Petersburg - a neighbor with a history

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An opportunity for discovery – discovery of a time gone by, of a time when life was turmoil, and a time when mere survival was the norm – is located about 30 miles southeast of Midlothian. While Richmond was the cultural center of Virginia before the war, Petersburg was the agricultural and industrial center of the state.

It was because of the proliferation of railroads in its area that the city became such an important part of those trying times in 1864 - 1865. The longest siege in American history occurred at Petersburg, lasting some 10 months. As a result of that siege, prices on necessities went through the roof. Flour sold for $1,500 a barrel - bacon and butter for $20 a pound; if you could find them. To learn of those trying days, a visit to the Siege Museum, located in Old Town Petersburg will surely be enlightening. There is also a very interesting film, entitled “The Echoes Still Remain” which is narrated by Petersburg’s own, now deceased, Joseph Cotton, a noted actor in the not too distant past. Walking past the memorabilia placed throughout the museum will surely broaden your knowledge of Virginia and treat you to a different view of Petersburg.

Not far from the Siege Museum is a much different structure that guards hallowed ground while displaying some of the most beautiful art work in the entire state. Blandford Church stands amid the graves of countless soldiers and citizens, the famous and not so famous. It is eerily serene at the church but once inside, the visitor is beset by awe inspiring beauty. This structure is noted for its Tiffany stained glass windows, which are renderings of eleven of the apostles. These Apostles stand in the Church ever aware of the 30,000 Confederate soldiers that lie outside its walls, possibly giving comfort to them. It will be necessary to drive to the church from the downtown area, but it is a short trip that will more than pay for the slight inconvenience.

The third pillar of old Petersburg is the Centre Hill Mansion that stands high above the city, overlooking the downtown area. Built in 1823, this stately old mansion underwent remodeling in approximately 1840 and then again in 1901. If walls could talk, these could tell quite a tale. In April of 1865, the Union Army had successfully broken the Confederate line and the house from which the owners had fled before the siege began, was taken over by the Union Army. It was to Centre Hill that Abraham Lincoln came in early April 1865, to be briefed on the progress of the Union forces. A few days later, Lee would surrender at Appomattox and six days after that, Lincoln would die from an assassin’s bullet. In 1909, it would again be visited by a President of the United States. President Taft came to Petersburg that year to dedicate a monument to the troops from Pennsylvania that fought and died in the siege of Petersburg. Fortunately, Taft did not spend the night, for it is doubtful that any bed there could have held the rather rotund President. Times turned hard for the mansion and in 1936, it was sold for back taxes. Now, it is owned by the City of Petersburg.

There have been some unusual happenings at Centre Hill. Supposedly, on the 24th of every January, Union soldiers march on its steps. However, if you go looking for these spectral Yankee entities, don’t be surprised if you fail to see them. As Jean Wood, a guide at the house for 20 years puts it, she hasn’t seen anything unusual. One possible reason for that is the remodeling in 1901 removed some of the steps that the soldiers walked on. Still, on the 24th of January, you will find folks there, hoping to get a glimpse of the supernatural.

First impressions are quite important; however, do not be dissuaded by the need for a little maintenance on the structure of the mansion. These days when money, especially government funding, is in short supply, historic structures and history in general often suffer. Likewise, you will be directed into the basement of the mansion in order to take the tour. Regardless of all else, it is still a basement, like it has been for 170 years. Besides the tour guide area, it is obviously used as storage. You will be directed to wait in a room that was once connected to a tunnel by which slaves brought goods into and out of the house. Although it probably would have made quite a “bombproof” during the Civil War, it was apparently never used for that purpose. When you sit, you are sitting on a piece of history. The pews came from the black First Baptist Church located on Harrison Street in Petersburg. The history of the house is detailed through drawings and pictures found on the walls. To gain a fairly quick history lesson, peruse the historical memorabilia located there.

The main portion of the mansion is in very good condition. Upstairs, you will find a 45 foot long entrance hallway, with the original pine flooring. In the rooms are furniture of the 1840’s. In one of the parlors is a piano that belonged to the William Mahone (a noted Confederate General during the war) family. It was given to his daughter in 1886 for her birthday. There is also an unusual sofa that has drawers in the arm rests. It couldn’t have been very comfortable, but surely it was functional.

The original home had seven bedrooms, primarily because if they received any visitors in that day and time, they had a tendency to stay for quite a while. However, in 1901, that number was reduced to four.

One “room” that is quite unusual is the shower. The shower has 13 separate heads so the individual could get washed all over at the same time. Of course, President Taft could not have used it because it is rather small.

An item that Jean Wood pointed out was “their microwave”. Actually, it is a small warming oven that sits in the fireplace to keep the meals warm after having been brought up from the basement. This would have been quite a handy item for the wealthy in the 19th century.

One piece of furniture to be certain to check out is the wooden linen chest. Since they didn’t have closets per se, furniture was used for the storage of such necessities as bed linens. This fine chest was made in Petersburg and could well be the last surviving example of the furniture craft from the city. Of course, there may be others located in private residences, but this is the only one known to be on public display.

The Centre Hill Mansion is quite intriguing, as is the Blandford Church and the Siege Museum. However, it would be best to stop by the Visitor Center before going to the individual locations. Here you will find just about everything you ever wanted to know about Petersburg and maybe a little more. The main reason for this being the first stop is to purchase a multi-site ticket for all three locations. These tickets are good for a year and if time creates a problem in visiting all three in one day, you can return at a later date to finish the others.

Another reason for stopping by the visitor center is the wealth of information on where to eat in the Downtown Area. The folks at the center will be only too happy to provide you with a listing as well as possibly some insight based on your preferences. One establishment to consider is Maria’s Café and Italian Restaurant. Located on Old Street in the Downtown Area, a frequent lunch special is the “panzerotto” which is much like a pocket pita (only much larger), with meat, mozzarella, green peppers, banana peppers, and onions, all rolled together and served hot with a side of sauce. It is so large that you may want to share.

As a family outing for the day or over several days, Petersburg represents an opportunity to become more familiar with the history of the area. Its close proximity also makes it viable from the standpoint of time and cost of getting there. Rounding out the benefits of the area are the multi-site tickets, good for a year, and good food. It is truly an interesting city, and a bargain day-trip.