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Blog Post:  Staff Teams Up to Reconstruct Melchers-Era Farm Building

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In August 2018, museum staff took the first step in reconstructing a lost farm building at Belmont by pouring the foundation for a replicate of the run-in shed that served as a shelter for the Melcherses’ farm animals. The original structure was long gone, razed due to decay sometime in the early 1970s, not long before the property opened as a memorial to the career of Gari Melchers. Since then, staff have been committed to realizing the most complete restoration possible of the couple’s small farming enterprise. The recreated run-in shed stands in the exact location of the earlier building, directly adjoining the 1921 cow barn.

Reconstructed Run-In Shed

Backstory GMHS is like no other Virginia site of historic significance. The house has a pedigree that dates it to the last years of the 18th century and its history of ownership is representative of a leading class of citizens responsible for the growth and culture of the region right through the American Civil war, through Reconstruction and into the 20th -century. But the latter chapters of Belmont’s history tell a unique tale, not about colonial revolutionaries or the ghosts of Civil war dead, but something unexpected; it is the workplace of a fertile artistic mind and a hospitable southern way of life and sanctuary, the last home of a famous American artist, who left his lasting imprint on the future of the property and on the cultural makeup of the surrounding community.Like most aspiring American artists of his generation, Gari Melchers pursued European training, acquiring a solid academic foundation that served him well as a figure painter. At an early age and continuing throughout his career he was a critical and commercial success. As an expatriate with studios in Paris, Holland, and Germany, he built his reputation on an astonishing array of themes, including portraiture, murals, the nude, everyday scenes of the working-class Dutch, the traditional sphere of women and their children, and finally, figurative landscapes. He is recognized for his penchant for exuberant color and the diversity of his artistic approaches, working in a style that can be broadly characterized as academic realism or naturalism, sometimes incorporating symbolist and religious overtones, and executing landscapes marked by gestural brushwork and sensitivity to atmospheric light and color, qualities causing Melchers to be associated with the American impressionism. For a time, his name slipped from prominence, but his work reflects an important phase of American artistic life as it came of age in the modern world and occasionally commands blue chip prices in today’s art market. GMHS at Belmont has become a “must” destination for lovers of early 20th -century American painting. The site is perhaps most attractive to visitors because of the intimate glimpse it provides into the life of a creative genius who equally rubbed elbows with the rich and famous and his own rural neighbors.While the artist maintained commercial headquarters in Manhattan after 1916, Gari and Corinne Melchers purchased the late 18th -century Belmont estate in 1916 to serve as a welcome respite from their travels and his hectic work schedule in the city. Portrait clients, having heard about this picturesque retreat, often chose to sit for the artist at Belmont rather than in the city. And then too, Melchers discovered such endless beauty and inspiration in his garden, the surrounding village and its inhabitants, that one has to wonder how much rest he actually got. This became the idyllic setting for the couple to entertain family and friends, with a guest list often including prominent figures of the day like Calvin Coolidge and David Lloyd George.Because the couple had no direct heirs, the house is largely undisturbed, being richly appointed with personal ephemera, and art and antiques inherited or collected throughout their travels and which reflect their very personal and eclectic tastes. Notable works include art by the American painter Raphael Peale; paintings by 17th -century old masters like Frans Snyders, Wybrant de Geest, and Bathazar van der Ast; and the work of his fellow American expatriates, George Hitchcock, Walter MacEwen and James J. Shannon.The studio, a rarified cultural experience for American tourists, was built in 1924 according to the artist’s specifications. It is appointed with Melchers’ furniture, tools and equipment and over 1600 works by his hand, including extensive holdings of preliminary sketches and studies, providing a rare opportunity to examine an artist’s personal methodology.Belmont is picturesquely situated on a ridge overlooking the Rappahannock River across from historic Fredericksburg, Virginia, with its close associations with the Washingtons, America’s first family, and the Civil War. The site of Belmont cannot be interpreted without mention of the development of the estate prior to the arrival of the Gari and Corinne Melchers. The Ficklen family developed the property, much of it by slave labor, over 90 years of ownership, and the tribulations of the Civil War within its boundaries, particularly the Battle of 1862, is a fascinating chapter of the Belmont story.Inspired by the revivalist spirit of their day, the Gari and Corinne aimed to enhance the colonial air of their storied property, further developing the immediate lawns around the house with old fashioned box parterres, perennial gardens, a vegetable garden, a fruit orchard, and their old cow-paths to the river now serve as a few miles of walking trails. The mid-19th century horseshoe-shaped stairs at the front elevation of the house, highly admired for its decorative beauty and combination of cast and molded iron-work, must have been a source of great pride for the couple who photographed it often. They further embellished the grounds with a handsome summer house, picturesque farm buildings and gates, stone walls, and sculpture. They raised turkeys, often the centerpiece of holiday meals, and featured ice cream at many events, made from the milk provided by their dairy cattle.Conclusion Gari Melchers Home and Studio literally reverberates with its past, with the result that it is one of America’s best preserved and most richly detailed artist studios and residences. One half expects Gari and Corinne Melchers to walk through the door at any moment, so redolent are their spirits here. But Belmont has a continuing relevancy, serving a vital purpose as the art center that Mrs. Melchers had envisioned, where school-age children create art, university students of art and art history enjoy practical experience in their disciplines, the public attends intimate chamber music in a historic setting or concerts on the lawn, and experts present engaging cultural topics for all ages.

