DAN’S HILL

OF DANVILLE, VIRGINIA

Created By Jacqueline A. Luzar for the Garden Club of Virginia

Acknowledgements
I wish to thank the entirety of the Garden Club of Virginia for the Favretti Fellow-
ship opportunity. Each meeting with a Garden Club of Virginia member revealed
a passionate and enthusiastic individual with a love of Virginia history and its
land. The knowledgeable and attentive members of Rieley and Associates are the
highest caliber of individuals one could ever have the honor to work with. I es-
pecially wish to thank Will Rieley and Roxanne Brouse for their time, thoughtful-
ness, and expertise.

My appreciation goes out to the ladies of Danville, including Nan Freed, Carol
Strange of Laurel Cliff, Lois Mengel, and Betty Updike, who acted as respectable,
benevolent hostesses of their region. Without the photographs and blueprints
from the files of Betty Updike, as well as the recollections of both she and Lois
Mengel, much of the history of Dan’s Hill would have been lost. Thank you to the
entire Thomson family for their hospitality and their eagerness to learn and main-
tain the historic element of Dan’s Hill. Overall, the kindness and generosity of
everyone in Danville was immeasurable.

I also wish to extend gratitude to Garden Club of Virginia fellow Penny Heavner,
whose optimism and interest in Garden Club properties, including both Gay Mont
and Dan’s Hill, brought us together.

Copyright © 2005 by The Garden Club of Virginia.

All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction:

All material contained herein is the intellectual property of the Garden Club of
Virginia except where noted. Permission for reproduction, except for personal use,
must be obtained from:

The Fellowship Committee, Chair

The Garden Club of Virginia
The Kent-Valentine House
12 East Franklin Street
Richmond, VA 23219
www.gcvirginia.org

2
Contents
Introduction 4

The Land of Dan’s Hill 5

The Wilson Era 6

Terraces 11

Brick Construction 13

The Gazebo 14

Wilson Cemetery 17

The Boatwright Era 19

The Pool House and Pool 26

Robert Burson’s Designs 29

Walkways and Path Alterations 33

The Surrounding Landscape 35

The Thomsons 39

Resources 40

Appendicies 41

3
Intro
In Pittsylvania County, Virginia on the northern banks of the Dan River, the Dan’s
Hill property has experienced a rich history, with its occupants contributing to the
economic, social, and overall vitality of the surrounding region. Dan’s Hill has seen
two major eras. The first era is that of the Wilsons, who settled along the Dan River
beginning in the eighteenth century, while the second began in the 1930’s when
the Boatwrights purchased the property. The property passed into the hands of the
Thomson family in 2005 with the aspiration of caring for the land and its historic
structures.

In this document, information on the Wilson and Boatwright Eras is provided in a

summary, followed by photos and descriptions of landscape details. Appendices
follow that include a plants list, photos of the roses on the property, and a copy of the
Historic American Building Survey’s architectural drawings from 1933.

4
The Land of Dan’s Hill
Geologically, Dan’s Hill is located in the Central Virginia Volcanic Pultonic
Belt. The main residence and gardens are located between the two lakes set-
ting north of the Dan River in the bottom portion of the image above. Exposed
geology near the Wilson Cemetery is shown below. The soils on the property
are characteristic with their high sand content.

Image by author, 2005

Detailed USGS Descriptions

of Geology around Dan’s Hill:
Ofgn:
White to pink fine- to medium-
grained, lineated, muscovite-
quartz feldspar gneiss. Mafic
minerals comprise only 3% to
4%. Contains enclaves or xeno-

bDan’s Hill liths of metavolcanic rocks.

Olgr:
Greenish-grey to pinkish-grey,
medium- to course-grained,
nearly structureless to proto-
mylonitic, muscovite grainitoid
gneiss. Thick homogeneous sills
and dikes intruded into metavol-
canic and metasedimentary
rocks.1
United States Geological Survey. Danville and Vicinity.

1Conley, James F. Geology of the Southwestern Virginia Piedmont. Charlottesville, Virginia: Virginia Division of
Mineral Resources, 1985.

