Rosewell, Colonial plantation archaeological site in Gloucester County, Virginia.
Rosewell is the ruins of a colonial plantation featuring a three-story structure designed in English Baroque style with hand-laid brick construction. The surviving walls and foundations give a sense of the estate's original scale and how it dominated the landscape near the York River.
Construction began in the 1720s and the mansion became a symbol of colonial wealth and power in the region. A major fire in the early 1900s destroyed the building, leaving behind the brick ruins that still stand today.
The place takes its name from the rose gardens that once surrounded it, and the remaining walls still show how the Page family lived in considerable comfort and style. Walking through the grounds, you can sense the refined tastes that shaped this colonial home.
A visitor center on the grounds provides maps and information to help you navigate the ruins, and there are walking paths throughout the site. The location is accessible by car and designed for pedestrian exploration at a comfortable pace.
Ongoing excavations here regularly uncover imported luxury goods and everyday items that reveal the global trade networks of wealthy colonial families. These discoveries show how connected this remote plantation was to distant markets and ports.
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