Edgewood Plantation and Harrison's Mill
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Edgewood Plantation is located on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia. It is located on State Route 5, a scenic byway which runs between the independent cities of Richmond and Williamsburg.
Edgewood, once a part of grounds of Berkeley Plantation, is the sole example of Gothic Revival architecture found along the James River. The traditional center hall plan of the house provides the setting for a three-story staircase, which occupies the space beneath four steeply-pitched gables. The house was built about 1854 for Richard S. Rowland who moved to Charles City County from New Jersey to operate the gristmill on the property. The mill was built during the eighteenth century by Benjamin Harrison V of Berkeley Plantation. It was visited during the Revolutionary War by British troops led by Benedict Arnold.
During the American Civil War the third floor of Edgewood was used as a lookout post for Confederate generals when their troops were camped at nearby Berkeley and the gristmill ground corn for both the Union and Confederate armies. On June 15, 1862, Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart stopped at Edgewood for coffee on his way to Richmond to warn General Robert E. Lee of the Union Army's strength. In the early 1900s, Edgewood became Charles City County's first restaurant, The Blue Tea Pot. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The grounds are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily and guided tours of the house are available daily by appointment.