5
Wilson Beginnings
The Wilson legacy in the Danville area began in 1746, when Peter Wilson moved
to Pittsylvania County from Pennsylvania.2 Peter Wilson, who was of Scotch-Irish
descent, settled on lands along the Dan River and established Wilson’s Ferry as a
means to cross the waterway. Until 1817, no large scale commercial centers would
be developed, causing economic focus to settle on plantations and ferrying points.3
Wilson’s Ferry was one of the few ways across the Dan River in the region and was
critical to many settling or passing through the area. Transportation of goods from
Pittsylvania County and the surrounding region was costly due to the high expense
of transport and poor navigable conditions of the Roanoke River. Production of
tobacco and hogs developed into the concentration of settlers, with tobacco becoming
the region’s dominant crop.4 Peter Wilson and his descendents would become
instrumental in the area’s tobacco production legacy.

Peter Wilson’s son, John Wilson, inherited his lands and established a home on
elevated land south of the Dan River, naming it Dan’s Hill. Over time, through
the opening of a store at Wilson’s Ferry in 1771, investment in transportation for
goods, and the production of tobacco John Wilson became one of the wealthiest
men in the region.5 He held lands in both Pittsylvania and Halifax County upon
which his family, workers, and many enslaved individuals were established. An
active individual, John Wilson was a financier, colonel in the American Revolution
and represented Pittsylvania in the House of Delegates at the Virginia Convention of
1788.6 During his lifetime, he would be sheriff, justice of the peace, Overseer of the
Poor, part of the Virginia Non-Importation Association, and active in the Methodist
church.7 Along with others in the region, he was interested in establishing a
major center for the inspection, trade and distribution of tobacco. John Wilson
developed into the leading planter entrepreneur of the area and as a result one of
Danville’s major founding fathers. A portion of the land upon which the new town
was established was John Wilson’s. He and his wife, Mary Lumpkin, raised eleven
children, most of who would go on to be equally as influential to the region. As
adults, several children moved to lands given to them by their father and lived in
structures constructed by skilled craftsmen, who were most likely Wilson’s enslaved
laborers.

2Siegel, Frederick F. The Roots of Southern Distinctiveness. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: The University of North
Carolina Press, 1987. p. 28
3Siegel, Frederick F. p. 13
4Siegel, Frederick F. p. 14
5Siegel, Frederick F. p. 28
6Halifax Web WorX. Transcribed from Dan Shaw. South of the Dan Tour. Accessed at:
<www.oldhalifax.com/county/SouthoftheDanTour4.htm> Accessed on 5 June 2005.
7Siegel, Frederick F. p. 28

6
JOHN WILSON’S CHILDREN

John Wilson (d. 1820) and Mary Lumpkin (b. 1749 in Virginia, d. 4 January 1827)

Peter Wilson ---married Ruth Stovall Hairston and lived at Berry Hill

John

William

Nataniel---married Winnefred Tunstall (daughter of William Tunstall Jr. of “Belle Grove”)

and lived at “Belle Grade” on the Dan River

Clement

George---married Elizabeth Brodnax and settled Laurel Cliff

Robert---married Catherine Pannill (daughter of Samuel Pannill of “Green Hill” Campbell

County) and received Dan’s Hill from his father

Mary ---married Colonel John Clark

Patsy ---married Alex Cunningham

Nannie ---married Robert Brodnax

Isabella (b. 1778, d. September 18, 1846) ---married James Anderson Glenn (b. 4 May 1765
in Glasgow, Scotland),

Signature of Robert Wilson from the will of John Wilson, located in Chatham.

7
John Wilson’s Will

The will of John Wilson and other property records may be accessed at the Pittsylva-
nia County Court House in Chatham, Virgnia.

