocky slope, the property had a clear sightline to the mountains in the west, but their deck and screened porch didn’t take advantage of the vista. “We were climbing up the rocks to watch the sunset,” Grieder says. They started to imagine a patio that would tie in with the deck and provide a place to entertain outdoors while drinking in the view. Existing stone walls on the site, along with large boulders placed here and there by a former owner, led them to envision a rustic design that would connect visually with the mountain landscape. One day, during a daily neighborhood walk, Grieder spotted Tony Kline building a similar hardscape, and Kline’s company, Earthtones, eventually became the couple’s designer and builder. Because of the site’s steep slope, Kline knew from the start that the patio would have to be terraced. “It would be really tough to achieve this with one level,” he says. “The [retaining] wall would have been too high.” He sketched a curving, two-level patio that wraps around the deck on the lower level, connecting to it seamlessly. A young oak tree and a water feature—a boulder “bubbler,” as Kline calls it—provide focal points. Three steps lead to the upper level.
Kline and his team began by building the retaining wall below the first level. Using Timber Ridge stone in three sizes, Kline blended the wall into boulders at the end furthest from the house. The flagstone patio surface, also from Timber Ridge, features beautiful reds, oranges, and grays, while the steps are sandstone blocks. Kline spent hours choosing and placing each flagstone. “He’s an artisan,” Grieder says. As home improvements often go, the nearby walkway around the back of the house—made of concrete pavers—suddenly looked shabby after the new patio was finished. The couple asked Kline to replace it with more Timber Ridge flagstone set into gravel, and to build the adjacent retaining walls with new wooden beams. Kline finished the project around Thanksgiving, and Grieder and Grigg look forward to enjoying the space in warm weather. A movable fire pit and patio furniture will give them options for different setups on the patio’s two levels. They’ll also be busy this spring putting plantings in the mulched hillside below the patio wall. And anytime they want, whether they’re working or entertaining, they can look up and soak in that great view to the west. 29
A Selection of Our Fall 2018 & Winter 2019 Sales REPRESENTED BUYER
C louds Hill in ivy •
nortH downtown
represented seller
REPRESENTED SELLER
REPRESENTED SELLER
REPRESENTED SELLER
EdnaM
nortH downtown
C&o row downtown
REPRESENTED SELLER
REPRESENTED SELLER
REPRESENTED BUYER & SELLER
g lEnMorE
off rugBy road
grEEnwood
REPRESENTED SELLER
nEar uva
trEEtoPs in farMington •
represented seller
R E P R E S E N T I N G D I S T I N C T I V E P RO PE RT I E S I N C H A R LOT T E S V I L L E & T H E S U R RO U N D I N G C O U N T RY S I D E 30
C-VILLE ABODE
REPRESENTED BUYER & SELLER
four aCrEs in
tHE
City •
afton
represented seller
REPRESENTED SELLER
REPRESENTED BUYER & SELLER
REPRESENTED SELLER
stony Point
MEadowBrook HEigHts
grEEnBriar
REPRESENTED BUYER & SELLER
REPRESENTED SELLER
REPRESENTED BUYER & SELLER
B Ellair in ivy
EarlysvillE
MEadowBrook HEigHts
REPRESENTED BUYER & SELLER
ivy
nortH dogwood
in
farMington •
401 Park Street Charlottesville, VA 22902
represented buyer
(434) 977-4005 lwoodriff@loringwoodriff.com
C-VILLE ABODE
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W W W. L O R I N G W O O D R I F F. C O M
Annie Gould Gallery A unique art gallery located in the heart of Historic Downtown Gordonsville. Offering an assortment of works by artists from around the country. 121-B South Main Street Gordonsville • (540) 832-6352 www.facebook.com/anniegouldgallery www.instagram.com/anniegouldgallery A unique art gallery located in
the heartof Historic Downtown Gordonsville. Offering an assortment of works by artists 109 S. Main Street, Gordonsville, VA from around the country.
(540) 832-6352
anniegouldgallery
JANICE “HOME IS THE NICEST WORD THERE IS.” - Laura Ingalls Wilder
KAVANAGH Associate Broker LiveCharlottesville.com Janice@NestRealty.com
434.760.0739
126 GARRETT ST, STE D | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA 22902 800-325-NEST (6378)
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B L U E P R I N T
Grand garage A grungy space gets a lush upgrade By Lisa Martin
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There’s something extremely clever about creating a space with dual functionality: a place to entertain and to park a car. Cladding the walls and ceiling with bright, reclaimed wood conveys both hominess and utilitarianism.