The 18th-century Belmont estate was the country home and studio of prominent portraitist, muralist, and internationally renowned American Impressionist painter Gari Melchers (1860-1932). The house contains Gari and Corinne Melchers’ original furnishings and personal art collection. The studio houses over 1600 works by Melchers, and the 27-acre grounds feature restored formal gardens and miles of walking trails. Gari Melchers Home and Studio (GMHS) is a historic house and art museum which celebrates Gari Melchers' career. Melchers lived and worked at his late 18th-century estate, Belmont, in Falmouth, Virginia, the last sixteen years of his life. The artist’s widow, Corinne Lawton Melchers (1880-1955), deeded the property in its entirety to the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1942, providing that it serve as a memorial to her husband’s life work and as an art center for the community. Following her death in 1955, the University of Mary Washington assumed management of the property and pursued designation as a National Historic Landmark, which it earned in 1962. In accordance with Mrs. Melchers’ will, GMHS opened to the public in October 1975. In 2000 GMHS became a founding member of the Historic Artists’ Home and Studios network, a coalition of 44 museums that were once the homes and working studios of American artists. Of those, GMHS is one of the best-preserved, owing to the largest collection of the Melchers’ anywhere, his fully furnished home and studio, the artist’s personal collection of art, and an extensive archives. In 1994, the Garden Club of Virginia restored the gardens and grounds according to the design plans laid out by the artist and his wife in the early 1920s.

<h2>Exterior</h2>It is thought that some of the granite stone on the studio’s exterior came from nearby bridgeheads dynamited during the Civil War. Sandstone was salvaged from the ruins of local mills along the Rappahannock River and Alum Springs to be utilized in a number of projects on the property, which possibly included the studio. Details relating to the Melchers family coat-of-arms are carved on the studio exterior and can be viewed from inside the Pavilion addition. National Park Service Historian John Hennessy writes in a <a href="http://npsfrsp.wordpress.com/2010/12/03/digging-mannsfield/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(0, 102, 153)">blog post</a> that in the early 1920s Gari Melchers acquired stone for the studio from the remnants of Mannsfield, a local antebellum plantation. Built in 1765-1766, Mannsfield was located about two miles south of downtown Fredericksburg, on the banks of the Rappahannock River. It is today most famous as the site where Union general George Dashiel Bayard was killed at the battle of Fredericksburg–he was mortally wounded in the front yard and died just four days before what was to have been his wedding day. The building’s roof is slate. The <a href="https://garimelchers.wordpress.com/2016/02/24/gates-with-a-story/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(0, 102, 153)">wrought iron entrance gate</a> originated from “Smithsonia” in downtown Fredericksburg. A plaque placed by the University of Mary Washington on the studio wall marks the Melchers' interment site. Gari Melchers' 1924 Studio underwent an 18-month restoration in 2000-2001. The $1.2 million project completely revamped the climate control systems, upgraded electrical, plumbing, and exterior drainage systems, replaced the deteriorated roof, windows, skylights and floors and allowed for the restoration of the interior furnishings. White the historic look and features of the building were retained, the functional workings of the structure were greatly improved, as was the environment for the hundreds of paintings housed and displayed inside.<h2> </h2><h2>Interior</h2>The interior has changed very little since Melchers’ day. The artist’s preference to paint by a northern exposure determined the placement of the large window in the studio room. Wooden members in the masonry walls provide a secure footing from which to hang pictures. A number of the artist’s paintings are unusually large, which probably account for the enormous wall hooks. Here all the furnishings, including Melchers’ art supplies, work tables, and easels, have been preserved and are on permanent display. The plaster casts on the two Dutch wardrobes may have come from the studio of the artist’s father, Julius, a sculptor. The carved cabinet of 1854, an example of the father’s work, sits near the entrance to the room. An old Dutch corner cabinet designed for warming blankets rests on the fireplace mantel. The origin of the massive hanging gilt fixture in the center of the room is Northern European.

