04/25/2026
Rosewell Plantation Ruins
Circa 1725
Gloucester County Virginia
Deep into the COVID-19 pandemic of this year which never seems to end, and in the need of a day out of the house, my daughter Dee and I took a nearby day trip to the ruins of this magnificent plantation house.
Tucked back off Route 17 on State Road 644, in the fields of Gloucester County above Gloucester Courthouse, VA, lies the remains of what was once touted as the “best house in Virginia” and indeed was the largest in Virginia at the time and considered to be one of the finest in America. The prosperous and influential builder wanted it to rival or exceed the new Governor’s Mansion in Williamsburg.
After a quick stop at the visitor center to get tickets and view the photos and artifacts on display, we proceeded down a long unpaved driveway to the house for our self-guided tour of the grounds. The tour is well-marked with informational signs so you can get a true feel of this preserved site. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a registered Virginia Landmark.
Construction was begun in 1725 by then owner Mann Page I, who unfortunately did not survive to see this wonderful home completed. His widow Judith Carter (daughter of the powerful Robert King Carter family), and their son Mann Page II oversaw its completion. Built in what was described as the “London Townhouse style” the three-story house contained more than 12,500 square feet of living space, with a full basement, 33 rooms, 17 fireplaces (3 in the basement. 4 large ones on the three upper floors and two small ones in closets). The house had a flat lead roof, four chimneys and two large cupolas. Flooring was marble and woodworking and paneling were described as exquisite. The brick walls were laid in the Flemish bond* style popular at the time. The Great Hall with its grand staircase basked in light from a long Palladian-style window*. During its lifetime, the house hosted hundreds of galas, dances and visits from noted guests such as Thomas Jefferson. As friend and former classmate of then owner John Page, grandson of the builder, he is said to have written an early draft of the Declaration of Independence in one of the upper bedrooms.
The house was on Carter’s Creek which led out to the York River. Visitors in the 18th century would have arrived by boat and then transported to the house by carriage. Today you can get a glimpse of the creek through the trees.
For more than 100 years Rosewell was home to a branch of the powerful Page family who served in Virginia’s Colonial government and the Revolutionary War. The family fell on hard times
and the century-old mansion was sold out of the Page family in 1837.The new owner, Thomas Booth, removed the parapet and two octagonal rooftop cupolas from the house and its lead roof was stripped off and sold, as were its carved marble mantles and much of its fine interior woodwork. The flat roof was replaced with a low hip roof with a single cupola surrounded by a widow's walk. The plantation passed through several more owners after that. In 1916, when owned by the Taylor family, a tremendous fire swept through the house totally destroying it. They chose not to attempt to restore the house so time and climate took their toll.
The ruins have been stabilized and have survived for more than 100 years with the constant attention and care of the non-profit Rosewell Foundation and its caring volunteers. Proceeds from tickets go to preserving the ruins and grounds for those who visit. The gift shop has a wonderful collection of books for anyone interested in Virginia history and the families that shaped it.
Grand Staircase c 1900 First Floor Pan
As you walk around these eerily quiet grounds taking in the magnificence of what was this incredible home, you are struck by the toll it must have taken on the family and those who worked here just to keep this huge home functioning. Not just the house itself, but all the attendant outbuildings it took to run a successful working plantation. The original property contained over 3000 acres of land and included to***co and grain fields. It flourished at a time when Virginia's economy was healthy because of the to***co crop and when the state was the center of American politics, according to its owner. Most of the male owners had their lives’ cut short by disease or misadventure and the responsibility of running the plantation fell to the wives and daughters of the family.
This site is remote, but well worth the time it takes to get there. All that remains of the house are the four chimneys, the east wall and the wine cellars (which are not open to the public). The grounds include a small family cemetery and the remains of the icehouse which originally had a thatched roof. The massive grave markers have been removed to the nearby Abingdon Episcopal Church but the burials remain here.
*Flemish Bond brick pattern---- Bricks are laid in alternating rows of headers {the short side} and stretchers {the long side}
*Palladian Style – An architectural style popular in the 18th century for its formal treatments of windows, doors and trim. Named after Andrea Palladio a Renaissance architect whose work inspired some of the greatest buildings in Europe and the United States. The style was modeled after classical Greek and Roman forms such as arched windows.