PHOTOGRAPHY: KIP DAWKINS
garage is often a dank, dusty place, cluttered and cobwebby, smelling of gasoline and grass clippings. It’s the last place most homeowners would choose to create a bright, inviting space that could host, say, a wedding party—but a Farmington couple did that and more, with a contemporary renovation of their three-car garage, an addition to their 1942 Marshall Wells-designed home. Not everyone was on board with the idea at first. “The builder and the architect thought it was crazy,” the homeowner says. “But they’ve since converted to the concept that we don’t have to waste these spaces; they can be functional.” Kathy Heiner, founder and principal of Charlottesville’s klh designs, elevated that notion with sleek, stylish choices that turned the garage into an unexpectedly pleasant place to hang out, even though it’s still also used for parking. “The homeowners entertain quite a bit, and they wanted extra space for staging and catering,” Heiner says. “It’s really designed to be able to have a party out there.” Three sets of double carriage doors open onto a brick and bluestone patio, which allows access to the gardens and pool, and affords an expansive view of rolling hills and distant mountains. Inside, reclaimed granary oak from Ruckersville’s Mountain Lumber frames the space, with planks installed horizontally on the walls and wrapped across the ceiling. “My idea was that it would feel more like a barn than a garage,” the homeowner says. That theme carries through with sliding panels with top-mounted barn-door hardware to conceal storage areas, while farmhouse industrial pendants with wide metal shades provide plenty of light. The sealed concrete floor reflects the paneling with a warm glow. A key party-ready feature is the built-in stainless steel refrigerator/freezer; its glass-paneled doors and interior lighting make it as pretty as it is practical. Tall, generously proportioned cabinets—designed by Lori Randle of Dovetail Design & Cabinetry, of Charlottesville and Staunton—surround the fridge and hold supplies for any spur-of-the-moment occasion. The cabinets, garage doors, and countertop components are painted Charleston Green, which
Heiner describes as nine parts black and one green. “We really wanted those elements to mostly disappear, while in the sunlight, a nice hint of that green remains,” she says. A garage, with sunlight? In this case it streams in through windows in the carriage doors. “That’s made all the difference in here,” the homeowner says. “It’s really nice to be inside and to see up the hill toward the mountains.” A wallmounted electric heating and air conditioning unit keeps the room comfortable year-round. The project wrapped up just in time for the owners’ daughter’s wedding, and the rehearsal dinner and post-wedding brunch both utilized the space. “We’re already thinking ahead to having our 40th wedding anniversary party here,” said the homeowner. At this rate, the cars, including a classic Mercedes-Benz, may just have to find another place to stay.
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We See The Bigger Picture Experience matters during real estate transactions. Under tight timelines, you’re faced with making big decisions while managing important details. At Montague, Miller & Co., we’ve seen it all, and we take pride in our ability to guide clients to successful, satisfying outcomes through professionalism and honest counsel. As a threegeneration family company, we’ve been serving Charlottesville and surrounding communities for seven decades. With deep roots in Central Virginia, we’ve been a part of the region’s evolution and growth, helping to develop some of the area’s established residential communities.
CONSIDERING A CAREER IN REAL ESTATE? 34
LOOKING TO BEGIN A NEW AND DYNAMIC CAREER? Sign up for our Principles of Real Estate class. Come learn from the experienced and talented teaching staff of Montague Miller - Barbara McMurry, Rives Bailey and Pat Sury. This course is for those looking to begin a career in Real Estate who want to learn from from the best. Find out when the next session starts: MONTAGUEMILLER.COM/REAL-ESTATE-ACADEMY | 800.793.5393 C-VILLE ABODE
B L U E P R I N T
Ready, set, grow! A quick guide to starting vegetables and flowers from seed By Cathy Clary
S
tarting plants from seed may not be the easiest, or even the most economical, way to supply your garden. It requires investing not only a lot of time, but also money for seeds, potting soil, flats, cell packs, thermometers, those cute little markers, and perhaps heat mats, a cold frame, or small greenhouse. Regardless, the best gardeners come to it in the end. Whether it’s pride in self-sufficiency or the chance to grow varieties you can’t find in garden centers, seeds tie us to the earth like nothing else. Peas, carrots, radishes, and greens are best direct-sowed in the garden around midMarch. But starting other seeds inside gives a jump of 10 days or longer on early harvest and bloom. Exactly when you sow depends on how long it takes the seedling to become hearty enough for transplanting outside. That occurs for spring crops, like broccoli, around April 15; plants providing a summer harvest, such as tomatoes, can go into the ground after the last frost date, around May 15. Temperatures are tricky for tender Seeds to start indoors: seedlings. You can germinate on top of the fridge for ready bottom heat. Common vegetables and uncommon flowers (Avoid heat mats unless you’re a pro— SEED SOW GROWING TEMP. DAYS TO they can fry little plants.) You can also GERMINATE start seeds in front of a sunny window Hollyhock Mar. 1 60F 14-21 or inside a greenhouse or cold frame, Leeks Mar. 1 50-70F 5-7 to protect the young plants from Marigold “Little Gem” Mar. 15 75-80F 4-7 freezing, drying out, and extreme temNicotiana “Fragrant Cloud” Mar. 15 75F 7-21 perature changes. If you cover your Mar. 15 75-85F 5+ flats with plastic wrap, lift it every few Peppers Zinnia “Benary’s Giant” Mar. 15 70F 7 days and shake down the water dropBroccoli Mar. 18 77F 5-10 lets when checking the moisture of your growing medium; with a greenCleome “Helen Campbell” Mar. 18 60-80F 10-21 house or cold frame, open vents on Tomatoes Mar. 30 70-80F 5-10 sunny days to avoid burning. Cucumbers Apr. 15 70F 5+ C-VILLE ABODE
