Things to do / Travel Guide
A generous assortment of sprawling plantation mansions and the finest examples of Colonial- and Federal-style architecture in the country - for architecture buffs, a visit to eastern North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland is an absolute must. In addition, the region has a wide collection of some of the country's best, most interesting, and unique lighthouses. Wind your way to their tops for sweeping views of the sea, or simply sketch or photograph their reassuring simplicity.
Lighthouse Architecture on the Delmarva Peninsula
A climb up the Assateague Lighthouse will likely be a vacation highlight. Located in Assateague, Virginia, the 142-foot brick lighthouse is positioned atop a high, rocky outcropping. Assateague Lighthouse was built in 1867 with beautiful arching windows and was painted with its distinctive “candy cane” red and white striping in 1963. The exterior base wall is 28-inches thick and iron braces reinforce the brick exterior. Assateague Lighthouse is open to the public every Friday-Sunday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., from Easter weekend through Thanksgiving weekend. Other Delmarva Peninsula lighthouses include the Cape Charles Lighthouse on Smith Island (just off the southern shore of the Delmarva Peninsula), and the Fenwick Island Lighthouse, just near the Delaware/Maryland border.
Lighthouse Architecture in Eastern Virginia
Featuring a unique, octagonal tower structure, 1792 Old Cape Henry Lighthouse, near Fort Story and First Landing State Park, presides over the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Designed by New York bricklayer John McComb, the Aquia sandstone used for the base of Old Cape Henry came from the same quarries as those that provided for Mount Vernon, the U.S. Capitol Building, and the White House. Today Old Cape Henry Lighthouse is open to the public year-round; visitors can climb to the top for excellent vistas of Chesapeake Bay. Standing like a front line of soldiers guarding the eastern Virginia coastline are a number of lighthouses including the New Point Comfort Lighthouse, near Mobjack Bay, Thimble Shoal, northwest of Fort Monroe, Old Point Comfort, west of Fort Monroe and Hamtpon Roads harbor, among others.
Lighthouse Architecture on the North Carolina Shore
A beloved symbol of North Carolina's Outer Banks, Cape Hatteras' Lighthouse's signature black and white candystripe, barbershop-pole paint job is a familiar icon to many. Standing at a towering height of 198 feet, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, 50 miles south of Nags Head, is reputed to be the tallest lighthouse in the U.S., and one of the tallest brick lighthouses in the world. Built in 1802, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse presides like a slender, sturdy giant over one of the easternmost points of the continental United States. A visitor's center at Cape Hatteras is open to the public year-round, and you can climb the tower in the summer. A large number of beautiful lighthouses grace North Carolina's eastern coast and Outer Banks including Ocracoke Island Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island, Cape Lookout Lighthouse in Cape Lookout, and Currituck Beach Lighthouse north of Nags Head, among others. The year-round Southport-Fort Fisher ferry, which departs every 45 minutes, is a 30-minute ride that will give you a glimpse of three more lighthouses, Oak Island, Bald Head Island, and Price's Creek.
Architectural Highlights in Eastern Virginia
You will be hard-pressed to find a wider array of 17th- and 18th-century architectural attractions than those of eastern Virginia. Richmond is known for its Federal-era architecture, sprawling mansions, and the crisp, stately Virginia State Capitol, whereas Williamsburg is famous for its numerous examples of restored and refurbished elegant Georgian-style colonial buildings, homes, and churches. Throughout eastern Virginia you will find a wonderful assortment of elaborate mansions and plantation homes, as well as restored inns, taverns, government, and academic buildings.
In Richmond you can visit the Federal-style Wickham House on Clay St. built in the early 1800s and known for its cantilevered, spiral staircase crafted from rich mahogany wood. The 1790 Federal-era, brick John Marshall House on Marshall Street, former home of the third U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall, is a beautifully-restored mansion complete with most of its original furnishings. Nestled on elaborately landscaped grounds, Virginia House on Sulgrave Road is a superb stone Tudor-style mansion made from stones of the Priory of St. Sepulchre from Warwick, England. Richmond's Virginia State Capitol was designed by Thomas Jefferson and architect C.L. Clerisseau to mimic the Maison Carree at Nimes in the south of France, and it is considered to be one of the most sophisticated designs in the South. Restored after several disasters that rendered the building severely damaged, the Capitol features an elaborate entrance graced by Roman Ionic columns.
