Landscape Information
Situated on the north bank of the James River between Richmond and Williamsburg, this 1,200-acre estate was established in 1730 by Richmond’s founder William Byrd II. Surrounded by cultivated fields, the Georgian-style mansion is framed by mature boxwood hedges and towering 150-year-old tulip poplars. Between 1730 and 1750, the house and original dependencies were constructed in a broad semi-circle facing the river. North of the house, a contemporaneous clairvoyee, or openwork ornamental fence, features pillars capped with figurative icons and three elaborate gates. An underground escape route built to foil attacks by Native Americans connects the house and the riverbank.
The east wing of the house, burned during the Civil War, was replaced in 1899 by architect William H. Mesereau when Claire Sears Ramsey purchased the property. Westover’s formal gardens were also re-established at this time. Arranged in a grid beyond the clairvoyee, the gardens are divided by orthogonal gravel and grass paths. Each path is lined with hedges and other plantings, creating a series of garden rooms within the grid. Many of these outdoor rooms are shaded by mature trees, ornamented with flowering plants including hydrangeas and lilies, and blanketed with lush groundcover. Vegetable beds occupy the garden’s sunny northwestern plot. Byrd’s tomb is marked by an obelisk at an intersection of paths at the center of the gardens. Westover was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