References: Southern Seed Exposure, Johnny’s Seeds, Thompson & Morgan
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Come Visit Our Delightful New Location! 2123 Ivy Road, Suite B (next to Foods of All Nations) Charlottesville, VA 22903 434-989-1073 - helenstoreyantiques.com
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C-VILLE ABODE
HIGH STANDARD AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
B L U E P R I N T
Living history John and Karen Siegfried keep the stones turning at 269-year-old Wade’s Mill By Joe Bargmann C-VILLE ABODE
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C-VILLE ABODE
COURTESY WADE’S MILL
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John Siegfried proudly conducts tours of the historic mill, showing off both the ground-grain products he creates and a restoration that spares no detail.
his can’t be real. That’s the thought that popped into my head when I saw Wade’s Mill. The rustic wood-andstone structure, with its big water wheel and dark raisedseam roof, basked in the soft sunlight of a late-fall day. As I approached, car windows wide open, I felt as if I were moving toward a massive painting, a Hudson River School masterpiece. I snapped out of my reverie as a man bounded toward me, waving and shouting, “Hello, welcome to Wade’s Mill!” I sized him up: a cheerful guy in his mid- to late-50s with good energy and a slender face beneath the bill of a well-worn ball cap. While he gave me a tour of the mill, I learned that his name is John Siegfried. July will mark the third year since he and his wife, Karen, bought the Raphine, Virginia, property—a pastoral setting in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, about an hour’s drive southwest of Charlottesville. In December 2015, the Siegfrieds were living in England— John working as a consultant in the oil and gas industry, and Karen as a program director at the University of Cambridge— when a friend, Chris Fox, told them the mill was for sale. Fox had family roots in the area. He’d recently returned from England and settled near the mill, which, ever since it began operating in 1750, was still bringing flour and other ground grains to market. It didn’t take much convincing to get the Siegfrieds to join Fox as neighbors. Well, not John, at least. “I think it immediately captivated John’s imagination,” Karen says. “I was a little bit more skeptical, initially.” “Well, Karen was the one who came and saw the mill first, so I blame everything on her,” John jokes. The Siegfried’s were motivated to move back to the United States to be near their parents, who were getting on in years. Neither John nor Karen was in a position to retire, so acquiring the mill meant buying not only a home but also a small business. “That was quite important to us,” John says. “It’s just such a lovely setting, and we love the historical part of it. This was the Wild West in 1750. As for the business part of it, I thought, ‘Well, how hard can it be?’ I didn’t actually say that—we walked into this with eyes wide open.” C-VILLE ABODE
The mill was built and put into operation by Captain Joseph Kennedy, who immigrated from Ireland in 1773. The Wade family later bought the property and kept the business running for more than 100 years. The grinding stones installed by the Wades in 1880 were driven by the water wheel and still function. But the Siegfrieds now use electric power to turn stones introduced in the 1950s. The mill building has been expanded and beautifully renovated, and John also spends a fair amount of time restoring equipment used by the Wades, such as a decades-old sifter and packing machine. Wade’s Mill grinds corn, wheat, rye, and buckwheat to produce flour, polenta, grits, and mixes for pancakes, bread, cornbread, and hush puppies. About 70 percent of their business is wholesale, supplying restaurants, caterers, bakeries, specialty grocery stores, and gift shops. The balance of sales occur online or at the mill itself. Local customers include the Boar’s Head Inn, Foods of All Nations, the Greenwood Grocery, and the Ivy Inn. But the business reaches as far north as Washington, D.C., and also into Richmond, Lexington, Harrisonburg, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach. “We get a lot of new customers through Instagram,” Karen says. “Chefs like to follow other chefs, and when one of our restaurant customers posts images of things made with our products, we repost them, and that often brings in new business.” While the couple works to expand the business, they also simply enjoy living at the mill. They also rent out a restored early 19th-century schoolteacher’s cabin. Relocated from the Lexington area, the log structure features a living room with a fireplace on the first floor, and two bedrooms on the second. It sits beside a creek and adds to the storybook quality of the property. The Siegfrieds say they’ve learned a lot in the past three years, and it reaches beyond the ins and outs of business. “If the miller started to smell anything burning, it meant that the stones were too close together, and the friction was causing heat,” Karen says. “Before we bought the mill, we thought ‘keep your nose to the grindstone’ meant to work harder. But it actually means to be smart about what you’re doing, and pay attention.”