When in the early 1920s Gari Melchers developed plans for the construction of a studio adjacent to the house, he instructed the architect to design a practical space that would function as both work space and storage, but he was “not to forget that it is meant to be a private gallery and must eventually do service.” Detroit architect, John Donaldson, a longtime friend of Melchers, designed the structure according to the artist’s specifications. Work was completed on the stone building in 1924.

Today the building continues to serve as a Melchers showcase, housing the largest collection of his paintings and drawings anywhere—some 1600 items in all—and features rotating exhibitions spanning the whole of his career.

Studio

Melchers MemorialEach of the four roses represent, by their year of introduction, the birth and death dates of the couple. From left to right:HeiderösleinClass: Hybrid Musk        Color: yellow blendFragrance: Outstanding Fragrance           Date introduced: 1932Description: A rose very much in the style of Ballerina, small, single flowers are salmon pink in the bud with yellow petal bases, and open flat and wide to pale, lilac pink shades.Very fragrant!Mme. Joseph Schwartz – 1880. Tea – white. 5-6 ft. Delicious scent with nodding flowers.Dr. Briere - Bourbon 1860. Tall and lanky, can get huge. Rose-red to dusky mauve at the edges; full flowers beautifully cupped, displaying yellow stamens. Deliciously scented.DortmundClass: Shrub         Color: medium redFragrance: Good Fragrance         Date introduced: 1955Description: Bright, cherry-red, single flowers with wide white centers make a fountain of color, followed by a cascade of bright scarlet-orange hips. A rose that never ceases to attract admirers.

Gari Melchers was born in 1860, and Corinne Melchers died in 1955. The roses planted in front of their interment site in the Studio wall by museum staff represent almost one hundred years of rose breeding. It is interesting to see the difference in their habit, blooms, and presence, or lack of, scent, rose hips, etc. in the four roses planted there. They reflect the traits rose breeders thought would appeal to the public, and illustrate that what we find desirable in our roses has changed over the years. The roses in this bed range from a finicky, but deeply fragrant tea rose called Mme. Joseph Schwartz, released in 1880, the year of Corinne Melchers birth, to a sturdy, scentless, showy shrub called Dortmund, introduced in 1955. It was the decision of the University of Mary Washington to inter the Melcherses' ashes in the studio wall and create the brass plaque. The plaque incorrectly lists Corinne's birthday as February 11, 1880. Her correct date of birth is February 27, 1880. The Melchers left no instructions regarding their interment.

Gari and Corinne Melchers Interment Site

Totaling 7,000 square feet of space on two floors, the lower level of the Pavilion provides a modern, secure art collection storage and research facility to protect the museum's holdings of over 2,000 works by Gari Melchers and others. The main level opens onto the estate's gardens and will house a multi-purpose event rooms that can accommodate both public and private activities like lectures, performances, wedding receptions and business conferences. A new gallery will allow more frequent special exhibitions and space to show additional Melchers works. Construction was funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia, and operations will be supported largely by rental fees for private use of the facility.

