Windows

These beautiful old windows belong to the barn and shed at Beachland.

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I've had an extraordinarily busy and unusual couple of weeks, and it appears the month of April does not intend to  ease up.  If there is anyone left reading after so much negligence on this blogger's part, 

just know I haven't given up entirely and hope to refocus my efforts here soon.  

Things have just been coming at me too fast lately. 

Anyway, I hope the two few of you I've not chased off yet are doing well.

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Have a great weekend.

Beachland II

Over the weekend, the owners of historic Beachland held an estate sale.

Beachland is exquisite.

It's the sort of place where I could spend hours sitting quietly in the yard, 

admiring the sights and absorbing its essence.  

Beachland really needs to be the backdrop of a Hollywood movie.

(Dear Hollywood, I have the rough draft of a story already in mind. Although I'm approaching 50 and have never acted--except at every job I've ever held other than mother and then I really and truly was enthusiastic--please reserve a spot, however minor, for me in the film adaptation of this story. 
Thank you in advance, I really appreciate it. Love, CBW)

Anyway.

The ladies who own Beachland were kind enough to invite me over before the official start of their sale.

Although I was (and arguably still am) barely emerging from The Worst Grip of The Winter Doldrums Ever, I agreed to come over-- if for no other reason than to visit this place that makes me feel at peace and at home and to reacquaint myself with its wonderful owners.

While they were preparing for the sale, I parked myself in the dining room where all the books were staged.

One of the first things that caught my eye was a copy of the Mathews Journal, a predecessor of our weekly paper the Gazette Journal.

(To use a Mathews mathematical equation dating back a long ways, also representing the only math I can retain: Mathews Journal  + Gloucester Gazette = Gazette Journal.) 

Gingerly prying it from its protective plastic sleeve, I saw something highlighting the fact that it was the last edition of the Mathews Journal, which ceased to be in the year 1937. Having spent many hours conducting research in the archives of the Gazette Journal and at the library, where most of the Mathews Journal editions are on microfilm, I thought there might be some interest in this small piece of our county's history.

The long story short is that on Friday that document found its way back home to the offices of the Gazette Journal.

On Saturday I went back after most of the estate salers had had their fill and was thrilled to see a few tattered pages from another edition of the Mathews Journal still there.

Perhaps not this week (due to my schedule), but as time allows, I will share some stories from those tattered pages which I purchased and which include the obituary of my maternal grandmother's beau.


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I'm so grateful to know the current owners of Beachland and cannot thank them enough for letting me be an officer in the Beachland Admiration Society.  Click here or here for previous blog posts with pictures and stories of their gorgeous home.

Beachland

This sharp little shed and plucky old plow live near a farmhouse on the approach to Beachland, one of my favorite homes in the county.

The owners of Beachland held an estate sale over the weekend. Much to my delight, they invited me to take a pre-sale peek on Thursday afternoon.

I'll share some pictures of Beachland's grounds and a story about something I found there in the coming posts.

Happy April Eve.

Adventures at Beachland

As I mentioned yesterday, this weekend an out-of-town friend (we'll call him Brooks to protect the innocent) visited Mathews for the first time, and one of our stops was the beautiful place known as Beachland.

Knowing the owner was going to be away this particular morning, I coordinated my visit with her sister.  She emailed me inquiring about the date and whether I still planned on going, and I emailed back confirming that indeed I was.

We were all set.

Brooks and I were amazed at the peace and tranquility of the beautiful estate. We admired the barn, walked by the beehives, took some photos of the creek, and then turned our attention to the house itself.

We loitered lingered in the back yard admiring the house.  Taking advantage of the gorgeous day, we decided to sit for just a spell on the back deck.

The sun beamed down, birds sang cheerfully, and all in all it was very serene, very relaxing.

All of a sudden, amid the roar of all this peace and tranquility, I heard a sound that my trained ear has come to recognize after trespassing taking photos for this blog for so many years.  A ghost! car was approaching.

