Chatham Vineyards: House and Garden Tour comes to Church Creek April 30th

Chatham was built in 1818 by Brigadier General Major Scarborough Pitts who named his house in honor of William Pitt, first Earl of Chatham. The nearly 300-acre farm with a mile of waterfront on Church Creek was put in the Virginia Land Trust in 2008. The views from the house, in all directions, have been preserved forever. The brick Federal-period house looks much as it did when it was built. It has four large rooms with 12-foot ceilings and wide center halls on each of the two main floors.

Originally, a two-story quarters-kitchen existed on the east side, but it is now a ruin. The connecting colonnade remains and serves as the kitchen. Paint analysis was carried out to determine the original colors. The elaborate wood graining, marbling and plaster work have been restored to set off the original paneling and woodwork. “Scenes of North America,” a French scenic wallpaper made by Zuber, adorns the dining room. This wallpaper was created by hand from wood blocks carved in Alsace prior to 1830. It is complemented by a hand-painted floor cloth. A high-density, European-style vineyard of 32,000 vinifera grapevines has been planted at Chatham. Chatham Vineyards, a 5,000 case family-owned winery, opened on the property in 2005. Three generations live at Chatham. Harrison Wehner Family, owners.