The Piedmont Virginian Magazine Winter 2021 by Warrenton Lifestyle Magazine

GETTING COZY: ROMANTIC RECIPES, RESTAURANTS & APPLE PIE LIKE “MOM’S”

The Music of

ANDRE FOX

A Gift and a Responsibility

HISTORY

WINTER 2021

Mapping It: Eugene Scheel Treasuring It: Blue Whale Books Unearthing It: James Madison’s Montpelier

“The Hunt in Belvoir Vale” by John Ferneley Sr. Photo courtesy of National Sporting Library & Museum

Historic

Middleburg Virginia

Discover our traditions while creating your own... VA Fall Races

Middleburg, Virginia, (1787), is a charming Southern destination known as the nation’s horse and hunt capital. Set against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, less than 50 miles from Washington, D.C., Middleburg offers the best of small-town America: local art, historic landmarks, and one-of-a-kind boutiques.

Jumping Rocks Photography

If you love great food, Middleburg is the Southern food destination you have to know about. Our best restaurants are locally owned and offer everything from farm-to-table gourmet dining to hearty tavern fare, with locally made libations from the many wineries, distilleries, and breweries in the area. f you’re looking to get away from the hustle and bustle, Middleburg is the ideal destination to relax. Whether you desire a 5-star luxury resort, charming country inn, or a peaceful bed and breakfast, you’ll find a place to rest here. February 12, 13, 14 10th Annual Winter Sidewalk Sale (masks and social distancing required)

Create your own

Jodi Miller Photography

Middleburg Moment

Red Fox Inn

MBPA

The Middleburg Business & Professional Association in support of the local business & retail community.

540 . 687 . 8888

VA Fall Races

www.visitmiddleburgva.com Red Fox Inn

Fair Haven, Castleton

An elegant retreat on 15 acres in the heart of Rappahannock County. The approx. 5300 Sq. Ft. house features one level living with 7 BR, 8.5 BA, 4 fireplaces, a woodstove, gourmet kitchen, beautiful woodwork, interior courtyard, great room, game room, 2 garages and more. Beautiful views of rolling farm land and mountains. Currently operating as a successful short term rental. $1,449,000

Old Rag Retreat, Sperryville

Old Rag Retreat is a special home that embodies the best of living in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The farmhouse on a 10 AC lot is located at the foot of Old Rag Mountain and is a great location for outdoors people. 1900s farmhouse recently remodeled with great style, 4 BR, 2.5 BA, gourmet kitchen, living room plus much more. Large barn outbuilding. $499,000

Hilltop House, Sperryville Hilltop House is sited just so on a high knoll above the FT Valley. From this lofty perch, the 4 BR, 2.5 BA home on 6.2 AC enjoys a wonderful 360-degree panorama of bucolic farmland backed by forested foothills and the majestic Blue Ridge. $429,000

Parkside Retreat, Etlan

This delightful 64.3 acre parcel features stunning southern and eastern views, a woodland pond, pasture, forest land, a year round stream as well as a small off the grid hunting cabin with several accessory buildings. Plus, Parkside Retreat has almost 1,400 feet of boundary with the Shenandoah National Park. $599,000

Sperryville Pike, Culpeper

Located close to the corner of Norman Road and Sperryville Pike, this amazing 3 AC parcel features stunning mountain views. The level lot looks to the west and features mountain views. Approved 4 BR septic. $125,000

Castleton View Retreat

Build your dream hideaway on this lush, 14 AC parcel. Mature trees cover the land and ridgeline. Native shrubs open up for peek-a-boo views of the Blue Ridge mountains and starry skies that sparkle at night. $140,000

cheriwoodard.com

37 Main Street, Sperryville, VA 22740

(540) 987-8500

RELIABILITY

is a cornerstone of everything we do.

FOUNDING EDITOR: Walter Nicklin

CO-FOUNDERS: Arthur W. (Nick) Arundel, Sandy Lerner

PUBLISHER Dennis Brack EDITOR Pam Kamphuis SENIOR EDITOR Gus Edwards ASSOCIATE EDITOR Ed Felker FOOD EDITOR Kaitlin Hill SALES DIRECTOR Jim Kelly

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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Glenda Booth, Kristie Kendall, Pete Pazmino, Tony Vanderwarker, Carla Vergot, James Wilkinson

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ON THE COVER ON THE COVERat the G. Richard Thompson The Trillium Trail in bloom Andre Fox Wildlife Management Area, one of the largest stands of Largea Flower Trillium in the Mid-Atlantic Music: gift and a responsibility Photograph byLittleton Doug Graham Photograph by Camden

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| WINTER 2021

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

FEATURES WINTER 2021 • VOLUME XV • ISSUE 1

ART & HISTORY

PEOPLE OF THE PIEDMONT

Mapping History

Sean Skinner

Mapmaker Eugene Scheel

Custom Bike Builder

BY KAITLIN HILL

BY ED FELKER

WINE

10 Glass House Winery

Wine, chocolates, and a tropical oasis BY JENNIFER WALDERA

L I BAT I ONS

13 Warm from Within

Piedmont places to get cozy when it’s cold

HISTORY

FOOD

Unearthing History at Montpelier

Warm Recipes for a Cozy Night

Boeuf Bourguignon Warm Chocolate Cake & Hot Chocolate BY KAITLIN HILL

A Pie Can Change Your Life Mom’s Apple Pie Company

Telling a more complete story BY GLENDA BOOTH

ART

Salvaging and Creating Nelson County’s Jeremy Hale BY GLENDA BOOTH

BY JENNIFER WALDERA

BY BILL KENT

L I T ER AT UR E

MUSIC

DOGS

Blue Whale Books

A Gift and a Responsibility

A voluminous historical resource thrives in the Piedmont

Hero Hound

The music of Andre Fox

Canine blood donations

BY PAM KAMPHUIS

BY ED FELKER

BY JENNIFER WALDERA

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Art.

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Classic Design • Traditional Techniques • Artisan Made Crafted right here in the Piedmont

“Every Great Painting Deserves a P. H. Miller Studio Frame”

Hand carved Cherry face with water gilded inner frame and back

Gilding, Carving and Restoration Services Offered 1 East Main St. | Berryville, Virginia 22611 info@phmiller.com | www.phmillerstudio.com | 540-955-3939

FABRICS UNLIMITED

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3912 Seminole Trail, Charlottesville 22911 434-973-5641 ~ Monday-Saturday 9:30-5:30 www.fabricsunlimitedva.com 6 PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |

| WINTER 2021

CONTRIBUTORS

Glenda Booth, a freelance writer and editor who lives in Northern Virginia, writes about natural resources, historic sites, interesting people, public policy, travel, and other topics for magazines, newspapers, and online publications. She grew up in Southwest Virginia and received degrees from Longwood University and the University of Virginia. Ed Felker is a graphic designer, photographer, writer, outdoorsman, and Virginia native. His award-winning writing and photography have been featured in many fine Virginia publications. Ed can most often be found outdoors near his studio overlooking the Potomac River, usually with a camera, often with a fly rod, always with a dog. Kaitlin Hill is a Culinary Institute of America trained chef with a B.A. in history from the University of Richmond. After completing her culinary degree, she worked in New York as a professional pastry chef, recipe tester for Saveur magazine, and editorial assistant to renowned food critic Gael Greene. In 2015, she returned home to Washington, D.C., where she currently runs a catering business and works as a freelance writer and photographer. Camden Littleton is a professional photographer and digital marketing consultant who lives in Charlottesville. When not photographing and creating content, she hangs out with her poodle, Grace (@ gracelittleton on Instagram) and explores menus, music, and mountains with friends and family throughout the Piedmont. She grew up in Middleburg and graduated with B.S. in communications from Appalachian State University. Jennifer Waldera shares her hunger for, and curiosity about, food, drinks, and exploration as a freelance writer for numerous Mid-Atlantic and online publications. Read more of her work at jenniferwaldera.com and follow her travels at @jlwriter on Instagram. The author of seven novels, a Fodor’s Guide and a history of Atlantic City, Bill Kent made his first apple pie at Oberlin College, where he majored in English and Religion. His first journalism was for the Georgetowner. He went on to become a correspondent for the New York Times and a book reviewer for The Times, the Washington Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Kirkus Reviews. His writing has appeared in more than 40 regional and national publications, including Baltimore Magazine, Delaware Today, Philadelphia Magazine, The Hunt and Art & Antiques. He has taught writing and journalism at the University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers and Temple universities.

SEASONS

Is winter finally on its way?

Behold a chipmunk for that answer

It’s

been a tough couple of winters in the Piedmont for anybody who makes a living plowing snow. But that could change in the coming weeks, as atmospheric scientists tell us the polar vortex over the North Pole continues to split in two, potentially unleashing blasts of bitter arctic air and paralyzing snowstorms over the midAtlantic region. Let’s not hold our breath. In fact, have you observed any chipmunks lately? Once upon a time in Rappahannock County, for instance, before satellite photos and computer models provided more accurate weather forecasting, old timers had no way of knowing how the polar vortex was behaving. They had to interpret natural signs — plants, animals, insects and birds — as harbingers of harsh winters. One of the most common ways to predict the severity of a winter was to observe squirrels, we read in back issues of the Rappahannock News, which began publishing in 1877. The more active they were collecting acorns, chestnuts and hickory nuts usually meant stormy weather on the horizon. Rappahannock residents, we read, also paid heed to wooly worms, spiders, the thickness of fur on animals, muskrat houses, beaver dams (if the north side of the dam has more sticks than the south side keep your scarves and mittens handy), while any sudden appearance of redbirds meant heavy snow was in the offing. Years ago, Stant Weaver of Little Washington recalled his father predicting

the winter weather by examining the insides of a hog (we will spare readers the gory details). The younger Weaver, meanwhile, understandably preferred waiting for the first snowfall and then counting how many days old the moon was at the time, which revealed the number of snows in store for the winter. “Now, we’re not going down to the courthouse to swear by these,” Weaver

said. “But this is what they used to say, long ago.” Elisabeth Johnson of Sperryville, wife of farmer and orchardist C. E. Ned Johnson Jr., recalled that “if chipmunks hold their tails high when they run, it’s going to be a hard winter. But personally, I’ve always thought chipmunks carried their tails high!” — By John McCaslin