I asked Brooks if he heard it, and he said no. Although I tried to resume the state of relaxation, any hope of that fell by the wayside when we heard footsteps ascending the stairs behind us.

Oh no. My worst fears were about to be realized.

Here we were, lounging casually in someone's back yard--doing absolutely no harm, though.  Plus I had told a family member I would be here, which you'd think would be enough to assuage my guilt fears.

Still.

Who was here, and what would they think of us loitering hanging out in the yard?

As my heart leaped into my throat I quickly scampered off the deck into the yard, held up my camera, and dove headfirst into my well-rehearsed  speech (for just this sort of occasion) before seeing who was there.

"Hey there! It's Chesapeake Bay Woman," as beads of sweat formed on my forehead.

Whirling around to see who was on the receiving end of this announcement, I was relieved to see someone I recognized as a family member. Someone I've met before.

 He looked understandably startled, at least for the first few seconds, until it all registered.

Waving my camera around as if it were some sort of Get Out of Trouble Free card, I continued. "Suzie said it would be OK if we stopped by to wander around and take some pictures. Did she tell you?"

The beads of sweat were as big as golf balls by this time.

"No," he said.

Crap, I thought.

Oh no, I thought.

As it turned out my fears, of course, were all for naught.  He not only very graciously welcomed us, but he invited us inside.

From this angle, the footsteps came up those stairs on the left.
We were sitting near the stairs on the right.

Many, many thanks to Gloria, Suzie and Bob for giving us the privilege of visiting this beautiful place.


Stay tuned for the next chapter of the Misadventures of CBW The Three Hour Tour, where CBW serves up a meal that included a complimentary post-dinner fire.

Barn

This weekend's weather was nothing short of spectacular. 

 Constant breezes with 70-degree, crystal clear weather was perfect for taking a friend from out of town on a tour of Mathews.

One of the stops was Beachland. 

There is a story to tell about this particular part of the tour. 

But for now I'll just share these shots of Beachland's beautiful barn.

This week I'll post more photos and tidbits from this weekend's misadventures adventures which include things such as trespassing honeysuckle, beaches, workboats and a fire.  Inside the house.  My house.  Specifically, on top the kitchen table.  Thankfully, the small fire was caught in time, so no big deal.  (The kitchen table might say differently, but, hey, it could have been worse.)

Anyway, this week will be another brutal week for me at work, but I'll try to get the pictures and stories up as time permits.

 What happened in your world over the past several days?

Three Things

Once again it's time for Three Thing Thursday, where I share a minimum of three thoughts and with any luck you will too.  These days I don't have much exciting to report, so I truly look forward to hearing from y'all.


Let's begin.

1.  These pictures were taken from Beachland, the historic home I wrote about back in November/December.  (Click here and here for more details.) Gloria, the current owner, asked me to stop by for a visit, and I was glad to get out of the house and spend some time over there.  We talked briefly about the need to get crackin' on some sort of a novel or book, and hopefully I'll get back there more often in the warmer months to jump start my creative process and get something started.

2.  Speaking of jump starting a creative process, I haven't even felt like going out to take pictures these days much less start another project like a book.  However, I need to do another book.  Don't ask me why I use the word need but I feel compelled to do one. A bigger and better one.  Way better.  The problem is (and perhaps this is because of the Winter Blahs) I lack even the most meager fleck of motivation or inspiration.  I don't even know what I want to write about.  A history book or a fictional novel?  A coffee table book of photographs (how easy this would be! but who will publish it?) or a book about the magical healing powers of the crab hat? A compilation of ridiculous stories I've told over the course of this blog with my quirky style and weak attempts at humor?  A combination of some of the above?  A fictional story with historical facts and a few pictures?  I don't know.  Any ideas? Anyone?  Bueller?

