Day 47: Tredegar Iron Works, Berkeley Plantation, Friends in North Carolina!

 We decided to explore Richmond a little bit more before we headed to the Berkeley Plantation and then on to North Carolina.  We found the Tredegar Iron Works National Historic Site was not too far from where we were staying.  The iron works were a primary reason for choosing Richmond as the capital of the Confederacy.  Over half of all cannons were made at the Tredegar Iron Works.  The history here was so interesting and compelling.  Directly across from the facility is the James River.  Richmond was chosen as the capital on this river partially because of the difficulty of navigating this river.  When Richmond was burned following the Civil War, the residents escaped across the James.  That escape is memorialized in a beautiful bridge filled with quotes that touch on the tenuous times of the Civil War.  It was humbling and beautiful.

 Berkeley Plantation! I was SO excited to visit Berkeley Plantation again.  We came here when I was a child with my cousins, and I had fond memories.  What I didn't remember is just how much history was here!  This home was the central party place for the founding fathers.  George Washington spent many a late night dancing the night away to the wee hours of the morning here.  Thomas Jefferson brought his own personality and told the Harrisons that they needed to redesign and redecorate the interior.  They took his advice, and he remodeled.  However, there was a small tiff that occurred resulting in the owner scrawling his name largely in the plaster and Thomas Jefferson etching it out.  This was discovered years later by the family that purchased the property in the early 1900s and it is now framed and encased in glass upon the wall. The Harrisons escaped when Benedict Arnold attempted to do away with them because of their involvement in the new colonial American government.  He let their house stand though because he intended to take ownership of it when the British won the war. During the Civil War the grounds were used by the Union Army as an encampment.  All of the out buildings and slave quarters were destroyed at that time.  After the Civil War the home went into disrepair, and in the early 1900s the property was purchased because the trees were wanted for logging.  The son of that family eventually took over the property and restored it with his wife.  They began giving tours and did so, still living in the house, until they passed away. It is still family owned and when it passes to the grandchildren, the entire home will be open for tour.

 We encountered a down pour and thunder shower, but the kids still wanted to go down to the river to hunt for treasures.  I was a bit terrified.

 During the Civil War "Taps" was written at the Union encampment on this property.

 And then, we traveled through the POURING rain to get to friends in North Carolina.  It was a BLAST getting to stay with the Feduks.  They made us some amazing shrimp tacos and we had so much fun just chatting and staying up late doing puzzles with friends.  Joey was also in heaven, FINALLY getting to play.