As your children reach school age—or perhaps they’ve been in school for some time now—you may find yourself considering whether private school is the right choice for them. It could be that you are currently homeschooling your child but are looking for a bit more day-to-day structure. It could be that they’re currently in public school, or it could even be that the private school they’re attending just isn’t the right fit for them. Or, like many new parents, you’re simply trying to get a jumpstart on school research so you’re prepared to make a decision once your child reaches preschool or kindergarten age. One thing is certain: Choosing when and what private school is an incredibly important decision and it’s one that looks different for every family. As a parent, you’ll know what’s best for your unique child and the way they learn in certain environments.

As you navigate the private school decision, we have a handful of tips to help make the decision easier and to guide you on the questions you should ask during private school visitations.

The Factors to Consider
Whether your child is too young to weigh in on the decision about which private school they’ll attend, or they’re old enough to consider the options, there are a number of factors to consider. 

First and foremost, consider the type of environment your child already thrives in. Do they benefit from a highly structured learning environment or does their curiosity call for a more freeform learning experience? One of the benefits of choosing private school over public school is that you can place your child in an environment that is more tailored to their individual needs. Class sizes are smaller, education is more tailored, and course offerings can vary more.

If you are the parent of a very young child and are considering private school just as they reach preschool age, there are certain queues that can help you identify what type of learner your child is. As a general rule, all people are kinesthetic, visual, or auditory learners. Typically, we are a balance of all three but have a tendency to lean toward one specific style. Understanding, even at the most basic level, what type of learner your child is will help you identify which private school may be best for them.

“The five top factors for parents and students to consider when deciding on a private school should be accreditations, course offerings, Biblical foundation, mission, and opportunity,” explained Ashley Saunders, Director of Marketing and Communications for Liberty Christian Academy. “At LCA, we are able to support our students by recognizing each student’s individual needs. We combine small class sizes, our guidance team, and full-time campus pastor to create a team of support for our students.”

Choosing whether or not to enroll your child in a parochial school—or a school that is affiliated with a religious or spiritual organization—is also a factor to consider. Within the Lynchburg, Campbell, and Bedford footprints, there is an incredible diversity among private schools so you can align your child with a curriculum that matches your family’s lifestyle and spiritual beliefs.

Also take into consideration the extracurriculars and athletics available to your child. Each private school offers a different set of opportunities—some of which aren’t often found at our local public schools, like lacrosse. Consider the musical opportunities that may be available to your child as well.

“A parent or student should consider the educational philosophy and curriculum of the school, as well as the school’s culture and values, outcomes, extracurriculars and athletic programs, and classroom size and student-teacher ratio,” said Maryanna Stands, Associate Head of School for Advancement and Director of Admissions for James River Day School.

Common Misconceptions
There are certain misconceptions attached to private schools that should be debunked as you’re navigating the private school decision, as well.

“A common misconception is that parents think there are less opportunities for their students, whether it be extracurricular or academic,” said Saunders.

“People think private schools are only for wealthy students and provide a less diverse student body,” continued Stands. “James River Day School is more diverse, both socioeconomically and culturally, than most people think. Nearly a quarter of our families receive some amount of need-based tuition assistance, and 21-percent of our students come from ethnically diverse backgrounds. We continue to focus some of our strategic efforts on diversity, equity, and inclusion as a more diverse school is what’s best for all of our students.”

As you’re visiting the local private schools that you’ve identified as potential options for your child, have a running list of some of the assumptions that you may have about that particular private school, or just private school in general. Ask pointed questions to challenge those assumptions—you may just be pleasantly surprised at the answers.  

A Historic Iris Display Garden in Lynchburg

Kansas City, Missouri, native, Shana Gammon has been around irises her whole life and the familiar has become her passion. Gammon is the owner of Stormy Weather Iris Gardens, a private house garden that sits on a quarter acre within Lynchburg City limits.

Consisting of five beds and 200 different varieties of tall bearded iris, the garden officially opened to the public in 2017.

“I started doing floral photography in 2006 or 2007,” Gammon said of how the garden got its start. “I exhibited nationally and worked with hospitals around the country, providing photos for their galleries and so on. With four children, it was easier to grow what I wanted to photograph rather than travel around to shoot. Irises were one of the flowers I started growing at that time and they became one of my favorite flowers.”

Stormy Weather Iris Garden grows irises in every color and color pattern, from Plicata and Broken Color irises to Amoena and several Space Age varieties.

“All are tall bearded, but each is different,” said Gammon.

As if walking among a sea of multicolored irises weren’t special enough, Stormy Weather Iris Garden is also one of two Historic Iris Display Gardens in Virginia, with the second being Tufton Farm at Monticello.

“I love history, so joining the Historic Iris Society was a perfect fit for me,” explained Gammon. “One of the requirements is that you have to have at least 15 historic iris varieties in your garden and the garden should be open to the public. We have more than 15 historic varieties, but we also have many newer introductions.”

To qualify as a historic iris, the iris must have been introduced to the American Iris Society 30 years ago or earlier. 