Constructed in 2006, the Studio Pavilion is the museum's rental and program facility featuring a versatile event space and catering kitchen.  Situated on a ridge overlooking the Rappahannock River, the intimate space offers floor to ceiling windows and opens onto a charming garden terrace. Adjoining the original 1924 studio galleries, the two combine to produce a seamless blend of historic charm and modern sophistication.

Studio Pavilion 

In 1932, Corinne Melchers directed the construction of a charming summer house at the crest of the grove, where the Ficklen privies once stood.  Inspired by a summer house she saw at Mt. Vernon. She noted in her diary, "I have seen the summer house at Mt. Vernon and I mean to have one.” It is quite roomy and would have been used for dinner parties in the summer. The ancient White Oak trees provide shade and the windows open up and allow for nice breezes to come through. In the winter the stone is warmed by the sun and with the doors closed it is quite comfortable even on the coldest day. 

The design for the stone structure may have been inspired by a building Mrs. Melchers saw when visiting Salzburg, Austria.

Summer House

The historic house at Gari Melchers Home and Studio possesses a rich history that predates Gari Melchers. Because the original deed of ownership is lost, the year in which the house was built and the identity of its first owner is not precisely known. But based on the existing physical evidence, the possibilities can be narrowed down.The original plan of the house consisted of a first and second floor side passage and two rooms upstairs and down to the north (the present dining room, library and two bedrooms) dating to the late 1790’s. Surviving documents inform us that the Horner and Vass families owned the property between 1785 and 1804, so one of those two families must have been responsible for the earliest section of the current structure.In 1807, Thomas Knox bought the house for his mother, Susannah Fitzhugh Knox. He purchased the first insurance on the house through the Mutual Assurance Company of Virginia. Nearly two hundred years later, that policy is still in effect.When Susannah Knox died in 1823, a public notice announcing the sale of the property is the first known reference to the name “Belmont.” The buyer was Joseph B. Ficklen, an ambitious young businessman. By 1860 Ficklen was a wealthy miller and banker, owner of sizable real estate, and holder of 27 slaves, most of who were employed at his mills.At Belmont, Ficklen was responsible for most of the changes and additions made to the house. He raised a family of six children, which might explain the sudden growth of the house sometime prior to 1850. Two first floor parlors (now one large room) were added south of the main hall and two bedrooms constitute the second floor of the addition. Further improvements followed; windows were enlarged and the east and west porches were constructed. Eventually a kitchen and other rooms were added to the north end of the house.During the Civil War years of 1862 and 1863, the Army of the Potomac occupied much of Falmouth. Ficklen, a Union sympathizer, and his family, continuously occupied the property, benefiting from the protection of U.S. Army General John Gibbon, whom they befriended while the brigade-commander was stationed in Falmouth. Although batteries were placed on either side of the house in December of 1862, it is unlikely that fighting ever occurred on the property.When in 1916, after ninety-three years, the property passed from the Ficklens to Gari and Corinne Melchers, the house and its surrounding twenty-five acres were considerably run-down. The couple took great pride and pleasure in the improvements made to their “country house.” No picturesque detail was overlooked and every opportunity to provide views of the lawns and gardens from the house was investigated.A hexagonal sun porch was constructed in 1916 at the extreme south end of the house, in line with the north-south layout of the lawn. Two baths were built above to accommodate the Ficklen-era bedrooms. Melchers added a second story to the west porch, creating a screened sleeping porch, a roof cupola with an attic ventilator, a large attic window, a kitchen porch and a third floor on the north end of the house.The ca. 1850 wrought iron railing on the east side of the house was installed by Joseph Burwell Ficklen and are an example of a transition in American iron industry. The tall, double-curved Aquia sandstone stairs are crowned with a railing decorated with iron curlicues and white-metal rosettes, topped by brass finials. The railing is a superb example of wrought iron craftsmanship combined with the technology of cast iron that emerged in mid-19th century America. The rosettes are case lead applied to the wrought iron and are thought to have originally been gilded. It is an architectural landmark of historical significance with no equal in the greater Fredericksburg region that encompasses Falmouth, and perhaps even in the whole of Virginia. In 1929-30 the staircase with its wrought iron railing was featured in a seminal photographic exhibition at the Library of Congress on southern architecture, Pictorial Survey-Old Fredericksburg, Virginia-Old Falmouth and Nearby Places, by renowned photographer Frances Benjamin Johnston (1864-1952). In 2011 the Virginia Association of Museums (VAM) created Virginia's Top 10 Endangered Artifacts program and Belmont's beautiful wrought iron stair case was selected for inclusion on the inaugural endangered list.The VAM listing encouraged a more thorough study of the railing in preparation for fundraising to conserve the artifact. A $2,500 study, paid for with funds from the Margaret Walker Purinton Foundation, was conducted by Kreilick Conservation, a respected Philadelphia firm specializing in metal conservation.Based on his examination of style, materials and workmanship, Kreilick surmised that the railing was probably made in a northern, possibly Philadelphia, workshop in the 1840s and brought to Belmont by then owner Joseph Ficklen, who traveled there frequently on business. No obvious identifying marks can be found, and the workshop cannot be better determined until the conservation work begins, which requires the railing to be removed to a climate controlled conservation lag for further examination and treatment.In addition, the supporting stone foundation and curved sandstone stairs are in need of major repair as well, and must be rebuilt before the ironwork can be returned and remounted. The museum is currently seeking private funds to restore the railing and steps to their former glory.UPDATE: The horseshoe railing and related stonework were restored in 2021 with private funds.

