![]() ![]() I lived there as a child in the late 80’s. Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourist Alliance And of course the plantation graveyard is full of activity as well. The curtains in a former nursery open on their own after being closed for the night and a fireplace mantle in one downstairs room has carvings on it from the wounded soldiers which gives people an uneasy feeling when they get too close. A woman, believed to be Dr Curtis’ wife Mariah, has also been seen crossing the road toward the house during the reenactments. Paranormal enthusiasts believe that the plantation house is haunted by General Magruder. Military reenactments also take place on the property, including those honouring the 225th anniversary of the Seige of Yorktown. Today, Endview Plantation is owned by the City of Newport News and is home to “The Civil War at Endview: A Living History Museum”. During the Peninsula Campaign of the Civil War, the plantation was used as a hospital, being owned at the time by Dr Humphrey Harwood Curtis, Jr, one of two doctors in the area. Though we don’t know what use it had during the War of 1812, there is evidence the home was put to military use again then. The abundance of fresh game and water attracted local Native American tribes (Powhatan Confederation) for 1,200 years prior to the settlement at Jamestown.ĭuring the Revolutionary War, Endview was a resting place for General Thomas Nelson, Jr‘s troops heading for Yorktown. The house sits atop a small knoll with a spring at the base and is surrounded by prime farm land. Built in the Georgian style of architecture, the house sits on what was once the Great Warwick Road (now Virginia State Route 238) which connected the colonial capital of Williamsburg to the town of Hampton. Mitsubishi didn’t buy the land, but the company’s flirtation with Newport News contributed to the city purchasing the mansion, which opened to the public for the first time in 1998.After watching Larry the Cable Guy make a complete ass of himself on a recent episode of Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy titled ‘America After Dark’ by joining a paranormal investigation of a Virginia plantation, I decided to find and share the story behind the plantation visited.Įnter Endview Plantation, built in 1769, which began life as Harwood Plantation, built by William Harwood. Executives reportedly were eyeing Lee Hall Mansion to be used as a bed and breakfast to house and entertain important visitors to the plant. ![]() In 1995, a subsidiary of the Japanese car company was looking at the land around Lee Hall for a manufacturing plant. to build a neighborhood in 2006, and that deal was ended by 2010.īefore some city officials realized Lee Hall mansion had historical significance, they were hoping Mitsubishi would take over the land and the mansion.īut that idea didn’t make it as far as the mall. Later in the decade, Endview drew plenty of development interest - 40 national developers showed interest in the land around Endview and Lee Hall, and six local developers made pitches for their visions of the property. ![]() However, the people behind the mall scrapped the project in 1998, citing a lack of tenants to anchor the $75 million to $100 million project.Ī task force in 2000 charged with advising the city what to build around Endview recommended high-end homes, a golf course and a hotel conference center with specialty shops, with 24 acres to buffer the plantation from the development. The city anticipated the mall would bring in $3 million per year in taxes, create 1,400 jobs for its residents and provide a place for kids to hang out and play video games. She recalled that past development concepts treated the plantation house as a clubhouse, which she said was not the right way to develop around it. He also said houses should reflect the architecture of the area and the development should be “sympathetic” to the historic resources.Įlizabeth Kostelny, CEO of Preservation Virginia, said community involvement in planning a development is key so that people can provide input, such as if designs are compatible with the historic resource. “I understand the city’s need for development,” but efforts should be taken to preserve the view and land around the plantation house, Quarstein said. ![]() Quarstein said there are concerns with development near Lee Hall and Endview impacting the historic viewshed and character of the area, but he wasn’t opposed to development. Now retired, he worked with the city for years at both Endview and Lee Hall Mansion and oversaw numerous preservation projects throughout his career. Quarstein, a 30-year city employee, worked in the 1990s to allow the Virginia War Museum to use the Endview Plantation house for historic activities. Confederate reenactors fire on advancing Union troops during the "Assault of the Red Battery" Saturday at Endview Plantation. ![]()
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