Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-30
ABOUT ALBEMARLE.
Various Spots Around Of Historic Interest
Many Fine Men and Families Re-
called -"city" OF Char
iottesville.
srrcnuu,a. August %. 1883


To The Etiitor of he Dispatchs
In old times this WINS o famous neigh
borhood. 1t is about ten miles from
Charlottesville, on the Chesapeake and
Ohio railway, and one or two miles west
OF the welI-known old stsnd-McGebee's
old tavern. IL lies at considerable ele-
walton, some five miles from the Blue
Ridge, and the air is as pure as noun
tain stream.
The crops in this part OF Albemarle
this year are said to be the best the farm
ers have known for many years. The
wheat was good crop, as well as the
oats and the grass, and the growing corn
and tobacco are simply superb. The
crops OF peaches and watermelons also
are exceedingly abundant.
Near by is the famous Mountain Plains
church, one OF the strongholds OF the
ever-advancing Baptists, where the Rev.
Mr. Mitchell is now the pastor. Lieu
tenant-Governor Massey preached there
Sunday before last. One OF the pillars
OF this church is Mr.. William Wood,
sen OF the late Captain James Wood and
nephew Of Peter A. Wood, formerly a
merchant in Charlottesville and Rich
mond, belonging 10 one of the most in
fluential families in the neighborhood.
This is the home OF the Billiards., the
McGehees. the Maufns. the Browns, the
Parrots, the Whites. the Tilmans, the
Rays, &c.
Seven miles up on the road to Bates
vile is the famous Miller School, which
the visitors here never fail to drive to-,
for Mr.. Price always keeps a splendid
pair Of horses, and drives out his visit
ors somewhere every evening without
charge.
Fifteen miles from here is Black Rock,
where they say they have now 300 visit
ors camped out with their own provi-
eions. The strongest chalybeate spring
in the State is said to be there. 1t is on
the west side of the Blue Ridge, near
Browns Gap, six miles this side OF
Weyer's Cave.
This neighborhood has good many
substantial English people who have
come in since the war; A mile of is the
delightful home OF Mr.. Woodruff ENG
lish), the architect Of the Miller School
building, of the chapel stthe University,
and some other public buildings in the
State. He is now at work in North
Carolina.
Old MIR. Benjamin Wood used to live q
mile below here on the Stanton road.
He was an old Wing and one OF the
strongest headed men of the county. MIR.
Lynnes, an Lnglisbman, now owns his
place. He (Mr. Benjamin Wood was
the uncle of John Wood, Jr., formerly
secretary OF the Albemarle Insurance
Company, and one of the notables Of
Charlottesville. Heis now retired to his
farm in the country, near Ivy, seventy
five years old and with his children
around him.
Three miles off is the celebrated Ivy
Creek neighborhood (six miles from
Charlottesville), where Billy Gilmer,
William Southall, Major holland, DR..
Merriwether Anderson, DR.. John Il.
Woods, General Peyton, Paul Goodloe,
Edgar Garth, DR.. Stephens, Fielding
Lewis, and Peter McGehee used to live.
There has been q good company here
IIllb MI. 1lCC hC0Ro EBiCh-
did table, and gives us fruit without
stint. We are now sleeping under
blankets. A great deal OF rain has
fallen this summer, but not too much.
The University and Charlottesville
are reached in a few minutes. /
was down there the other day, and
found the place wonderfully improved.
| heard people in every direction talking
about "the CITY," 1 found that the
town had recently been made a "city, "
and the people are very much tickled at
the idea. The local columns of the two
newspapers constantly speak of "the
city," and / counted this expression in
one Of them recently eighteen times
Staunton is said to be great deal worse
than Charlottesville In this respect, and
man from Stanton boosted TO me the
other day that the mosquitoes
there are perfectly frightlul. He
thought it threw sort of
metropolitan halo around the town.
When Stanton was first erected into a
city am told that Major Hanger was
talking 10 q man at the White Sulphur
dDOut luS piACO aueA AhIitooSN nm oO
that he finally asked, Glow many in
habitants have you got?" The Major
told him, throwing himself back and
widening his legs little farther apart,
About 6,000!" "Pish " said the
stranger, who was from New York, 81
thought you had about 10000 !"
Three miles above here is Crozet
(named after old Colonel CrozeD and
near by is the beautiful home of Bro
ther Lafferty, who, however, is not often
there, as he spends most of his time in
Florida and kiting about. A Baptist
told me that he preached up here at Mt.
Moriah, near Whitehall, last summer a
very fine sermon. and as he dismissed
the congregation he called out to them
as they dispersed that now was the time
10 subscribe to the advocate. which he
was offering at the exceedingly low
price of one dollar! which is certainly
cheap, for Laflerty is, in my opinion,
one Of the greatest paragraphists in the
country. lDLER.