Follow Virginia State Road 5 (also known as Plantation Route) along the banks of the James River for a superb introduction to 17th-century tobacco-wealth plantation homes. The Berkeley Plantation, site of the first Thanksgiving celebration in 1619, is now the site of an original Georgian mansion, built in 1726 from bricks fired right on the plantation. The Westover Plantation, built in 1730 by William Byrd II (the founder of Richmond) is considered one of the nation's finest examples of Georgian architecture, featuring an unusually steep roof and pairs of tall chimneys at either extremity of the building. The Queen Anne-style Shirley Plantation is a favorite, too. While the plantation was Virginia's first (1613), the house dates back to around 1720 and is known for its square-rigged three-story “flying” staircase and hand-carved woodwork. The Berkeley Plantation, Shirley Plantation, and Westover Plantation (grounds only) are open to the public daily, year-round, usually from about 9 a.m-5 p.m.; guided tours of the homes are included in the admission fee.
Colonial Williamsburg Architecture
Colonial Williamsburg's historic district is a hub for beautifully-refurbished architecture. More than 80 restored and original 18th-century buildings, including homes, taverns, inns, and lodges are on-site. Colonial Williamsburg's architectural highlights include the Georgian-style, brick, George Wythe House on the west side of Palace Green. Another favorite is the ornate, reconstructed brick Governor's Palace (originally built in 1722) with its elegant wrought iron and woodwork, interesting entrance statues, and lavish interior. Don't leave without stopping by the U-shaped, Georgian-style Wren Building on the campus of the College of William and Mary, designed by the well-known English architect Sir Christopher Wren and believed to be the oldest (1695-1699) academic building in the U.S.
The long list of architectural highlights in Williamsburg continues. You can walk around the restored Bassett Hall, built from 1753-1766 by Philip Johnson. The plain-and-simple white frame farmhouse was once home to John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife Abby, who proclaimed the estate her favorite house. Another Williamsburg highlight is the First Anglican Bruton Parish Church, built around 1715. While the tall steepled building served as a hospital during the Battle of Yorktown (1781) and the Civil War's Battle of Williamsburg (1862), for nearly three centuries its parish has enjoyed services in the beautiful sanctuary with its soaring celing and tall arched and rosette windows. Just across from the church, you will find the James Geddy House, built in 1762 by James Geddy Jr. The two-story home features several architectural features uncharacteristic of the colonial era: an L-shaped house plan, low-pitched roof, balcony above the front porch, and an unexpected lack of dormers. James Geddy House also incorporates an interesting mixture of English and Italian variations of Greek and Roman architectural styles.
Architectural Highlights on the North Carolina Shore
Eastern North Carolina and the Outer Banks are known for understated, cedar-shingled buildings that compliment the steel-blue sea and shaggy grasses lining the dune beaches. But North Carolina's shore offers other architectural intrigues. Large and beautiful collections of restored, historic buildings of North Carolina's earliest 18th- and 19th-century colonial settlements can be found in Edenton, New Bern, and Beaufort, and tours of the architectural offerings are available in each community. The ornate Tyron Palace in New Bern, is a spectacular Georgian-style construction based on the original 1760s colonial assembly meeting place (and former North Carolina Capitol Building). Originally designed by English architect John Hawks, costumed interpreters give tours of period furnishings.
Considered one of the oldest, most beautiful theaters in the country, the original Thalian Hall (1855-1858) served as both a political and cultural center for Wilmington, North Carolina. Designed by John Montague Trimble, widely considered to be one of the top 19th-century theater architects, Thalian Hall once housed the town government, library, and an “Opera House” that seated over 1,000 people. Located on Chestnut Street in the Historic Downtown, Thalian Hall reopened in 1990 as an exquisitely-restored performance venue complete with ornate columns, wide, sweeping balconies, and detailed ornamentation. So beautiful is its architecture that Thalian Hall has been used in the production of film and television series including “Matlock,” “Dawson's Creek,” and “Sleeping with the Enemy.”
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