History

How Virginia’s First Post-Prohibition Distillery Got Its Spirit

Ambrosial, musky, and sweet fragrances of alcohol waft through: The A. Smith Bowman Distillery barrel warehouse welcomes with a distinct aroma. The wood varies from Hungarian to Austrian, American, Brazilian, and more—all destined for Bowman products. But the story behind the Bowman name goes deeper than whiskey. The company’s stills, George and Mary, aren’t named […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

A Common Thread

The art of embroidery and quilting shows how artists learned and lived back in the day. Courtesy of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg Most times, we don’t pay attention to bed coverings like quilts unless we’re shopping for a new one. Of course, the one your grandmother made as wedding gift or other […]

by Konstantin Rega

Roadmap to History

A Depression-era travel guide reveals a hidden Virginia. [‘Library of Congress’, ‘The Crowley Company’] AGC/8b26000/8b266008b26680a.tif Imagine you want to drive from Richmond to Harrisonburg. But it’s 1940 so, instead of Google Maps, you turn to Virginia, a Guide to the Old Dominion, a hardcover book, newly published under President Franklin Roosevelt’s New […]

by Staff

Most-Viewed Articles of 2022

Here are the Virginia Living articles readers loved this year: from croissants to costume design and everything in between. As always, we have had great fun serving our readers and seeing where their tastes lie—food, homes, Virginia towns, and farming—so it seems. One of the more surprising facts about this Top Ten list is that most of […]

by Staff

Haunted Virginia

For centuries, Virginia has laid claim to the best—and the first—ghost stories. Tom Green The party was already in full swing at Williamsburg’s Governor’s Palace when the beautiful Lady Anne Skipwith spied her husband flirting with her younger sister on the dance floor. Guests at the ball looked on as she […]

by Staff

Tribal Homeland Restored

Home to bald eagles, Fones Cliffs returns to the Rappahannock Tribe. When Captain John Smith first encountered them in a 1608 skirmish, the Rappahannock Tribe lived in three villages on Fones Cliffs, which rise from the eastern side of the Rappahannock River on the Northern Neck. “We have worked for many […]

by Constance Costas

Dairy Farm for the Win

At Vint Hill Farms, code breakers intercepted crucial messages from around the world. In 1942, a Virginia dairy farmer was listening to his short-wave radio when he picked up something entirely unfamiliar: conversations in German. The chatter turned out to be exchanges between German taxi drivers and their dispatchers, more than 6,000 miles away. Excited […]

by John William Van de Kamp

A Bird in the Hand

Fried chicken feeds our hearts and heritage. Before noon in Gordonsville, if the air is crisp and you cock your head just right, you can still hear the long cry of Amtrak’s Crescent, traversing the iron arc bound for New Orleans. But the train no longer stops here, as it did more […]

by Staff

Shocking Truth About Virginia’s Peanuts

An old-school farming method returns…and yields spectacular results. Kyle LaFerriere Elisha Barnes The world’s oldest peanut looks puny and unassuming as it rests in a display case at the Isle of Wight County Museum in Smithfield. The man who harvested it, Pembroke D. Gwaltney Sr., wrote “1890” on the smoothest side and […]

by Don Harrison

Founding Trip Advisor

Armed with Jefferson’s travel tips, writer Derek Baxter hits the road in his new book. (Engraving by Jane Braddick Peticolas, 1825) In Pursuit of Jefferson by Derek Baxter. Sourcebooks. pp.416. $27.99. When two of Jefferson’s compatriots asked his advice on traveling through Europe, he responded by pouring the insights […]

by Staff

The Trill is Back

The Fifes and Drums return to Colonial Williamsburg. Courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg The revolutionary heartbeat of Colonial Williamsburg plays on. The flute-like trills, booming bass notes, and staccato rat-a-tat-tats of the Fifes and Drums resonate through the 301-acre living museum once again, signaling to troops and tourists alike that the hallowed tradition […]

by Don Harrison

All Dressed Up, and the Drink is the Show

Mint juleps whet whistles sip after historical sip. Shutterstock She’s the undisputed diva of drinks. Served in a silver cup, she’s minty sweet, icy cold, and strong all at once. She is the mint julep, and her pedigree is pure Virginia. We see you, Kentucky, but she’s ours. Mint juleps were […]

by Staff

Medical Trailblazer

The country’s first plastic surgeon hailed from Prince Edward County. In the mid-19th century, patients seeking the best medical care would travel—even from abroad—to see a Virginia country doctor. And for good reason. John Peter Mettauer of Prince Edward County was widely regarded as one of the finest surgeons alive. The […]

