Nelson County
Historical Society
The mission of the Nelson County Historical Society is to
create and promote greater public awareness and understanding of the history and culture of Nelson County.
The Society accomplishes this mission through education
and research leading to the preservation, interpretation and
stewardship of historic buildings, structures, sites, districts,
objects, artifacts, documents, photographs, audio and video
recordings and other source materials and written records
relevant to the history and culture of Nelson County.
Society meetings are usually held quarterly at 2:00 p.m. on
the second Sunday of the month at designated locations in
Nelson County.
You are invited to join the work and fun.
Membership rates are:
씲 Individual—annual $15.00
씲 Family—annual $20.00
씲 Supporting—annual $25.00
Tickets
Block tickets for $15.00 are available
prior to April 25 at the
Nelson County Visitors Center
8519 Thomas Nelson Highway, Lovingston, VA
434-263-7015
On the day of the tour, block tickets (only)
will be sold at Oakland Museum,
Lockn’ Farm, and The Red House.
No individual home tickets will be sold
for this tour.
Thanks to our brochure sponsors
Name ______________________________________________________
Union Bank
Address ____________________________________________________
City, State, Zip _______________________________________________
Please make check payable to
Nelson County Historical Society
Mailing address
Nelson County Historical Society
P.O. Box 474 • Lovingston, VA 22949
85 Callohill Drive
(U.S. 29)
Lovingston, VA
Tiffany N. Campbell
Branch Manager
124 Main Street
Lovingston, VA
www.nelsonhistorical.org
Nelson County
Historic Homes and
Properties Tour
Saturday, April 25, 2015
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Tour Historic Homes and Properties
in the Lovingston and Arrington
communities near the Route 29 corridor
Projects of the Society
for 2015 include:
• Presenting a series of outstanding programs, events and exhibits
relating to the history of the county and its communities;
• Advancing the development of Oakland Museum and the
Oakland property as a local history museum, a facility for
the safekeeping of the Society’s collections and a venue for
community and cultural events;
• Sponsoring and disseminating a quarterly newsletter and other
appropriate historical publications;
• Responding to historical and genealogical inquiries related to the
history and culture of Nelson County;
• Maintaining the Society’s archives in the Nelson County Memorial
Library; and
• Participating as a consulting party in the federal and state review
process for the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline Project.
Presents Its 23rd
Stewart Computer Service
Visit Historic Properties
and Enjoy Scenic Views
in Nelson County
Oakland Museum
Arrington, Virginia
434-263-6363
Loving House at Lockn’ Farm
www.stewartcomputerservices.com
Oak Ridge Chapel
A special thank you is extended to
the Nelson County Garden Club
for the flower arrangements
at the tour sites.
Bright Hope Baptist Church
St. Mary’s Catholic Church
The Red House
Tour Locations
Directions to the Tour Area
All properties are along Route 29 or within a few miles of
the Route 29 corridor in the Lovingston/Arrington area.
1 Oakland Museum
5365 Thomas Nelson Highway
Arrington, VA 22922
Owner: Nelson County Historical Society
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Oakland Museum is along Route 29 and 3 miles south of
Lovingston.
Oak Ridge Chapel and Lockn’ Farm, take Oak Ridge
Road from Route 29 at 2.5 miles south of Lovingston.
2 Loving House at Lockn’ Farm
1510 Diggs Mountain Road
Arrington, VA 22949
Owner: Lockn’ LLC
3 Oak Ridge Chapel
Wilson Road near 2300 Oak Ridge Road
Arrington, VA 22949
Owner: Oak Ridge Estate
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4 Bright Hope Baptist Church
4
160 Ridge Lane
Lovingston, VA 22949
5 St. Mary’s Catholic Church
Oak Ridge Chapel—follow Oak Ridge Road from
Route 29 for 2 miles and turn right on Wilson Road for
.2 mile to the chapel.
9900 Thomas Nelson Highway
Lovingston, VA 22949
6 The Red House
Bright Hope Baptist Church is on Ridge Lane off of
Route 29 at the village of Lovingston. The church is
on the west side of Route 29 across from the village of
Lovingston.
322 Stagebridge Road
Lovingston, VA 22949
Owners: Heather and John Riser
(Tour sites do not have to be visited
in the order listed above.)