"Despite the cultural, social, and commercial opportunities New York offered, the city was not acceptable to Gari Melchers as a year-round place of residence. He needed a home and a studio in an undeveloped area to be close to the rural subject matter that he had always favored. Melchers was, no doubt, already looking for a country estate in 1916 when a Detroit architect, Frank Baldwin, who owned the Snowden estate in Fredericksburg, suggested that he consider Belmont. The artist must have been impressed by the picturesque site of this eighteenth-century Georgian home perched on a ridge overlooking the falls of the Rappahannock River in Falmouth, Virginia. Good rail service to New York satisfied an important practical consideration. Consequently, he purchased Belmont, acquiring the deed to the house and property in September 1916. Melchers was not the first owner to enlarge the house at Belmont, but his alteration was unique, for it expressed in architectural terms his long-standing fascination with light. The artist added the five-sided sun porch that now graces the southern side of the house. This luminous alcove boasts six expansive arched windows and a set of glass doors that open into a broad lawn."

Belmont

Originally built circa 1800 as a smokehouse, the building was moved to this location around 1843 when owner Joseph Ficklen married, and he expanded the main house.When the Melcheres bought Belmont in 1916, this structure became a chicken coop. A plank ceiling and wire protected the chicken from predators; a "window" provided ventilation, and a small back hatch allowed the birds to go outside during the day. Lime-based whitewash applied several times annually killed insect eggs and kept the area fresh.In 2010, the chicken coop was stabilized and restored. The restoration of this building required foundation stabilization. Original structural material was retained where possible, and all replacements were of dimensional heart pine lumber. Nails, hardware, and building techniques were chosen to be appropriate for the construction period. The building's exterior was returned to a relatively square and plumb condition. The roof was restored with a traditional cedar shingle roof and completed with a new finial cap. The hardware for the door, pintles, hinges, nails, hasp, and staple were made by the Mt. Vernon Blacksmith.Paint analysis revealed that this structure had been whitewashed over a long period of time. To emulate this traditional coating, a latex paint simulating whitewash was chosen. One half of the Melchers-period ceiling was left in place to help interpret the use of the building as a chicken house. The other half of the structure has been left as it would have been when first built, and visitors can see the smoke-stained roof timbers.