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PEOPLE OF THE PIEDMONT

Sean Skinner CUSTOM BIKE BUILDER BY ED FELKER

otoRelic is based in a garage behind a house on a quiet street in the very small town of Hamilton. The custom motorcycle shop, not unlike Hamilton, is a bit of a trip back in time. Seventies-era motorcycles in front of bright, graffiti-style murals inspired by hot rod imagery from the ‘50s, surrounded by heavy, dull grey machining equipment from the ‘40s. At a glance, the newest thing in the shop is the proprietor, Sean Skinner. Sean grew up around mini bikes, go karts, four-wheelers and motorcycles. “Toys with engines,” as he calls them, were always in the garage, and he loved to ride. When he was in high school, he raced cars going down the road while he was next to them in the field. “But I’m pretty sure none of them knew we were racing,” he added with a laugh. He rode his uncle’s Honda to get his street bike license and rode to school for a time, and raced bigger bikes at Summit Point for a few years. He built his first custom motorcycle in 2007, and four years later, a Yamaha XS650 build was featured in Iron Horse Magazine. “That pretty much got me into building more and more,” Sean said. In 2014, Sean was working as an auto technician and hating it. “It was just eating at me,” he recalled. “I’d come home and rant to my wife about this and that.” He credits his wife for pushing him to do it full time. He quit his job, started MotoRelic, and has never looked back. Customizing an older motorcycle requires mixing form with function, old with new, all while integrating the customer’s desires. “Getting the ‘bones’ of the original motorcycle to flow with the final look can get tricky,” he said. “Sometimes I can mold the new with the old fairly easily but sometimes the old has to be drastically changed.” This can mean cutting and reshaping the frame to fit the new design. Those visual lines of the bike must flow, but it’s equally critical to retain the geometry of a well-handling motorcycle intact. Getting the mechanical and aesthetic parts right is the goal, but the reward is in the client’s reaction. One client had a 1977 Yamaha RD400 when he was younger that meant a great deal to him. He wasn’t local, and had to travel to see the bike’s progress. “When he came out to see it finally assembled, he couldn’t hold back the tears,” Sean said. “It’s very meaningful to me to see that type of emotion over something I have created for someone.” Another client calls every now and then from Hawaii just to tell him how much he loves his recently finished bike, a 1979 Kawasaki that belonged to his deceased uncle. Sean talked while he scrolled through his phone looking for a photo, and landed on a shot of the custom KZ1000 parked in the midst of a gorgeous Hawaiian landscape. “It feels great to know that you are building a quality product that means so much to each person.”

People of the Piedmont is an ongoing portrait series spotlighting compelling individuals of the Piedmont. Captured in genuine moments through the lens and words of Ed Felker, the subjects are portrayed immersed in the pursuits that get them up in the morning and drive them all day. 8 PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |

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WINE

A TROPICAL OASIS

Any Time of Year Award-winning wine, chocolates, and tropical plants welcome guests to Glass House Winery BY JENNIFER WALDERA

fter the holidays, the winter months tend to drag and the continued limits on being able to travel are a cold reality. However, for locals in the region who wish for a respite at far-away balmy resorts, tropical Glass House Winery is an oasis in these chilly days. Glass House Winery in Free Union, just a short drive from Charlottesville, is a 15-acre award-winning vineyard that also makes and markets Glass House Winery chocolates. The vineyard also is home to a self-proclaimed whimsical bed and breakfast. But the draw for tropic-seekers will likely be the gorgeous exotic plant conservatory, the inspiration for the winery’s namesake. Its gorgeous plants in a tropical setting are perfect company for sipping wine and noshing on the winery’s house-made chocolates. While the winery was founded by Jeff and Michelle Sanders in 2010, it is now owned by Jay Smith, who is enthusiastic about the vineyard, its ambience, and the ability to share a venue with local music. After years in the IT industry, Smith decided to seek out a way to be closer to family while also exploring his enjoyment of wine, appreciation of agriculture, and love of music. “Specifically, what made me buy this winery was multifaceted. First, I wanted to find a winery in the Charlottesville area to be close to my son, daughter-in-law, and

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daughter who all live in Charlottesville. I looked at a few, but when I found out about Glass House Winery being for sale and visited it, I knew it was the one for me,” he says. “The combination of fine wines, the conservatory with exotic plants, the delicious custom chocolates, a unique bed and breakfast, the Theater building — for offsite business meetings, training, lectures, and so forth — music from local Charlottesville area musicians, and the beautiful grounds, including a lake, sold me. In fact, had this purchase not worked out with the previous owners, I don't believe I would have bought a winery. Lastly, I could not have bought a winery from a more wonderful couple than Jeff and Michelle. They have been fantastic and supportive beyond my expectations and I am thankful they chose me to carry on with their vision of Glass House Winery.” The enticements to Glass House Winery are many, but certainly the lush and plentiful plants and overall ambience of the tropical conservatory are a draw to visitors any time of year — and certainly in the winter. Smith says that the former owners originated the idea after living in Roatan, an island in Honduras, and owning their own tropical garden there. “When sitting in the conservatory among exotic tropical plants, it takes

Above: A tropical environment is welcome any time of year. Left: Jay with his buddy Murphy Right: Glowing at night, the winery is host to many talented local musicians.

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WINE The winery’s lush environment is the perfect place to sample awardwinning wines and taste their housemade chocolates.

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the minerality and balance for which the varietal has come to be known. While the winery also offers a number of other single-grape varietals like pinot gris, chardonnay, and cabernet franc, they also produce a number of interesting red and white blends in addition to a whiskeybarrel-aged, port-style fortified wine that blends Norton, Chambourcin, and cabernet franc with a grape-neutral brandy. As might be expected from a winery that also specializes in chocolate-making, Glass House also produces a three-time awardwinning chocolate dessert wine, Meglio del Sesso, composed of 100% Norton grapes and chocolate. In terms of visiting at a time when travel is challenging and caution is paramount, Smith ensures that the winery, conservatory, and bed and breakfast are safe places. “We are well-prepared and structured to meet and/or exceed Covid-19 procedures, including seating. We have received feedback that we are well in compliance. We are doing all the required and needed basics of social distancing, mask wearing,

and constant cleaning,” says Smith. “Plus, for those that want more fresh air, we offer a great outdoor experience including three large patio gas heaters and nine gas fire pit tables to keep customers warm by the fire while enjoying the beautiful lake and mountain scenery.” Regardless of the season, Glass House is worth a visit, but Smith has particular enthusiasm about visiting in Virginia’s colder months. “If you have not been here, you are truly missing a unique and wonderful experience like no other in the beautiful mountains of Virginia. Even with weather conditions such as cold, rain, or snow, you can sit in the warm conservatory surrounded by tropical plants, listen to top local musicians, enjoy fine wines, and eat delicious chocolates!” GLASS HOUSE WINERY

5898 Free Union Road, Free Union, VA Glasshousewinery.com 434-975-0094

COURTESY PHOTOS

you to a much different place than you would experience at a more typical winery. It's like sitting in the middle of the jungle in the mountains of Virginia! It's hard to describe and best explained by a visit! Jeff and Michelle very successfully created something very different and unique,” Smith says. Michelle, a professional chocolatier, crafted the signature chocolates during Sanders’ tenure, and Smith, wanting to keep the chocolate tradition, has employed a new chocolatier and trained several staff members in chocolate making since taking ownership. Michelle personally trained and mentored current chocolatier Carmen Moore. As for its wine, Glass House boasts award-winning bottles that are made from 100% Virginia-grown grapes. With well more than a dozen varietals, the vineyard produces a number of reds and whites, and a rosé. In 2011, the Virginia wine board designated viognier as Virginia’s state grape, and Glass House’s silver award-winning viognier, fermented in stainless steel, sports

DRINK

Warm from Within Piedmont Places To Get Cozy When It’s Cold BY JENNIFER WALDERA

hile warmer months call for imbibing under blossoms or sipping al fresco in the sun, wintry weather decidedly requires wetting our whistles in toastier environs. While there is certainly no shortage of happening spots in which to hunker down, we wanted to find some of the more historical or speakeasy-style purveyors in the Piedmont. Charlottesville boasts an abundance of comfortable spots to imbibe, but it also lays claim to two speakeasies. THE ALLEY LIGHT CHARLOTTESVILLE The first, the Alley Light, has become less on the speakeasy-style downlow, thanks to lots of laud from local publications

about their French-inspired menu as well as the acclaim for bartender Micah LeMon’s book, The Imbible, a quintessential addition to any cocktail enthusiast’s collection. However, the cozy spot’s entrance bears no signage and is, of course, just under an alley light, somewhat discreet to passersby. As a popular spot, reservations are often required to score one of their limited seats, whether at a table, cozy lounge style seating, or at the bar. If you find yourself lucky enough to get in, and are adventurous, the “Dealer’s Choice” (a cocktail made to order with the guest’s palate in mind) is the way to go. LOST SAINT CHARLOTTESVILLE Lost Saint, the second speakeasy spot in Charlottesville, is even harder to find, hid-

den below Tavern Like a true & Grocery, with speakeasy, Lost Saint in its only indication Charlottesville is of existence a small hard to find. lit green logo well behind the hostess stand atop stairs descending to the cellar bar. The cozy space offers varied seating, including hightops, but snagging a seat at the bar close to the fireplace is the ticket for the best service and view of the liquor options. Cocktails are spirit-forward, and live music, when available, elevates the speakeasy feel. INN AT WILLOW GROVE ORANGE Outside Charlottesville, however, there are a number of other historical spots perfect in the Piedmont for drinking and dining in the chilly months. In Orange

DRINK

Fireplace dining at The Inn at Willow Grove.

County, The Inn at Willow Grove boasts a spectacular restaurant and bar, Vintage, with gorgeous window views of rolling hills and comfortable lounge seating near the fireplace. Joseph Clark originally acquired the 40-acre plot of land in 1778 and the inn has historic Civil War roots. The inn, as well as its associated restaurant, tavern, and spa, all on the same property, maintain the historical quality of the space, with added modern design. Vintage, the inn’s restaurant and tavern, regularly serves a seasonal food menu and the wine, beer, and

cocktail options are carefully curated, yet approachable. Seasonal cocktails this year include the Ruby Sour with bourbon, ruby port, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white as well as Christmas In The Tropics, with spiced rum, pineapple juice, lime juice, and spiced syrup. For classic whiskey drink enthusiasts looking for a spin, the I Yam Old Fashioned is shaken with rye whiskey, Cointreau, sweet potato simple syrup, and bitters along with a burnt marshmallow garnish. RED FOX INN & TAVERN  MIDDLEBURG Just to the north, Red Fox Inn & Tavern in Middleburg has original fieldstone walls and working fireplaces surrounded by original sporting art and hunt country décor that create a romantic, warm, and inviting atmosphere. “What is today known as The Red Fox Inn & Tavern was established in 1728. Joseph Chinn built a tavern out of local fieldstone at the half-way point between Alexandria and

the frontier town of Winchester, along what is today known as the John Mosby Highway. It became a popular stopping point for traveling colonists, and around 1748 was visited by an enthusiastic young surveyor named George Washington,” says Red Fox’s Andrew Hock. “With a culinary team dedicated to sourcing and preparing fresh ingredients from Virginia’s Piedmont region and bountiful South, The Red Fox Inn & Tavern is proud to present dishes that combine time-honored cooking techniques with alluring seasonality. Locally grown fruits and vegetables, as well as nearby cheese and game producers are key in the creation of each dish, in addition, to a culinary team expertly trained in the art of food preparation and service,” Hock continues. Red Fox is enthusiastic about supporting local and regional wineries and breweries and

Management Advisory Services | Tailored Engagements Tax Planning | Controller Services

John W. Adams III, C.P.A., P.C.

