October 22, 2007
Four Years of Renovations Unveiled at A Prince William County, Virginia Site Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Woodbridge, VA -- The oldest standing house in Prince William County, Virginia (www.visitpwc.com) – located on a scenic hilltop overlooking Neabsco Creek about 30 miles from Washington, D.C. -- has undergone a four-year renovation and is now open to the public. The improvements to Rippon Lodge, built circa 1747 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, were unveiled over the weekend during the annual Harvest Festival.
The original portions of the lodge were built by Richard Blackburn. Blackburn’s son, Thomas, added two rooms to the house in 1800. Rippon Lodge passed through two more owners – the Atkinson family and federal Judge Wade Ellis. The family of Antarctic explorer and descendant of Richard Blackburn, Admiral Richard Blackburn Black, lived there until 2000, when the family sold the house and 40 acres of land to Prince William County for $1.4 million.
George Washington and his family often visited Rippon Lodge. Washington’s diaries refer to his overnight stays. Colonel Thomas Blackburn and two other officers of the local militia presented themselves at Mount Vernon to request Washington take control of their independent regiment in 1774.
Saturday’s Harvest Festival featured “first person interpretation” by costumed men and women known as “George Washington’s Young Friends.” “I am very pleased with the new accommodations,” said Robert K. Bailey, in the character of Thomas Blackburn. “The gardeners, painters and other workers have done a wonderful job. Today’s visitors have been most courteous and inquisitive about our home’s history.”
“A nice house like this was built to receive company,” said Susan Bailey in the character of Mrs. Christian Scott Blackburn, wife of Thomas Blackburn. “Martha Washington is my dearest friend. She visits often!”
Colonel Harry “Lighthorse” Lee and his wife, Lucy, visited Rippon Lodge from their home in what is now nearby Leesylvania State Park. Diane Nolan of “George Washington’s Young Friends portrayed Lucy Lee on Saturday. Nolan said “first person interpretation” brings to life characters that otherwise may not attract attention in history books. “We find visitors are willing to listen. In the process, they learn something,” she said.
The Harvest Festival also featured an opening ceremony, ribbon cutting, duels, cemetery tours, 18th century music, apple picking, pumpkin painting, hayrides, the Prince William County Children’s Farm’s petting zoo, children’s crafts and art displays. Scenic walking trails and another building on the property also were open to the public. The cabin, just across from the main house, was used by Richard Blackburn as an office.
“We are thrilled to be able to open this historic site for everyone to see. We’ve welcomed more than 400 visitors today to the festival and will accommodate many more in the future,” said Barbara Rahll, Prince William County’s Division of Historic Preservation site manager for Rippon Lodge. She added that a new road leading to up to the site allows buses to bring groups of about 40 visitors at a time to Rippon Lodge for scheduled tours.
Rippon Lodge will be open again to the public for ghost tours, Friday through Sunday nights, October 26-28, 2007. It will be open for regular tours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, October 27 and 28, 2007. The property will be available for viewing by appointment only for visitors during the winter, and re-open in May 2008 for regularly-scheduled visiting hours on the weekends, and for event rentals.
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For more information on this and other historic sites in Prince William County/Manassas, Virginia, and for a free visitors guide, calendar of events, golf guide and pocket map featuring attractions, dining and lodging, please call the Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-432-1792, or log on to www.visitpwc.com.