by Dean King

Virginia’s Historic Trails

When the pavement ends, the travel by gravel fun begins. Douglas Graham Douglas Graham / WLP Willisville Road Some historic treasures don’t fit inside a museum. Take the 300 miles of gravel roadways that wind through Loudoun County’s pastures and ridges. “These are the same paths traveled by early colonists, Revolutionary War soldiers, and George Washington […]

by Jill Devine

Legends that Linger

Virginia’s history includes stories of sasquatch sightings and pirate gold. Virginia Legends & Lore by Charles A. Mills. History Press. pp.173. $21.99 Virginia Legends George Washington’s secret son, the origins of Chincoteague’s wild ponies, the hiding place of the mysterious Beale Treasure? Virginia is full of strange […]

by Konstantin Rega

Old Glory

Restoring the grandeur of an antebellum compound takes labor, money, and love. (Photography by Kip Dawkins) John Holland knew when he first visited Oak Ridge, more than 20 years ago, that there was much more to the sprawling, careworn estate in Nelson County than the overgrown gardens and deteriorating steps he saw […]

by tupponce joan

Never More Merry

Virginia’s earliest Christmas celebrations. (Illustration by Robert Meganck) The first Virginia Christmas found the Jamestown adventurers far from home and far from merry. Although it was spring when the three English ships landed in the New World, the men had so neglected the fundamentals of survival in their rush for gold and […]

by miley theobald mary

A Tudor Showcase

It took four years and a few bidding wars with luminaries like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rod Stewart to get Dover Hall furnished. The result is an astounding collection of period art and antiques. (Photography by Kip Dawkins) It always starts with a modest thought. Dennis Pryor, a Richmond resident, wanted to build […]

by Richard Ernsberger Jr.

Southern Exposure

The expansive valley view from the front windows of Bramblewood Farm in Albemarle county is one of serenity and peace. photography by Andrea Hubbell It’s the bucolic panorama that Jim and Becky Craig envisioned for their Albemarle County home, though it was not immediately evident when they first laid eyes […]

by tupponce joan

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Events

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Clay Creations: A Ceramic Celebration Exhibition – Call for Entries

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Yorktown Market Days – Winter Market

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Mom Hiked the Appalachian Trail with 13 Kids in Tow

Nikki Bettis stood on the jagged summit outcrop of Shenandoah National Park’s 4,011-foot Stony Man, awed by westward panoramic views. Her heart swelled with emotion as she turned to watch her 13 kids shoulder their loaded backpacks and fall into a clamorous single-file line heading back to the Appalachian Trail (AT). “We were in an […]

by Eric J. Wallace

Experience Burnside Farms’ Stunning Festival of Spring

A rainbow of blooms takes over Burnside Farms in Nokesville each spring, creating a breathtaking backdrop of yellow, pink, red, and orange blossoms. During their annual Festival of Spring, running mid-March to mid-April (check their Instagram, @BurnsideFarms, for exact dates), visitors can picnic, play, and pick their own bundles from over 150 tulip varieties and […]

by Hope Cartwright

10 Speakeasies Across Virginia & How to Find Them

Tucked in hidden alleyways and behind disguised doors lie some of the state’s best-kept secrets … and cocktails. Speakeasies promising vintage vibes and low-light charm dot the map far and wide, but where to find them? Here are 10 to get you started on a journey to delicious drinks and illicit adventures of 1920s allure. […]

by Hope Cartwright

History

How Virginia’s First Post-Prohibition Distillery Got Its Spirit

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Events

Stomp

Clay Creations: A Ceramic Celebration Exhibition – Call for Entries

Yorktown Market Days – Winter Market

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Mom Hiked the Appalachian Trail with 13 Kids in Tow

Experience Burnside Farms’ Stunning Festival of Spring

10 Speakeasies Across Virginia & How to Find Them

History

How Virginia’s First Post-Prohibition Distillery Got Its Spirit

Current Issue

Events

Stomp

Clay Creations: A Ceramic Celebration Exhibition – Call for Entries

Yorktown Market Days – Winter Market

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Most Popular

Mom Hiked the Appalachian Trail with 13 Kids in Tow

Experience Burnside Farms’ Stunning Festival of Spring

10 Speakeasies Across Virginia & How to Find Them

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Get our most popular
weekly newsletter: VL Today

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weekly newsletter: VL Today