Corporate Accounting and Advisory Services 540-937-6450 | 703-777-6900 | john@jwacpa.com 14 PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |

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DRINK

Alley Light’s unobtrusive speakeasy-like entrance, left, lit by the iconic alley light.

COURTESY PHOTOS

offers a wide variety of Virginia white and red wines as well as a rotating selection of local beers and cider. The bar also offers up cocktails (which they have cleverly named “Foxtails”). For the cold months, the Spiced Butter Rum Cider is particularly popular. In addition to their drinks, Red Fox is also serving a four-course Winter Tasting Menu throughout the colder months, with optional Virginia wine pairings with each course. For a more casual experience, the tavern also offers an a la carte “Bites & Cocktails” menu for a more casual and quick dining experience. SHOES CUP AND CORK LEESBURG In another cozy Virginia small town in the Piedmont, Shoe’s Cup and Cork in Leesburg is one of the town’s whimsical hangouts that punnily enjoys when “you’re a part of the ‘sole’ of Leesburg”. General Manager Lara Jordan says that the warmth of the staff and quality of the service are what make Shoe’s the ideal place to hunker down for drinks in the chilly weather, but she also emphasizes the brunch. What to drink with that brunch? “Hot Chocolate Flights, Port Hot Chocolate, Mulled Wine, Holiday Lattes,” says Jordan who also enthusias-

tically suggests the made-from-scratch soups and chef-inspired weekly specials. The seasonal food and drinks are certainly a draw, but the history of the spot itself is impressive. “During the conversion from what was a shoe repair shop for 80 years to a coffee shop and, ultimately, a full service restaurant with three separate dining rooms, every effort was made to preserve and repurpose the materials and other historic items that had been left behind. Notably, the wood from old shelving was used to make new shelving, the “Shoe Repairs” and “New Shoes” signs were reconditioned and various light fixtures and hardware were incorporated into the décor,” says Jordan.

“Additionally, for the large part of the 80-year history of the shoe shop, a white marble shoeshine stand occupied the space along the wall where the chalkboard wall and ladder are now located. Honoring the history of this historic piece, the marble was reworked to provide the countertops in the front windows, as well as the pick-up counter. Eight brass foot stands were relocated to the front window as well, so that when a guest is sitting on a stool, they are doing so as our homage to all of those who came before them for a shoeshine.” Jordan also shared that the owners added a plethora of antiques, particularly in the Poker Room, which features elements of the 1920s and 1930s. One such inclusion is a Philco “Radiobar,” which was created during prohibition to conceal the bar in the event the police visited. While we would enjoy any of these taverns in other temps, we’re particularly enthusiastic to sip our suds at these spots as early as the sun goes down this time of year. PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |

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FOOD

WARMING RECIPES for a Cozy Night at Home

Boeuf Bourguignon Pot Pie Warm Chocolate Cakes | Homemade Hot Chocolate with Vanilla Marshmallows STORY, RECIPES, AND PHOTOS BY KAITLIN HILL

rguably, the best part of winter is the warming food. From stews simmering on stoves all day perfuming the house with savory scents to fresh-from-the-oven desserts that are as cozy as they are decadent, chilly evenings are the perfect opportunity for comfort food. However, comfort doesn’t have to mean casual. My recipes for Boeuf Bourguignon Pot Pie with a Pepper Flecked Crust, Warm Chocolate Cakes, and Homemade Hot Chocolate with Vanilla Marshmallows are as elegant as they come, but deceptively easy to make. With a few flourishes and a little work ahead, these three recipes are perfect for a special night at home. You might even mark Valentine’s Day with these deeply decadent dishes, especially if you have a chocolate lover in your midst. Though, they don’t require an occasion to be enjoyed.

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Boeuf Bourguignon Pot Pie Serves 4 – 6 Ingredients

3 ½ 1 3 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 ½ 4 1 1 1 1 8 5 1

tablespoons of olive oil cup plus 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour (divided) pound of boneless beef chuck, cut into one-inch pieces slices of bacon, roughly chopped small onion, thinly sliced leek, white and pale green parts, thinly sliced carrot, sliced into circles cloves of garlic, thinly sliced cup of red wine tablespoons of bourbon cups of beef broth cup of parsley sprigs of thyme bay leaf star anise pod tablespoon of butter egg beaten with a tablespoon of water ounces baby portabella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced ounces of pearl onions, peeled (I used frozen) salt and pepper, to taste store-bought package (two rolls of dough) refrigerated pie dough or puff pastry dough

FOOD

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 2. To make the Boeuf Bourguignon filling, season the ½ cup of flour with 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Place the beef chuck cubes in a large bowl and top with the seasoned flour. Toss to combine. 3. Heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the beef cubes for 3 – 4 minutes per side until browned. Transfer all of the browned meat to a bowl and set aside. 4. Next, add the chopped bacon to the pan and cook for 4 – 5 minutes until browned and crisp. 5. Add the onion, leek, and carrot and cook for 5 – 7 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper. 6. Add the red wine and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Follow with the bourbon, beef broth, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and star anise pod. 7. Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. 8. In a small bowl, mix the remaining tablespoon of flour with a tablespoon of butter until a paste forms. Whisk the paste into the simmering broth and cook for 2 – 3 minutes until the paste has dissolved. 9. Cover the pot, turn off the heat, and carefully transfer the pot to the preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour.

10. After the meat has cooked for an hour, carefully remove it from the oven. Stir in the mushrooms and the pearl onions. Return the pot to the oven and cook for an additional 30 minutes until the meat is forktender. 11. Remove the meat from the oven and let cool to room temperature. 12. On a generously floured surface, roll each disc of pie dough into a circle an inch larger than a 10-inch pie plate. Press the bottom crust dough into the pie plate, leaving the overhang untouched. 13. Fill the bottom dough with the cooled meat filling, pressing it down to create a flat surface. 14. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush that egg wash around the rim of the bottom crust. 15. Top the filling with the second pie dough, rolled to size. Trim the edge to neaten it up and then crimp the top and bottom together. 16. Using a sharp knife, cut slits in the center of the pie to release steam while baking. 17. Brush the entire pie with egg wash, and transfer it to the oven. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes until golden brown. 18. When the crust is evenly browned, remove it from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

FOOD

Directions

Warm Chocolate Cakes Serves 6 Ingredients

⅔ 4 ¼ ¼ 4 ⅔ ½

cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped tsp. salt tsp. instant espresso powder eggs cup sugar cup flour

Cake batter can be made a day in advance, poured into the prepared ramekins, and left in the fridge until baking and serving.

1. Butter six 4-ounce ramekins and line the bottoms with parchment. Grease the parchment with butter. Set aside. 2. Fill a small pot with a few inches of water and set over medium heat on the stove. Bring the water to a simmer. Place the butter, chocolate, salt, and espresso powder in a heatproof bowl and set it over the pot of water. Stir with a spatula to combine and cook until the butter and chocolate are completely melted together. Set aside to cool slightly. 3. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar for 5 – 7 minutes at medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and thick. When lifted with a spoon the mixture should fall back on itself in ribbons. 4. Mix in the flour. 5. Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate mixture, being careful to not deflate the eggs. Fold until just combined and there are no stray streaks of chocolate or egg. 6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins nearly to the top, leaving a ¼ inch gap at the top. 7. Place the filled ramekins in the fridge and chill for at least 1 hour. 8. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the ramekins in the preheated oven and bake for 15 – 17 minutes. The cakes should still look a bit gooey in the very center and have a slight wobble to them. Watch carefully—it’s easy to overbake and your center won't be as gooey. 9. Let the cakes rest for 5 minutes until turning out onto serving plates. If the cakes are reluctant to release, carefully run a butter knife around the edge to help them out. Serve immediately.

FOOD

Homemade Vanilla Marshmallows Ingredients

1 ½ packets of powdered gelatin ½ cup of room temperature water (divided) ¾ cup of sugar ½ cup of light corn syrup 1 pinch of salt 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract confectioners’ sugar Directions

Homemade Hot Chocolate Serves 2 – 4 Ingredients

⅓ ¼ 1½ 1½ 6 3 ½ 1

cup of water cup of unsweetened cocoa powder cups of whole milk cups of heavy cream ounces of bittersweet chocolate, chopped teaspoons of granulated sugar teaspoon of kosher salt teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions

1. Set a large pot over medium-high flame and fill with ⅓ cup of water. Bring the water to a boil and whisk in the cocoa powder. Whisk for 1 – 2 minutes until the chocolate and water become a paste. 2. Whisk in the milk and heavy cream, breaking up any chocolate paste clumps that may have formed. Bring the milk to a simmer and add the chopped chocolate, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. 3. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the hot chocolate is thick and creamy. 4. Serve immediately, topped with plenty of marshmallows!

1. Generously dust a 9x9-inch non-metal pan with confectioners’ sugar. Set aside. 2. To make the marshmallows, place the gelatin and ¼ a cup of water into a large bowl and set aside to soften. 3. In a small pot, add the remaining ¼ cup of water, the sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Turn the flame on medium-high heat and cook until the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Continue to cook for 5 – 8 minutes until the syrup reaches 240°F. 4. Using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, carefully whisk the syrup into the gelatin on low speed. When all the gelatin is incorporated, turn the speed to high and beat the mixture until it is thick and opaque, 8 – 10 minutes. 5. Pour the marshmallows into the prepared pan and dust the top with more confectioners’ sugar. 6. Leave at room temperature, uncovered, overnight for the marshmallows to solidify. 7. The next morning, gently remove the marshmallow from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1-inch squares. Marshmallows can be stored in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to two weeks.

