Amherst County Historic Home Tour

Join the Amherst County Museum & Historical Society for a tour of seven wonderful buildings in the High Peak area on Saturday, April 30, 2005. The owners of these homes have generously offered to open them for tours from 10:00-4:00 p.m. Click here for map.

Block tickets will be available at the Museum for $12 each and at the door to each home on the morning of the tour. This will get you access to each of the seven sites. Tickets for individual stops will be available at the door for $3 apiece. Tickets are now on sale. To order a block ticket ahead of time send a check clearly marked "House Tour" to:

Amherst County Museum
PO Box 741
Amherst, VA 24521.

A homemade lunch to be eaten-in or taken on the go will be available at Bethany Church. The cost of lunch is $5 and it will be available from 11:30 until 2:00 PM. Reservations for lunch should be made by April 24, so call the Museum (434) 946-9068 to reserve one.

The following is a little information on each of these seven stops on the tour.

The beautiful, two-story colonial revival home of James E. and Cynthia W. Hicks is reminiscent of the late georgian and early federal architectural styles and sits near the end of historic Winesap Road with High Peak looming to the west. The brick home was built in 1973 and has been modified several times over the years, the most recent change being the addition of a first floor master bedroom suite with study.

The land itself has been owned by several prominent Amherst families. The Reverend Robert Rose first patented 9800 acres here in 1744. More recently the Flippen family possessed the property until the house lot was sold to the Hicks in l983. Prior to that the parcel was part of Laurel Cliff Farm owned by Frank Stone Lloyd. Among other families who have had an interest in this property were the Campbells, Dillards, and Ruckers.

The house is home for the Hicks’ travel collections (from Oriental to country) and family heirlooms, all arranged for comfortable living.

Tara, the stately home of Ed and Edna Tinsley, is located near Fair Lea Farm at the end of Phyllis Lea Drive. George C. Stevens gave the property to Phyllis Lea in gratitude for her services in caring for his wife. The Stevens' frequently vacationed at nearby Speed-the-Plow farm.

The two-story brick Greek Revival home has four columns supporting the gracefully classic entrance portico. Behind the house is an interesting series of terraces, steps and living areas. To the left is a workshop-garage area. Surrounding the structure are beautifully landscaped lawns and gardens.

Mr. Tinsley did much of the construction work himself and humorously refers to his home as a "recycled" house; he obtained much of the building material from razed structures in the area.

Bethany United Methodist Church was founded in 1886, when Samuel L. Watts and his wife deeded one acre of land to the first trustees of Bethany Church to be used for the erection of a place of worship. Members and neighbors worked alongside these first trustees to secure funds and to help build this beautiful country church, nestled in the foothills of Tobacco Row Mountain.

As with most churches, changes have been made to the physical appearance of the building. In 1949, four classrooms and a choir loft were constructed. In 1961, the Fellowship Hall was built. Then in 1972, a new steeple, a new narthex, new pews, and other interior renovations, and Haas Chimes were dedicated. In 2002, more work took place: an addition on the Fellowship Hall building included a handicap bathroom on the main floor, a larger Sunday School room, new choir room, expanded area for the pastor study, and storage space.

In August 2004 a parlor was memorialized for long-time members, Thomas and Mary Pettyjohn.

Everett Reimer and Eva Lee Shober built their comfortable, modern home, Walheim, in beautifully landscaped grounds lying on fifty acres of land on High Peak Road. On 30 August, 1744, the Rev. Robert Rose received a land patent for 9800 acres "on both sides of Little Pedlar" (Harris Creek) and "below Tobacco Row Mountain". The following year Robert and Anne Rose sold a large acreage to Duncan Grayham of Caroline County. Apparently, Duncan never lived here and finally sold the property to Edward Tinsley, who erected a dam and grist mill nearby on Harris Creek (at High Peak Road).

This land remained in the Tinsley family through Edward’s sons and grandsons until 1871 when Zachariah and Mary Tinsley sold to Samuel L Watts. Later David C. Tinsley sold another 73 acres to the same Sam Watts. Sam amassed more of the neighboring land, most of which was located on the east side of Hicks Grocery Road also known as Ambler’s Mill Road or Bethany Church Road (High Peak Road). A lot was cut off from the estate for Bethany Church. On the west side of the road another 27 acres included the Tinsley family burial plot.

Samuel L. Watts retained ownership of the land, adding small acreages, until his death in 1925. The Watts heirs later sold the estate of 285 acres and eventually it was bought by the Shobers on 15 September 1975.

The home of Mary Jobe is of a modern style of the classic Virginia Farmhouse. The two-story brick house faces a large sloping lawn which has been beautifully landscaped. At one end of the house is a large roofed and screened outdoor room with chimney. At the other end is a semi-attached garage. A full length veranda complements the front façade.

The home holds several collections of interest, in particular a variety of Flow Blue china, Limoges boxes, Faberge eggs, silver spoons, watercolor art and Oriental china. Family heirlooms include brass lamps, portraits, wardrobe, silver and china, several tables and music chest. Additional antique pieces include an 1880 Eastlake secretary, a grandfather clock, duck decoys, crocks an 1880 marble top dresser, and some unusual items such as a small communion set enclosed in an egg.

The Sugarmill neighborhood is located in a lovely rolling forested area just off Father Judge Road on land once owned by the Cunningham and Irvine families.

The Monacan tribe pre-dates European settlement in Virginia by thousands of years, and studies show that the tribe is a descendant culture of an older Siouan culture. In the late 1870s a log cabin was erected to be used as a church and later as a school. This log cabin is now a National Historic Landmark and is home to the tribe’s museum. Since 1908 the Episcopal Church has operated a mission for the community and in 1995 returned 7.5 acres of land to the Monacan Nation. Today the community is centered around Bear Mountain.