- Photos posted on my blog are mine unless stated otherwise. BH

Friday, July 29, 2011

Centre Hill Mansion

I like day trips and one I enjoyed was visiting the city of Petersburg.  Great Antique shops to visit.  Can find plenty of vintage items.    So happy to see it being revitalized ,  as the history is rich and so many unique and  historical bldgs.  
please enlarge so you can read the info.

This home is called Centre Hill -Robert Bolling IV built the home in 1823 and it remained a residence until 1936.  Interior was Greek revival architecture along with earlier Federal and later Colonial revival styles. The home had it's role during the civil war along with two Presidential visits.

The home is said to be haunted,  maybe that is why the blue paint color on the porch,  I have heard that the color blue keeps away haints.   Also heard it deters bugs,  and that is because like haints, bugs do not like to cross water.     I am going with the haint version.

Towards the end of the civil war the mansion was used as headquarters for a regiment of soldiers under Union Gen. George Hartsuff.     So at 7:30 each January 24 a regiment of soldiers enter the mansion for a brief meeting.   Residents of the home in the 1890's say they heard the front door open and soldiers   marching upstairs with their swords clanging against the railing to a small room above the office.
After about 20 minutes they are heard marching back down the stairs leaving through front door and
hearing it slam behind them.  Former residents have told of encounters with a beautiful woman roaming
the grounds.

    Dampness has had it's toll on the walls and sills.  Needs repair and some has been done to try to stop the damage like trying to re route water away from home.
decorative type of metal work over the windows

This would have been the front originally facing the river
only problem is ,  one cannot see the river.    The bldgs are being restored as you can see in picture, although it sort of looks like the war just ended with the way they look.  
Light at the sidewalk of home

3 comments:

  1. What a fascinating tour of a historical home. So much time and energy and money is spent on restoration, but it's worth it to preserve beautiful things.

    I'm glad you shared this with us all!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love historical places! The house next door is built on the highest point in our little town. It was used as a place to bring Confederate soldiers to mend - it was a doctor's office at one point, a store and a fort type when fighting Indians! So glad to see these buildings restored.

    Kathy

    ReplyDelete
  3. I found this on Centre Hill's facebook page! Ha! Such fun. FYI--I used to run The Oak Antique Mall (you can see it in the photo of Old Towne. . .If you've not been to town lately, you'll hardly recognize the place a slew more buildings have been renovated or are actively being renovated! LOVE!

    Mikey @ Shabby French Cottage
    www.shabbyfrenchcottage.com
    www.mikeyfullermusic.com

    ReplyDelete

Enjoy reading your comments always!
If there is a return email address when I check my moderation of comments, I will reply then. If no reply is enabled, I will reply to comment under post. Thank you - Betsy