Identifying with the current beautification movement of American farms and country homes, Gari and Corinne Melchers embarked upon a small farming endeavor that included dairy cattle, horses, turkeys, ducks and chickens. To support this husbandry enterprise, they adapted existing structures and added new buildings. A mid 19th century smoke house, probably the property's oldest agricultural structure, was converted to house chickens. Around 1917, the Melchers also enlarged a portion of the neighboring horse stable that dates from the Ficklen era. This structure was remodeled to serve as museum office space in 1976. Next, a large automobile garage, with a hayloft and side shed for wood, was constructed in 1920. Today it serves as the Marguerite Stroh Visitor Center. In 1921, a cow barn was erected. This barn, together with the smoke house, stable, shelter (rebuilt in 2019), and new stone walls and gates, formed an enclosure for the animal yard. A springhouse was also constructed in 1921. Located within Belmont's circular drive, it was the site of an old well house. The couple used the springhouse for general cold storage, as well as a cistern to store water drawn from a pump house at the western edge of the property. Lastly in 1931, a handsome stone and slate garage to house a wagon and farm truck was constructed.

Chicken Coop

Another rose survivor from early days is the brilliant red rose growing on the spring house arbor. This a root stock rose, meaning it originally had a more exotic rose grafted to it. The graft died, but the root stock survived. The result is Dr. Heuey, a vigorous rose used as a root stock in the 1920s. They are not the roses Corinne Melchers chose, but it is so lovely and tough, that it has been left in place. Staff purchase only non-grafted stock, also known as own root roses, for the gardens. They take a little more time to get established, but are worth the wait.

When Gari and Corinne Melchers bought Belmont in 1916, household water from forest springs was stored in this well house, built by Joseph B. Ficklin in 1860.  The well began to leak and a new cistern was built underground near the house.

By 1921, the original well was converted into a spring house by adding an access door and a cement trough at the bottom, which held cool water.

The subterranean pool kept milk, cheese, and other perishables fresh during summer.  In winter, it stayed relatively free of frost , so it might have been used to store potatoes, carrots, and other foods.  The woodland springs were the only source of water until the 1950s, when Belmont was connected to the Stafford County water supply.

Well House or Spring House

Identifying with the current beautification movement of American farms and country homes, Gari and Corinne Melchers embarked upon a small farming endeavor that included dairy cattle, horses, turkeys, ducks and chickens. To support this husbandry enterprise, they adapted existing structures and added new buildings. Originally built circa 1800 as a kitchen, this building was moved to this location around 1843 when owner Joseph Ficklen married, and he expanded the main house.When the Melcheres bought Belmont in 1916, the structure became a horse stable and was also enlarged. This structure was remodeled to serve as museum office space in 1976.In 2010, the building was stabilized and restored. The restoration of this building required foundation stabilization. Original structural material was retained where possible, and all replacements were of dimensional heart pine lumber. Nails, hardware, and building techniques were chosen to be appropriate for the construction period.The building was insulated to accommodate its current use as an office, while new siding mimics the original fabric. A second story window was returned to the south-end gable, and the cupola was replaced. Finally, it was roofed with cedar shingles laid in a traditional woven-edge pattern, while the extension of the stable received a replacement "5-V"-type metal roof as seen in Melchers-period photographs.

Horse Stable

The centerpiece of Gari and Corinne Melchers’ modest farm was their dairy operation. The cow barn ahead was built to accommodate the couple’s small herd of Guernsey cows. Second story doors open to the hayloft and a sweep-out hatch is on the opposite wall. White-wash was applied to the barn interior to keep disease in check. The Louden Machinery Company cow pen survives, and the milking stanchions have been accurately rebuilt. Also rebuilt is the run-in shed in the exact location of the original, directly adjoining the barn and fenced barnyard. Belmont’s livestock grazed several acres of pasture and followed a woodland path down to the riverbank and back.Lady Corinne, Daisy, and Cherry Blossom were some of the animals acquired or calved here at Belmont in the 1920s. Dairy cows in this era were typically milked twice a day for a total of approximately four to six gallons of raw milk. Clotted cream and ice cream were favorite treats of Gari and Corinne Melchers and their guests. Belmont’s cows also provided enough fresh milk to be sold at market, and some was allotted to needy families through the Stafford County Health Association.

Because Belmont operated as a small hobby farm during the Melchers time, it is not surprising the place was populated with a colorful assortment of animals, the prize stock of which were the couple’s dairy cattle. Calving was familiar event and clabber (clotted cream) and ice cream were the specialties of the house! Corinne, ever keeping track of things, recorded a few of the cows names: Cherry Blossom, Nancy Lee, Belle of Fairfax, Daisy, Peggy, Hebe, Lady Corinne, Sallie, and Francis.