To visit Stormy Weather Iris Gardens, simply email stormyweatheriris@yahoo.com to schedule a visitation time. They will begin scheduling in the first week of April and visits are free.  

Lynchburg Living’s 2023 Idea House is Full of History

The walls at 1221 Oakwood Street in Bedford practically sing with stories from its past. They tell tales of summertime pool parties, when neighborhood kids would flock in mass to its backyard, barely kicking their shoes off before cannon-balling into the 12-foot-deep pool. They recount quiet spring mornings, when the chill of the air beckoned for a fire to be lit in the stone fireplace, cup of coffee perched just so on an armchair while its owner gazed out the glass door into the misty acreage beyond. If you were to listen closely enough, you’d hear the subtle thrum of a record playing, its music keeping time with the bustling party that weaves throughout the first floor and gushes into the front and back porches—nothing but shrills of excitement, outbursts of laughter, and maybe some neighborhood gossip for good measure.

The story of 1221 Oakwood Street—this year’s Lynchburg Living Idea House—begins with General William R. Terry of the Confederate Army. Terry was a merchant who became brigadier general in the Confederate Army during the Civil War and later served part-time in the Virginia Senate, representing Bedford County. A native of the Town of Bedford, then called Liberty, Terry returned home after the war and worked to further establish his roots.

“General Terry is well known in Bedford,” said Scott Elliott, President of Custom Structures, this year’s partner in the 2023 Idea House. “He came back here after the Civil War and lived in the house across the street. He ended up getting with his brother-in-law, Beaufort, and they developed Longwood Avenue and Oakwood Street. Around 1860, his sister and brother-in-law built this house.”

The “house across the street” is none other than Historic Oakwood Plantation, a looming manor home that dates back to 1780 and was originally owned by Terry’s grandfather.

It’s unclear who owned 1221 Oakwood Street after Terry’s death in 1897, but the next owner of note was another well-known local, Earl Childers.

Childers had only a 9th-grade education, but it was clear that he was a man of considerable mechanical ingenuity and resourcefulness. As the owner of Childers Foods, Inc., Childers developed a “belt machine” that was designed to facilitate the separation of chicken meat from the bone. Just a few years later, he developed a second machine known as the “shaker machine,” which further refined the processing of deboned chicken parts. In the mid-1960s, he began selling that food product to Gerber Company for use in baby food. Later, his company was purchased by McCormick & Company, of commercial spice fame.

“Earl Childers lived here for 68 years,” explained Elliott. “He was an inventor and developer and was known to have a lot of parties here. He added onto the house numerous times and is the one who added the pool.”

In those 68 years under Childers’ ownership, the Bedford community came to know the Oakwood home as a gathering space. In fact, Lynchburg Living’s editor even swam there as a child.

Of course, over time, as historic homes can do, 1221 Oakwood fell from its original glory. When Elliott and his wife, Meredith, purchased the home in 2020, they had an undertaking ahead of them.

“This is the oldest home Scott and I have worked on together, but certainly not the oldest home Custom Structures has worked on,” said Meredith.

“When we started doing work on the house after we purchased it, we had to jack up the rear addition and put up proper structural supports,” furthered Scott. “We also discovered eight fireplaces in the home, on every level of the home.”

A New Story for an Old Home

As Meredith and Scott walked through their new purchase, they took their time getting to know its nuances and quirks, including the happy discovery of hidden fireplaces throughout the home.

“That was the fun part about this,” Meredith remembered. “Going room by room and trying to find all of the fireplaces. That’s the neat thing about a home with this much history, you never know what you’ll find—it’s like a treasure hunt.”

It was a priority for the Elliotts, the Custom Structures team, and their Idea House partners to maintain the integrity of the 19th-century home while bringing it into the modern era,
suitable for a large family to live, play, and grow in.

Communal Spaces

“My main priority was that I wanted to make it more modern,” Meredith said. “I wanted to make the eating and living spaces feel open, where families could eat and have TV time.”

Between the kitchen and dining area, the Idea House team removed a dividing wall between the pantry and kitchen to create a more open-concept space that allowed for an easier flow from one room to the next.

“The kitchen was very small originally, with just one small window,” Meredith said. “We really worked to open up that space and I love what the oval windows, which aren’t original, added.”

Nestled between the two oval windows is an impressive Bertazzoni 48-inch gas stove, a high-performance stove that uses the same paint as Ferrari, the luxury car company. Throughout the downstairs space, original glass weighted windows cast light through their waved panes, and original wainscoting adds texture and charm.

The built-ins in the dining room—added when Childers owned the home—were given an upgrade with white quartz countertops and elongated gold hardware to match the kitchen to serve as a casual buffet area for morning breakfasts or late-night parties.

“We tried to keep as much of the existing features as we could,” said Scott. “But at the same time, we made sure we updated the home to make it more of an open floor plan.”

A House with Many Rooms

The impressive 4,100+-square-foot home has five bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, with one main bedroom on the first floor and one main bedroom upstairs. The walk-in closets in the main bedrooms—complete with rows of shelves for shoes and bags—were original to the home, which came as a surprise to the Elliotts. Each main bedroom has its own bathroom, with the downstairs bathroom featuring sleek brass fixtures and a soaking tub you could get lost in.

