The Berry Hill Estate originally was part of a 105,000-acre tract granted by the English Crown in 1728 to William Byrd II. It became a self-sufficient operation, producing vegetables, hay, oats, corn, livestock, tobacco and wheat. The property has changed hands many times, showing ownership throughout the years by a number of notable Virginia families. Counted among them were Benjamin Harrison, the fourth Governor of Virginia as well as a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Edward Carrington. Carrington sold the plantation to his cousin James Cole Bruce, who built the present Greek revival mansion in 1842. Today its stately eight-columned façade stands as one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in Virginia. In 1999, Berry Hill re-opened as a premier executive conference facility and leisure destination.
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Last Updated: 8/28/2012 11:17 AM