Monday
May 1, 2017
We are staying at Salt Ponds Marina until May 3rd, do to winds on the Chesapeake Bay. There is a small craft advisory until Tuesday evening. That means wind speeds of 20 to 33 knots and/or waves of 4 feet or greater over the Chesapeake.
Today, Monday, we rented a car (not the one below) with Myron and Linda and went to visit the Berkeley Plantation in Charles City, Virginia. There is a lot of US history associated with this plantation and we will tell you just a little about it.
This golf cart was created by a female boat owner who used to work as an Engineer at NASA.
She did everything herself
This is the front of the Berkeley Plantation home. The home was built in 1726, but the land was settled by English from Berkeley castle in 1619. These settlers observed the first official Thanksgiving in America, over a year before the pilgrims. President Kennedy officially recognized this date as the original Thanksgiving. The official letter from the White House is hanging in plantation home.
This is the kitchen house. There is an underground tunnel leading from it to the main home. Endenchered servants and then slaves who worked the kitchens lived above stairs here. The canon ball in the wall was found on the grounds and placed in this hole years ago.
The daughter, Lottie, was closing a shutter on this side of the home and was struck by lightening. She died a few weeks later.
This marking shows the original owners, who were from an arranged marriage, were also in love. They did this by placing a heart between the two first initials.
This walk way continues is between the river and the home. There are two front doors on the home, because folks would come by land on one side and by sea on the other. You didn't want to disrespect your friends by having them enter at the back door.
If you can't read the above script, "Taps" originated here. General Daniel Butterfield wrote the words and had a young bugler play them. Butterfield was not pleased with the signal for "Lights Out."
Eleven year old bugler who was the youngest to receive the medal of honor.
First born in the Berkeley mansion. He was also one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He became governor of Virginia and held that position 3 times.
Benjamin Harrison VI, eldest son of Benjamin Harrison the V, took over the estate for his father and was the Deputy Paymaster General of the Continental Army.
William Henry Harrison, youngest son of Benjamin Harrison V, became the 9th President of the United States. He was better known by all as "Tippecanoe." He earned this nickname for his fame in leading U.S. forces against American Indians at the Battle of Tippecanoe.
William Henry Harrison's grandson became the 23rd U.S. President.
Guessing here but we think it was:
or
Found this Geodetic Marker on the shore of the property...looks like the date reads 1957
Survey markers, also called survey marks, survey monuments, or geodetic marks, are objects placed to mark key survey points on the Earth's surface. They are used in geodetic and land surveying.
part of an anchor...
This document shows the cost of each slave and shy some of them were more expensive then others. Their health, age and position all played a part in the cost.
This is the original document of sale. There were over 100 slaves on the Berkeley plantation. As a result it was taken away from the Harrison family during the civil war and became a union base. President Lincoln was there at least twice, on record.
At least 10 presidents have sat in the dining room of the Berkeley mansion.