“When we bought the house, there was a hot tub where the bathroom is now and it was all covered in carpet,” laughed Meredith.

In the upstairs bathroom, meant to be shared by the youngest members of the family, the Idea House team added three identical vessel sinks rather than little ones elbowing each other for room while they brush their teeth.

Ready for the Next Hundred Years

In addition to the interior restoration, the Idea House team built an entirely new deck, converted the existing two-car garage to a three-car garage and a pool room, and replaced the metal roof.

“We added new board and batten vinyl siding to the house and parged the foundation with a similar texture that is on the front wall,” Scott said.

The historic home also received the addition of two HVAC systems, one for the downstairs and one for the upstairs.

“The house originally had oil heat, so we rewired the entire house,” Scott furthered. “The deck was also in bad shape, so we tore it all down and built a new deck.”

The 12-foot pool, beloved in its heyday, was converted to salt and received a stunning facelift around its perimeter.

“They don’t make 12-foot pools like that anymore,” Scott ruminated. 

In truth, that same sentiment could be applied to the entirety of the 1221 Oakwood Street home. From its grandiose structure to its nearly innumerable fireplaces to the masonry work that has weathered the home’s long history, “they don’t make them like that anymore.” However, thanks to the craftsmanship of the Idea House team, the house will continue into a new chapter, one that’s hopefully full of summer pool days and evenings that turn into mornings with strangers that quickly become friends.  

Photos by Ashlee Glen.

The “barkitecture” trend is inspiring homeowners and designers to create pet-friendly kitchen and bath designs and more

Gone are the days when the most man’s best friend could hope for in the way of shelter was a simple canine-sized box with a roof and an open door in the backyard. While many dog parents would argue their pups consider every square inch of their human homes to be their own personal playgrounds, others are going the extra mile with dog-friendly remodels and special features.

Some may protest that our obsession with providing our pets with every imaginable creature comfort has become, well, the hair that wags the dog. But, to be fair, these “barkitecture” designs are often meant to make our human lives easier, cleaner, and safer as much as they are intended to please our pups—because, let’s face it, dogs are deliriously happy just to be around us. The term barkitecture began as a way to describe tricked-out dog houses but has come to refer to a variety of Fido-friendly upgrades, with kitchen and mudroom designs among the most common.

“Today, homeowners embracing barkitecture customize their pet-friendly homes with aesthetically pleasing and luxury features like hidden food storage and watering stations, as well as places to shower and groom their pets,” noted a press release from Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery. “Mudrooms specifically designed for families’ best friends are becoming increasingly popular additions, as they make the care and feeding of animals more effortless and convenient. Additionally, they keep the main living spaces clean and free of pet hair.”

A dramatic uptick in pet ownership during the pandemic may have contributed to the barkitecture trend as people spent more time in their homes and perhaps developed a deeper appreciation for the value pets can add to our lives. 

On the following pages are some specific tips provided by Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery for getting in on the trend.

Add a dog wash station in the mudroom.

If you have a mudroom, it’s the perfect place to add a dog wash station. Install a handheld showerhead and use a tiled area with a drain to make it easy to clean up muddy paws and allow your dog to shake off fur. This station near the home’s entrance will make it quick and easy for everyone to clean up before coming in.

Install a hidden food and watering station.

Hide or recess food storage compartments within kitchen cabinetry. Many of these built-in feeding stations are usually incorporated into the center island and creatively incorporate a pot-filler faucet at their pet’s water bowl level. While this certainly is more aesthetically pleasing, removing the food and water bowls from the floor also thwarts the danger of tripping over them.

Homeowners who serve fresh foods or subscribe to a food delivery service requiring refrigeration for their pets can install an under-counter refrigerator dedicated to Fido’s culinary delights.

Barkitecture in the kitchen and bath can be seen as a way to add luxury and aesthetics to a pet-friendly home. These areas are popular additions for homeowners with pets because they provide a space for feeding, grooming, and storing food. Most importantly, they keep the main living spaces clean and free of pet hair.

Learn more at FergusonShowrooms.com.     

Tips for Navigating Well-Loved Homes with Character

Lynchburg and the surrounding areas are full of timeworn homes full of potential. Whether it’s a colossal Victorian that neighbors a well-known historic street or a 19th-century farmhouse that’s been clearly well-loved and weathered, there are ways to unlock the potential of these old homes and bring them into the modern world—without sacrificing their charm.

Tackle the Big Needs First
If you’re in the process of renovating, restoring, or even maintaining an older home, it’s wise to start slow and truly look at the bigger picture. For example, if the old metal roof on the home is showing signs of wear or is already leaking, prioritize those crucial repairs first before moving on to smaller projects. It’s important to catch those issues while they’re smaller problems first, rather than waiting and potentially running into a larger problem that could cause wide-scale damage.

Once the bigger, immediate needs are taken care of, approach the home systematically by discovering the resolving problems one by one. Walk room by room with your phone’s Notes app or just with pen and paper and make note of every issue that you see. Is plaster cracking in the guest bedroom? Is the toilet randomly running throughout the day? Is there a light fixture that isn’t working? Are the wooden floorboards on your porch showing signs of rot or wear? Do all of the windows open with ease or do the old pulley systems need to be replaced?