3.  Tonight and tomorrow night Chesapeake Bay Daughter has basketball games.  I adore watching her play, she is really something else and I'm not just saying that because I'm her mother. Really.  If there is one thing I know it's that girl can play some basketball.

Now it's your turn.  Please share three things.  No rules, just share whatever you want.  Tell me something.  Anything.  If you can't think of anything, give me some ideas for blog posts and books.  


Thanks for reading and (hopefully) participating. 

Beachland - Part Two

The barn at Beachland.

Once upon a time, Chesapeake Bay Woman was asking herself why she continues to do this silly blog. Her life is chaotic and she really doesn't have the time to devote to properly maintaining  a house and a car and a family and a job a blog. Also, she usually has nothing new to say and often contemplates shutting down or taking an extended break from blogging.

In short, she was just worn out from her life, plain and simple was very unmotivated and uninspired.

Then one day a reader by the name of Suzi sent an e-mail which began by reminding me why I do this blog:

"Hello, my name is Susan. I happened upon your blog while googling information about the DIY home in Susan, Virginia. My cousins grew up in that house and I visited numerous times with my family when I was young. Anyway, I found your blog and immediately got hooked! Now, when I want an escape from life, I’ll pull it up and read about places and things I have known my whole life."

****

Every so often I receive e-mails like this, just when I seem to need them the most. They make my day.

But then when I read what came next, I swear I heard angels singing:

"My ancestors have been in Mathews forever……and now my sister and I have inherited the home where my great aunts and uncles and my grandfather were born.I happened to notice today that you asked if there was anyone who had property where you could photograph and we would be happy for you to take pictures, if you would like."

****

This was like an early Christmas present, that continued to get better and better with each word I read.

"All of my father’s family lived in Mathews and have for centuries, since the originals came from England. My father’s name was Smith……not too original, but true, none the less.  My mother’s family was from Loneriacco, Italy.  Oddly, the property in Mathews has been in the family for about 300 or more years (I think) and yet my mother’s home had been in  the Di Maria family for more than 500 years.  How strange and wonderful is that!?  We use to vacation on Gwynn’s Island (and Italy) to be near the family.   I have numerous happy memories of the entire area. I can even, vaguely, remember seeing a movie with my cousins at DONKS, which I still consider the funniest name for a theatre ever!"

"I am one of three sisters and my youngest sister, Harriett, was the true historian and did much of the work to rejuvenate Beachland. She worked at the Dept. of Justice in DC and spent a lot of time archiving old family letters, etc.  Many were from the Civil War and they are so interesting to read. Sadly, she passed away about 7 years ago…..she now rests in the cemetery at the Episcopalian church off  of the main road…..along with my Mom and Dad and what seems like a million other ancestors. Our home is on about 190 acres, on the water……I lose track of the particulars…..but my older sister knows it all.  My hope is to one day retire there and spend my time painting, quilting, gardening and spoiling grandchildren. Like you, I find it to be fascinating and incredibly peaceful……so soothing for the soul!"

****

Indeed, there was something instantly peaceful about Beachland that I felt before I even laid eyes on the house. As soon as my tires hit the long driveway leading in to the property, I knew instantly this was a place a person could truly relax.

Beachland is like an oasis, a little corner of the county carved out as if its sole purpose is to create a sense of calm.

But back to the Civil War, which has nothing to do with peace and tranquility.

At the library the other day I happened upon a book called Mathews Men Who Served in the War Between the States, by Mrs. Bernard Franklin White, written in 1961. On page 33 it says, 

"Sands Smith, Mathews Court House, member of the famous  Black Horse Troop, organized by two gentlemen of Fauquier County, Virginia, John Scott and William H. Payne.  The members were required to be mounted on black horses and to wear black plumes in their hats.  This troop played a very important part in  the war."

There were so many people named Sands Smith connected to this house that all those sands formed a beach hence the name Beachland. No, I just made that up. are many people in this family's lineage named Sands Smith. The one above, I believe, was Sands III.

