HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Henrico County is moving forward with a $1.6 million restoration of a historic property at Varina on the James, a site that served as Henrico's seat of government from 1632 to 1752.
Earlier this month, the Henrico County Board of Supervisors approved a $1.6 million contract to begin work to repair and stabilize the 1853 Classic Revival-style home at Varina on the James.
"People are going to ask, why here, why not anywhere else," Julian Charity, Assistant Director of Henrico Recreation and Parks, said. "What better place to tell the entire story of Henrico, than where Henrico, in definition, begins."
The first step involves making necessary repairs inside and out to stabilize the home, with plans intentionally left wide open after that.
"Is this going to be a historic home museum? Is the second floor going to be used for office space? Can it be an event venue?" Charity said.
The exterior features cosmetic damage, including cannonballs from the Civil War embedded into the brick siding.
Charity believes there is evidence that much of the land remains untouched since the 1600s, when the property served as Henrico's seat of government.
"What if we find the actual house that John Rolfe lived in? What if we find the actual property where Pocahontas gave birth to Thomas?" Charity said.
The restoration effort is the latest in a series of preservation projects for the county, not unlike the Civil War-era earthworks purchased in June at New Market Heights Battlefield.
Charity said the historic site is also a prime opportunity to bring in students from Henrico's ACE program to learn the trade of restoring historic masonry, and to create archaeological digs for the county public school system as well as colleges and universities.
"Now its Henrico's job to take it to the 21st century and further," Charity said.
For Charity, the project carries deep personal meaning.
"This is really exciting for someone who came up thinking that the only thing you could do with history was teach," Charity said. "For a historian to come into something that has not been done before, not having to rewrite the wheel but find the wheel itself. That's what makes it exciting from a historic preservation standpoint."
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