8
Colonel John Wilson’s seventh son, Robert Wilson, inherited Dan’s Hill in 1820
at the death of his father. Robert Wilson was a colonel in the War of 1812 and
married Catharine Pannill of the Green Hill plantation in Campbell County, Virginia.
Robert Wilson exhibited his influence in Danville through things such as support
in 1837 for a turnpike that would connect the town of Fincastle to Danville and his
encouragement for a branch bank, which was also backed by his brother Nathaniel.8
Robert Wilson continued the tobacco production legacy of his father on the property.
His greatest contribution to Dan’s Hill, however, would be the construction of the
grand terraces along with the plantation home and outbuildings.
The immense undertaking of the main home and terraces at Dan’s Hill would be
completed in 1833 after eight years of construction.9 The home was constructed
predominantly in the Federal style. It has been suggested that James Dejarnett, an
area master builder, designed the Dan’s Hill residence; however, the site’s designer
has not been confirmed.10 Native lumber from the property was used for the
structure and bricks were created on the site. In 1923, an article was composed
by Mrs. Rorer James in Historic Gardens of Virginia, which expressed details about
the structures at Dan’s Hill from this period. At the time the article was published,
Robert Wilson James was the fifth generation of Wilsons to own the property. Built
elements constructed by Robert Wilson existing on the site at the time included:
…stables, carriage-house, in which the old four-horse coach was kept, the
weaving-house, where expert weavers in former days made the homespun worn
by the house servants and farm hands, a laundry room, dairy, smokehouse,
icehouses, kitchen with huge fireplace in which a person could easily stand,
and the several log cabins for servants’ quarters.

The main residential structure was also described as:

…a spacious three-story brick structure of the Colonial type, containing twenty

rooms, and furnished with the original mahogany furniture placed there years
ago. The present owners, Robert Wilson James and his wife, who was Miss
Irene Dwyer, of Ohio, have recently installed in this home all the modern
conveniences, consisting of heat, electric lights, bathrooms, and an up-to-date
refrigerating plant, making it, in addition to its traditional charms and general
beauty, one of the most comfortable homes possible.

A fireside grouping in the drawing-room shows the beautiful old imported

marble mantel and the brass fender and andirons. The oil painting above the
fireplace is a portrait of Robert Wilson, the builder of the present home, and it
is interesting to know that this portrait was painted in the very room in which
it hangs. The antique porcelain jars on either end of the mantel complete the
picture.11

8Siegel, Frederick F. pp. 33, 55

9Sale, Edith Tunis. “The Piedmont Section.” Historic Gardens of Virginia. Richmond, Virginia: James River
Garden Club, 1923. p. 283.
10Mitchell, Sarah E., Mitchells Publications/Sims-Mitchell House B&B of Chatham, Virginia. Accessed at:
<http://www.victorianvilla.com/sims-mitchell/local/wilsonr/hgv/index.htm> Accessed in July 2005.
11Sale, Edith Tunis. p. 283.

9
The landscape underwent immense transformation with the creation of several
grand terraces which would cascade geometrically down the hill upon which the
main residence sat. The strength and time needed for the creation of the terraces
would have been intense and demanded careful accuracy to create the precise,
measured form of the terraces. Gardens were then planted on one or more of the
terrace structures, although the original layout is not known. Below the terraces, the
productive fields and pastures were viewed with the Dan River flowing beyond them.

In her book, the History of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Maud Carter Clement stated
that in the period from the end of the American Revolution to the Civil war, “…The
making of beautiful gardens with terraces, flagged walks and much boxwood lent
dignity to the life of that period; and viewing the garden with an exchange of flowers
was a part of the day’s pleasure when visiting a neighbor.” 12 Dan’s Hill certainly
possessed these features, with the addition of a gazebo. Several clues remain to hint at
the appearance of the past plantings of Dan’s Hill. Along with the existence of English
boxwood at the front entrance, a description provided by Mrs. Rorer James, as with the
home, tells of landscape around the residence as it existed in 1923.

The house is surrounded by extensive lawns and terraced gardens, covering

about three acres, which extend to the river. The walks are bordered by
wonderful old boxwood hedges which were planted when the house was built.
In the gardens are some very rare old bulbs, put there when the gardens were
originally laid out, and which the Department of Agriculture at Washington
listed some time ago as practically extinct. 13

The property at Dan’s Hill was extensive throughout the Wilson Era, including sixteen
hundred acres in 1923. The grounds would have been utilized for recreation along
with domestic and economic uses. During his stay in the United States, the English
composer Frederick Delius spent many weekends riding horses at Dan’s Hill. In
a letter to his friend Rober Phifer, the composer inquired about the Wilson family,
to which Mr. Phifer responded in July of 1894 that “Old Man Wilson is dead---His
daughter Annie married a Mr. Rorer James & they live at “The Burton”…” 14 For
Delius to have spent much time at the property and to later inquire about the Wilson
family, conjures images of the grand plantation and land with a pleasant atmosphere
where leisurely riding was desirable.

