Tidewater lies east of the fall line of the Virginia rivers that flow into the Chesapeake--a definition that dates back to colonial times. Much of what we know of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Tidewater comes from the writings of Captain John Smith, William Byrd II and Thomas Jefferson. The Virginia of Smith, Byrd and Jefferson remains, in part, our Virginia. Geography and place names are largely the same. Their accounts of what they saw, where they traveled, what's in bloom and what's ready for harvest will sound very familiar. Read their words, paired with photographer and author Bryan Hatchett's stunning photographs of Tidewater landscapes and landmarks, and experience the continuity as well as the change that time has brought to this very special place.

This is simple story of the old homes on the Rappahannock River. The pioneer Rappahannock planter built his home not only for today and tomorrow, but for the day after tomorrow, and for the great, great grandchildren of his children. Many of these sturdy mansions have been victims of calamitous misfortune, and are no more. Others still feel the thrill of life,-in a greater or lesser degree,-and some of these we will consider. --

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.