Nestled against the James River, a time capsule looks over the waters just outside of Richmond; with a dignified, stately exterior, Agecroft Hall is as old as it is endearing. Although it may be confusing to understand how a house from the Tudor era of England could be sitting in Virginia, by digging deeper and following Agecroft’s historic roots, answers can be found within this estate.
Agecrofts history is a long one, predating the discovery of the Americas by European explorers in 1492 by more than a century. A deed of the property from 1376 in Lancashire England is the earliest record of the estate; the home to the families Langley and Dauntesey. The house stood in England for much of the Tudor-Stuart era in which it would have seen the reign of leaders like Queen Elizabeth I and housed residents during the height of the English Renaissance. Architectural aspects of the house now resemble 15-16th century design.
The start of this house’s journey to the states started when the industrial revolution completely changed the landscape of England; the manor’s field became land for coal mining and railroads. The pollutants from these endeavors as well as the destruction and consequential repair costs left from a fire eventually led to Agecroft lying vacant.
This was until Mr. T.C. Williams Jr. and his wife Elizabeth, an affluent couple from Richmond, bought the house after it went up for auction. They had a team of workers carefully dismantle the house into shippable parts which were then sent over the Atlantic to Richmond where the house was then jigsawed together into a more modern configuration in which it still stands today. After her husband’s death, Elizabeth lived in and tended to the house; she, with the help of Charles Gillette, designed and created the famous Gardens.
Both T.C and Elizabeth had wanted the house to eventually become a museum; after Elizabeth departed from the house she had planned to make it an art gallery, but it was eventually decided to be a homage to English history. Now, the library is the only room preserved to Elizabeth’s era and taste. The house now sits open for guests as a time machine that can travel even further back than the colonial history of Richmond. Sarah Yount, the Marketing and Development Manager at Agecroft Hall expressed how the provisions that the house offers distinguishes it from the surrounding city area.
“I think one of the things that really makes Agecroft Hall special is that it’s a really peaceful place where you can enjoy gardens and get a taste of history just minutes from downtown,” Yount said.
She went on to explain that although the house is not necessarily in the mainstream of activities in Richmond, it is multifaceted; that it has more to offer than many people realize and enough to offer that anyone can find something of interest while visiting.
“I think that we’re kind of a hidden gem in the Richmond region. I want people to know that we have things going on here year round. I think sometimes people have an impression that only our gardens are open, or maybe that our house isn’t open to the public, or that we’re only here when the Richmond Shakespeare festival is happening, but I think the thing I want people to take away is that we’re always doing something, we’re always happy to welcome new guests, and we’re really a place where you can get away from the normal day-to-day of your life and explore just a hidden gem in the area,” Yount said.
Yount described the multitude of events and activities that Agecroft has to offer and her gratitude for the variety that they offer, as it makes them accessible to anyone.
“I really enjoy the opportunities we present to folks of all ages in the area. I really appreciate that we have something for everyone whether it’s a free concert by the Richmond Concert Band outside on our front lawn or a day when we’re celebrating Shakespeare’s birthday and it’s also free and open to the public. Then, for folks who want to take a deeper dive into the history, they can come for a guided or self guided tour of the house. For folks who are really into gardens and horticulture and just want to spend some time outside, I think we’re just a beautiful place where you can relax, where you can bring a picnic,” Yount said.
Yount shared some of her favorite events that the house hosts throughout the year and how these events have been a place for the community to come together.
“I really enjoy Yuletides, which takes place the second Sunday of December every year; it’s one of our free events that is open to the community. I think last year we had around 3,000 people come over the course of the five hour event. It’s a lot of merriment, there’s caroling, there are decorations from many different centuries, just a lot of really fun activities; there’s hot cider on the back lawn, folks who are costumed interpreters who are doing different games and it was just really fun to observe and be a part of,” Yount said.
Aside from the joys of participating in the many events, Yount spoke about the passion and dedication that the team of Agecroft has in regards to the history and operation of the house and how that translates to their work with guests.
“People who work here really want to work here; we have a number of tour guides of all ages who have been here, some of them, for many years and they’re always working to learn more about Tudor history, about the history of Agecroft Hall, and doing their best to really provide folks with the best experience when they’re here inside the house or if they’re on a guided tour of the Gardens,” Yount Said.
Yount elaborated on her own favorite aspects within the house, specifying one of the many beautifully preserved rooms that is open to the public, as well as some of the artifacts and structural details.
“[The library] is the one room that was left as it was in the 20th century; I just love a room of books. There’s a great record player in there, there is often a silver tea set that our curator puts in there and it has an amazing table, it’s huge, it’s this giant wood table and I just think it’s so unique, so the library is one of my favorite rooms,” Yount said, “A lot of the windows are my favorite, the stained glass and just how long it’s been here. They were able to ship over whole windows from England and they didn’t break somehow.”
Along with her favorite aspects, Yount detailed one of her favorite stories in Agecroft’s history and how it reflects the contradicting strength and delicate craftsmanship of the house.
“The giant window in the great hall; it was transported here and it wasn’t broken on the whole way over to Richmond from England. It magically stayed in tact -beautifully intact- and then there was a hail storm that happened one day in Richmond and a couple of the panes received some damage and had to be repaired, but I just think it’s a testament to how well built it was,” Yount said.
The beauty of Agecroft Hall lies not simply in the walks through the tranquil gardens, or strolls through the elegant house, but in the very essence of what the house can offer as a significant piece of community and history that transcends oceans, continents, and centuries. Yount expressed how she feels Agecroft Hall and historic preservation as a whole can lead to reflection and deeper understanding of this day and age.
Yount said, “I think that being able to experience history or feel a bit closer to history is really helpful in our education as human beings, I think that there one thing to read about it in a book and there’s another thing to see it with your own eyes and I think history can really help inform and make you think more deeply about the present.”
