Agecroft Hall and Gardens, Richmond, Virginia

Here you are.  You are walking up to an English style majestic Tudor mansion.  You stroll through the gardens and watch the tulips and the flowers, and you get a great view of the river.  You enter the house, and you see the dining hall and the many carvings on the walls and on the railings of the staircases.  You have the experience of being in England… except that you are not in England.  You are in Richmond, Virginia.

Welcome to Agecroft Hall and Gardens, a Tudor mansion, the only one of its kind in the United States, that was originally built in England, but to save it from demolition, it was taken apart and brought over to Richmond.  Today, it is open to the public as a museum where there is a guided tour of the house and can stroll at your leisure through the gardens.  You can also get a great view of the James River.  A visit to Agecroft Hall and Gardens will give you the feel of England without paying the airfare.

Now some of you are saying, “That is very interesting.  It is nice to know that you can experience England style life on the opposite side of the Atlantic Ocean.  However, this place has no railroads.  Therefore, I will not be visiting this place.”

You are absolutely right.  There are no railroads at Agecroft Hall, but the railroad is a big part of the Agecroft Hall.

Agecroft Hall was built in Manchester, England.  Through years of neglect, it was set to be demolished, but it was eventually bought.  The mansion was taken apart, and it was put on a ship bound for America.  When it arrived at an American port (the port is currently unknown), it then had to be brought to Richmond.  How was that done?  It would take over a thousand horse and carriages to do that.  The answer was the railroad.  It was put on a train, and it was brought to Richmond and assembled.  You can see that the railroad is a big part of the history of Agecroft Hall.

Agecroft Hall and Gardens is located in the Windsor Farms community in the western part of the city of Richmond, Virginia at 4305 Sulgrave Road.  It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm and Sunday from 12:30pm to 5:00pm.  (It is closed on Monday and major holidays.)  Tours of the house are guided, but the grounds are self-guided.  You can get more information about admission and about upcoming events at http://www.agecrofthall.org.

Visit Agecroft Hall in Richmond, Virginia, a home brought to us by the railroad.