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FOOD

A PIE

can save your life

ay, way back in the late 1970s, Steven Cox and Avis Renshaw had a Potomac River farm, a home in Reston, and two Fairfax County farm stands. The grandson of an Ohio farmer and the granddaughter of an engineer who helped build the Pentagon, they imagined a future literally rooted to the land, in which hard work and sound farming practices would provide a future for them and their family. Then, by 1981, they were bankrupt. They lost their farm and the farm stands due to crop failures from an unusually long drought, and couldn’t get a loan to meet their expenses. Avis was pregnant with the first of their four children. She remembered how pies had sold quickly at their farm stands. To bring in money, they made pies in their home kitchen and sold them to friends, neighbors and farm markets. “I learned to bake by trial and error,” Avis remembers. “We took a bunch of recipes and tried them all and we were systematic about finding out what we liked and what we didn’t.” Steven sourced the fruit, flour, butter, and pumpkin from Virginia farms. He insisted on organic growing and demanded that produce be picked and delivered at the peak of ripeness. He used no preservatives or processed ingredients. Daughter Petra (also known as “Petee”) recalls that her father did much of the baking. “When it comes to pie and produce, he has a mad-professor energy about him—a zeal and fervor that’s hard to dismiss.” Her mother “handled the business end and sought out new markets.” They baked and baked and baked. “The key was making the crust just right,” Avis 20 PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |

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They heard a rumor—later confirmed to be true—that one of their apple pies found its way into the White House and was savored by President George H.W. Bush. (Bill Clinton later would say nice things about their Lemon Chess, and Obama would enjoy their sweet potato pies).

Mom’s Apple Pie Company, where “Everything has to be yummy.” BY BILL KENT PHOTOS BY KAITLIN HILL

adds, “and not putting in too much sugar, so you could taste the fruit.” With the birth of Clancy (now a professional soprano living in upstate New York), Avis decided to call herself Mom’s Pies. A local Safeway supermarket decided to sell a few. They sold. Soon 40 Safeways wanted their pies, cookies, and baked bread. To meet the demand, Steven bought an antique dough mixer, a dough rolling machine, a dough press and an oven that could bake as many as 100 pies at a time. None of these would fit in their home kitchen so Avis rented space in a Sterling industrial park and their pies and other baked goods found fans. Among their earliest supporters was the late Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who was especially fond of their Sunflower Crunch Loaf.

REFOCUS By then Avis and her small staff were making as many as 800 pies a day. In 2003, when their industrial park landlord raised their rent, they decided to stop selling to supermarkets. Later that year Avis found an old Leesburg gas station at the “pie shaped” intersection of Loudoun and East Market streets and turned it into a retail shop. She used the small shed behind the shop to make the pies. People leaving on flights from nearby Dulles International Airport bought pies before departing on flights. Later Avis and Steve would get fan letters from Europe. They soon opened another location in Occoquan’s historic district that also had room for on-site baking. When that landlord offered them additional space, daughter Petee, who had been studying cuisine and viniculture in Italy, suggested they fill the shelves with craft beer, vintage and boutique wine (Avis’s brother Ben’s 8 Chains North Winery among them) and locally produced jams, honey, pottery, Winchester’s Lone Oak Coffee, and Route 11 potato chips. Petee managed the shop for a while, then moved to New York City, married, and opened her own pie shop there. She has since opened a café restaurant in Brooklyn.

PEOPLE OF THE PIEDMONT

“Pie is a celebration,

a feel-good kind of food.” PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |

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FOOD

Two years ago, Avis and Steven opened a third location with on-site baking in the Hill High Marketplace, just off Route 7 in Round Hill, that also has ice cream and custom mugs from Round Hill potter David Norton.

many shelters and food banks, Tree of Life in Round Hill among them. Originally, they had imagined they could raise everything they needed for their pies organically and sustainably, in their own backyard. It didn’t quite turn out that way. “We are lucky in that Virginia has the right kind of weather to grow many things,” Steven says, sitting on a tractor on the Lost Corner Farm. “We not only have great soil, we have great resiliency in the soil. This allows us to grow all the berries, corn, sage, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins for the pies.” But not the apples.

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 Mom’s did not suffer as much as others in the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic that devastated so many restaurant, retail, and food operations. “For a while at first I just wanted to make sure we had the best practices in place and that we could keep all our people employed. But we were as worried about survival as everyone else and we figured that, if things got really bad with food shortages, we would be

Photo by: Tara Jelenic Photography

HOME FARM PRODUCTION The pies had not only pulled the family out of bankruptcy, but permitted them to move to Lost Corner Farm on the Potomac, just a few miles from their previous farm. With cattle, chickens, pigs, and three dogs, they settled into – in addition to making pies – production of most of what they needed for home and business use. In addition, Lost Corner is one of several in Virginia that sells CSAs — community supported agriculture shares — of their produce. Lost Corner partnered with Misty Meadow Farm in Leesburg, Whiffletree in Warrenton, and Day Spring in Middleburg to offer 22 weekly deliveries of fruits and vegetables, but also dairy, beef, pork, eggs, and poultry. Mom’s also donates food to

“We have tried and baked every variety of apple grown in Virginia and just about every variety from the rest of the country. We owe it to the pies to use the best of everything we can find.” Mom’s currently “imports” Northern Spy, Crispin, and Granny Smith apples from New York state. Flour comes from Montana. “We planted wheat. It worked for our bread but it didn’t quite pass the test for our pies.” What test is that? “Everything has to be yummy.”

www.domesticaspirations.com www.danieljmooredesign.com 8393 w main st., MARSHALL, VA 20115

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MON-Fri By Appointment …for now

FOOD

able to live on what we grow. What we didn’t anticipate was that the shortages made people even more concerned with where their food was coming from, who was growing it, and how it was grown. Suddenly we had what a lot of people really needed. Our CSA shares increased by 30 percent,” Avis says. “We hoped that things wouldn’t get so bad that people would stop wanting to have pie, because pie is a celebration, a feel-good kind of food.” She was right, thousands of pies were sold during the 2020 holiday season, much more than 2019. “We had outside sales tents erected at Leesburg and Hill High and I think that made the difference — less time in line and an outdoor option for people being careful because of COVID-19. Someone still reported us for having more than 25 people “gathered,” so the health department came and rearranged my traffic cones and made the line go down the street to the gas

MOM’S APPLE PIE COMPANY Leesburg: 220 Loudoun St Se, Leesburg | 703.771.8590

Hill High: 35246 Harry Byrd Hwy, Round Hill | 540.338.1800 Occoquan: 126a Commerce St, Occoquan | 703.497.7437 momsapplepie.com

station. People wore masks and kept good distance even though it was outside.” THE FUTURE With 50 full-time employees, son Tyson supervising much of the farm and bakery operations, and daughter Biansa doing the books, Avis “hasn’t quite thought through” handing the business over to her children. Steven wants to add hearty, savory meat pies to the shop’s menu, inspired by daughter

Pie For Everyone BY PETEE PARADEZ

Mom’s Pies rarely share recipes. In her first cookbook, Pies for Everyone (240 pages, Abrams hardcover, $29.99), Mom’s daughter Petra “Petee” Paradez, does more than give away the store. Her father, Steven Cox, admits that “Petee uses more butter than we do. Her pies might be even better than ours.” Petee’s Lower East Side shop, now in its seventh year, has made many of the city’s “best” lists, and, in her book, Petee includes pictures of the Lost Corner Farm and credits her parents for instilling in her a perfectionist’s quest for simplicity and purity of ingredients, as well as the gift of a one-ton Artofex dough mixer.

She encourages beginners to use their hands when making their first “shockingly good” crusts of butter. Lard is too rich for her and she won’t use vegetable shortening because it is “removed from nature” and “completely devoid of flavor”—use a coconut oil if you want a vegan crust, rice and cassava flours for the gluten-free. Though she profiles some of her suppliers, she advises you not to feel guilty if all you can find is frozen fruit for the fillings—frozen fruit can taste better than out-ofseason fresh. The book offers 80 different kinds of pie, with variations, from the classic apple (Petee adds lemon

Petee’s success in New York. He also wants to “do more with chocolate” for Valentine’s Day, adding to the heart-shaped Linzer cookies that are best sellers in February. “I’m trying to slow down,” Avis said, now a grandmother seven times over, “but I’m used to working all the time.” As vice president of the Loudoun County Farm Bureau, she advocates for farm preservation and small scale, family-owned and operated agriculture. “As long as I can remember there’s been a conflict about what we’re going to do with our farmland and I want to make sure that we hold on to as much of it as we can,” she says. “And that the farming we do is done responsibly and sensibly so that whoever comes after we’re gone can have the same opportunities we had. When it gets frustrating, I remember what Justice O’Connor told me: ‘Justice is slow. That’s why they have turtles holding up the columns at the Supreme Court.’”

juice and a pinch of salt) to holiday favorites (mincemeat and savory mincemeat), quiches (with foraged milkweed buds), cheese pies (honey chevre), meringues (elderflower) and such mealmaking favorites as Chicken Pot Pie and a spicy Chile Verde Pork Pie. Why go to the freezer when you can make your own vanilla bean ice cream (be careful stirring in the yolks) that you can lather on such exotic pies as Cardamom Rose, Pistachio Cloud, and Maple Whiskey Walnut. In her exploration of the history, science and

culture of pie-making, we learn that ancient Egyptians may have been the first to enclose perishable ingredients in a crust, and that the “classic” American pumpkin pie derives from a French recipe that, if made from canned filling, may not have any genuine pumpkin in it. She comes close, but doesn’t quite solve the mystery of Virginia’s famed “chess” pie, but praises it for transforming “the most modest pantry staples…into something rich, elegant and sublime.” She offers six chess recipes, plus variations, for making Chestnut Rum, Salty Chocolate and Sesame Tahini. Recipes are clearly written and easy to follow. Be wary of Victor Garzon’s luscious photographs—one look and you’ll want to throw away your bathroom scale.

LITERATURE

Voluminous Historical Resource Thrives in the Piedmont

hile the Piedmont region is blessed with a large quantity of quality bookshops and an abundance of regional history to research and explore, there are few bibliophiles who have married the two successfully. Scott Fennessey, owner of Blue Whale Books in Charlottesville, has accomplished just that with his vast collection of expertly curated texts, maps, and prints in his inviting and expansive shop. After working at the Rare Book School as a graduate student at the University of Virginia, Fennessey opened Blue Whale Books in 1994 with an initial stock of approximately 34,000 volumes that were acquired from the Richmond Bookshop. Now, after more than two-and-a-half decades, Blue Whale is still attracting visitors and locals alike. Fennessey earned his master’s degree in English at the University of Virginia, where he focused largely on bibliography and the history of the book. Laughingly explaining his inspiration for opening Blue Whale Books, Fennessey says, “I did not want to write a dissertation! That, and I was working for Rare Book School as a graduate student and loved books.” 24 PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |

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Among the rare finds on sale: Tough-Threaded Iris Edwards, Sydenham, and John Lindley. London: James Ridgway, 1829. Hand-colored copper etching.

