Rediscovering America_ Exploring the Small Towns of Virginia & Maryland - Bill Burnham [51]
Rare is the Virginia town or city without some claim to Revolutionary or Civil War fame, but few capture that spirit as well as Fredericksburg. George Washington’s mother lived on Charles Street. His sister, Betty, lived a few blocks away in the Kenmore Plantation on Washington Avenue. And George grew up on nearby Ferry Farm in Stafford County on the north bank of the Rappahannock River. Tours of his home reveal the origin of two enduring myths: his chopping down a cherry tree and tossing a silver dollar across the river.
On river bluffs west of downtown, Confederate artillery defended the city from Union attack in 1863. Farther west on Route 3, battlefields at Chancellorsville and The Wilderness preserve acres of contested field and woodland.
Like Alexandria and Richmond, natural attributes helped build Fredericksburg’s early fortunes. The falls of the Rappahannock made an ideal trading point for inland farmers and seafaring merchants. Today, modern businesses and manufacturers cluster west of the city, along Route 17. There, too, a visitor will find large outlets and shopping malls.
Merchants of a different stripe occupy storefronts in downtown’s national historic district. Like Gettysburg, a town equally rich in Civil War history, Fredericksburg’s galleries and bookstores stock all kinds of military-themed prints and books. Antique and artifact shops sell swords, maps and relics.
Given the ravages war inflicted, whatever survived – especially the great old river plantations – has become special. General Ambrose Burnside, Union commander, chose the plantation at Chatham Manor, in Stafford County, as his headquarters. From heights that afforded commanding views of the city on the opposite shore, Burnside ordered ill-fated attacks on Confederate defenses on Mayre’s (pronounced Marie’s) Heights. Sunken Road in the historic district marks where rebel soldiers, lined up behind a stonewall, allowed Union soldiers within 100 yards before commencing fire.
Guided tours at battlefield visitors centers, on Lafayette Boulevard in Fredericksburg or at Chatham Manor, recount these battles. If summer weekend plans call for staying overnight in one of Fredericksburg’s historic inns, a free concert on Chatham’s re-created plantation-era garden is a pleasant way to wile away an evening.
Attractions
Fredericksburg Area Museum & Cultural Center in the Old Town Hall tells the story of the area’s history, from prehistoric times through to the 20th century, in six galleries. Admission is $5 adults, $1 children ages six-18. Open Monday-Saturday, 10 am-5 pm, Sunday 1-5 pm, closing at 4 pm December through February. (907 Princess Anne Street, tel. 540-371-3037, www.famcc.org)
At the Rising Sun Tavern, serving “wenches” entertain visitors with an interpretation of 18th-century tavern life. Built in 1760 as a residence, the building was later the only “proper” tavern in the city. Admission is $4 adults; $1.50 children ages six-18. Open Monday-Saturday 9 am-5 pm, Sunday 11 am-5 pm, closing at 4 pm December through February. (1304 Caroline Street, tel. 540-371-1494)
George Washington grew up at Ferry Farm, now an active archeological dig site. Admission is $2 adult, $1 children ages six-18. Open Monday-Saturday, 10 am-5 pm. Open weekends only in January and February. Located across the Rappahannock River from Fredericksburg on Route 3. (tel. 540-373-3381, ext. 28, www.kenmore.org)
The Mary Washington House (1200 Charles Street, tel. 540-373-1569) is the home George purchased for his mother in 1772 so she could live near her daughter, Betty, for the last 17 years of her life. Betty lived at Kenmore, which is also open to the public. (1201 Washington Avenue, tel. 540-373-3381, www.kenmore.org)
The four battlefields just outside Fredericksburg make up the world’s largest military monument, the 9,000-acre Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. Two visitor centers, a self-guided driving tour, wayside exhibits and interpretive trails help tell the story. It was here, at Guinea Station,