This year the Petersburg Garden Tour, part of the Garden Club of Virginia’s Garden Week, features the Poplar Lawn Historic District surrounding the beautiful Poplar Lawn Park. This property, conveyed by the Bolling family to the City in 1850. Tea will be served in the park throughout the day and there will be architectural drawings and horticultural displays. The tour headquarters is Ragland Mansion, 10,000 sq. ft. Italianate residence that survived the Civil War Siege of Petersburg and served as the first Officers’ Club for Fort Lee, now Fort Gregg-Adams, in WWI. Open for the first time is the Augustus Wright House, a large Greek Revival home (5,700 sq. ft.) built in 1842 and believed to be the first house in the city to have electricity. It is on the National Register. Trinity Methodist Church (1928) will be open. In another restored historic home in the neighborhood the owner’s art studio/gallery will be open and on the 2nd floor is a collection of model trains with miniature buildings depicting areas/buildings of Petersburg during 1900-1960. Tickets are available online or on the day of the tour at Ragland Mansion.
The Garden Tour Luncheon will be at Christ & Grace Episcopal Church, 1545 S. Sycamore St., from 11:30 – 2. There will be a continuous Fashion Show from All Manor of Things. The beautiful church sanctuary will be open and there are mid-19th century stained glass windows from the earlier Grace Church.