Sands II met a rather unfortunate fate. Suzi's sister Gloria, who was my tour guide that day at Beachland, told me the story as we stood in the yard. He was hanged by Union troops and buried head first, with his feet sticking out of the ground. They wanted to make an example of him. Damn Yankees! When I asked what happened to the body, she assured me it was recovered ultimately and he was buried in the family cemetery at nearby Willow Grove.

Just last evening someone sent me a link to a page with more detailed information about Sands Smith's unfortunate death. It says:

"Sands Smith was hanged from a tree after being dragged behind a horse from his home in Mathews County, Virginia for several miles by Union troops during the Civil War. He was executed for shooting a Union soldier off his horse with a shotgun when the soldier insisted on stealing some farm animal(s) from Sands' home. Sands was fairly wealthy and was a good friend to a Confederate operative working out of Mathews County who had two boats, the black "Raven" and the white "Swan," and who did considerable damage to Union facilities on the Eastern Shore and around the Bay. The troops were sent into Mathews County to find that operative, who was ultimately caught, taken to Governor's Island, N.Y., and hanged. The operative was a former soldier from Jefferson County (West) Virginia who was in Stonewall Jackson's brigade, was injured, and moved to Mathews because it was an ideal location to run an irregular marine operation. He called himself a "provisional Captain" in the Confederate Coast Guard or something to that effect. Several Hudginses helped this guy, and another one of the people helping him became a reporter for a Richmond, Virginia newspaper (not the Times-Dispatch) after the war and wrote a short book on their exploits. Capt. Aubrey Brown of Port Haywood, Mathews County, Virginia has a copy of this book."


Click here to view the page with a more detailed account of this fascinating story.

A farmhouse on the property.

Circling back to my opening remarks about how all this started, Suzi's e-mail prompted a series of exchanges that resulted in my visit with her sister Gloria, who told me story after wonderful story about the history of this amazing place. Except I was so mesmerized by Beachland's beauty, I only half remember what I heard.

But that one about those daggone Yankees! the Union soldiers burying her relative upside down and leaving him there as an example sure stuck in my craw mind.

Gloria also took me inside Beachland, and all I have to say is (insert the sound of a jaw hitting the floor here). I was speechless. Words are entirely insufficient to describe the beauty of the interior.

High ceilings, old wood, antiques, paintings, family Bibles, old letters-- I don't have the words to adequately describe how it felt to walk amid all that history.

Gloria showed me one of the bedroom windows where a young couple etched their initials in the thick glass with a diamond soon after they became engaged. She said there's at least one other set of initials scratched into an upstairs window.

There are many other fascinating stories about Beachland, some of which involve things that go bump in the night. Evidently sleep can be evasive at Beachland, unless one has a stern conversation with the resident ghost(s) about the need to keep the noise down. Gloria only hinted at these stories just before I left, but someone else e-mailed me to confirm the part about the need for a stern conversation. Suzi, the third person to broach the topic, also said she rarely sleeps without a candle burning or a flashlight nearby.

Ghost stories, Civil War stories, love stories, Mathews County history, Virginia history, United States history, romance and intrigue: They all can be found at Beachland.

OK, so maybe I tossed in the love stories, romance and intrigue for good measure.

That's because Beachland needs to be a book and a movie.

And I know just the blogger who would love to write the story.

The view of the creek from the back yard.

To Gloria and Suzi and All Who Have E-Mailed Me,

Thank you so very much for introducing me to Beachland. For reasons I cannot explain, I am very drawn to your beautiful home and your family's history and hope to have many more reasons to visit. The stories that you and Beachland have to tell are priceless accounts. I feel privileged to have been invited to see and experience all that is Beachland.

When can we do it again?

Love,
CBW

Beachland - Part One

,

Once upon a time, down a long, leisurely,
leaf-filled lane,
tucked away between some stately old trees and a creek 

(Pardon the glare. Camera issues.)

lived a beautiful, historic home called Beachland.