Written By: Ruth D. Akright
Rosewell Plantation Ruins
Circa 1725
Gloucester County Virginia
Deep into the COVID-19 pandemic of this year which never seems to end, and in the need of a day out of the house, my daughter Dee and I took a nearby day trip to the ruins of this magnificent plantation house.
Tucked back off Route 17 on State Road 644, in the fields of Gloucester County above Gloucester Courthouse, VA, lies the remains of what was once touted as the “best house in Virginia” and indeed was the largest in Virginia at the time and considered to be one of the finest in America. The prosperous and influential builder wanted it to rival or exceed the new Governor’s Mansion in Williamsburg.
After a quick stop at the visitor center to get tickets and view the photos and artifacts on display, we proceeded down a long unpaved driveway to the house for our self-guided tour of the grounds. The tour is well-marked with informational signs so you can get a true feel of this preserved site. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a registered Virginia Landmark.
Construction was begun in 1725 by then owner Mann Page I, who unfortunately did not survive to see this wonderful home completed. His widow Judith Carter (daughter of the powerful Robert King Carter family), and their son Mann Page II oversaw its completion. Built in what was described as the “London Townhouse style” the three-story house contained more than 12,500 square feet of living space, with a full basement, 33 rooms, 17 fireplaces (3 in the basement. 4 large ones on the three upper floors and two small ones in closets). The house had a flat lead roof, four chimneys and two large cupolas. Flooring was marble and woodworking and paneling were described as exquisite. The brick walls were laid in the Flemish bond* style popular at the time. The Great Hall with its grand staircase basked in light from a long Palladian-style window*. During its lifetime, the house hosted hundreds of galas, dances and visits from noted guests such as Thomas Jefferson. As friend and former classmate of then owner John Page, grandson of the builder, he is said to have written an early draft of the Declaration of Independence in one of the upper bedrooms.
The house was on Carter’s Creek which led out to the York River. Visitors in the 18th century would have arrived by boat and then transported to the house by carriage. Today you can get a glimpse of the creek through the trees.
For more than 100 years Rosewell was home to a branch of the powerful Page family who served in Virginia’s Colonial government and the Revolutionary War. The family fell on hard times
and the century-old mansion was sold out of the Page family in 1837.The new owner, Thomas Booth, removed the parapet and two octagonal rooftop cupolas from the house and its lead roof was stripped off and sold, as were its carved marble mantles and much of its fine interior woodwork. The flat roof was replaced with a low hip roof with a single cupola surrounded by a widow's walk. The plantation passed through several more owners after that. In 1916, when owned by the Taylor family, a tremendous fire swept through the house totally destroying it. They chose not to attempt to restore the house so time and climate took their toll.
The ruins have been stabilized and have survived for more than 100 years with the constant attention and care of the non-profit Rosewell Foundation and its caring volunteers. Proceeds from tickets go to preserving the ruins and grounds for those who visit. The gift shop has a wonderful collection of books for anyone interested in Virginia history and the families that shaped it.
Grand Staircase c 1900 First Floor Pan
As you walk around these eerily quiet grounds taking in the magnificence of what was this incredible home, you are struck by the toll it must have taken on the family and those who worked here just to keep this huge home functioning. Not just the house itself, but all the attendant outbuildings it took to run a successful working plantation. The original property contained over 3000 acres of land and included to***co and grain fields. It flourished at a time when Virginia's economy was healthy because of the to***co crop and when the state was the center of American politics, according to its owner. Most of the male owners had their lives’ cut short by disease or misadventure and the responsibility of running the plantation fell to the wives and daughters of the family.
This site is remote, but well worth the time it takes to get there. All that remains of the house are the four chimneys, the east wall and the wine cellars (which are not open to the public). The grounds include a small family cemetery and the remains of the icehouse which originally had a thatched roof. The massive grave markers have been removed to the nearby Abingdon Episcopal Church but the burials remain here.
*Flemish Bond brick pattern---- Bricks are laid in alternating rows of headers {the short side} and stretchers {the long side}
*Palladian Style – An architectural style popular in the 18th century for its formal treatments of windows, doors and trim. Named after Andrea Palladio a Renaissance architect whose work inspired some of the greatest buildings in Europe and the United States. The style was modeled after classical Greek and Roman forms such as arched windows.
Written By: Ruth D. Akright
