Yes, you read that right. it was built before Columbus came to America.
It was the home of Lancashire's Langley and Dauntesey families. In 1925 it was sold at auction. Thomas C. Williams, Jr., a millionaire from Richmond, purchased the structure, had it dismantled, crated and shipped across the Atlantic, and then reassembled in a Richmond neighbourhood known as Windsor Farms.
I had a fascinating tour here. I suspect Tom was trying to impress his friends with this imported house because it cost him plenty.
Before the house could be shipped to America, the situation was debated in Parliament. Churchill didn't want the house to leave England but there was no buyer to maintain it, so the house was allowed to go to Richmond.
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In the City of Richmond in 1780 the site was selected for a new, permanent Virginia Capitol building; it was on a major hill overlooking the falls of the James River in Richmond, to be designed by Thomas Jefferson.
Too bad the view of the river is now blocked.
Those wings on the side were added later.
Inside is this statue of George Washington thought to be the best likeness of any known.. Although Washington never saw it, his old pal, Lafayette, was amazed at the likeness. The French sculptor who made the statue lived at Mt. Vernon for two weeks to measure and make drawings.
Also inside is the likeness of Robert E. Lee where he stood to accept commission of Commander of the Confederate army.
Here is the lobby of the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond; the cast of the film "Lincoln" stayed at the Jefferson during the filming. I tried to get the clerk in the gift shop to tell me about the actors, but she only said they were very nice and friendly!
The Confederate White House where Jefferson Davis held court is another historic site swallowed up by modern buildings.
The Marshall House was a Find!
Dwarfed by surrounding modern buildings, this memorial to a great American still stands.
John Marshall (September 24, 1755 – July 6, 1835) was the fourth Chief Justice of the United States (1801–1835) whose court opinions helped lay the basis for American constitutional law and made the Supreme Court of the United States a coequal branch of government along with the legislative and executive branches. Plus, he was a nice, likable guy.
The longest-serving Chief Justice and the fourth longest-serving justice in US Supreme Court history, Marshall dominated the Court for over three decades and played a significant role in the development of the American legal system.
Most notably, he reinforced the principle that federal courts are obligated to exercise judicial review, by disregarding purported laws if they violate the Constitution. Thus, Marshall cemented the position of the American judiciary as an independent and influential branch of government.
Look at this wonderful walking bridge hanging under the freeway over the beautiful James River.
From that bridge I saw these kayakers on the James River.
I walked halfway over the bridge which was being used by bicyclists and runners.
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