Berkeley Plantation
Virginia · United States
This private tour picks you up from your hotel in Williamsburg, Virginia to visit Berkeley Plantation. Berkeley's history begins in 1619 when settlers observed the first Thanksgiving in the American colonies. Berkeley’s 1726 Georgian mansion is the birthplace of Benjamin Harrison V, signer of the Declaration of Independence and governor of Virginia. The estate is also the birthplace of William Henry Harrison, ninth president of the United States, and ancestral home of his grandson, Benjamin Harrison, the twenty-third president. We will explore the Native American, Colonial, and Civil War artifacts, along with historical paintings and exhibits in the 18th century basement museum.
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Berkeley Plantation
Welcome to Berkeley Plantation. As you step onto these sprawling grounds, you are setting foot onto a profound historical palimpsest, a place where multiple pivotal chapters of the American narrative have been written, erased,…
Listen in the app2The Riverbank and the 1619 Landing
As you stand here at the edge of the James River, look out across the broad expanse of the water. In the seventeenth century, this river was the grand superhighway of the era, the sole vital artery connecting the deep American…
Listen in the app3The True First Thanksgiving
We now address one of the most fascinating historical corrections in the American narrative. For generations, the story of the first Thanksgiving has been inextricably linked to the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts. …
Listen in the app4The Historic Mansion and Presidential Legacy
Turning your attention inland, you can now fully appreciate the stately brick mansion that serves as the architectural heart of Berkeley Plantation. Following the tumultuous early years of the seventeenth century, Berkeley…
Listen in the app5Civil War Encampment and Lincoln's Visit
As we move further along the grounds, I want you to mentally strip away the peaceful, manicured beauty of the present landscape. Transport yourself to the sweltering, chaotic summer of eighteen sixty-two. …
Listen in the app6The Birth of Taps
We have now arrived at a particularly solemn and sacred location on the plantation: the Taps Monument. Take a moment to look out at the James River behind the monument. …
Listen in the app7Ruin, Recovery, and Stewardship
As we walk back toward the main house, we must address the final, and perhaps most miraculous, chapter of the Berkeley story: its near destruction and its painstaking resurrection. Following the immense devastation of the Civil…
Listen in the app8Closing
As our tour of Berkeley Plantation draws to a close, take one final look at the sweeping vistas around you. Look back at the solid, unyielding brick of the Harrison mansion, and then turn your gaze back toward the eternal flow of…
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What is Berkeley Plantation?
Berkeley Plantation is a place in Virginia · United States with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Virginia · United States |
|---|---|
| Type | Activity |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 37.3185, -77.1805 |
| Last updated |