Invest in Experts
Older homes and historic buildings are entirely different from new constructions—even the materials originally used are nowhere to be found in modern constructions today. For the most part, that is a positive. There’s a reason why people lament, “They don’t make them like they used to,” when referring to older buildings. The wood was infinitely stronger, and the metal or slate roofing materials used were meant to withstand the test of time—and they have.

However, it’s completely normal to feel intimidated by your older home. You want to do its “good, old bones” justice so it continues to last.

As you take time to explore the history of your home and identify the character-defining features that you want to keep, you can work with experts that you trust to keep those elements intact while updating any technology or infrastructure around them. For example, if your 100-year-old home has the original wavy glass in its windows, those may be elements that you want to keep—because they really don’t make them like they used to in that regard. However, those windows are often not as energy efficient, or they may need components replaced so they continue to raise and lower. Or, if you are renovating a midcentury that has loads of built-in cabinets but some of the doors no longer close the way that they should, an expert will help you by sourcing era-appropriate hardware that will restore them to their original glory.

If you happen to be more handy and want to tackle the work on your own, hire an expert—either an interior designer or a construction consultant—who has worked with homes from your era who will help you identify the special features in your home and point you toward the right direction for repairing them.

Set Expectations
The average homeowner doesn’t have an HGTV-level renovation budget (but one can dream!), so when you’re planning your renovation plan, it’s important to set realistic estimates alongside each item. Whether you’re hiring an expert or handling the renovations on your own, it’s always wise to add 20% to your estimated total in case of a worst-case scenario. For example, if the construction team starts replacing the floorboards on your porch and notices termite damage on the support beams that they originally assumed were stable, those will be additional costs that you will incur.

As you’re making your renovation plan, consider what is an immediate need (like fixing the leaking roof), an important need, or simply something that is nice to have, and then prioritize your budget from there. Save the “nice to haves” for anything that is left over in the budget after the rest of the work is done.

And keep an eye out for any local or state government preservation incentives like tax credits that your property may qualify for!

Know When You Can Modernize
If your home still has its original coal-burning fireplaces, that doesn’t mean you have to rely on them to heat your home. You also don’t have to furnish your home in era-specific furniture that may not bring your joy or comfort.

The goal with renovating or restoring an older home should be about preserving the elements in your home that can adapt to modern needs. For example, if your home has the original tongue-and-groove longboard wood floors, don’t replace them with modern flooring if they’re still in good shape and can be restored. Or if your home has high ceilings with the original crown molding, factor its restoration into your budget rather than replacing it with newer materials.

Putting the time, energy, and money into salvaging these defining features will still maintain the character and history of your home without sacrificing modern conveniences. As you bring in those modern touches, like an updated electrical system or a new heating and cooling system, you can still be thoughtful of where they’re placed. New air conditioning returns may be carefully and inconspicuously placed so they don’t draw attention. Furniture can be laid out in a way that works with the home’s original floor plan but still works with how you live day-to-day.

Finally, focus on craft and quality as much as you can. The original builders of your home were experts with a deep knowledge of brick, wood, and plaster, so it’s important to focus on bringing in materials that maintain the same level of craftsmanship.  

Take Your Green Thumb to New Heights with Vertical Gardens

The urge to cultivate is an innate human quality, and it always has been. No matter where we put down roots—from coast to desert, rural to urban—people always find a way to enhance their environment with living plants. For many, vertical gardening is a way to bring a little green energy into small spaces. The best part: Vertical gardening can often be both aesthetically pleasing, and functional!

Many credit the vertical gardening approach we recognize today to a man named Stanley Hart White, who patented his “Botanical Bricks” in 1938. As a landscape architect, he designed modular, vertical gardening blocks that could be quickly stacked, rearranged, and moved for displays and events. They were great for gardening indoors and outdoors, especially in small spaces.

However, we have been growing upward for centuries, and it’s likely that White took his inspiration from the landscape architects of the ancient world. Some of the earliest known vertical gardens come from about 3,000 B.C., when the vineyards of ancient Greece were planted to produce both a plentiful yield of grapes, but also shade for gathering places. The vines grew from boxes and were trained to climb trellises and arches. This produced shelter from the rain and sun, as well as a visually stunning landscape. Many of these gardens can still be seen today.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, were constructed, allegedly, by King Nebuchadnezzar for his wife between 605 – 562 B.C. Though archaeologists and historians dispute the details, writers of the time described the gardens as huge, terraced rooftops, upheld by columns which were iconic in the architecture of the period. The rooftops were heavily planted with everything from flowers and small shrubs to full-sized trees. The vining plants were designed to climb down the columns and walls, giving the illusion that the garden was hanging from mid-air. This was also one of the earliest known gardens to be planted purely for aesthetic pleasure, and not for food production. Unfortunately, this garden has been lost to time, but many artists, both modern and ancient, have created representations of what the famed Hanging Gardens of Babylon may have looked like.