Blue Whale Books offers a cozy respite to dedicated browsers. BY JENNIFER WALDERA PHOTOS BY CAMDEN LITTLETON

Fennessey recalls the serendipitous start of the shop fondly, sharing that, as a graduate student reading the Sunday paper, he found information about an upcoming liquidation sale. He called the owner and by that same evening, he owned a bookstore. “Most of my inventory comes from local sources. When you have been in business for 25 years, word gets around and people with things to sell find me,” he says. “The maps and prints however were almost all published in Europe, so I get most of them at auctions in Europe. Flying to Paris or Berlin is a nice change of pace!” While Fennessey describes Blue Whale Books as a broad, generalist type of store, featuring thousands of “regular” used books and hundreds of rare books in a variety of categories (with a large number that focus on Virginia and Jefferson), he also has a personal interest in architecture and books about books (typography, bookbinding, paper-making, etc). However, it is the maps and prints that set the store apart from others.

LITERATURE

Scott Fennessey, owner of Blue Whale Books, with Gizmo PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |

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LITERATURE

“What makes us truly different is our selection of graphic arts. In Europe it is common for bookstores to also sell maps and prints, but you hardly ever see it in the United States. For our maps and prints there is generally a cutoff point around 1875. This corresponds with the change from hand-colored work to printed color, mass production work. We usually have maps or prints hanging around from the 1500s, but we also like the wood engraving revival of the 1930s. We generally have something for everyone,” he explains. Fennessey credits the business’ interest in terms of its selection to the research required to curate the collection. With a reference library of about 2,000 volumes — covering subjects from the identification of French armorial bindings to watermarks in paper from the 16th century — he uses his abundance of resources to identify valuable and interesting materials for potential buyers. His two colleagues, Andrew Hniat and Lisa Reardon, help in the process as well. “We know what we are doing. We are three full time professionals with decades of experience among us,” says Fennessey. In addition to the texts, maps, and prints 26 PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |

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BLUE WHALE BOOKS, ABAA 115 West Main St., Charlottesville 434-296-4646 bluewhalebooks.com

Gizmo is Charlottesville-famous

themselves, the ambience of Blue Whale Books is a draw for those who enjoy the experience of spending time among texts in an inviting environment. The store’s open floor plan and comfortable environs are welcoming to the casual customer looking to explore in a cozy, yet open space. “I modeled the layout of the store after Barnes and Noble. They sold the most books back in the ’90s, partly because they built stores with enough room for their customers, and comfortable places to sit. Then I added a nicer carpet and wood shelves that I made myself. I wanted a place I would like to be in, since I was going to spend most of my life in it. And I’m proud of it too.” A glance at Blue Whale Books’ new website launched in late 2020 shows pictures of the warm and inviting shop, in which any dog lover will likely grin at the sight of Gizmo, the shop’s resident Cardigan Corgi, and another contributor to the relaxed feel of the space. She has spent her entire 13 years as their bookstore dog. “She is recognized all over Charlottesville and is our star Facebook influencer!”

LITERATURE

In the last year in which travel has become far more rare, and in-person perusing in shops is less frequent, Blue Whale Books has remained healthy. One of those reasons, Fennessey says, is the open environment in which guests can remain distant from others. He also nods to the historical nature of the area, and its draw to regional travelers, as another reason for continued success as a small business during a challenging time. “Thomas Jefferson makes a lot of money for Charlottesville. While tourism is nearly gone everywhere else, we have attracted a lot of people looking for day trips. It has translated to some hotel stays, but not so much to restaurant sales. Our retail, though, has been surprisingly healthy.” While a trip to the shop is certainly worth the drive, for those who do not prefer in-person shopping, it is possible to peruse some of the store’s offerings online. “Everything that goes out of this store is in nice condition and packed securely in a box. We have a 100% satisfaction rating on Amazon going back 20 years,” Fennessey assures.

Map of Jerusalem Dapper, Olfert. Jerusalem. Amsterdam: Jacob van Meurs, 1677. Hand colored copper engraving on watermarked laid paper.

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MUSIC

A Gift

and a Responsibility The music of Andre Fox BY PAM KAMPHUIS

“W

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pose now is to bring joy into people’s lives with his music, which he views as a gift. He treats his musical talent as a responsibility that he takes very seriously, and locals and fans who have known him many years continue to love and appreciate it. When did you start singing?

Andre Fox: Music was always around while I was growing up. My whole family sang. We had a whole stack of 45s, like James Brown, old Smokey Robinson, the Temptations. We’d listen to those, and then somebody would jump on the piano, and someone would start singing, and everybody just sang and had a great time. I thought it was normal. I thought everybody could play and sing. I came out of the womb singing. I’ll tell you a good story. One day I was folding clothes and a commercial came on the TV, and I heard “At last…my love…has come along.” It was the most beautiful song I’d ever heard. I actually dropped the clothes. I found out that the song was by Etta James, and I bought the tape and I learned it. Then, one night I played it at Mosby’s, and my mom walked into the club. She said, “When did you learn that song?”, and I said, “About two weeks ago, mom. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard in my life.” Then she said, “You should remember it. I sang that song the whole time I was pregnant with you!”

PHOTO BY PHILIP THORPE

hat I really want to get across is that I don’t want to be known as a musician, I want to be known as a nice guy who would help anybody. I love the music, but I want to be known as one of the nicest people you’ve ever met, somebody you can sit down and talk to.” Those were the first words Andre Fox said to me when we sat down to talk. This, from one of the most well-known musicians in the northern Virginia Piedmont. But he is also one of those people who everybody knows and likes, so I guess he scores on both sides. Andre has lived in this area all his life and is just one of those people who knows just about everyone. I had previously seen him play in local bars back in the ’90s. We met at the Red Horse Tavern in Middleburg to talk and reminisce. At the beginning of the interview, I remarked to him, “Gosh, I remember when this restaurant was Magpie’s,” and he said, “Girl, I remember when this was a house. Guy who lived here had a trained pet raccoon that rode around on his shoulder and did tricks.” Born and raised to a family rooted for many generations in Fauquier and Loudoun Counties, Andre has led an eventful life working in the military and in the private sector. He’s traveled all over the world, but now his love of the local area and its people keeps him here. He feels his pur-

I understand that your family has deep roots in Fauquier County and Middleburg?

My family’s been here forever. Some of my family were born slaves, some of my family came over from England through Ellis Island. So I’m white and I’m Black and I’m Native American. But I don’t identify with any specific race or group. I was born and raised here. I’m an American, period. My mom and dad still live here. My mom, she’s like Wonder Woman. She takes care of everyone and everything, and she works harder than you and I could ever work combined. And my father is like Superman. My grandfather helped take care of the Kennedy’s horses and taught Caroline how to ride at Glen Ora. My grandmother was the housekeeper, and the Kennedys left them some memorabilia when they moved out of Wexford. So you’ve lived around here your whole life?

I grew up right here in northern Fauquier County and Middleburg. My whole family was into horse training over at the training center. I was on a horse when I was three. For elementary school, I went to Bannaker in St. Louis (Va.), because that was during segregation. When that ended, I bounced around different schools in Fauquier until I ended up graduating from Fauquier High in 1978. So I have a lot of ties to this area. I love it here. I’m a country boy at heart. I was a member of the Future Farmers of America, and one of my favorite teachers at school was Mr. Yowell, who taught us how to fix lawn mowers and tractors and stuff. That’s where I got my love of mechanics. I still do a happy dance when I get the lights on a broken lawnmower to turn on. Gotta do a happy dance. So was becoming a professional musician your goal when you were young?

No. After high school I joined the Navy as an electronics technician. That’s where I

learned all my electronics. Then I worked on Capitol Hill in virtually every government agency that exists, because I had top secret security clearance. So I worked for CIA, DEA, FBI, IRS, Department of Commerce, the State Department executive offices. When I left that job, in 1984, I had to clear my mind so I came back to the farm. I just wanted a weed eater and a lawnmower and some horses for a minute. Then I got a job as an electrical mechanic at Metro, and I fixed the trains. From the front to the back, I worked on every part of the train. I did that for 10 years, then one day, I said, that’s it. What did you do then?

I picked up my guitar and I said, “I’m not doing it any more!” I walked away from society. I figured I could help more people with my guitar than I could with anything else. I took my guitar and I stood on the street corner in Old Town Alexandria. And I sang for everybody. That didn’t last two weeks until somebody said, you’re hired. My first gig was at the Alamo at Union and First Street in Alexandria. That was my first solid gig where I got booked every week and got a regular paycheck. I had a great time at the Alamo. I played the Apollo, too, and that was a great experience. I still have my paycheck stub from them. How would you describe your music?

I describe my style as acoustic soul, but I do still love the old time rock ’n roll. My music sounds like old 1960s soul music, like Otis Redding. It sounds like it was written 30 or 40 years ago. Who has been important to you as a mentor with your music?

I’ve played with some very very talented musicians. It’s so hard to start naming them because I don’t want to leave anybody out. The main person I’d like to mention is Gary Smallwood. He’s been a great influence in my life. And also my uncle, Brian Fox. He got me started performing in his gospel group, the Middleburg Harmonizers, when

Although he traveled all over the world in the military, Fox is a “country boy at heart” and is happiest in our rural setting. “This was a great place to grow up,” he said. PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |

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MUSIC

I was young. He really taught us the joy of music. I don’t even know if I’d be doing this right now if it weren’t for those two. And here I am, 26 years later, at 60 years old. So, it’s pretty cool. How do you feel about your music?

You can do anything with music: you can reach people’s souls; make them cry, laugh. It is the universal language, it crosses all color barriers, races, everything. Music is a very powerful tool and I use it very carefully. I appreciate the talent that I’ve been given, I don’t abuse it, I respect it and I respect its power. I use that tool to bring joy. I just want to make people happy. That’s my job right now. It’s a pretty cool job, it’s the hardest job I’ve ever had in my life, but it’s the most fun. That’s what God gave me, and that’s what I have to use. So it’s like your responsibility?

Yes, you’re right, it’s my responsibility. You nailed it; you just taught me something about myself. Thank you. I feel good about my music and what I’ve done. I’ve had people come up to me and say, “I proposed to my wife at your gig. Would you play at our wedding?” or, “If it wasn’t for your music, we wouldn’t be married these 20 years later.” That’s pretty deep right there. I’ve played at a lot of weddings. I think music is a beautiful tool. It’s more beautiful than any wrench or any pair of pliers I’ve ever seen. But when I think about helping people, the pliers and the wrenches are also tools in my toolbox that I can use. I can reach people with my music, but I can also help them if they’re broken down on the side of the road. That’s all that guitar is — a tool. But if you break down on the side of the road, that guitar ain’t gonna fix anything. But those wrenches can. I can use that knowledge also to reach out to anybody I can help.