It’s just such a lovely setting, and we love the historical part of it. This was the Wild West in 1750.”
Wade’s Mill is open 10am to 5pm, Wednesday through Sunday, March 30 through December 22. Co-owner John Siegfried gives tours and runs the mill’s historic equipment, including the water wheel, from 10am to noon on Saturday and 3 to 5pm Sunday. 39
Lots from the mid $200’s. Visit www.explorebundoranfarm.com to find yours today.
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the village at
40HOMES STARTING AT THE MID $400’S. VISIT VILLAGEMOORESCREEK.COM TODAY!
moores creek C-VILLE ABODE
B L U E P R I N T
Natural Virginia
pa n o r a m i c
p h o t o g r a p h s
b y
b e n
g r e e n b e r g
We ask, designers answer What’s your favorite coffee-table book? Chasing Bocuse, by Philip Tessier “It’s a dream for designers and foodies—a well-told story of the journey of America’s first chef to win the gold medal in the international Bocuse d’Or (the Olympics of the culinary world). Tessier’s attention to detail is impressive, and the book has beautiful photographs of food and perfectly designed tableware.” —Alana Woerpel, Alana’s LTD Interior Decoration
Natural Virginia, by Ben Greenberg “The pictures and layout are spectacular. I love being able to share the beauty of the wonderful state of Virginia with out-of-town company when they’re visiting.” —Kori Messenger, Foxchase Design
Storied Interiors: The Work of Patrick Sutton, by Patrick Sutton “Sutton is a mid-Atlantic interior designer. His most notable work is the Sagamore Pendry Hotel, in Baltimore, which was just rated the best new hotel in America by Condé Nast Traveler. If this book doesn’t inspire a weekend Amtrak trip up to Baltimore, I don’t know what would.” —Christopher Henry, president, Stony Point Design/Build
E V EN TS Toddler time at Monticello Saturday, March 16 Toddlers and their adult companions will enjoy storytime, crafts, and special activities that provide an introduction to the world of Thomas Jefferson. $10. 9-10am. Griffin Discovery Room at the David M. Rubinstein Visitor Center, 931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy. monticello.org/site/visit/ tours/toddler-time-monticello
Dogwood tree sale Thursday March 28, Friday March 29 Four-foot-tall white, pink, or red dogwoods fetch a modest $35 apiece at this event benefiting the Charlottesville Dogwood Foundation. 4-7pm Thursday; 7am-7pm Friday. Barracks Road Shopping Center, 1117 Emmet St. N. cvilledogwood. com/dogwood-tree-sale
Lecture: Mysteries of the Marvelous Monarch Thursday, April 4 Steve and Karen McCurdy, co-presidents of the C-VILLE ABODE
Butterfly Society of Virginia, lead a lecture and presentation about the monarch’s life cycle, migration, and how gardeners can help protect them. $8. 7-8:30pm. Fifth Street Albemarle County Office Building, 1600 Fifth St. Ext. piedmont mastergardeners.org
Spring Wildflower Walk Thursdays April 4 and 25 Wear sturdy, waterproof shoes for this threehour, five-mile guided hike through Monticello’s woodlands to the Rivanna River. Keep your eyes peeled for early spring’s bounty—trout lilies, Virginia bluebells, Jack-in-the-pulpits, shooting stars, and more. $20. 9am-noon. Meet at David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center, 931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy. monticello.org
Ivy historic garden tour Sunday, April 28 Part of the Garden Club of Virginia’s Historic Garden Week, this shuttle tour offers a rare peek at five spectacular private properties in Ivy: a mountaintop estate with panoramic views, a farmhouse situated on two acres of naturalized gardens, a repurposed sheep farm with a 19thcentury cottage, and more. $40 in advance; $50 day of tour; $10 per child. 10am-4pm. Call 4651312 or 981-4415 for info. Tickets at vagarden week.org 41
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C-VILLE ABODE
Time to Redecorate
Suzanne Crane Fine Stoneware www.suzannecrane.com
Mud Dauber Pottery 4225 Earlysville Road/Earlysville VA 22936 Open 10-5 M-F, 12-5 Sat. C-VILLE ABODE
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503 Faulconer Drive Charlottesville · VA · 22903 p: 434.295.1131 f: 434.293.7377 e: homes@mcleanfaulconer.com
MCL EAN FAULCONER INC. Farm, Estate and Residential Brokers
NORTH DOWNTOWN
Wonderful 1940’s brick, city charmer with addition designed by Alloy Construction architects. Features a master bedroom with deck, open family room, 4-5 bedrooms, 2 full, 2 half baths, eat-in kitchen with inviting screened porch, living room with fireplace, dining room, fenced, pet friendly, private yard, off-street parking and garage. Great location, walk to Downtown Mall. MLS#585497 $745,000 Tim Michel, 434.960.1124
MOSBY MOUNTAIN
Set on a quiet street. 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 2- car garage. Open kitchen, large bay window in dining room, masters on first floor. Vaulted ceilings in the great room. Lovely sun room.MLS#586144 $549,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076
OLD TRAIL
2 BR, 2.5 BA townhome in sought-after community, 12 miles west of Charlottesville. First level includes upgraded stainless and granite kitchen, spacious LR w/FP and dining area. MLS#583217 $272,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1893
BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN VIEWS
250 acre property convenient to Charlottesville. Gently rolling land with streams, pasture,woods and immense privacy. Numerous building sites, c. 1860, 3 bedroom 2 full bath farmhouse. MLS#584740 $1,850,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863
