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Virginia's Secret Garden
You may be interested to know that visitors report to us that one of their favorite garden spots in Virginia is found on a 1600's working farm, along the James River in Surry County, at Chippokes State Park.
Some go as far as calling it a "secret garden" since it is a magical place, where you can step back in time and experience what it felt like to live in 19th century America. Although the plantation has been a working farm since 1619, the Antebellum Mansion and formal gardens came later.
SECRET GARDEN
You are invited to step into Virginia's secret garden at Chippokes State Park
A visit to these beautiful gardens is good for the soul
Flowers, birds and bees are attracted to this secret garden at Chippokes State Park
Slow down, stop and take a closer look amongst the flowers to find a flutter of life
Just across the James River from historic Jamestown in beautiful Surry County, Chippokes State Park is one of the oldest continually farmed plantations in the country. It has been a working farm since 1619, the park offers modern recreational activities and a glimpse of life in a bygone era.
Especially noteworthy is the historic area with its antebellum mansion and outbuildings, here you can take a stroll through formal gardens, and view antique equipment at the Chippokes Farm and Forestry Museum. Tours of the 19th-century Chippokes Mansion are available Friday through Monday April through October and other times by reservation for groups. In the spring, special tours of the mansion and gardens are offered in conjunction with Garden Week.
Captain William Powell, a prominent colonial gentleman, received a grant for 550 acres of river frontage on Chippokes Creek in 1619. This is the first record of ownership for this land. The plantation and the bordering creek were named for an Indian chief who befriended the early English settlers. Under the ownership of Colonel Henry Bishop in 1646, the plantation was expanded to its present boundaries encompassing 1,403 acres.
In 1854, Albert Carroll Jones built the present Chippokes Mansion, which overlooks the historic James River. This Italianate structure was built of brick, stuccoed and painted on its river facade. Chippokes was once the site of one of the few legal distilleries in the Commonwealth.
Local legend has it that the mansion survived the Civil War because Albert Jones sold his brandies to both sides during the war. The plantation changed owners many times before it was bought by Thornton Jeffress of Rochester, New York and V.W. Stewart of Wilson, North Carolina in 1918. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart moved to Chippokes and put much effort into restoring the property and compiling a detailed history of the plantation.
Upon her husband's death, Mrs. Stewart, in order to preserve the plantation in its entirety, donated Chippokes to the Commonwealth as a memorial to her husband in 1967. Mrs. Stewart hoped that the plantation would be made into a park and preserved as a working farm to interpret day-to-day farm life through the centuries.
The Jones-Stewart Mansion is just one special attraction at this park, but where you will discover the gorgeous formal gardens
There are quiet areas to rest and absorb the serenity of these special gardens
The many flowers attract pollinators which are helpful for the crops and vegetable gardens
Some of the towering trees still stand that were planted those many years ago on the plantation
There are brick paths that lead you through some of the garden and other areas like this are lawns
Right here from the secret garden you can spy the Mansion
WEDDINGS
Romance lives in the secret gardens of Chippokes State Park, Surry Virginia (Photo courtesy of Lauren Simmons)
Fairy Tale weddings are held in this special setting
Chippokes State Park is a historic plantation with formal gardens, making it ideal for
You can read this wedding brochure (PDF) for details on prices and packages. Although parking fees apply, they can be prepaid for paid through invoice. A special-use permit and a $10 application fee are required. Alcohol may be served in some areas with a Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Board banquet license permit. Specific dates can be guaranteed only after the application is approved by the park and a deposit is paid.
The antebellum Chippokes Jones-Stewart Mansion is perfect for small weddings and serves as a beautiful backdrop for wedding photos. Its board room has a small kitchen and a dining table that seats 15. There are also two changing rooms and a restroom. The room can be rented separately; it accommodates up to 20 people. Alcohol is allowed here with appropriate permits and personnel.
The park also has a fully screened conference shelter equipped with a full kitchen. It accommodates up to 200 people and is well-suited for large receptions and rehearsal dinners. Alcohol is allowed with appropriate permits and personnel but may be served and consumed only in the shelter or within the “backyard” area. The formal gardens and mansion lawn area also are perfect for outdoor ceremonies. (Alcoholic beverages are not permitted in these areas.)
SPECIAL EVENTS
The park has a few well-known fun family events throughout the year that you may enjoy as well as the secret gardens, and the mansion tour:
- Historic Gardens Week, late April.
- The Steam and Gas Engine Show, the weekend after Memorial Day.
- The Pork, Peanut and Pine Festival, held the third weekend in July, is a two-day family festival honoring Surry's agriculture. It features arts, crafts, music and food as well.
- Chippokes Harvest Celebration, mid-October
Click here to view all parks' events, festivals, workshops and interpretive programs, and for directions click here.
If you have read the article and have a question, please email nancy.heltman@dcr.virginia.gov.