Cow Barn, 1921

A large automobile garage, with a hayloft and side shed for wood, was constructed in 1920. "It must be as big as a country church," Gari Melchers described the structure to his wife in a letter. 

Today the building serves as the Marguerite Stroh Visitor Center and Stafford County Visitor Center.  Staff office are on the second floor.

Garage

Stone walls, west entrance wooden gates, and flanking piers topped with lions were built ca 1923.  In a letter from Corinne to her mother dated April 8, 1923, she mentioned the gate post with lions being installed at Belmont.  

The gates are hung on stone piers which bookend the stone walls fronting Washington Street.  The origin of the lion statues on top of the piers is unknown, but they have been guarding the gates for close to one hundred years.

Paint analysis revealed that this gate had the same off-white paint as the main house. Other gates on the property were either painted the green seen on the house shutters, or were simply whitewashed in areas of heavy use, such as the barn yard. This differentiation of color from other gates signal their importance; they secured what was then the only public entrance to Belmont. An earlier, Ficklen period entrance to the estate is thought to have been located just downhill from this location.



Main Entrance Gate, Piers, and Stone Walls

In 1931, a handsome stone and slate garage was constructed to house a wagon and farm truck.

When Gari and Corinne Melchers purchased Belmont in 1916 they acquired a stately house and 22 acres with gardens, hayfields, pasture land and woodlots. Over time, they bought land along the Rappahannock River, an old canal which had fed water power to the mills that once operated in Falmouth, and neighboring lots to create buffer zones on the northeast side of their property. When Corinne Melchers donated the property to the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1942 she wanted the estate to serve as a memorial to her husband, an art center, and as place where people could come and enjoy the natural areas. Today the estate contains 28 acres of land situated on a ridge overlooking the falls of the Rappahannock River. The river was a major transportation route for area Native Americans, and the falls were a crossroads where the Algonquian speakers of the eastern coastal plains and the Siouan speakers from the western Piedmont met. The high ridge served as a place to keep a look-out while making tools such as arrows and spearheads, many of which have been found on the grounds. The Rappahannock also brought European settlers to the area; they used the water to power mills and ship their goods to Europe from the bustling harbor in Falmouth. In September of 1943, after Gari Melchers death, Corinne wrote to her dear friend Tom Colt, director of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond: “… a small piece of land was for sale. It was the extension where the springs are and also a field of nine acres planted in grass…My initial thought, which I feel would be an excellent one to carry out when I am gone, is as follows: to use the field for recreational purposes; to create paths along the streams and through the glens, starting in Falmouth and finally leading one to the Warrenton road a half mile distant. This would provide a much needed opportunity for a short promenade in the woods which are very beautiful indeed. I very much count on the pleasure the public will derive form the Melchers Memorial as a park, as well as a shrine for Gari’s pictures and a gallery for contemporary art.” Belmont has met many of these goals. The public enjoys Gari’s paintings, and has an opportunity to see their home and formal gardens. The woods, however, have not been accessible, and neither have the extended grounds that were part of the everyday life for Gari and Corinne Melchers. Belmont has decided to try to realize Corinne's vision for the extended grounds at Belmont, and a natural starting point was to restore a path the Melchers developed in 1931

Several trail heads lead from the garden or fields to the falls of the Rappahannock River or into the woods, following a small stream that runs through mature woodlands. Interpretive markers feature descriptions and photographs detailing historic resources along the trail. The trail is approximately 1 ½ miles long and passes remnants of an old ice pond, the canal that powered mills in Falmouth, a cemetery and a spring.

At the Rappahannock River visitors can fish or observe the shad running in the spring. Bald eagles, herons and many other species of birds are observed on a regular basis. Volunteers from the local chapter of Master Naturalists conduct woodland tours the last Sunday of each month at 2 p.m.

The trails are open 10 am – 5 pm. Bikes are not permitted on the woodland trails. A bike rack is available at the Belmont-Ferry Farm Trail terminus.

Gari Melchers Home & Studio

Reconstructed Run-In Shed

Introduction

Images

Sources

Additional Information