“Music is a very powerful tool and I use it very carefully. I appreciate the talent that I’ve been given, I don’t abuse it, I respect it and I respect its power.”

Andre last released an album in 2018, and due to high demand, all his albums are sold out at this time. He has a new one coming in 2021, as well as a re-release of some of the older ones.

What are you up to these days?

Right now I’m living in Centreville, taking care of my motherin-law. She’s actually my ex-wife’s mother, but she’s family to me, and she has dementia. And she loves me; she won’t let nobody take care of her but me. I don’t want her to go to a nursing home, I’m going to stay there with her in her own home until it’s absolutely out of my control. Some days it’s hard, really hard, but some days it’s hilarious. She’ll do something like throw a chair out the window because she thinks someone is sitting there, and then she’ll say, “There, I got rid of them.” I really love her. I love that woman. What about your music?

Information and performance clips: andrefox.com 30 PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |

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PHOTO BY CAMDEN LITTLETON

I’m not performing, I’m basically writing music now, because of the virus. I do both the music and the lyrics for all the songs, and people love it and they are buying it. I can deal with that. I’d much rather be out there playing it and singing it for people, but if I can still have my music and sell it and not have to go everywhere, that’s what I’m doing right now.

MUSIC

With a fan, Ms. Gertie Thomas, on her birthday at the Blackthorne Inn in Upperville.

Andre’s custom guitar, hand made by Steve McDonald.

The Andre Fox band at the Alamo in Old town Alexandria. We were the house band and had a huge following.

“I think music is a beautiful tool. It’s more beautiful than any wrench or any pair of pliers I’ve ever seen.”

At Velocity 5 in Centerville with Thomas Thompson from New Orleans. “We were in the Navy together and somehow we ran into each other and still perform together like brothers.”

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Mapping History with Eugene Scheel

Illustrating the Northern Piedmont’s Past and Present STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAITLIN HILL

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HISTORY AND ART

hen asked to define himself, Eugene Scheel of Waterford jokes, “When I want to impress people, I say I am a historian in private practice. If I don’t need to impress, I say I do odd jobs in the field of history.” So much more than odd jobs. Scheel has worked as Northern Piedmont’s premier mapmaker and historian for 50 years, creating nearly 100 meticulously hand-drawn maps and authoring a series of books detailing local history. And, he is showing no signs of slowing down. With multiple projects running simultaneously, requests for updated editions, and a contagious curiosity to keep him going, Scheel is still in the field, putting pencil to paper and preserving Virginia’s unique history as only he can. Born in the Bronx during World War II, Scheel describes his earliest endeavors into mapmaking as “doodles.” “I grew up in a time where maps were featured in every publication because of the Second World War. I got used to seeing these hand-drawn maps.” He continues, “I was a youngster, I doodled imaginary countries and islands and aerial views. I just doodled my own little maps instead of other types of doodles,” he says. His childhood inclination toward cartography inspired him to connect with Gilbert Grosvenor, then editor of National Geographic Magazine and president of the National Geographic Society. Scheel remembers, “When I was in high school I wrote to Gilbert Grosvenor and said, ‘I like to make maps. Where would you recommend going to college?’” Scheel followed Grosvenor’s recommendation to attend Clark University, a small school in New England, where he would earn an A.B. in Geography. After graduation, Scheel served as a Marine and took “a couple of quick odd jobs” before reconnecting with Grosvenor and deciding he might like to work for him. Scheel says, “I decided to work for National Geographic Magazine. They make nice maps. So, I wrote [Grosvenor] again and said, ‘I followed your advice and I went to Clark University, where I did very well.’” Scheel was invited for an interview and joined the staff at 17th and M Street, NW, in Washington, D.C., in 1960. “My job at National Geographic was to read manuscripts that went in the magazine and suggest ideas for anything that wasn’t photographic, in other words, artwork, maps, diagrams. At the time we were doing a lot of work, consider the space program and undersea work, and these were subjects that couldn’t be covered at the time. We’re talking mid-60s.” In 1965, Scheel and his wife moved to Waterford, back then a 55-minute commute to downtown Washington. In 1968, Scheel notes, “The job became somewhat of a sinecure. So I decided to leave National Geographic and go out on my own.” He moved his office and his focus to Virginia. “I was a consultant for the governor’s (of Virginia) office under Linwood Holton. I think he came in ’71. I did a lot of little different things,” Scheel recalls. He adds, “Then there was an advertisement in the Loudoun Times Mirror for somebody to draw a map of Loudoun County.” Scheel took on the project and added his own flair. He explains, “In 1970, ‘71 there

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ALL MAPS REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION EUGENE SCHEEL

HISTORY AND ART

weren’t any really good maps, just a little highway map. So, I decided to make it somewhat of a historical map because I was interested in history. I started adding mills and old schools and everything like that.” His Loudoun County map was published in 1972 and its success led to more mapmaking opportunities. In subsequent years, he would illustrate Fauquier, Culpeper, Madison, Prince William, Clarke, and Rappahannock counties, as well as more specific infographics capturing the Civil War in Loudoun County, an American

Indian map of Loudoun County, and his Prince William: AfricanAmerican Heritage Map detailing historic Black churches. He even did a special rendering of Atoka Farm outside Middleburg for Elizabeth Taylor to gift then-husband Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), and a detailed depiction of the Bermuda Islands that was presented to the Queen of England by the Government of Bermuda. While mapping out his own path, Scheel picked up two additional degrees: a graduate degree from the University of Virginia’s PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |

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School of Architecture and a graduate degree in American Literature from Georgetown University. According to Scheel, his style of mapmaking is 30 percent drawing and 70 percent research, which relies heavily on those he refers to as “old-timers.” Of his process he says, “It entails going around in all terrain vehicles and speaking to a lot of old-timers…I try to find somebody who is familiar with where they went to a one-room school and they’ll know everything within a two mile radius. And they’ll then suggest I go talk to so-and-so and so-and-so…I ask, ‘What’s the name of that hill?’ ‘What do you call that field?’ ‘Is there anything unusual about that river?’ So I ask a myriad of questions and put together a map that way.” With a wealth of area information collected, Scheel can put pen to paper. He explains, “My earlier maps were mostly freehand but in regard to the type, that was machine set and I had to laboriously put it on.” He continues with a chuckle, “Then I decided that my handwriting was fairly decent and so I’ll do the hand lettering. Now it’s all freehand.” Maps are intricately inked on a “stable-base plastic that doesn’t lose its shape,” Scheel explains. He adds, “I draw in ink or pencil, nothing unusual.” And the entire process of deep research and detailed drawing takes two to four years, depending on the map. In total, Scheel believes he has completed roughly 70 maps, the majority of them large scale. Not only an accomplished mapmaker, Detail of Scheel’s Scheel has also authored a small bookcase Fauquier County of local historical studies and newspaper map (1973) columns. He shares, “In 1976, with the showing the Big bicentennial, I proposed to the Loudoun Cobbler Mountain Times Mirror that I would do a series on area of northwest the history of the 120 communities, villagFauquier County. es, and towns that used to make up Loudoun County. I just started alphabetically and finished after about three or four years.” In 2002, The Thomas Balch Library in Leesburg turned his Loudoun County writings into a series of five volumes called, Loudoun Discovered – Communities, Corners, and Crossroads. The series is 900 pages in total. And from 1999 to 2010 he wrote a history column for local editions of The Washington Post. Even with too many accomplishments to count, Scheel is still working. Currently, he is finishing a history of agriculture in Loudon County based on the minutes of the Catoctin Farmers’ Club, the 100th Anniversary of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Purcellville, and a large series of farm maps out of Clarke County. Some of his earlier maps are in the process of being reprinted, too. Scheel notes that Laura Kelsey of the Fauquier Historical Society is in the process of having his Fauquier map updated and reprinted with a partial grant provided by the Fauquier Bank. When asked how he picks his projects, he jests, “Whatever I get paid for.” But more than pay, it is obvious that passion is what keeps Scheel going. “I enjoy doing what I’m doing and as long as my mind, my hands, and my eyes are fine, I will go on doing it.” 36 PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |

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BY PAM KAMPHUIS

HISTORY AND ART

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HISTORY

Unearthing History at Montpelier Telling a More Complete Story BY GLENDA C. BOOTH

tiny bead, a rusty nail, a needlesized fish bone, a dirty shard of glass. These are probably trivial objects to the average person, but to archaeologists at Montpelier, they are significant and exciting. Buried in the dirt are many stories of life on an 18th-century, Virginia plantation — the masters, the overseers, and the enslaved people. Thousands of dirt-encrusted artifacts as small as a pea can reveal what people were doing and perhaps why. Montpelier is the home of the fourth U.S. President, James Madison, and his wife, Dolley, near Orange, and in their day, up to 135 others, 120 of whom were enslaved. 38 PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |

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Since early 2009, Montpelier has hosted and trained around 1,400 volunteer archaeologists annually to help with excavations. Participants gladly spend hours on their knees or crouching in a five-by-five-foot pit, trowel in hand, patiently, painstakingly scraping in the dirt around the mansion’s grounds or out at a farmyard’s edge, where slaves swept and left debris. Charlottesville resident Marie Hartless learned how to clean an iron hatchet head, how to identify types of nails, and whether they were made by hand or machine, based on their shapes. Hartless’s

ancestors were the Madisons’ neighbors. Emily Cockrell, from Glen Allen, came upon a small blue bead, a straight pin, and button pieces when sifting through some pebbles. “There is something extremely exciting about finding pieces like those because they are so intimate to their user. Who wore this?” she asks. Dean Cummins, a 12-time volunteer from Reston, says his most exciting artifact was part of a glass wine bottle bearing the Madison seal. “I feel like I’m contributing to the research in a small way, I keep going back because there is always something new to learn,” he comments.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JAMES MADISON’S MONTPELIER

HISTORY

Opposite: A shard of china found in a trash deposit near the main house. It belonged to French porcelain dinner set the Madisons purchased in 1803 and used while at Octagon House, the temporary home of the president after the White House burned during the War of 1812. The dinner set was used as State China in Washington D.C. from 1812-1816, and brought back to Montpelier when Madison’s term was finished.

Above: A shard of a wine bottle made of olive green glass showing the Madisons’ seal, found in the South Yard. Until about 1800, the “I” was commonly used interchangeably with “J”. The “I” as the first letter on this seal dates the bottle to the President’s father.