Fast forward several thousand years and vertical gardening is very popular, not just in tight urban environments, but just about everywhere. There are “planted walls” clinging to the exteriors of city skyscrapers with fancy hydroponic systems and scientifically blended soil. Home DIYers build indoor wall-hanging gardens to display their succulent collections, or outside to grow tomatoes and veggies without sacrificing the yard space. The beauty of vertical gardening is that it can be done by almost anyone, and on almost any budget. All you need is some sort of frame or structure, and a few pockets to stuff soil or growth medium.

Of course, for the gardener willing to front a little cash, there are tons of options for both indoor and outdoor vertical gardening systems. Some even include hydroponic irrigation systems and grow lights for an easy, hands-off approach.

But for the crafty, low-budget gardener, pallets can often be found for free, and are easily converted into vertical growing surfaces that can be affixed to walls, or simply leaned against them, inside or outside. With enough pallets, you can quickly create large, eye-catching vertical structures for your plants. Shelves can also be adapted to growing plants vertically up strings, dowels, or mesh. Vining plants can be grown from boxes on top of trellises or pergolas and add intrigue and a touch of romance to windows, patios, or porches. Strawberries are an excellent candidate for hanging baskets and elevated grow boxes because they look great, and produce fruit!

Pothos – These plants are affordable, available at every garden supply center, and require little maintenance. They are great climbers, thrive in low lighting, and grow relatively quickly! They are also proven to purify air.

Ferns – Ferns like moisture, but many varieties do not require much light at all. They also do not have deep root systems, or require many nutrients, so they make excellent candidates for living walls. There are several varieties of ferns that, when planted together, can create visual intrigue while all requiring the same growth conditions.

Heartleaf Philodendron – Another popular houseplant, the Philodendron is a low-maintenance fast-grower with long, dangling vines and heart-shaped leaves.

Dragon Plant – If you’re looking to add a plant with a little more structure, the Dragon Plant is a popular choice for indoor gardens. Like the others on this list, they are known to purify air. The sturdy, dark green leaves stand in contrast to the more gangly vining plants, and they are conveniently low maintenance.

For inspiration, a quick online search for “living walls,” “vertical gardening,” or “planted walls” will yield more than a few ideas that you could try in your home or outdoor space.   

One Family’s Journey to Preserve History

We want to figure out who the enslaved were,” Sophie Taylor resolutely said. Clad in duck boots and flannel, she leaned across the granite kitchen countertop—the newest element in her home by about a century—as she poured over census records, family trees, and local history books.

That journey—one that began in March of 2021 when she and her husband, Mike, purchased the Ivy Cliff estate—really began much longer ago, in 1772.

Ivy Cliff was built by Revolutionary War hero Captain Henry Brown, who completed three terms in the Continental Army and served under Colonel Charles Lynch. It’s estimated that the Brown family acquired the Ivy Cliff tract of land—3,400 acres in total—in 1755, with the brick Federal style home being built and completed by the late 18th century.

The 4,900-square-foot home features sweeping 10-foot ceilings, original long plank wood floors, and ten fireplaces in total. Historical records show that the home originally had more rooms than what stand today, but all that remains of them is a swath of exterior wall that stretches from the east side of the home.

Captain Brown and his wife had six children together, all of whom were raised at Ivy Cliff, and the property remained in the Brown family until the 1920s.

Ivy Cliff, which at one time was referred to as Otter Hills plantation, was a booming tobacco farm.

“We found a census from September 1860 that shows 29 enslaved men and women on the property at the time,” Taylor said. “Thirteen men and sixteen women. Though it’s certainly possible that more than that were living here under a different owner’s name. We found evidence that there were six different enslaved dwellings on the property at one time.”

One of those dwellings is still standing today, downhill and largely out of view from the main house. 

The enslaved cabin is a “dogtrot” style cabin, which means that it’s essentially two separate cabins connected by a breezeway. The west side of the cabin was completed in 1810, with the east side of the cabin following shortly after in 1830.

“There are four separate rooms in the cabin, but we’re not sure if four different families lived in this one cabin, or if the rooms were separated by males and females,” Taylor explained.

When the Taylor family purchased the property in 2021—a pandemic move from Florida—they knew that there was a rich history behind the property, which had been meticulously preserved by previous owners. But the surprise came from how much the community became invested in its history.

“There are so many people in this town who love history,” Taylor recounted. “They saved everything and gave it back.”

Since they arrived at Ivy Cliff, neighbors have been “returning” pieces of property history that had been salvaged over the years. From the original louvered shutters, which a neighbor salvaged when a previous owner remodeled, to Independent State of the Congo coins circa 1888, which were dug up on the property, neighbors and history buffs alike have flocked to Ivy Cliff to return memorabilia and help piece the history together.

Part of connecting those dots was ensuring that the history remained preserved.

In 2022, the Taylors made great strides in ensuring the entirety of their property—now 17.3 acres of the original 3,400—became a historical site. They worked with Preservation Virginia, a nonprofit organization that sustains Virginia’s historic places through leadership in advocacy, education, revitalization, and stewardship, to have the slave dwelling added to the “Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Places” list.

