For more information about Sherwood Forest, call 804-829-5377.
Other significant plantation houses in the area include:
Berkeley: On Virginia Highway 5 just west of Sherwood Forest, it`s the ancestral seat of the Harrison family and the site of the first official Thanksgiving in 1619. Information: 804-829-6018.
Shirley: Just west of Berkeley off Virginia 5, it was for 10 generations the seat of the glorious Carters (the major family of early colonial Virginia) and the home of Robert E. Lee`s mother, Anne Hill Carter. It is one of the finest examples of Queen Anne architecture in America. Call 804-829-5121.
Evelynton: Just east of Berkeley off Virginia 5, it was the antebellum home of Virginia`s Ruffin family, including Edmund Ruffin, who fired the first shot of the Civil War. Call 804-829-5075.
Westover: Next door to Berkeley and built in 1730, it was home to Virginia`s Byrd clan and is the prime American example of Georgian
architecture. Grounds, gardens and outbuildings are open year-round. House interior is closed except for special occasions.
In addition, the paddle-wheel riverboat Annabel Lee provides three-hour excursion cruises to the plantations on the James River, docking at Westover. It`s based just off Virginia 5, outside Richmond. Call 804-220-3600.
