3 properties in Chatham part of Historic Garden Week tour

The Gabriella Garden Club, the Chatham Garden Club and the Garden Club of Danville have come together again this year for the event from 10 am to 4 pm on Thursday.

It is part of the largest Garden Club of Virginia tour that invites guests to approximately 170 private properties and gardens throughout the state. Proceeds from the tours raise money for the state’s public gardens, a news release said.

In recent years, the three local garden organizations have joined forces to highlight various locations throughout the region. This year, Chatham – a city that began as a Competition in 1777 – takes its turn in the spotlight to see restorations of some kind.

“Today, Chatham and the surrounding community have retained their historic charm,” garden club members wrote in a press release. “This tour features three properties that have restored, recreated and brought back that rich history.”

There is a house built in 1909 and a mill property that has been renovated for entertaining. The other highlight is a new country house that was built using wood from historic buildings in Danville.

Hunt & Co. Restaurant and Catering – 24 Reid St. in Chatham – serves as the tour headquarters. Advance tickets are available for $25 per person at Hunt & Co. and M&W Flower Shop in Chatham and at Foxglove Clothing, The Ginger Bread House, Haymore Garden Center and Karen’s Hallmark in Danville.

The price increases to $35 the day of the tour. Those same-day tickets will be available at the tour headquarters and online at vagardenweek.org.

It is all designed to be a self-guided tour and the properties can be visited in any order.

“Each year, the properties are open for Historic Garden Week, and the tours offered are different, making each year a unique experience,” Debbie Lewis, president of the Garden Club of Virginia, said in a statement. “All properties feature spectacular flower arrangements created by GCV members that emphasize seasonal materials, garden and Virginia native plants,” adds Lewis.

The tours will go on rain or shine. Of note, photography is prohibited on tour properties, according to the state club. Some tours may prohibit taking pictures – even via cell phone – even outside the tour sites.

• BANISTER BLUFF: Located at 1380 Cedar Hill Road in Chatham, this cabin on 120 acres of farmland – just above the Banister River – was built in 2004 using reclaimed wood from Dan River Mills and an old plantation house in Danville. The owners — Angela and Jon Bell — are woodworkers, according to the release. Stones in the house were found on the property. The ladder – built of cherry wood – has no nails. Instead it only uses pegs, which means it could be disassembled.
• MOTLEY’S MILL ESTATE HISTORIC FALLS: This venue designed for weddings and corporate events is located at 572 Motley’s Mill Road in Chatham. The restored property overlooks the falls of the original mill on the River Banister. The owners, Diane and David Miller, used artifacts from around the globe to decorate the space, including doors from Egypt.
• ON MAIN STREET: Known locally as the Asa and Annie Hardy Viccellio home, the home at 702 Main St. in Chatham it was once just a one-story cottage. The couple eventually expanded to two floors in the American Foursquare style. At one point, it was a bed and breakfast. Owners Kim and Shane Fowlkes – due to extensive restoration in 2018 – turned it into a single-family home. The project included redoing the kitchen, master bathrooms and fireplaces. However, the original oak and heart pine floors and moldings have been maintained. Sitting on 3.65 acres, the garden areas have English and American boxwoods, peonies, spring bulbs, hornbeams and crepe myrtles, according to the release.

Other places of interest for Thursday’s tour are the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History – known as the Sutherlin Mansion – at 975 Main St. in Danville; the Chatham Post Office at 31 S. Main St., Chatham; and the Pittsylvania History and Research Center, and the Historical Museum at 340 Whitehead St. in Chatham.

For more information, visit www.vagardenweek.org.