In Virginia, extant dwellings of enslaved people are rare and often overlooked. Constantly subject to time, elements, and lack of resources of the property owners, many have fallen into ruin or vanished from history altogether.

“Having this Preservation Virginia designation helps us advocate for resources and grant funding,” Taylor explained.

In addition to the Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Places list, the Taylors applied for the Threatened Sites Program with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, which offers emergency funding for archaeological sites endangered by erosion or other factors like impending development or vandalism.

That grant, in particular, connected the Taylors with local engineering and surveying firm, Hurt & Proffitt.

“We had Hurt & Proffitt out with their archaeology team completing a site survey of the hillside with the extant cabin searching for likely locations of the other slave dwellings,” Taylor explained. “They are still studying the thousands of artifacts found at their lab at Historic Sandusky.”

Shovel tests and test unit excavations were completed by the Hurt & Proffitt team, which runs the only engineering student lab in the state.

Every artifact found around the slave dwelling as well as the surrounding land where other dwellings may have stood were bagged in acid-free bags for storage and identification.

“The most significant findings were the ones that couldn’t be bagged,” said Jess Gantzert, Hurt & Proffitt’s laboratory director. “We found quartz cornerstones, which were religiously significant [to the enslaved] as well as a number of Hoodoo markings on the enslaved cabin.”

In addition to the cornerstones and markings, the Hurt & Proffitt team was able to collect nails, bricks, bottle glass, pottery, and window glass, all of which will help them begin painting the picture of the everyday lives of the enslaved living on the property.

“We have the technology now to identify what type of liquid bottles used to hold,” Gantzert explained.

“So we will be able to determine if they held medicine, drinks, or liquids that were significant to their
Hoodoo culture.”

While processing and identification is still ongoing, the Taylors and the Hurt & Proffitt team are hopeful that the history of the enslaved people on the property will start to be told.

“We are able to use archaeology to find and tell the stories of the people who weren’t considered people,” Gantzert said.

“Our plans include a complete renovation of the cabin with the intention of sharing it with local school groups as a means of learning local Virginia history,” Taylor furthered. “Due to the historical importance of the cabin, we want to ensure that any renovation is completed with special care, which is why we are seeking the assistance from historical architects, archaeologists, contractors, and stone masons.”

Under the Taylors’ care and stewardship, the story of Ivy Cliff continues to unfold with the hopes of one day identifying the names of those who were enslaved on the property and reconstructing their stories.  

If you’re a Lynchburg native, are familiar with Ivy Cliff’s history, and have information that may help,
reach out to the 501(c)(3) that the Taylors established at https://ivycliff.wixsite.com/ivycliff.

A Family Pandemic Project Comes to Life in the Nick of Time

Sometimes, it takes a worldwide pandemic to push you to do the thing you’ve been dreaming about. For Tim and Tonya Pafford, it was the COVID-19 lockdowns of early 2020 that made them realize it was time to stop thinking about building a “barndominium” on the 30 acres they owned in Evington and actually go for it. The result is a peaceful spot in the world that readily welcomes their family and many guests for gatherings year-round, including the holidays.

The Paffords are high school sweethearts and have three daughters, Emory, 19, Avery, 17, and Hadley, 15, and first bought the larger 155-acre farm with friends a few years prior for use as an outdoor playground. The land adjoins part of the Big Otter River so their family would come out and fish, kayak, camp, and explore the property with four-wheelers. But it was a far cry from buildable at first.

“Someone had clear cut it and sold the timber, so there were no trees, the dirt was all dug up,” Tonya said. “I couldn’t envision anything liveable to be honest, but it had really cool views and river frontage, so we all decided to take the plunge and bought it together and subdivided it.”

The original 1920s farm was named Otter Oaks Farm and, along with lots of clearing, planting, and prepping, the Paffords also re-incorporated their 30 acres and brought back the farm’s original name. Tim drew out plans for what they now call “The Barndo” on a flight from Florida to Virginia, so the general framework was ready when they broke ground in January 2020. Soon however,
the project became a family sanity saver.

All Hands on Deck

“It became a COVID party of sorts,” Tonya said. “We had wood delivered on the day Tim was told, ‘Don’t come back to work.’ And the girls were told not to come back to school. I’m a nurse so I knew I was going to be going to work, and it would be kind of a war zone. So, we just thought, this is our moment—we are selling our house and building The Barndo.”

In no time, Tim was spending long days at Otter Oaks building the project mostly by himself, with help from the girls and food runs from Tonya.

“The kids would work with Tim, but they did have to do homeschooling so they would do their schoolwork and I would bring food and we would have dinner in the construction zone, and it was our way to be together,” Tonya recalled.

Emory, their oldest daughter, is now a pole vaulter at Liberty University but she readily comes home to The Barndo.

“Helping to build the house is a core memory,” she said.

While it required all Pafford hands on deck, the vision for The Barndo was fairly straightforward, with 1,600 square feet of living space upstairs and 1,600 square feet of entertaining space below.

“Functional was the first key,” Tim said. “Good use of space. This concept was very simplistic, but we wanted to maximize every square inch possible with the simple design.”

