Sherwood Forest Plantation
Encyclopedia
Sherwood Forest Plantation, also known as John Tyler House, 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
. The house is located approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the river.
Sherwood Forest has the distinction of being the only private residence in the United States to have been owned by two unrelated United States Presidents
. William Henry Harrison
inherited the plantation
, then named Walnut Grove, in 1790 and held it for three years. He sold the 3000 acres (12.1 km²) property in 1793 having never lived in the house. Harrison's successor John Tyler
purchased the plantation, which by then had been reduced to 1600 acres (6.5 km²), in 1842 and lived there after leaving the White House
.
John Tyler renamed the plantation Sherwood Forest in 1842. He said it signified that he had been "outlawed" by the Whig party. He was attracted to the plantation because it was near his birthplace at Greenway Plantation. He retired there when he left the White House in 1845 and spent the rest of his life there with his second wife and some of his children - he had eight with his first wife, seven with his second wife, and the last of them died in 1947.
The house was very run-down when Tyler bought it. Congress
refused to pay him the allowance that was customary for upkeep of the White House, so Tyler had to pay for repairs at Sherwood Forest himself. He did much of the work himself.
As regional hostilities in the United States escalated to become the American Civil War
in 1861, Tyler backed Virginia
's secession, although he died in January 1862. Later that spring, the house was occupied by Union
soldiers during McClellan's Peninsula Campaign
of 1862 and again during Grant's Overland Campaign
in 1864. During the latter, the Battle of Wilson's Wharf
was fought nearby. When an Ohio regiment vacated the house in 1864, they attempted to raze it with fire as a punishment for Tyler's support of the Confederacy
. The fire was quickly extinguished by a loyal slave and did little damage to the house.
Owners of the house who started restoring it in the mid-20th century started removing some home-made storm windows
and then discovered from old records that Tyler had built them himself, so they kept them. One of the house's claims to fame is the length of the house; over 300 feet (91 m). It is also noted for its long, skinny ballroom
, a "hyphen" Tyler had added to the house to accommodate the style of dancing popular then - what is today called "line dancing
" but was then the "Virginia reel."
The house has been in the Tyler family since it was purchased by president Tyler in 1842. The house is currently owned by Harrison Ruffin Tyler, President Tyler's grandson, and the son of Lyon Gardiner Tyler
. It is open to the public for tours.
William Henry Harrison received a land parcel from his older sister Elizabeth Harrison Rickman Edmondson after her death in 1791. The parcel had been purchased from Thomas Brown by Dr. William Rickman of Millford (now Kittiewan Plantation), Elizabeth's husband before 1781. When William Henry Harrison sold this parcel to his brother Carter Bassett Harrison in the mid-1790s, the parcel was referred to as Brown's Quarter, which was the same name given to the parcel on which some of Sherwood Forest now lies. However, it was simply Brown's land, but not Brown's Quarter, and not part of what is now known as Sherwood Forest.
.
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
in Charles City County, Virginia
Charles City County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,926 people, 2,670 households, and 1,975 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 2,895 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile...
. It is located on State Route 5, a scenic byway which runs between the independent cities of Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
and Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
. The house is located approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the river.
Sherwood Forest has the distinction of being the only private residence in the United States to have been owned by two unrelated United States Presidents
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
inherited the plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
, then named Walnut Grove, in 1790 and held it for three years. He sold the 3000 acres (12.1 km²) property in 1793 having never lived in the house. Harrison's successor John Tyler
John Tyler
John Tyler was the tenth President of the United States . A native of Virginia, Tyler served as a state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and U.S. senator before being elected Vice President . He was the first to succeed to the office of President following the death of a predecessor...
purchased the plantation, which by then had been reduced to 1600 acres (6.5 km²), in 1842 and lived there after leaving the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
.
John Tyler renamed the plantation Sherwood Forest in 1842. He said it signified that he had been "outlawed" by the Whig party. He was attracted to the plantation because it was near his birthplace at Greenway Plantation. He retired there when he left the White House in 1845 and spent the rest of his life there with his second wife and some of his children - he had eight with his first wife, seven with his second wife, and the last of them died in 1947.
The house was very run-down when Tyler bought it. Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
refused to pay him the allowance that was customary for upkeep of the White House, so Tyler had to pay for repairs at Sherwood Forest himself. He did much of the work himself.
As regional hostilities in the United States escalated to become the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in 1861, Tyler backed Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
's secession, although he died in January 1862. Later that spring, the house was occupied by Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
soldiers during McClellan's Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
of 1862 and again during Grant's Overland Campaign
Overland Campaign
The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union armies, directed the actions of the Army of the...
in 1864. During the latter, the Battle of Wilson's Wharf
Battle of Wilson's Wharf
The Battle of Wilson's Wharf was a battle in Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.On May 24, Confederate Maj. Gen...
was fought nearby. When an Ohio regiment vacated the house in 1864, they attempted to raze it with fire as a punishment for Tyler's support of the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. The fire was quickly extinguished by a loyal slave and did little damage to the house.
Owners of the house who started restoring it in the mid-20th century started removing some home-made storm windows
Storm windows
Storm windows are windows which are mounted outside or inside of the main glass windows of a house. It may also refer to a small openable flap found in the side window on light aircraft....
and then discovered from old records that Tyler had built them himself, so they kept them. One of the house's claims to fame is the length of the house; over 300 feet (91 m). It is also noted for its long, skinny ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
, a "hyphen" Tyler had added to the house to accommodate the style of dancing popular then - what is today called "line dancing
Line dance
A line dance is a choreographed dance with a repeated sequence of steps in which a group of people dance in one or more lines or rows without regard for the gender of the individuals, all facing the same direction, and executing the steps at the same time. Line dancers are not in physical contact...
" but was then the "Virginia reel."
The house has been in the Tyler family since it was purchased by president Tyler in 1842. The house is currently owned by Harrison Ruffin Tyler, President Tyler's grandson, and the son of Lyon Gardiner Tyler
Lyon Gardiner Tyler
Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Sr. was a U.S. educator and historian.-Biography:He was the son of President John Tyler and First Lady Julia Gardiner Tyler, born at Sherwood Forest Plantation. He graduated in 1875 at the University of Virginia...
. It is open to the public for tours.
Discrepancy
In 1842 President John Tyler bought "Walnut Grove" from Collier Minge, his cousin and a local planter, and renamed the plantation "Sherwood Forest," as he likened himself to the story of Robin Hood regarding the Whig party. According to the official website, sherwoodforest.org, there is no mention of Harrison's ownership of the plantation. Also factually noted, Harrison died the year before Tyler, who was his Vice President for only one month, purchased the plantation.William Henry Harrison received a land parcel from his older sister Elizabeth Harrison Rickman Edmondson after her death in 1791. The parcel had been purchased from Thomas Brown by Dr. William Rickman of Millford (now Kittiewan Plantation), Elizabeth's husband before 1781. When William Henry Harrison sold this parcel to his brother Carter Bassett Harrison in the mid-1790s, the parcel was referred to as Brown's Quarter, which was the same name given to the parcel on which some of Sherwood Forest now lies. However, it was simply Brown's land, but not Brown's Quarter, and not part of what is now known as Sherwood Forest.
Cemetery
The ground of the plantation also contain a pet cemetery, where Tyler family pets have been buried since they assumed ownership of the plantation. Most notably, John Tyler's horse, The GeneralThe General (horse)
The General was a horse owned by US President John Tyler. He was used as a warhorse during the Civil War, when it died, John Tyler had it buried on his Sherwood Forest Plantation, in the Sherwood Forest Pet Cemetery.The horse's epitaph reads:...
.