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HISTORY

ARCHAEOLOGY EXPEDITION PROGRAMS The staff at Montpelier Archaeology have a passion for working with the public to discover and preserve Madison’s historic landscape. They welcome members of the public to participate in weeklong family-friendly immersive programs where you will step inside the active excavation sites and dig beside their professional archaeology staff. Along the way, expedition members will learn how to identify 18th and 19th century artifacts and discover what happens to this material culture after it is excavated. The programs also include several specialty lectures and tours that are not available to a typical Montpelier visitor that will immerse you in the 18th, 19th, and 20th century history of the property. You will not just dig with the staff, you will learn with them as well. No prior experience is necessary, and those ages 1290 who are willing to get a little dirty are welcome. Information and fees can be found at montpelier.org/visit/ excavate-field-expedition

ARCHAEOLOGY INFORMS In a typical year, between 120 and 150 archaeology volunteers seek clues of plantation life at Montpelier, led by Dr. Matthew Reeves, director of archaeology and landscape restoration. “Understanding what it looked like in the 1820s is not just for book knowledge but will help the public understand life then,” he explains. “If the buildings are not visible, people don’t know.” James Madison (1751-1836), president from 1809 to 1817, was hailed as the “Father of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.” He co-wrote The Federalist Papers and was the fifth secretary of state from 1801 to 1809. Madison grew up at Montpelier, lived there as an adult, and returned after his presidency. Dolley made her mark, too, holding then-unprecedented, bipartisan social affairs in the White House and whisking Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington away in 1814 when British troops neared Washington, D.C. Of the thousands of objects the Madisons owned, surviving ones are “barely enough to fill a room,” says Reeves, and many of Madison’s personal papers were destroyed. Archaeology offers seemingly mundane but critical details of life 200 years ago and artifacts can often be the only source of information. In trash deposits, archaeologists may find chimney bricks or door hardware, for example. Excavators have found Parisian porcelains there, offering hints about mealtime in the main house. From artifacts, researchers learned, for example, that the Madisons regularly

“In order for us to become that great nation that we keep hearing about, the truth has to be told.” served suckling pig and veal to show off their wealth and that enslaved girls played with dolls to learn how to care for their mistress’s children. BEYOND THE MANSION Initial digs focused on the historic core, including the mansion, its immediate surroundings, and the formal grounds, but those excavations only tell part of the story. Around 120 enslaved people labored there, the human engines that made the plantation function. They had lives too, but their stories rarely made it into historical accounts. Madison’s surviving papers have scant details on their lives. At slave-dwelling sites, archaeologists have found “treasure troves” of Britishmanufactured ceramics, bottles, jewelry, animal bones, nails, hardware, chimney bricks, and stones. One especially poignant find near a slave-dwelling site was a pipe bowl bearing the word “Liberty,” an ironic label at the home of the slaveowning Father of the Bill of Rights. “These pipe bowls demonstrate that the enslaved community had their own ideas and concepts about politics, and that they were political agents as well, despite not having the political rights afforded to others,” Terry Brock, Assistant Director of Archaeology, has observed. Exploring slavery motivated Washingtonian Victoria Elliott to volunteer three times at Montpelier. “It’s a combination of doing something outdoors and physical in the fresh air, and at the same time it’s intellectually interesting. We are always learning about the institution of slavery as it was practiced at Montpelier,” she offers. Expedition member Sandra Hesse getting ready to sort and wash artifacts in the field lab, which is now held outside during the pandemic.

HISTORY

Shards of ceramic teawares found in the South Yard dates that were purchased and used by enslaved individuals in the 1810s. The piece on the left was manufactured in England and is a hand-painted coffee cup while the fragment of the right is Chinese-export porcelain. By selling or bartering produce at the local markets, the slaves could earn money for such things.

A doll’s foot and hand found in the South Yard near the house slaves’ quarters. These doll parts likely were in the quarters as young enslaved girls played with dolls in preparation for caring for the owner’s children.

Dr. Matthew Reeves, director of archaeology and landscape restoration at Montpelier.

Montpelier has reconstructed six slave dwellings based on archaeological research. This fall, volunteers are learning to use 19thcentury construction techniques to make tables and chairs for cabins in the South Yard slave-living area. Some help build timberframe, ghosted structures without doors or windows to represent slave quarters.

Researchers are trying to answer several questions, including how the overseer established control over the enslaved laborers and their power negotiations. The “Home Farm” included the overseer’s house, barns, horse and livestock paddocks, a blacksmith shop, and a mill. For clues, excavators are trying to reveal hearths, chimney bases, post holes, building

Now archaeologists are working on the 70-acre “Home Farm” to better understand the overseer’s role and the plantation’s agricultural practices. On southern plantations, overseers managed day-to-day operations, especially the enslaved people. He was often a white, middle-class man and this job has been “under studied” by historians, some argue.

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HISTORY

footers, and trash pits, for example. Excavating the home farm and up to 20 dwellings there can “provide an even fuller story of the world at Montpelier,” says the website. In addition to excavating, volunteers learn to identify, clean, mend, conserve, analyze, and catalog artifacts. Some volunteers learn metal detecting. Some work in the laboratory there. Every hour of excavation requires 20 hours of archaeology lab work, say experts. WORKING WITH THE DESCENDANT COMMUNITY Recognizing that Montpelier was much more than the Madison family and their mansion, today’s managers have made other efforts to tell a fuller story. They have connected with descendants of former slaves and collected oral histories from people who trace their roots to Montpelier. In the early 2000s, they connected with Rebecca Gilmore Coleman, granddaughter of George Gilmore, a freedman formerly enslaved at Montpelier, and re-

Rebecca Gilmore Coleman, granddaughter of George Gilman, a freedman formerly enslaved at Montpelier, excavating the hearth at the Gilmore Cabin.

stored the Gilmore family cabin, across from the estate’s entrance. On the involvement of descendants, Reeves believes, “The community guides our interpretive efforts, aids in our understanding of slavery and the African American psyche of the time, and gives a different perspective on the lives of the people we are striving the humanize and understand.” Archaeological research also supported the exhibit titled “The Mere Distinction of Colour” in which living descendants of the enslaved relate their ancestors’ experiences there. The exhibit also traces the history of slavery in America and its lasting legacy. In hopes of telling a more complete story, archaeologists are literally unearthing history at a place where the fundamentals of freedom may have been conceived, but were denied to those in bondage. “This isn’t African American history,” says Hugh Alexander, a descendant of Paul Jennings, one of Madison’s enslaved servants. “This is American history.”

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ARTISANS

Salvaging and Creating

BY GLENDA BOOTH

hunks of dingy metal, used lumber, rusty machine parts, dilapidated cars, window frames, shipping containers, old flooring, all the detritus of industry are piled high and low, assorted symbols of America’s throwaway society. In what most people would see as useless junk, Nelson County’s Jeremy Hale sees the potential for art, architecture, and things of beauty. “I enjoy taking obsolete and surplus items that nobody wants and turning them into useful, beautiful things,” he explains. “Everything’s exciting.” From the miscellany of discards filling in his four-building complex, he repurposes. “I give it a new life,” he remarks. Hale can imagine something and then look around for materials and make it or he can study the stuff and create art.

The Excitement of “Junk” BY GLENDA C. BOOTH

THE HALE COMPANIES On the bucolic, two-lane, state Route 655, off Route 29 that takes you to Arrington, population 710, you ease around a curve and suddenly, a four-story, 84,000-square foot, blocky, brick building looms, commanding five acres next to the railroad tracks. This is the home of five businesses run by Jeremy and Jamie Hale, both of whom grew up in Nelson County. The Old Cold Storage Salvage, an architectural and industrial salvage firm, is crammed with the leftover dregs of industry, home building, and life in gen-

eral — the odds and ends of life that usually are destined for landfills. He collects what he calls “big, crazy, industrial Americana,” salvaged materials like shelving, flooring, metals, tiles, antique tools, machinery, windows, doors, steel, aluminum siding, lumber, safes, fire extinguishers, vehicles, cast iron, and industrial boilers. The website offers his philosophy: “We reject the disposable nature of our modern culture. Artisanal, high-quality construction can last for lifetimes. Our historic artifacts are worth saving for the future, and it is our goal to save these structures from being forgotten, and to put them to use again.” Above: Jeremy Hale and a flywheel from the closed Schuyler Quarry, used to cut blocks of stone into slabs. PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |

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ARTISANS

The process of refurbishing old factory carts and converting them into coffee tables.

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COURTESY PHOTOS

As a youngster, he “fell in love with rocks,” started collecting them and as an adult, got the collecting bug big time so at age 49, he is still collecting and making a living at it. Some of his rocks today require a forklift to move them. He loves to rescue materials from auctions, bankrupt businesses, and foreclosures, things like doors, mantels, sinks, windows, lumber, office furniture, and hardware. He scouts for gems when companies close, like a North Carolina furniture company that shut down in Martinsville. Hale was featured on an episode of “Salvage Dawgs,” a DIY Network television show about two Roanokers who founded Black Dog Salvage, a firm that “upcycles” items from salvage sites, like barn wood, iron, ladders, and doors; entrepreneurs who are Hale’s spiritual kin. Most of his Hale’s sales promotion is by word of mouth. His website invites: “Contact us if you have a project or pieces you would rather save than landfill.”

ARTISANS

BY GLENDA BOOTH

A Volkswagen Hale cut in half. Art.

