Williamsburg Area; Surry, Virginia.
Visit our website for more photos and information. www.lightwoodhouse.com
LIGHTWOOD HOUSE IS AN 18TH-CENTURY HOME nestled in Lightwood Forest, a magnificent old-growth beech forest in rural Surry County. A Virginia woodland and wildlife preserve, near Williamsburg, Lightwood is one of America's most beautiful and unique historic vacation rentals. It is unique in that the historic perfection of the outside continues inside, with original art and furniture of the period. We strongly believe that those who desire a historic exterior want the same with the interior- but with all modern conveniences. So often with other historic rentals one is jolted back to modern times upon entering.
The estate comprises over 110 acres of woods, meadows and streams, and is part of the land given by Chief Powhatan to Pocahontas and John Rolfe as a wedding gift. Many of the trees in the 110-acre Lightwood Forest are over 200 years old.
Lightwood House was the center of a small farm and the home of a Revolutionary War soldier and his family. The family were early southern abolitionists, undoubtedly influenced by their many Quaker neighbors and the Quaker meeting house nearby.
Surry County had the largest population of free black families in the United States before the Civil War, and the Lightwood Forest property was owned by Mr. Prince, a free African American and his family, in the nineteenth century. Built in four different periods circa 1760 to 1795, Lightwood House is completely restored and features exceptional detailed woodwork and authentic furnishings, yet also offers all modern conveniences, including air conditioning, jetted tub, laundry facilities, TV and WIFI.
Children love Lightwood House with its many nooks and crannies to explore. While the house has many fine antiques, the furniture is sturdy and we have never had a problem with damage by enthusiastic little ones. Many pieces in the house have been around children and pets for centuries, and another century or two won't matter.
We have recently added over 100 antiques and artworks to the house, some dating as far back as the 16th century, including two magnificent carved great chairs, circa 1620, suitable for visiting lords and ladies.
The drive from the house is 10 miles to Williamsburg and 4 miles to Jamestown, and includes a beautiful, free, 20-minute car ferry ride past Jamestown Island, docking next to the seventeenthth-century replica ships at Jamestown.
LOCATION AND FERRY TO WILLIAMSBURG/JAMESTOWN:
While the surroundings are completely rural and secluded, the house is only one-and-a-half miles from the town of Surry where basic essentials are available, and three-and-a-half miles to the 24-hour, 18-minute, free car ferry ride to Jamestown and Williamsburg. From the ferry dock on the other side of the James River, Jamestown is one-half mile, and Colonial Williamsburg six miles away.
BEDROOM ARRANGEMENTS- PLEASE READ:
The house has five bedrooms and two large bathrooms (the downstairs bathroom features a marble walk-in shower and six-foot whirlpool bathtub), a living room, dining room that seats up to ten comfortably, large classical entrance hall, fully equipped kitchen, laundry room, four fireplaces (three with gas logs or stoves), and back porch, for a total of 2400 square feet. Upstairs are two large bedrooms, each with a queen-size canopy bed; one double bed in a small room; and two single beds in an attic room adjoining one of the queen bedrooms. In order to get to the upstairs bathroom from the attic room, one needs to go through the the queen bedroom. These two bedrooms can serve as a family suite. Downstairs there is a small bedroom with a double bed. The bed is against the wall, so it can be difficult for the "outside" person to get out over the "inside" person in the middle of the night. There are two large bathrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs. The upstairs bath has a tub/shower arrangement, and the downstairs bathroom has a six-foot jetted tub and a separate walk-in shower. Stairs throughout the house are steep. Each bedroom has a chest of drawers; the Blue bedroom has a large wardrobe; and a small closet is located just outside the Attic bedroom.
The rest of the house is large enough to spread out in, with a large entrance hall, spacious dining room and comfortable living room. The front and back yards are fenced in. More than 100 acres of forest, meadows and streams are available to explore from over two miles of hiking trails.
The house is furnished with antiques from the sixteenth-, seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and early-nineteenth centuries. A picket-fenced back yard with period outbuildings, including a smokehouse used to smoke the hams for the coronation feast of King Edward VII, completes the scene. Two miles of nature trails meander through the woods and meadows of Lightwood Forest and offer a close look at local wildlife, which includes deer, turkeys, foxes, turtles, hawks, owls, woodpeckers, and bald eagles. Lightwood offers a private setting and a truly unique and exciting opportunity to step back into another time, all the while enjoying the comforts of the twenty-first century.
Our mission is to provide a memorable and enjoyable vacation experience, and to enhance an interest in history, and environmental preservation looking towards the future.
TREASURE HUNT IN LIGHTWOOD FOREST! (January-December, $395.) Recommended for children ages eight and under and for adults who are still young at heart! Go on a woodland hunt for Fairy Treasure hidden centuries ago in the ancient forest. A secret treasure map found in the house will give cryptic clues to the location of the magical fairy hoard. A fine wooden chest, brimming with costume jewelry and other baubles, can be taken home to be enjoyed forever. The treasure hunt ties into the story of how adventurous Scottish fairies came to Lightwood in the 1730s. The "Faeries of Lightwood and Doon Hill" story can be found on the Lightwood House website. www.lightwoodhouse.com
WEDDINGS:
Outdoor/indoor wedding, 150-guest maximum, with overnight stays for up to ten; one- day, two-day, or three-day packages available. Prices from $4,500-$6500. Includes entire estate and wedding ceremony area and space for up to a 40 x 80 tent. Please see our website for more details.
www.lightwoodhouse.com
AREA ATTRACTIONS:
The historic museums of Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown Settlement, Historic Jamestowne, and the American Revolutionary Museum at Yorktown are only a short drive and free 24-hour, 20-minute car ferry ride away. All four of these national and international attractions are connected by the beautiful Colonial Parkway, which begins at Jamestown where the ferry docks, follows the banks of the James and York Rivers, passes through Williamsburg and ends at Yorktown and the Chesapeake Bay. Additionally, many important historic Civil War sites are within an hour's drive of Lightwood Forest in the Richmond/Petersburg area.
Pristine riverfront beaches can be found in Surry at Chippokes State Park, at Jamestown on the James River, and at Yorktown on the York River. Virginia Beach is only a little over an hour's drive away. Williamsburg is also the home of Busch Gardens and Water Country USA theme parks. Surry County attractions include Bacon's Castle--America's finest seventeenth-century manor house; Smith's Fort , the site of Captain John Smith's fort of 1609 as well as a lovely 1760s brick house; and Chippokes State Park, with historic buildings, Olympic-sized pool, and riverfront beach. Boat rentals are available at the beautiful and unspoiled Chickahominy River State Park in Williamsburg/James City County.
The historic waterfront town of Smithfield, and seventeenth-century Saint Luke's Church, is a 20-minute drive away. Well-known James River Estate, open to the public, are an easy 45-minute drive and can be found along Historic Route 5, which meanders through Charles City County. Richmond is over an hour's drive, and Washington D.C., can be reached in around three hours (depending on NOVA/I-95 traffic conditions).
Keywords: House/Estate, family friendly, child friendly, pet friendly, historic, elegant, unique, woodland, forest, picturesque, intimate, private, secluded, hotel alternative, motel alternative, weddings, treasure hunts, adventure, fairies, enchanted, magical.
*For parties close to or at our maximum of 10 guests, please see the bedroom arrangements to make sure they will work for you.
Please note that we do not host parties or events through VRBO and abide by a ten guest maximum. This is to ensure the comfort and safety of our guests as well as to preserve this unique and beautiful historic house for years to come.