Exterior in, The Barndo strikes a balance between rustic-industrial and warm farmhouse style. The home’s roof and metal siding are exposed galvanized metal, installed by Karlin’s Construction of Lynchburg, in a charcoal color on the house and left an unpainted natural metal on the roof. The home’s cupola was handmade in Amish country, Pennsylvania, and driven down on a truck. The oversized barn doors, perhaps The Barndo’s crowning feature, were crafted by Tim using oak harvested on a neighbor’s property.

“It actually worked out better than I thought it would,” Tim said. “It’s cool because it’s actually wood from right here. It has imperfections and they are unique planks of wood. It came together.”

Start to finish, the house build took 11 months of work from January to November 2020, moving the family in just in time for their first holiday season there.

“The first snow here was beautiful, it looked like a Hallmark card,” Tonya recalled. “It was such a relief when all of us were finally here!”

Tim added, “There’s something about crawling into your bed two minutes after unplugging your tools versus packing everything up and driving home at 3 in the morning.”

Living Large in a Smaller Space

While The Barndo has been a welcome change of scenery for the family, it did get some getting used to after moving from a larger home in Forest.

“We moved from a little over 4,000 square feet, so 1,600 square feet felt small to us at first, but we quickly learned to minimize and live more streamlined. It’s bigger than you think and there’s a lot more space than you think,” Tonya said.

The open layout flows from sitting area to dining space to kitchen, each point accommodating sweeping views of the outdoors.

“Tonya wanted the big windows, so we wrestled them up here. It took a couple of engineering minds to figure out how to crank them up, but the whole layout was based around the view,” Tim said.

The room’s height also bolsters the larger sense of space, reaching 14 feet at its peak. The family worked together to install the tongue-in-groove Southern pine on the ceiling, and Tim sealed it using a matte, non-yellowing poly from Benjamin Moore.

With the open room putting the kitchen on full display, Tonya needed it to perform well in both form and function. She chose a long navy island with quartz countertops and plenty of seating, open shelving to keep the visual space light, and even managed to squeeze in a pantry closet. The kitchen is now a place Tonya and her daughters often find themselves congregating.

“I love the big open space. You can have a lot of people in here at one time and it makes it feel super homey,” Emory said.

As they were thoughtfully designing the layout, the family made trade-offs to accommodate their lifestyle. Smaller bedroom sizes meant more living space for all. A shared room for their oldest and youngest daughters hosts a queen size bed with a bunk above. Upstairs, a loft bedroom with a vaulted wood ceiling was designed for their middle child, Avery.

“I like that it is my own room that I don’t have to share with anyone. And I like the built-in bookshelves a lot, and the ceiling,” she said of her cozy bedroom.

Tim and Tonya also added a separate drop zone on the first-floor entry to corral all the family’s belongings as they come and go. Five IKEA bookshelves were reconfigured together to make cubbies, an old barn light was rewired for the space, and a piece of wood from a 1920s home in Rivermont was hung as a coat rack. A door from the drop zone leads into the downstairs space of The Barndo, revealing perhaps its biggest asset—a large entertaining area.

Rocking Around the Christmas Trees

What began as raw concrete floors and sheetrock on the first floor quickly transformed as the family anticipated holding Emory’s graduation party in May 2021, their first big get-together in the party space. Now, channel rustic pine sourced from Blue Ridge Lumber in Fishersville, VA, covers the walls, a platform stage invites musically minded guests to pick up a guitar or sing karaoke, and circle tables decorated in holiday greenery invite all to sit back and enjoy the season’s gatherings. A roll-up glass garage door in the back lets natural light in and creates a seamless transition to the outdoors.

“We just want a big, fun family space,” Tonya said. “The house was super important to us when we first came out here, but we learned that we don’t need nearly as much as we thought. And we live so much on the outside here.”

Eventually, Tim and Tonya would like to build a larger main house and keep The Barndo as a house for the girls to stay as they all go to college, a place for guests, an Airbnb, or maybe even a future pool house.

“We want a place that our kids always want to come back to,” Tonya explained.

Home for the Holidays

Reflecting back this holiday season, the family can see how much the project created a calmer mindset for them when so much was uncertain.

“It kept us from getting caught up in what was happening. We didn’t have television,” Tonya said. “So being here, we weren’t afraid, we were all together, and if someone needed somewhere to get away, we had the ability to offer a wide open space and take walks when you couldn’t do that. It meant a lot to have a place to escape.”

It’s also not lost on them that they were able to transform their slice of land into a place of tranquility; one they can now readily offer to others, simply by opening their big barn doors.

“Both of us are very appreciative of this place,” Tonya said, “and how cool it is to look out those windows every day and see nothing but creation.”

Learn the Ancient Art of Tree Tapping for Syrup

The cold seasons may feel like a time of stillness—a pause in life and production. Our gardens are often bare, the ground is hard, and the winter hues of gray and brown may dampen our motivation to get outside. But here in Central Virginia, the trees are soon to be ripe for the harvest. No, not the fruits or nuts of summer, but of sweet, sticky syrup.