CREATIONS Visitors to his company are greeted by his “trees,” metal creations with outstretched, branching limbs, made of light posts, former fencing, and house jacks, all welded all together. He converts factory pallets and flooring from the University of Virginia basketball court into tables. He took apart a 1930s fire tower and reassembled it for a bread-and-breakfast guesthouse in Nelson County. He’s making tiny houses from shipping containers. He has a 24-foot “safe bar,” a wooden beverage bar held up by seven abandoned safes. With people adhering to COVID-19 social distancing protocols, outdoor fire pits have been in demand. Hale has some. He gets former propane truck tanks and cuts them into round rings, six feet in diameter,

that get wedged into the ground as fire pits. His specialty is converting 165-ton, wooden, antique factory carts on iron wheels into coffee tables. He once bought 100 for $2 apiece. Restoration Hardware sold similar cart-tables for $1,500 apiece at one time. Hale’s prices vary. Each table can be one of a kind because of varying cast iron and steel hardware and other features. He has a stock of Lineberry, Nutting, Thomas, Globe, Hamilton, Charles Francis, and Towsley carts. Over time, he’s bought at least 3,000 to 4,000 carts. He sells parts, too, so do-ityourselfers can make their own. Designers and people who develop exhibits often want them. The Walt Disney Company bought some for a Harry Potter exhibit at their Florida Magic Kingdom. Hale shipped a refurbished cart to Hong Kong for a Calvin

Klein store. A California designer bought some for the Bonnaroo music festival. CREATIVE CONSTRUCTION, TOO Hale also has a construction business and does tiling, stone work, and landscaping, usually repurposing materials into modern construction and renovation. An 1870 Arrington Railroad Station, scheduled for demolition, is now part of Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company in Nellysford, thanks to Hale. Hale bought it, disassembled it and put it back together with historic architectural and structural accuracy. Then he took it apart a second time and put it back together in one day at the brewery. The station is now the Bluegrass Grill and Bakery. His Nelson Storage business has watertight, steel storage containers for lease or PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |

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ARTISANS

sale and 2,000-square-foot, private rooms with high ceilings, where customers can store more mishmash, like antique cars. He also sells and leases dumpsters and boasts that he can deliver a two-ton, roll-off dumpster with ease. Hale also runs Nelson Recycling. He bales cardboard, plastics, and aluminum cans and finds recycling markets. It’s a volatile business, but for Hale, another collection and challenge. Jamie Hale, Jeremy’s wife, manages another “collection” in the warehouse building. She runs Buteo Books, which specializes in new and used ornithology and natural history books and field guides, some rare and out of print. They offer more than 2,000 titles, from the birds of Ecuador to why birds migrate. “Buteo Books is the place to locate that hard-to-find title,” says the website.

storage@nelsonstoragellc.com 434-263-4369 oldcoldstorage.com, nelsonstoragellc.com/hale, buteobooks.com

and assembled them. It’s now a home for more of the Hale collection.

Hale and a ring he cut from a truck fuel tank, to become a fire pit.

next to the railroad tracks as cold storage for the local apple growers co-op. At that time, it could hold 180,000 bushels awaiting shipment by rail and move apples up and down on two, still-functioning freight elevators. In another building next door, built in 1918, a Model T automobile company took disassembled parts off railroad cars

Establish a legacy of giving in your community.

PUBLIC VIEWINGS The public can see the Arrington railroad depot at the Devil’s Backbone Brewery. Hale’s LOVE sculpture is on permanent display at the LOCKN’ music festival grounds on Infinity Downs Farm in Nelson. Pro Re Nata Brewery in Crozet and Bold Rock Cidery in Nellysford have Hale’s firepits, lighting fixtures, and lots of décor. He made the bar for Richmond’s Answer Brewpub in Richmond. Collecting is a passion, a profession and a cause. We are “five businesses and one tired couple,” says Hale.

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BY GLENDA BOOTH

THE BUILDING Hale bought the Arrington warehouse in 2006. Imposing to many, for him it has a special history and charm. It was built in 1930

GETTING IN TOUCH

DOGS

Hero Hound BY NICOLE BALDING ROCA

t’s the third Thursday of the month and Scandal, an eight-year-old retired foxhound, knows the drill. He sits on the scale and watches as the vet techs record his weight and vitals. He doesn’t move as they shave a patch on his neck to take a blood sample, and is relaxed as he is helped onto a table. The techs help him lie down, and he stretches out his neck and shuts his eyes. Some numbing cream is applied so he doesn’t feel the pinch of the needle. Scandal is donating blood, and his blood is special. In just a few minutes he will have given about two cups of it, enough to potentially save up to four other dogs. The donation event put on this day by the North American Veterinary Blood Bank (NAVBB) takes place at the kennels of the Snickersville Hounds in Middleburg.

Canine Blood Donations BY ED FELKER

There aren’t many veterinary blood banks in the country, and NAVBB began its mission to help keep up with the ever-growing demand for canine blood products in this area and beyond. “There has always been a shortage of canine blood products, but the pandemic has created a critical shortage,” Casey Mills of NAVBB said. “We prioritize supplying local veterinarians with the blood products they need, but we will ship blood to any vet who has a dog in need.” Scandal, originally a foxhound for Snickersville Hounds in Middleburg, has a rare and universal blood type making him an ideal candidate for donating.

Two years ago NAVBB reached out to kennel huntsman Gale Rives Cayce about getting involved. Cayce, who is responsible for the care and maintenance of Snickersville’s foxhounds, was eager to learn how the hunt could help. “The blood bank usually relies on individuals bringing their companion canines to the blood bank’s location for volunteer donations,” Cayce said. “With such a growing need for blood donations for veterinary facilities and veterinary emergency hospitals, they were exploring other possible avenues of collecting larger amounts of blood donations.” With many hounds at one location, NAVBB could come to the kennels and obtain multiple donations at once, all at one location, and could repeat the effort on a regular basis. PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |

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DOGS Eight-year-old Scandal knows the drill every month when donating blood in the care of Vet Techs. His donation will yield about 2 cups of blood, enough to save up to four dogs.

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to Katrina Balding Bills, member and Honorary Secretary of the Snickersville Hounds. Bills immediately thought of her sister, Nicole Balding Roca, who agreed to meet Scandal. Roca remembers thinking, “Let’s see how this goes and make a decision after we see how he transitions.” But in her heart she knew this retired hound had already started his second life on her farm, in her care. She brought him home, and he transitioned being her hound and to farm life “like butter.” Cayce mentioned the blood bank and that she’d love if Scandal could continue as he was an important donor. “We lost a great hound when he got injured, but we found the perfect retirement home for him,” Cayce said. “Nicole has done a great job in letting him heal, and providing a great job for him being a farm dog companion.” Now he has it all, and shares his special blood type each month to help save others of his kind. “He’s a true hero hound, and one of my all-time favorites,” Cayce beamed. HELPING OUT NAVBB relies on the generosity of donors. To learn more or find out how your dog can become a blood donor hero, visit navbb.com

Roca is happy to continue Scandal’s important work. She said he is easy to work with and knows the routine. And all the hounds that donate absolutely love the attention from the blood bank staff, who have become their friends. Just this year, Scandal and the Snickersville Hounds have helped save the lives of more than 230 dogs in need. “It’s very gratifying to be able to help veterinary facilities in our region, to have the ability to save lives,” Cayce said. “Our hounds are very special to us, and we know how special dogs are to their owners, especially in times of need.” No one likes to think about something unpleasant as a veterinary emergency. But with few blood banks and dog owners not realizing their dogs could be a blood donor hero, blood supplies are limited. “We try to educate our community to let them know programs like this exist,” Mills said. “After all, if your dog was ever in need of a blood transfusion, you would want to know blood is available to save your pet!” “I’ve never had a dog need blood in an emergency, but I do think about this a lot,” Roca said. “When I watch the bag fill with blood, it’s a remarkable feeling to know that bag is full of what keeps us all alive.”

CLAUDIA PFEIFFER, NATIONAL SPORTING LIBRARY & MUSEUM

Not all canines are ideal candidates for donating blood – some of the criteria include weight, age, overall health and temperament – but NAVBB screened the Snickersville pack and identified several potential hound donors. A few, like Scandal, are particularly important as they have a rare universal blood type. Canines have 12 blood types, and are tested for Dog Erythrocyte Antigens (DEA). Dogs such as Scandal who are universal donors have a DEA 1 Negative blood type. “Scandal is one of very few hounds who has this blood type,” Mills said. “His special blood type and amazing temperament make him an outstanding donor.” Scandal and his four littermates were bred and raised at the Snickersville kennels and proved to be a wonderful group of foxhounds with good size, great noses, fantastic voices, and a great work ethic. “Scandal himself was very instrumental in the hunting process,” Cayce said. “He was always true to the correct line, was respected by his pack mates, and his finds were always honored.” But a badly injured hind flexor tendon cut short his hunting career last season. “He would never have been able to come back to the hunting field without suffering more damage and a severe reduced quality of life,” Cayce said. So the search began for a new loving home for him. She reached out

HOTEL STRASBURG Advertorial

Now accepting bids in the Virginia Countryside

ust a short 75 miles outside the Nation’s Capital in the heart of the Shenandoah sits the charming town of Strasburg, Virginia. Located on a prominent corner of the main street is the Hotel Strasburg, an historic group of buildings with a storied past. Having begun as a private hospital in the early days of the twentieth century, it later became a favorite place for lodging and dining in the Shenandoah Valley for travelers and locals alike. A beloved cultural landmark for the area, it has been the venue for many joyous weddings and family celebrations. Graciously restored to its full glory of Victorian Age elegance in 1978, complete with period furniture and ambiance, it thereafter changed hands to its current owner who has maintained its reputation for excellence and hospitality. With 29 spacious hotel rooms with luxurious private baths and three separate multi-unit residences and offices, the property can accommodate gatherings of all sizes. Every so often an opportunity presents itself where dreams can be matched and new challenges fostered. Such is the Hotel Strasburg and properties, where you can write its new chapters. The main building might continue as a boutique hotel with both fine and casual dining or to host special events. The appurtenant structures lend themselves to either additional hotel capacity or income-producing units for short or long-term rentals. Or, the entire complex may be reimagined as a destination resort or designated senior living. A distinct attraction to this

rare find is that it is suitable for so many potential purposes. Recently, Strasburg Mayor Boies stated that the “Hotel Strasburg has been a tremendous asset to this community for over a century, and is imbedded in the hearts of many who have grown up or visited here. As the tourism industry continues to grow in our region, we are excited to work with a new partner on this unique opportunity.” Indeed, the Hotel Strasburg is conveniently located near the delights of hunt country, Middleburg, Winchester, Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Mountains, all offering a variety of seasonal attractions for its guests, from nature pursuits to winter sports. Nestled in the historic district of town, it is easy to explore the region while enjoying the comforts and amenities of Strasburg, or to fashioning active retirement living. — By Elaine Anne Watt/Freelance writer Now offered for sale in whole or in part, sealed bids are currently being accepted for consideration. Mr. James Connelly, the Principal of Summit Commercial Real Estate, is the contracted agent and administrator for the sale. The seller will entertain all viable offers from qualified bidders. You are invited to obtain the complete terms and conditions of sale by contacting Mr. Connelly at jconnelly@summitcre.com or by TEXT at (202) 491-5300.

Close Proximity to Washington, DC Specific Asset Groups are Available

SEALED BID SALE

Separately or as an Entirety

Major Real Estate Assets

Rare Offering of Elegant Hotel – Senior Living – Apt. Complex

Now Accepting Bids! EB-5 Potential

The Inn and Conference Center

Apartment Building w/ 5 Units

Chandler House w/ 4 Units

Taylor House w/ 4 Units

For more information: email jconnelly@summitcre.com or Text 202-491-5300 Summit Commercial Real Estate in cooperation with MGA, Inc.

Neither Summit CRE, MGA, Inc., their affiliates, employees, nor representatives makes any representation or warranty as to the accuracy or reliability of this information. We encourage any user of this information to independently confirm its accuracy and completeness.

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