MONTE VISTA AVE
4BR, 2BA residence located in the coveted and convenient Fry’s Spring neighborhood! Exploding with character and charm, and blurring the lines between rustic city cottage & tasteful modern abode. $434,000 MLS#586031 Will Faulconer, 434.987.9455
SUNNYSIDE
Unique offering of 225+ acres within close proximity to Charlottesville, UVA, airportand shopping. Blue Ridge views, charming farmhouse, stream and pond. MLS#585228 $4,400,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863
CLASSIC ARCHITECTURE
Built and designed in 1978 by Henry Browne, this superb home features lovely architectural detail and fine craftsmanship, heart pine floors, recently renovated, 2 private acres. MLS#586110 $779,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076
ROBINSON WOODS
4 bedroom home built by R.L. Beyer Custom Homes as model home. Neighborhood common areas. A bit of country in the City yet just minutes from Downtown and UVA. MLS#584695 $544,000 CDammann, 434.981.1250
BLOOMFIELD ROAD
EDNAM FOREST
Architect-designed, 4 bedroom home on 3.75 elevated acres with lovely views, convenient to town and lots of privacy. First floor master suite, high ceilings, pool, and high quality construction. MLS#586320 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863
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Beautifully renovated one-level, home in desirable close-in neighborhood only minutes west of town on over 18 acres, with pool, barn and garage. Property is surrounded by a 500-acre farm affording unique privacy and tranquility that is exclusive to country living so close to town. Open land for horses and other animals. Under conservation easement with the VOF. MLS#583224 $2,850,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863
WWW.MCLEANFAULCONER.COM
C-VILLE ABODE
About face Architect David Day modernizes a creek-side retreat BY ERIKA HOWSARE PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM WAYLAND C-VILLE ABODE
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W
By reversing the direction of the staircase and giving it open treads, the architect created a view from the front door all the way to the back of the house. Fold-away glass doors in the dining area add not only light, but also a seamless transition to the outdoors.
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C-VILLE ABODE
W
ith a primary residence in Connecticut, the couple wasn’t necessarily looking for a home in Charlottesville. But during a visit with their daughter, a UVA student, the mother thought it might make sense to have a local family retreat. So, she toured the Albemarle house on the creek. Situated at the end of a cul-de-sac, the house perches over a stream in the woods. It feels isolated and rural, even though it’s close to Grounds. “I said, ‘My husband would love this property,’” she says. But when she brought him to see it, she walked with him around the landscape first— because the house, as she puts it, “was an issue.” “When we walked in,” her husband says, “I said ‘I don’t see this.’” Built in 1991, the place was meant to suggest a Tuscan villa, with faux beams, trompe l’oeil paintings, and what the owners call “Olive Garden tile” on some floors. The flow felt awkward C-VILLE ABODE
among the rooms, which also failed to offer nice views of the creek. Regardless, the couple decided to buy the house, knowing full well they’d have to renovate. They wanted to open up the interior space and make it feel like a loft. For this, they turned to Charlottesville architect David Day. “We saw David’s website, and it was totally the vibe we were going for,” the owners say. Day understood what the clients wanted, and he was pleased with the fundamental design of the house, which he calls “a rational four-square layout.” The owners suggested one key spatial change: reversing the orientation of the stairs. Today, with the stairs flipped, the front entry feels more welcoming, the flow to the walk-out basement is better, and the views from the master bedroom and third-floor family room are greatly improved. With cable rails, an open steel structure, and three-inch-thick white-oak treads, the stairs have a modern look that carries through the rest of the house. Solid walls that had previously enclosed the stairs have been replaced by vertical cables, leaving the kitchen and master bedroom open to the stairwell. A sliding wall provides privacy for the bedroom. Day also invited more light into the house by rethinking the windows and doors. Gone are the solid wood front doors, replaced by a glass offsetpivot door. French doors that had opened onto the rear deck have become a three-panel NanaWall; it folds away for access to refurbished outdoor space with ipe decking and cable railings. In the master bedroom, small windows
became French doors to a Juliet balcony with views of the creek and woods. As for detailing, Day says the strategy was simple: “It was subtraction.” Muted gray tile around the gas fireplace took the place of a detailed wooden mantel. Built-in china closets in the dining room changed to simple floating shelves. Wainscoting disappeared. “There are details, materials, and colors that are contemporary, but we left a lot of traditional trim pieces,” says Day. Painting the walls and trim a uniform white balances the two styles. Accents break up the minimal palette: Phillip Jeffries wallpaper covers the inside of the sliding bedroom wall, and a blue panel appears to float CONTINUED ON PAGE 49
“It feels like you’re in a townhouse. But it fronts a creek, and you’ve got deer and bald eagles.”