Lockn’ Farm entrance is on Diggs Mountain Road and
.1 mile from Oak Ridge Road. The driveway into the
farm is approximately 1 mile on a graveled surface road.
Please stay on the main entrance road into the property.
The drive passes several farm buildings—a granary on
the right, stable and cow barn on the right, two stone
houses on the left. The interior of these buildings will
not be open but visitors can view the outside along
the drive into the property. The main house, cottage
and tobacco barn (near the main house) will be open
on the day of the tour. Park in the designated area near
the house.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church is on Route 29 about .1 mile
north of Lovingston.
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Lunch
Lunches for $10.00 per person will be
available from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at
St. Mary’s Catholic Church,
9900 Thomas Nelson Highway, Lovingston.
Make reservation by April 18 to
Woody Lynch at 540-710-4646.
Menu: Chicken Salad Croissant, Fruit, Chips,
Dessert and Beverage
A vegetarian lunch is available upon request.
The Red House—from Lovingston follow Route 29
north for 2 miles to Stagebridge Road, turn right and
follow Stagebridge Road for about .4 mile to the entrance
to Red House.
Nelson County Historical Society directional signs will
be at important intersections on the day of the tour.
No photography is allowed inside the homes and
properties. Wear comfortable shoes for the tour.
1
Oa kl a nd Museum
The red brick house now known as Oakland Museum
has been a presence in Nelson County for over 170
years. Located on the Lynchburg Stage Road, the
house has served a variety of purposes. Built by
George Mitchell ca. 1838, Mitchell’s Brick House
served as a tavern for travelers along the Stage Road.
In 1871 it passed into the Goodwin family and
remained a private home for several Goodwin family
members until 2004 when the Nelson County Historical Society purchased the property for a museum.
For ten years the Oakland Museum Board developed
and managed the property as a museum featuring
exhibits and hosting events. In 2015 the Society and
Museum joined forces to manage and further develop
the property. Exhibits on the Nelson County Schools,
Hurricane Camille, and the development of electricity
in Central VA are currently on display. A new antique
toys and games exhibit will be added in April.
For the April 25th tour a special exhibit will showcase
the Nelson County Garden Club’s rich history in the
county. The club has won numerous awards over its
75 years of existence. Come to see their accomplishments with a special display of scrapbooks and meet
some of their members.
2
Lov ing Ho use
at Lo ckn ’Far m
The 384-acre farm was once a part of an original land
grant to Harmer and King, land speculators in the mid
1700s. William Loving owned the land from 1772 to
1810 when many of the buildings were constructed.
Through several ownerships, Thomas Fortune Ryan
(TFR) purchased the property in 1906 to add to his
Oak Ridge estate.
Henry C. Wright was the miller for TFR at the mill on
Rucker’s Run, and his son, George W. Wright, became
head of the farming operations at Oak Ridge. George
Wright was given the farm by Mr. Ryan to live there
during his lifetime and upon the death of TFR he was
given full ownership of the property. George Loving,
Jr., a grandson of George and Hazel Wright, took over
full ownership of the property in 2001. For 15 years he
worked to restore the buildings and houses on the
property and maintain the land. In 2014 the farm was
sold to Lockn’ LLC.
Among the historic buildings still standing are a
granary, horse and cow barn (stable), small stone
houses, tobacco barn, main house and a cottage. All
of the dependencies have a distinct stone foundation,
and have been preserved beautifully. The three-story
main house, with an English basement built in
the 1830s and a nearby stone cottage, have been
renovated to preserve their historical integrity.
The main house, cottage and tobacco barn will be
open on the day of the tour.
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Oak Ridge Chapel
Oak Ridge Chapel is the first Roman Catholic Chapel
in Nelson County. Soon after Thomas Fortune Ryan, a
wealthy financier, bought the Oak Ridge property in
1901 he erected his own private chapel on the grounds
at Oak Ridge. He and his wife, a devout Catholic, could
attend mass when they were in residence at Oak Ridge
with a priest coming from Holy Cross in Lynchburg by
train to serve mass at the chapel. Following Mr. Ryan’s
death in 1928, the chapel was rarely used, and only on
request for special religious occasions.