Humans have been tapping trees and harvesting sap to make syrup (“sugaring” as it has been called) as a food and medicine source for centuries. As spring approached, Native Americans would venture out and establish “sugar camps,” where they would wait for the sap to start flowing, and then harvest it to make maple sugar. The sugar was used as a food source, but also as a valuable trade commodity.

The best time for tree tapping is February and March, when the trees are moving energy (in the form of sugar) up and down their trunk in preparation for spring growth. Ideally, temperatures rise above freezing during the day, but drop below freezing overnight.

All trees produce sugar, but not all of it is good for syrup, or even human consumption. Of course, there is the maple (the Acer family), famous for the table syrup we buy at the grocery store and enjoy on our breakfast pancakes. But in Virginia, several tree species can be enjoyed for their sugary syrup production. Birch, pecan, and walnut trees are just a few other popular choices for tree tapping.

The Process

Thanks to Mother Nature and gravity, tree tapping is a simple, straight-forward process that can be enjoyed by the young, old, and in between. All you’ll need is a drill, spile (a small metal spigot), hammer and collection bucket (ideally one with a lid to keep hungry critters out).

You’ll want to drill a hole into the tree at a slight upward angle, using a drill bit big enough to fit your spile or tap. Most spiles are about 3⁄8 an inch in diameter. Drill a 2.5-inch-deep hole into the tree at a comfortable height for you.

The shavings when you pull the drill out should be light brown in color. If they’re dark, it could mean that the sap wood in that spot isn’t healthy, and you should consider relocating your drill hole. Traditionally, the south side of the tree is considered best for tapping, and results in higher yields, especially if you can place your spile under a large branch. But don’t worry too much about the exact location. If you choose to tap the same tree every year, you’ll need to move the tap at least six inches to the side of last season’s hole.

Using a hammer, tap the spile gently into the hole. You can order a spile online, or use something you have around the house, like clean metal tubing. However, the spile is the ideal tool for the job, and provides an easy way to hang your collection bucket. Once the spile is in place, you may see the sap flow immediately!

Hang your collection bucket from the spile or place it on the ground to catch the dripping sap. You can use just about anything, from five-gallon buckets to milk jugs.

Collection and Syrup Making

The next step is refining the sap into syrup. It’s easy! You’ll just need a pot, a good thermometer, and something to put your syrup in when it’s all done.

Simply boil the sap until the water evaporates and it reaches seven degrees above the boiling point. Of course, your boiling point changes depending on your elevation, so you may need to look it up. Here in Lynchburg, the boiling point is about 210.65-degrees Fahrenheit. Boiling the sap can produce a lot of moisture, so many people like to boil the sap outside on a grill or fire. It should take around three to four hours to boil down.

When you’re ready, pour the syrup into canning jars, or whatever vessel you’ve chosen to store it in. Nothing to it!

Sugaring is a great skill to add to your list of practical homesteading knowledge. Everyone in the family can participate, and when all is said and done, you get to enjoy a sweet treat passed down through the ages.

If you’re interested in learning more, do a little research on tapping other tree species! For example, birch tree sap is also used for sugar and syrup, but more commonly for beverages, glazes, and marinades, and medicinally as an antioxidant and great source of vitamins and minerals.

Celebrate with ease this season

The winter holiday season is filled with get togethers, from office parties to family gatherings. If you ever find yourself wondering what to wear, when a host gift is needed, or how to throw a last-minute party together, these tips are an excellent place to start. For expert help putting together a wine and cheese pairing menu, flip to page 125.

1. What to Wear.
If you’re hosting a holiday party, let guests know what to wear! Include attire tips on your invitation. Even a simple guideline of “festive casual” or “semi-formal” will guide your guests in the right direction. If you’re attending an office party and guidelines weren’t included in the invitation, dress more formally than you would on a normal day in the office—a stylish jumpsuit, a festive sweater with dress pants, or a velvet dress with pumps are all great choices. If you’re attending an informal family gathering, opt to be cozy and comfortable!

2. Gift or No Gift?
When should you bring a host gift? As a general rule, host gifts should be given at a brunch, dinner, or cocktail party. If you’ve been invited to a large gathering, like a party or larger formal dinner, a host gift isn’t necessary.

3. Send Invites Early.
If you’re hosting a holiday party, it’s important to remember that calendars can fill up fast this time of year, especially those precious few Saturday nights in December. Send invites as early in November as possible if you’re hosting a December get together.

4. Always Overestimate.
The last thing you need to worry about in the midst of entertaining is running out of food or drinks, leaving your guests hungry and thirsty. Always overestimate when buying food or beverages. Sure, you may wind up with a heaping pile of leftovers, but you could always send a scrumptious plate of goodies home with your guests when the night is over.

5. Don’t Overdo It.
You may be tempted to make everything from scratch but know your limits if you’re hosting a gathering! Make a few signature meals that you’re comfortable making, and then make your life easier by buying the rest or sourcing food from a caterer. Same with drinks!
Have a signature cocktail or mocktail on the menu, and then snag wine from a local wine shop for the rest.

6. Have Fun!
The holiday season is what you make it, so relax and have fun! Enjoy spending time with your friends and family and remember to stay present.