This photograph, showing Major Augustus H. Drewry seated and surrounded by unknown family and/or friends, was taken in 1899, shortly before he passed away. It is believed that this photograph was taken at Westover Plantation, Drewry’sfamed home overlooking the James River. When Drewry, 49, married Mary Harrison, 24, in 1887 it stands to reason that at least Mrs. Harrison would have been in the photo. The family of the 23rd President of the U.S., Benjamin Harrison, lived with his family, including his daughter Mary, adjacent to Westover at Berkley Plantation. About 25 years before Drewry married Harrison, A farm he…

Learn the basics of historic and modern-day herbalism with a two-hour interactive workshop at Henricus Historical Park on Nov.18 from 1-3 p.m. Discover how early colonists would have used herbs to treat their ailments and how much of this knowledge is still viable today. The class will be exploring several useful herbs through hands-on activities such as the making of herbal teas and salves, and students will create a simple natural remedy to take home. “Wort-Cunning and Star-Craft will introduce beginners to both the historical and modern applications of herbal remedies,” said Nicole Pisaniello, Henricus domestic skills specialist. “We will…

Located on Jefferson Davis Highway at the corner of the property slated for the Moore’s Lake Apartments project is a decaying building with a green tile roof and the word Pottery engraved above the front door. It’s last tenant was a feed and seed store, but in its heyday when it was first constructed in 1932, it was known as the Cavalier China Co., a direct factory outlet selling dinnerware, an assortment of ornamental vases such as Roseville and McCoy, breakfast plates, and pottery of all sizes and styles to vacation travelers heading north and south on Highway 301/Route 1.…

Chesterfield tobacco Tobacco was a cash cow for Chesterfield in Colonial Times at Bermuda Hundred. During the mid-20th century, Chesterfield cigarettes, named after Chester, were one hot brand. With the slogan “They Satisfy,” the cigarette was launched by Drummond Tobacco in 1873. In 1898 Drummond was absorbed by American Tobacco and then in 1911 Chesterfield was taken by Liggett and Meyers and eventually Philipp Morris (Altria). The brand was sponsor by a bevy of famous personalities: Ronald Reagan, Humphrey Bogart, Lucille Ball, the legendary football coach Paul Bryant. And we’ve all seen the Lucky Strike smoke stack in Richmond.

It sits on a wooded lot near Centralia. Perched over Hedgelawn subdivision, the manor house Hedge Lawn, the namesake of the surrounding modern homes, Francis Lutz, the author of Chesterfield County Early Architecture and Historic Sites writes that Hedgelawn, grew to twice its size when a kitchen was added. Lutz dates the house to 1837 by the location of the chimney, “There are several characteristics of the central chimney unity,” he writes. “This includes its steeply pitched roof, its relation to the main dwelling and its interior trim. That suggests it may date to the late eighteenth or early nineteenth…