[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.There s a coffee shop, boutiques of de-signer clothing, and a kitchen shop that offers French linens, china,crystal and cooking classes.The owner of Trick Dog Café, Bob West-brook, has scattered metal plaques bearing the paraphrased advice ofKurt Vonnegut, Jr.along the front walk to inspire passersby: Do onething every day that scares you. You don t always need an um-brella. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes youhard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makesyou soft. Irvington s Village Improvement Association has tried hard to re-vive small town charm with sidewalk benches, potted flowers, and newstreet lights.Summer nights are filled with the sounds of concerts at the150 Around Towngazebo, and the first Saturday morning of the month (April-December)the town is abuzz with a farmer s market once again.A new museum interpreting the heyday of the Northern Neck of acentury ago is in the planning stage.The Steamboat Era Museumshould resemble the building travelers saw upon arriving at the wharfin Irvington a century ago: A cedar-sided dockside warehouse with aticket and purser s office.Inside, exhibits will tell the story of the Chesa-peake Bay steamboat era, 1826 to 1937, when big boats from Balti-more and Norfolk cruised the Bay, picking up local produce and fish atsmall town wharves, and dropping off manufactured goods.Vaca-tioners soon began utilizing the steamboat routes to escape the heat ofthe cities, or even just to get ice cream in Baltimore, where the only icecream plant existed, said Bruce King, the museum s director.To ac-commodate all this activity, ferry stops like Irvington grew larger withgeneral stores, hotels and post offices.Call for updates about their openingschedule; 804-438-6888, www.steamboateramuseum.org.Appreciatively, the recent gentrification in Irvington has not sacrificedtoo much its rural Virginia roots.Farming and fishing are still major in-dustries.Watermen ply the waters beside mega-yachts, and a big redpick-up with crab traps in the back is just as likely to pull into Mom &Pop s gas station as is a retiree s silver Mercedes.One thing that s virtually unchanged in nearly three centuries is His-toric Christ Church (the historic is an important adjective, sinceMiddlesex County also has a Christ Church).Unlike the newer build-ings in Irvington, no one knows who was the architect of this church,which Frederick D.Nichols of the American Institute of Architects hascalled the finest Colonial church in America.Robert King Cartercommissioned it in 1735 at his own expense, and it was built with ahalf-million bricks fired at a great kiln.The architecture is Georgian; thebuilding is in the shape of a cross, with a three-tiered pulpit and three-foot thick walls.A quarter of the high-backed, enclosed pews were re-served for Carter s family he had 15 children, plus servants who at-tended service in adherence to Church of England rules.One ofcolonial Virginia s most prominent citizens, Carter was a member ofthe House of Burgesses and, for a period, the acting Governor of Vir-ginia.Unfortunately, he died three years before the church was com-pleted.He s buried here, as are much of his family.His descendantsinclude two presidents, three signers of the Declaration of Independ-ence, eight Virginia governors and Gen.Robert E.Lee.That the brick structure has remained intact for so long is due in part toserendipity, isolation and infrequent use for nearly a century.After theAmerican Revolution, the new state confiscated all property belonging151Coastal Virginia Irvingtonto the Church of England, but since Christ Church was privatelyowned, it was not subject to confiscation.In 1958 the Foundation forHistoric Christ Church renovated the church.Today visitors can attendEpiscopal services at 8am Sundays, Memorial Day weekend throughLabor Day.In late April is the Kirkin o the Tartan, a traditional Scottishcelebration with bagpipes and kilts.The reception center/museum of-fers guided tours and is open April through November, 10am-4pm,Monday-Saturday, and 2-5pm on Sunday.The church is accessibleyear-round, during the office s hours, Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm.Group tours can be arranged ahead of time throughout theyear.The church is off Route 200, on Route 646, about 2½ miles northof Irvington ( 804-438-6855, www.christchurch1735.com).DiningTrick Dog Café.The building may be new, but the name is fromIrvington s past.The legend goes that after the 1917 fire someonefound a statue of a dog in the basement of the opera house, sooty andblack.He took it home, gave it to his son, saying it was a trick dog be-cause it would always sit and stay.The menu uses plenty of seafood,local produce and has an eclectic flair.The bar serves chocolate marti-nis and 25 single malt scotches.Dinner is served Tuesday through Sat-urday, with brunch on Sunday (Tidewater Drive, 804-438-1055).The Tides Inn (see below) serves award-winning, regionally inspiredcuisine in five restaurants, all of which are open to the public as well asto inn guests.Jackets are required after 5:30pm in the formal diningroom.The adjacent Chesapeake Club is more casual, and offers thesame menu and panoramic view of Carters Creek, as well as live pianomusic.The service is five-star, and the dessert chef should be canon-ized (reservations are required for both dining rooms).The Binnacleis a casual, seasonal restaurant across the creek at The Tides Marina.For lunch, Commodore s serves light fare by the main pool, andCap n B s dishes up New Orleans-style atmosphere at the Golden Ea-gle Golf Club (480 King Carter Drive, 800-843-3746, www.tides-inn.com)
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]