Travel for Bibliophiles

A guide to Virginia’s literary heritage.

Virginia is so rich in literary heritage that we’ve organized a special neighborhood we like to call the writer’s block. Of course, the following sites celebrating Virginia authors aren’t all in one block, but, strung together, they make a fine tour for any bibliophile. Take in a chapter (or two) from the lives of a few of our favorite Virginia literati this year: Poe Museum, Richmond Discover the father of detective fiction and master of suspense Edgar Allen Poe by perusing artifacts like a lock of his hair and an issue of his Southern Literary Messenger. PoeMuseum.org Anne Spencer House, Lynchburg Civil rights activist and Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer was a devoted gardener, and today her house and gardens provide the same relaxation for visitors that she once enjoyed. AnneSpencerMuseum.org Booker T. Washington National Monument, Hardy Though his name is more often associated with Tuskegee, Alabama, Booker T. Washington was in fact born on a Franklin County plantation. Visit to learn more about Washington’s Virginia roots. NPS.gov/BoWa Weems-Botts House, Dumfries Scare up some inspiration at the reputedly haunted Weems-Botts House, once home to Parson Weems, the first biographer of George Washington. HistoricDumfries.com/WeemsBotts