Friday, April 17, 2015

Ramsay's waking up...

The arrival of Spring--especially in the country--is an annual

exercise in wonder, beauty, and child-like excitement. Every morning

as I make my way around the estate, I discover new evidence of  old friends
as the bulbs burst forth, and the buds pop out, and the grass grows green before our eyes!

The beautiful maples - like sentry along the main driveway.

South lawn - first mowing 

South lawn - 2

8am...

2pm!!

Barn patio remodel underway!

Two  regional historic notes!
(You never know what's going on right around you)

(1)  Susan and I attended an organ recital at Trinity Episcopal Church in Staunton last week. The church, and the building, have  fascinating histories, both within the denomination and in the Commonwealth.

Trinity Episcopal Church - Staunton, Virginia

(From the website: http://trinitystaunton.org/)Trinity Church, the oldest church in Staunton and known for its first eighty years as “Augusta Parish,” was founded in 1746, one year after Augusta County became an independent entity, and one year before the City of Staunton was established. (Augusta was the wife of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and mother of George III.) At their founding, the parish and county boundaries stretched from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Mississippi River and from the northern border of North Carolina and Tennessee to the Great Lakes.

The recital featured Christopher Jacobson, the Organist of Duke Chapel at Duke University, an internationally acclaimed young organist. The program was exceptional! The organ at Trinity Church was built by the renowned company, Taylor and Boody, located in Staunton. The small world connection here is that Charles Taylor, a founding partner, is the son of Richard F. Taylor D.D., who officiated at our wedding in 1973.

Taylor and Boody Organ - Trinity Church

(2)    In March, Susan and I attended a program at the new Crozet Library sponsored by The Virginia Festival of the Book. The program featured three local historians and authors. After the program, I spoke with one of the speakers, Kevin Donleavy, author of The Irish in Early Virginia 1600-1860. Many of the laborers on the Blue Ridge Tunnel were Irish immigrants.

Kevin was fascinated to learn of my (Stephen)  relationship to Irishman Hugh Chisholm, my (3x) great uncle. Quoted by Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson as "Good-natured Mr. Chisholm", Uncle Hugh  was a mason, carpenter, and self-taught architect who worked extensively for Thomas Jefferson at Monticello, The University, Poplar Forest, and at Montpelier for James Madison. Kevin and I began an email correspondence that lead to his paying a visit to Ramsay earlier this week, along with three friends who work with him on "Clann Mhor" The Blue Ridge Tunnel Project. We had a delightful visit, hosted by Susan, and we learned some interesting new facts about our Greenwood history. The next day, one of our delightful new friends, Rhonda Roebuck, emailed me a copy of an old map that identifies Ramsay's Mill on the adjacent Milburn property. 

Meeting these engaging, knowledgeable people is just one of numerous "chance"

occurrences that have come about since we came to Ramsay. 

  "So much to do... so little time..."