On the Road: Barboursville Ruins {Barboursville, Va. Photographer}

Even before we moved to Central Virginia I was in love with Thomas Jefferson. I think his mind it terribly sexy (yes, I know I’m a nerd). So, what’s my point? Monticello, his home in Charlottesville, is less than 30 minutes away. But that isn’t the only nearby home that Thomas Jefferson designed. While Barboursville hasn’t been a home since Christmas Day 1884, the ruins of the structure still stand. Over spring break I took the kids and my mother there. I think it’s incredibly beautiful and would love to do a photo shoot there sometime (hint, hint, nudge, nudge).

Barboursville was designed by Thomas Jefferson and built in 1814 for Gov. James Barbour. It was destroyed by fire on Christmas Day, 1884. That doesn’t stop me from imagining it. Full disclosure I do imagine it similarly to Monticello, but I doubt it was terribly far off.

There is a chain fence around the structure to keep people out of it. I don’t blame them for that. The land is now Barboursville Vineyard–which crafts two of my favorite of Virginia’s wines.