OAKLAND 



The Thomas Nelson Page Home 



HE land on which the Oakland garden was built 

 was granted by George I to the ancestors of the 

 present owners in 1 7 1 8 . Famous Old Fork Church, 

 within the walls of which Patrick Henry and Dolly 

 Madison both worshipped before the Revolution, 

 was built about 1704, just beyond the eastern 

 boundary of this Nelson grant of ten thousand acres. 



The garden, however, did not come into existence until 1812, 

 when it was laid off by General Nelson's youngest daughter, 

 Judith, the year the house was built. The latter married her cousin. 

 Captain Thomas Nelson, for many years Collector of the Port of 

 Richmond, and with him came to live at Oakland. 



The grounds of this historic estate slope gently from the house 

 in all directions and are bounded on the east and west by flowing 

 streams. On the outer side of the western line, in a grove of noble 

 trees, is one of the far-famed springs of this section of Virginia. 

 In olden times, the Oakland yard and garden contained about 

 four acres in all, surrounded by a substantial fence of cedar posts 

 and square oak bars placed edgewise, with ends let into mortised 

 posts, which were capped with squares of oak. Inside of this, a 

 paling fence outlined the garden. This fence was flanked on the 

 inner side by the pyr-acanthus whose thorns were a terror to bare- 

 foot boys, but whose radiant coral berries delighted all admirers 

 of bright color. Among the berries, cardinals and thrushes, the 

 latter then called "sandy mockings," delighted to disport them- 

 selves. 



The garden was In front of the house and occupied the southern 

 slope as it declined gently until it reached the slightly rising ground 



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