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A Virginia Country Life
White Hart – 1998 Shelter and Associates English manor sited in the center of a 350-acre expanse of rolling northern Albemarle County farmland. Expansive views of the Southwest and Blue Ridge Mountain ranges, over 8,000 s.f. the 4 bedroom home, extraordinary setting and 20 min to Charlottesville. MLS 573304
Verulam —Over 500-acres with more than 1,000-acres of adjoining land in conservation easement owned by the city of Charlottesville. The existing farm and additional land offer recreational trail unsurpassed in this proximity to the city. A classic Georgian manor home, stables and very delightful guest house make Verulam the most interesting offering in Virginia. drop dead views of the Blue Ridge and as close to town as you can get.
Highland Orchard — Nearly 1,000-acres in Albemarle County, Virginia -20 min from Charlottesville and UVA. Situated among the headwaters of the Hardware River, Highland Orchard features a rolling pasture and woodland with a stylish contemporary residence situated to enjoy the spectacular views. The Main residence, guest house, farm managers cottage, formal greens pool and host of complimentary farm buildings make this one of the most extraordinary farm offering in Virgwinia.
Stones Throw – 42-acre country estate in Keswick, VA. Built in 2005 the main residence has 6-bedrooms, 9bathrooms, 6 fireplaces, large 1st floor master, infinity swimming pool and hot tub, 7-stall stable and riding ring with paddocks on all sides, two detached garages and two guest quarters. Sprawling views to the south and west, this is sunset heaven. Charlottesville in under 12 minutes.
428 NE Second St. - North Downtown Charlottesville Downtown Charlottesville city home c. 1920 with high ceilings and three stories of living space. A rare offering with open floor plan, and excellent proximity to downtown on a magical street with enduring charm and character. MLS 581322
Barterbrook — 30-acres only 10 minutes to Charlottesville with a delightful turn of the century farm house, renovated and in excellent condition with 3-bedrooms and amazing light filled spaces. The farm also includes a separate renovated barn/studio - custom built and must be seen to be believed.
Murdoch Matheson
434.981.7439
murdoch.matheson@sothebysrealty.com
murdoch-matheson.com 48
C-VILLE ABODE
A white-marble island, stainless-steel appliance surfaces, and minimal pendant lights enhance the airy feeling and natural glow in the kitchen. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 47
off the living room wall, highlighting a large artwork hung there. The previous kitchen had been anchored by a weighty brick hearth surrounding the cooktop, and an island with a curved countertop. Day kept the same basic layout but completely altered the feel of the room. The island is now bigger and the dominant features are modern European Neff cabinetry and marble countertops and backsplash. Detailing is crisp and machined rather than traditional. Countertops wrap down the sides of the island and the cabinets, which are given two different finishes—a dark wood grain and a deep gray. Stainless-steel appliances contrast with rectangular brass drawer pulls and light fixtures. A former dumbwaiter is now a set of open shelves. Day designed ledges that float in front of two of the kitchen windows. “It was a way to keep the existing windows without creating low benches,” he says, instead providing niches that can be used as workspace or just to pause and look outside. “I like houses where everyone has their own little nook,” says one of the owners. Upstairs, the second floor functions as a master suite—with bedroom, bathroom, office, and laundry—while the third floor belongs to the couple’s three children, young adults who appreciate their own space. The two bedrooms and two bathrooms on this floor mirror each C-VILLE ABODE
Glass-panel doors in a bedroom, and light-colored wood and a transparent shower enclosure in the bathroom hew to the overall theme of openness.
other, bracketing a family/media space overlooking the creek. “You have these different zones that don’t collide with each other,” says their father. “It feels like you’re in a townhouse,” his wife says. “But it fronts a creek, and you’ve got deer and bald eagles.” Day appreciated working with clients who had a clear vision of their own, and the clients, for their part, were glad that Day was willing to listen. Builder Alexander Nicholson was able to complete the work efficiently due to this tight collaboration. “David did not impose his vision on us,” say the clients. “He was very solutions-oriented.”
