Updated:
05/09/2008
Rosewell Ruins
HISTORIC ROSEWELL ... where the past is a presence. The ruins of one of the finest mansions built in the colonies sit on the banks of the York River in Gloucester County, Virginia. Here, you may see the brickwork and grace of form and scale which have inspired poets and architects since Thomas Jefferson. Begun in 1725, Rosewell was home to the Page family for more than 100 years. John Page, grandson of the builder, attended William and Mary with Jefferson; and it was here that the two young patriots first began to explore what lay ahead for the emerging nation in which they would play such an important role. Though slightly changed by a later owner and ravaged by time and economic hardships, Rosewell was still regarded as a place of grandeur and importance. Through the lean years following the War Between The States, parties and dances continued in the Great Hall. Finally, in 1916, a tragic fire swept the mansion leaving a magnificent shell which is testament to 18th century craftsmanship and dreams. What remains are the four chimneys, the east wall with its regal compass head window complete with carved keystone, the wine cellar, and enough of the walls that one may sense the proportion and scale of this unique structure. Rosewell is convenient to Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown. Picnic tables and open spaces invite families to spend the day together in the beauty of rural Gloucester County and in the shadow of the 18th century.
For more information, visit the official Rosewell Foundation web site.