The home has been in the same family--the Smiths, one of Mathews' "first families"--since before our county was officially formed from Gloucester, which was one of the first 13 counties established in Virginia in the mid 1600s.

Mathews County was formed in 1791 from the part of Gloucester that used to be (more or less) Kingston Parish.

A bit of googling and library-ing unearthed the following excerpts from a fascinating 1934 Mathews Journal article on the Smith family and the first known Smith of Beachland:

 "There is no available data relative to the ancestry of Capt. Thomas Smith of Beechland. Since there were several families of Smiths residing in Gloucester about the same time, and owing to the similarity of names, it is almost impossible to determine to which line any one individual belongs without access to family records. Whether Capt. Smith was of the line founded by Lawrence Smith or that of John Smith of Purton, is a decision the writer is not qualified to make.


Capt. Thomas Smithy was evidently a ship builder, for in the Gazette of May 6, 1767, he advertises - to be sold - "A new ship about 263 tons, well calculated for tobacco trade, built of best seasoned plank and lumber, and can be launched in a little time if required. Twelve months credit will be allowed for two thirds of three fourths of the value. Any person inclinable to purchase may be shown the vessel by applying to the subscriber, living in Kingston Parish."


Capt. Thomas Smith first married Dorothy Armistead in 1753... His second wife was Anne Plater of Maryland...

...The will of Capt. Smith, Feb. 11, 1789 - "One third of my estate to Anne Smith during her life, desiring her to live with my son, Thomas, in the mansion house... 

..Thomas Smith, son of Capt. Smith and first secretary of Phi Beta Kappa, was a member of Legislature, 1784, and other years and a member of State Convention, in 1788, called upon to pass Federal Constitution."

The original 1700s home, which was all brick, was destroyed by fire. The current house, built on the original brick foundation, dates to the late 1800s.

An 1813 insurance policy, on "Beechland" (spelled both ways, though the current owner says it's Beachland) contains a map that described four buildings on the property:  "(A) a brick dwelling, two stories high, covered with wood, 52 feet long by 22 feet wide with a cellar; (B) a kitchen; (C) a laundry; (D) a smokehouse.

Today, there is also a beautiful barn on the property, which is in the process of being restored.  

That 1934 article from the Mathews Journal went on to talk about Thomas and Armistead Smith, sons of Captain Smith:

"Phi Beta Kappa was organized Dec. 5, 1776 at the College of William and Mary at Williamsburg, and was the first Greek letter organization. Among the charter members were two from Mathews County, Thomas Smith and his brother, Armistead, sons of Capt. Thomas Smith of Beechland. This old home is still occupied by a Smith family, but whether they are descendants of Capt. Smith, the writer is not qualified to state."

Well, this blogger isn't qualified for much, but she is qualified to state that the current Beachland resident and owner, a wonderful woman by the name of Gloria, is indeed a descendant of the original property owners.

I know because she told me so herself when I had the privilege of meeting her last weekend.  Although she's a bit camera shy, she gave me permission to post the oh-so-distant shot of her with the oh-so-beautiful Beachland off in the distance, below.

There is too much from this brief visit of mine to convey in one post. I've decided to write a book.  I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the estate; the significance of its history; and the charm and instant like-ability of its owner, who has so many stories that could never be found in books.

So stay tuned for a Part Two about Beachland, where I'll share some more fascinating facts and tidbits about this house and its family.

This is the view heading away from Beachland.
I hated to leave.

I'll also share how I came to be asked to visit Beachland.  I cannot thank Gloria and her sister Susan enough for the invitation.

But they may have created a monster.

I'm already daydreaming about my next project:  a novel with Beachland as the backdrop; a little bit of history mixed with CBW's vivid imagination. This could be dangerous be a novel that is turned into a movie, starring Chesapeake Bay Woman! a female lead actress and, naturally, Javier Bardem.