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A DOWNTOWN CLASSIC
We do it all.
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604 GROVE AVENUE • $595,000 Walk to the Downtown Mall from this stately redbrick American Foursquare, Circa 1920, with graceful light-infused rooms, high ceilings, wood and tile floors, comfy hot water radiator heat, 4 bedrooms (one on the 1st floor!), 2 baths and wrap-around porch. Updated plumbing and electrical, a lifetime metal roof new in 2004, nearly-level lot with two off-street parking slots.
Joan Jay, REALTOR®
Inessa Telefus, GRI, REALTOR®
joanjayrealtor@gmail.com
inessatelefus@gmail.com
(434) 906-1806
434.295.6555
ovationbuildersllc.com
(434) 989-1555
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C-VILLE ABODE
Jefferson’s
The dining room at the core of the octagonal main building is a precise 20-foot cube. By repeating many of the design features found at Monticello, Jefferson created a signature masterpiece.
BY ERIKA HOWSARE PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN BARLING C-VILLE ABODE
other
home
Poplar Forest gave the president what Monticello couldn’t—peace 53
one
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onticello was a busy place in Thomas Jefferson’s time, just as it is now. And just as Jefferson’s Matthewsecond L. Crane home, Poplar Forest, provided him with CRAFT •aGREEN DESIGN much-needed retreat, the meticulously restored property today offers visitors a peaceful haven rradesign@gmail.com to gain a different view of the third president’s life and times. Located near Lynchburg and first occupied by Jefferson in 1809, Poplar Forest is “one of the most important neoclassical buildings in the world,” restoration director Travis McDonald says. Architecturally, “it’s an important link between Monticello and UVA.” In designing what many consider to be his masterpiece, Jefferson refined ideas he’d been working with over his lifetime, including octagonal floor plans, Renaissance and classical motifs, elements contemporary in his day, and Virginian influences. “You put all these things together and you can call it Jeffersonian,” says McDonald. “It’s all personal.” Jefferson made periodic visits to Poplar Forest —a 4,819-acre plantation he’d inherited from his father-in-law in 1773—between 1806 and 1823. He lodged in an overseer’s house during the main structure’s three years of design and construction. C-VILLE ABODE
It is a symmetrical octagonal structure in which the dining room, a perfect 20-foot cube, occupies the center space. The skylight that illuminates this otherwise windowless room is one of the more forward-looking features of the home. After the brick shell of the building was complete, Jefferson entrusted the finish work to John Hemmings (also spelled Hemings), an enslaved master carpenter who lived at Monticello. “You could call Poplar Forest the masterwork of John Hemmings too,” McDonald says. Three of Hemmings’ nephews—who were also Jefferson’s sons by Sally Hemings—apprenticed with their uncle, sometimes working on the house while Jefferson was there enjoying his still-unfinished retreat. McDonald calls this poignant situation “the elephant in the room,” pointing out that Jefferson’s granddaughters, who occasionally accompanied him to Poplar Forest, never mention these men in their writings. Getting to the plantation from Monticello required a three-day journey by carriage. Jefferson stayed at Poplar Forest for periods of two weeks to two months, using much of that time to read and write.