In the 1950s and early 1960s, there were only six
Catholic families known to reside in Nelson County
and who used the chapel for limited services, with
priests coming from Lynchburg, Monroe, and Charlottesville at various times. In 1982, with the chapel in
need of restoration and a growing membership of
Nelson County Catholic parishioners, they voted to
purchase the Lovingston Methodist Church building.
The chapel is a stone building, with a vaulted ceiling,
a small loft, beautiful hardwood floors and a stained
glass window behind the altar. A major renovation
was done in 2012 by the Holland family, owners of
Oak Ridge, to restore the chapel, making it an
attractive venue for weddings and religious events.
Seven members of the Ryan family are buried in the
cemetery at the chapel.
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Bright Hope
Baptist Church
Bright Hope Baptist Church, located on a hilltop overlooking the village of Lovingston, offers a quiet and
peaceful setting for this African-American house of
worship. The church records date back to 1870, five
years after the abolishment of slavery. A neatly-kept
cemetery near the church shows the earliest date of
birth on a tombstone as 1872. At one time the church
basement served as a school. Congregational dinners
had to be served by placing planks in trees to form
tables for the meals. Later the Mason Lodge built a
tiny Masonic Hall where ladies served food “baskets.”
Improvements over the years include new bathrooms,
pews, stained-glass windows, heating & cooling system,
paved driveway, and a major addition in 2005—the
Horace E. Spears Fellowship Hall. Most recently,
Pat Ray Avalon, a local artist, enhanced the church
sanctuary with a beautiful mural behind the pulpit.
The church celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2013,
and has been blessed with many pastors. The longest
serving was Rev. C. J. Davenport (1950s–1980s).
Their current pastor is Rev. Samuel K. Woodson, who
leads the church with an active membership of 60.
Bright Hope has 10 auxiliary organizations which
continue to demonstrate Christian missionary and
community service.
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St. Mary’s
Catholic Church
The Oak Ridge Chapel was the forerunner of
St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Lovingston. For about
thirty years (mid 1950s to 1983), a small number of
Catholic families worshipped at Oak Ridge Chapel
until the original parishioners voted to purchase the
Lovingston Methodist Church on Front Street in
Lovingston. The church was named St. Mary’s in
honor of the chapel at Oak Ridge. Many of the statues
and furnishing from inside the chapel were donated
by the Ryan heirs to the Church after the Mission
moved from Oak Ridge to Lovingston.
The parish grew rapidly due to St Mary’s greater public
visibility in Lovingston and many new members
migrating to Nelson County from urban areas. In the
mid 1990s the Church instituted a Spanish mass to
serve a growing Hispanic population in the county.
By 2002, the Church had purchased land only a short
distance north of the village of Lovingston on Route
29 and established a building fund. Ground breaking
began in 2004 and the new church was dedicated on
January 22, 2006.
An enthusiastic and diverse group with many talents
and interests, St. Mary’s parishioners serve actively in
a variety of community-based ministries, such as the
Nelson County Food Pantry, Habitat for Humanity,
and the Nelson County Volunteer Coalition.
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The Red House
Lee W. Harris, a lawyer, justice, Virginia state legislator,
and Commissioner of the Revenue for Nelson
County, and his wife lived three miles north of
Lovingston. Before he died, Harris wrote instructions
in his will dated 1836 to “erect a brick house 48 feet
long and 20 feet wide, two stories high with a portico
on the front.” These instructions were thought to be
based on an earlier Red House near the current site
or on plans that Lee Harris had to build a new house.
Harris descendants lived in the house until the
property was sold in 1886 to Katharine Brien Rogers
Atlee, a widow, and her children from Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Atlee changed the name of the house to
Brienhurst. George T. Mawyer bought the property,
naming the house Brenthurst. Members of the
Mawyer family lived there until 1987 when the
Clements purchased the property, followed by the
Kalahers who owned it for a few years in the 1990s.
Heather and John Riser bought the house in 2000
and changed the name back to Red House.
The Georgian-style house has an English basement,
two stories above and an attic. The floors, door cases,
and baseboard are heart pine. Many of the windows
contain the original glass. The stairway leads up at
right angles to the wide hall that extends through the
center of the house on both floors, with rooms on
either side of the hallways and fireplaces in each room.
The Risers added an addition to the house in 2009.