Stay tuned for Part Two of Beachland, which I hope to have up on Monday.

Enjoy the weekend.

Melange

An old home on the East River

The wrap around porch is beautiful...

but is deteriorating.  It's still a wonderful old home, though.

When viewed from a distance, you can't see the flaws.
(The house is in the upper left corner.)

I don't know about you, but it feels like I've been off work and on vacation for a week, although it's only been four days. What a difference it makes not having to drive children back and forth to school and the associated activities, although their social calendar didn't slow down much...

Anyway, today's post is a hodgepodge of random thoughts, which is no different from any other day here, really.  It's sort of like a Three Thing Thursday on Monday--with six things instead of three.

1.  The Chesapeake Bay Family celebrated Thanksgiving in the most unorthodox way humanly possible.  This topic deserves a separate post but let's just say that lots of driving and this place (click here) were involved. Oh yes indeed. The only thing that would have made it any crazier would have been if we'd all been wearing crab hats.  And trust me, we did not want to draw attention to ourselves in that crowd.

2.  The movie Eat Pray Love is now one of my favorite movies of all time mostly because of the way it ends (in Bali, which isn't Bora Bora, but sure looks good to me).  One night when the Chesapeake Bay Children were both gone, looking forward to a nice, quiet evening alone with my new movie, I attempted to load it on to the DVD player in my bedroom.  Since it's been so long since I've watched a movie, evidently I forgot  which button to push on the remote.  No problem!

Still optimistic, I trotted into the living room and loaded it into that DVD player.  The audio worked just fine, but no matter how many cuss words I uttered buttons I pushed I could not for the life of me get the video to work.  Note: Ordinarily Chesapeake Bay Son handles all the technical issues in this household.  I was not going to embarrass him by calling to ask how to operate the DVD player. I was bound and determined to figure it out on my own, gosh darn it.  Oh, and no, I could not watch it on my laptop, because my laptop screen is fried.  That's another story for another day, although the problem will soon be rectified.

So, I resorted to the one thing I knew would work:  a "portable" DVD player/TV combo (the size of a mini-fridge) with only one plug and no remote or other confusing buttons whatsoever--from circa 1995 2005.  The screen was so small I had to practically press my nose against the screen to see pull my chair very close up to see. (Note to self:  Please schedule that eye exam that is now two years overdue, otherwise you're well on your way to being legally blind.)  Finally I saw the movie, and I loved it.  Success!

3.  The photos above were taken from the public landing just below the Court House.  I have long admired this house and try to capture her every chance I get since she seems to be deteriorating.

4.Yesterday I had the honor of meeting a Mathews resident who can trace her roots in this county back to the 1700s which was the same year that DVD/TV combo was invented.  Later this week I will share photos of her absolutely exquisite home called Beachland, and snippets of our conversation about her family.  Beachland is the sort of home that gives you chills; you can feel the history even as you drive down the driveway.  Unfortunately, I didn't bring a pad and pencil with me, so most of the history she shared will be filed in the same part of my brain that remembers forgets how to operate the DVD players in my own house.  However, I am hopeful I will get back there for a longer visit to delve deeper into what is most assuredly a great chapter in our local history.

5. I made the best batch of collard greens this weekend.  Slow cooked them with a ham hock.  I do believe I could eat collards morning, noon and night and never get tired of them--but only if they're cooked in old ham.

6. Arcadia Publishing has scheduled a couple of book signings for my book.  The first will be December 10th, the weekend of the Christmas parade, at the old Sibley's General Store, now the Mathews County Visitor Information Center.  The next one will be the following weekend at Twice Told Tales in Gloucester.  I'm working on a third at Sandpiper Reef but will probably wait and do that one early next year.  More info/details coming soon.

Right now I am just trying to survive memories of Thanksgiving at the Golden Corral the transition back to the work/school week.

How was your Thanksgiving?