Before Jefferson died, in 1826, he willed ownership of Poplar Forest to his grandson Francis Eppes, but Eppes didn’t like it. Within two years he had sold the property and moved to Florida. “The people who bought it probably thought it was a weird place,” McDonald says, noting that Poplar Forest had many features that were atypical at the time. After it was ravaged by fire in 1845, the new owners saw it as an opportunity to make “improvements,” transforming it into “a more typical farmhouse,” he says. The house remained in private hands and was occupied until 1979. Four years later, a nonprofit corporation bought the abandoned property and embarked on a restoration process that continues to this day. “This is one of the most idealistic preservation projects in the country,” says McDonald. “It’s not a two-year restoration; there are never any artificial deadlines. That’s the enemy of good restoration projects.” Instead, the approach has been to painstakingly research the house architecturally and physically; to restore it using period techniques, tools, and materials; and to let the public in on CONTINUED ON PAGE 56
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 55
the whole decades-long journey. “Our vision was that visitors would see a Jeffersonian process,” McDonald says. Poplar Forest is an atypical house museum. Staff offices are located in other buildings, and there’s no original furniture in the house, only replicas. These choices allow the windows to be opened in warm weather—a simple thing that contributes to visitors’ experience of authenticity. The heat system is hidden under the floor; visitors encounter no modern touches, like electrical outlets, at all. What’s spotlighted inside Poplar Forest is the building process itself. Over the years, craftspeople have painstakingly reenacted the work done by Jefferson’s slaves—three-coat plaster, brickwork, woodwork—all with period techniques and tools. The current project, reproducing Tuscan-order entablatures where the walls meet the high ceilings, uses lumber from Jefferson-era trees. Likewise, the door-molding material was sourced from the nearby poplar forest that gives the property its name. Marble hearthstones were quarried from the same geologic vein tapped in Jefferson’s day. Archaeology and historical research inform every part of the ongoing restoration. Interior
doors are known to have been built by John Hemmings because their unique design echoes that of his work at Monticello. Earlysville artisan Blaise Gaston made 10 walnut reproductions of the two original doors that survived. On the grounds, visitors can see the archaeological work that goes hand-in-hand with preservation. Eric Proebsting, archaeology director, has been involved in a detailed study of the landscape, with the goal of recreating Jefferson’s design. For example, 200-year-old grains of pollen, found in the soil near the front porch, became clues to plants and trees chosen by Jefferson, and their positioning is based on planting holes found during excavation. A partnership with the Garden Club of Virginia has helped with replanting other landscape elements, like rows of paper mulberry trees, and the Garden Club is also supporting the recreation of the carriage turnaround, to be hand-laid with stones like the ones Proebsting and his colleagues have excavated from beneath layers of soil and gravel. Poplar Forest is a location rich in learning and atmosphere. On winter weekends, visitors are even permitted to simply sit a spell and enjoy the interior of the house. “The character of this as a museum is in keeping with its nature as a retreat,” McDonald says.
“This is one of the most idealistic preservation projects in the country. It’s not a twoyear restoration; there are never any artificial deadlines. That’s the enemy of good restoration projects.”
All of the restoration work is done just as the structure was built by Jefferson’s slaves: with hand tools that replicate the originals. An abundance of light flows into the house through tall windows and doors.
TRAVIS MCDONALD
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C-VILLE ABODE
N ew
Pr
ic
e
Virginia
BEST VALUE IN BELMONT This stylish 1920’s farmhouse in Belmont was renovated structurally and architec-
turally for the discerning purchaser. Recently painted exterior lends a modern flair to a warm and inviting interior with classic period details. The Four square with center hall design provides exceptional space and rare scale. Convenient to all that is Belmont and Downtown this inviting home boasts mountain and beautiful sunset views. Large laundry serves as 4th bedroom/nursery. The oversize cor-
ner lot lends itself to extensive gardening or play as befits the new owner. Plentiful off-street parking but there is a wonderful spot for a two car garage with in-law suite as needed. $447,500
Joe Samuels (434) 981-3322
Jos. T.
SAMUELS Over 100 Years of Virginia Real Estate Service
www.jtsamuels.com
ABODE 57
Pretty Things
Little big moths North Haven painter Deborah Davis’ outsized paintings reveal the insects’ striking beauty
“I
started painting moths eight years ago. Each of the first few took months to complete, but now I can paint one a week. I’ve done 110, including several of the same species; I expect that number to rise steadily, since I paint every day. “At night, on the side of the shed on my heavily wooded lot, I illuminate a white cotton sheet, and moths flock to it. In glass jars I capture those I want to paint and refrigerate them; this puts them in a torpor so they remain still while I take close-up photographs. After the moths warm up, I release them outdoors. Of the 2,000 to 3,000 species in central Virginia, I have photographed about 500, and painted more than 80. “Working from a moth’s photo, I render it on a 30-by-40-inch canvas. Scale is a key factor. I want to present an intimate look at their amazing details. I feel that the large size of the paintings inspire awe and wonder. “Moths are beautiful and mysterious, as well as being important ecosystem players, primarily as pollinators and food for birds. Since moths are mostly nocturnal and rarely noticed, I am on a mission to show them to the world. This brings to mind a Mary Oliver quote: ‘Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.’” —Deborah Davis, as told to Joe Bargmann
Davis’ work will be displayed March 16 through April 30 at Thistle Gate Vineyard in Scottsville, with an opening reception from 2-4pm on March 24. For more on her work, visit mothpaintings.com. 58
When painted by Deborah Davis, the Banded Tussock moth, which is less than an inch long, fills a 30-by-40-inch canvas.
C-VILLE ABODE
Moyanne Harding Interior Designer moyanne@moyanne.com
LIVE TIMELESS The location, the style, the feeling you get when you walk through the door – every aspect of your home should be a reflection of who you are, where you've been, and the life you aspire to live. Your best life begins with a home that inspires you.
frankhardy.com Charlottesville, VA | MLS 583494 Š MMXVII Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Sotheby's International Realty and the Sotheby's International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks licensed to Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC.