When you spend most of your life in Arizona, it feels weird to think of Virginia as part of the South. I mean, it’s technically in the upper half of the United States. But 160 years ago, it was the capital of The Confederate States of America. In fact, Richmond, just 100 miles from Washington D.C., is home to the Whitehouse of the Confederacy. And that’s our first stop at this rainy destination.
Whitehouse of the Confederacy
Built in 1818, this home is more than just the place that Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America, resided during the Civil War.
Upon first appearances, the home looks like it was restored by the set designer for a Civil War blockbuster film. The marble in the hall and the trim molding throughout are actually printed wallpaper designs. Don’t judge… While this seems like a cheap alternative to real architectural features, it was cutting edge and very expensive in the early 1800’s.
It turns out Jefferson Davis really didn’t want the job of President. He opted to skip the constitutional convention and was voted in unanimously. Apparently no one else wanted the job either so they elected the guy who didn’t show up. Maybe that’s the first clue the Confederacy was doomed to fail.
Davis and his family moved into the home in 1861, escaping the home just before Richmond fell to the Union troops in March 1865.
Abraham Lincoln briefly visited the home just five days before Robert E Lee surrendered to Ulysess Grant, and 10 days before his assassination. We also stood where Lincoln stood when visiting the Gettysburg National Cemetery where the Gettysburg address was given.
After the war ended, the home served as an Army officer residence during the reconstruction and a public school for 20 years.
The home was nearly torn down after the public school was shut down. It was saved by a private group and served as a Confederate museum until 1976. At that time, it went through a 12 year restoration project and reopened as the Whitehouse of the Confederacy in 1988.
Edgar Allen Poe
Did you see the wildly popular Netflix miniseries, Fall of the House of Usher last year?
It was pretty good but not for the faint of heart. The series is VERY loosely based on one of Edgar Allen Poe’s most famous short stories and the inspiration for this surprisingly fascinating stop.
Edgar Allen Poe is arguably one of America’s most famous and inspiring authors. He grew up in Richmond, VA when he was taken in by friends of his mother when she died of consumption, what we now call tuberculous. His father had abandoned the family the year before her death.
Poe’s upbringing was full of challenges which may have contributed to his dark and mysterious style. And it didn’t help that he lost many women throughout his life including his mother, foster mother and his wife. In fact, the loss of his wife likely inspired his popular poem, Lenore.
Poe was instrumental in creating new genres of writing including the detective story with his “Murders in the Rue Morgue”. He also wrote some of the very first science fiction, and inspired Jules Verne.
But Poe is most famous for his works of terror and horror such as The Raven, The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Tell-Tale Heart.
Poe left this world with his last mystery remaining unsolved. Five days before his death, Poe was found semiconscious on a street wearing clothes that were not his own. He never gained consciousness long enough to explain what happened to him.
To this day, there’s no definitive answer to what caused his death.
What do you think was the reason for his demise?
Pocahontas State Park
Between rainstorms, we also got in a bicycle ride which was great till one of us (I’ll let you guess which one) came off a really wet bridge onto a muddy patch and crashed the bike.
Fortunately, despite some scary moments where we were both a bit concerned, all is well with no serious injuries.
Pocahontas State Park definitely has lots of well marked hiking and biking trails to choose from.
There’s also an aquatic center (aka, water park) that seemed really popular despite the rain.
And with that, we’ve earned our 29th sticker!