Upon Robert Wilson’s death, his third son, Robert Anderson Wilson, inherited the
property along with his wife Ruth Stovall Hairston, the daughter of Marshall and Ann
Hairston of Martinsville, Virginia. Changes made to the property since the time of
Robert Wilson are unclear, although it is known that a tennis court was constructed
on the property and it is likely paths and planting patterns changed within the main
garden area around the gazebo. Dan’s Hill remained in the possession of the Wilson
family until the dawning of the Boatwright Era in the early 1930’s.
12Clement, Maud Carter. The History of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Lynchburg, VA: J.P. Bell Company, 1929.
13Sale, Edith Tunis. p. 284.
14Phifer, Robert. Letter to Frederick Delius. 27 July 1894.

10
 Terraces
The Dan’s Hill terraces were an
immense earth moving project for
their day and were most likely created
along with the construction of the main
residence. Turf covers the majority
of terraces, unless formal plantings
or natural, uncultivated growth is
established. At the southwesterly area
of the terraces, an earthen ramp leads
down from the bottom most terrace
into the fields below. Each terrace is
ten feet in height with a one to one
ratio that provides a relatively steep
slope. These formal terraces remain in
excellent condition and are exactly 33
feet wide at most points. The width of
the terraces is equivalent to two rods
(also known as poles or perches) which
were common units of measurement
used in surveying and land related
activities for centuries. One rod is
33 FEET equivalent to 16.5 feet, while 160
square rod equals an acre.15
33 FEET
33 FEET

33 FEET

33 FEET

33 FEET

33 FEET

15Gibson, Robert. A Treatise of Practical Surveying:Which is Demonstrated from its First Principles, Wherein Every-
thing That is Useful and Curious in that Art is Fully Considered and Explained. Dublin: Printed by P. Wogan,1795.

11
The dense woodland growth
that has taken place on parts of
the terraces, contrasts greatly
with the turf portions. Accord-
ing to Betty Updike, when the
Boatwright family purchased the
property, the terraces were thick-
ly covered with weeds a brambles
that were laborious to remove.

Although stairs have been on the

terraces for most of the twentieth
century, the existence of stairs
on the terraces in the nineteenth
century is not certain.

The main residence may be

viewed from the lower terraces.

12
Brick Construction
Brick structures associated with the construction period completed in 1833, are
composed of brick made on the plantation. These bricks possess a deep red hue and
have a sandy composition. Masons lapped brick work in either Flemish or American
bond. Extraordinary care was taken by those who constructed the buildings to
produce structures with a precise and exacting appearance. Mortar between bricks
was bevelled to create a slender raised surface that could then receive a thin, whitish
line that would define accuracy in workmanship to the viewing eye. Termed
“penciling,” the white line method appears on the main home, outbuildings, and
greenhouse/ orangery. The illustrations show the greenhouse with a detail of its
brickwork. Overall, the penciling remains in good condition.

penciling

13
Gazebo/Summerhouse
The gazebo, or summerhouse, is
a significant point of interest on
the Dan’s Hill property. Its con-
struction most likely dates to the
early nineteenth century.
In the 1923 publication of the
Historic Gardens of Virginia, the
gazebo is described:
At the intersection of four
walks stands an octagonal
summerhouse, with massive
brick columns, in a perfect
state of preservation, having
already withstood the storms
of nearly a hundred years---
a delightful spot, overlooking
the river, to sit and muse on
the old romances of the crino-
line days. Near the summer-
house is the old flower-house,
known in former days as the
greenhouse, where rare and
beautiful flowers bloomed the
entire winter.16
The story of how the gazebo
was designed to represent the
Philadelphia’s Fairmount Water
Works, which dates to 1805 and
is in the Greek Revival style, has
been passed down through ger-
nations.17

16Sale, Edith Tunis. p. 310-316.

17Updike, Elizabeth “Betty” Vaugh Boatwright. Interviews. June-July 2005.

14
Gazebo Plan

To the
Greenhouse

plantings

mill stone

column

brick walks

0 10 20 30 40
N
SCALE IN INCHES

The octagonal shape and eight columns are clearly shown on the plan above.
Millstones are used as steps into the interior, and may have come from one of the
Wilson’s many mills, although the time of their placement is uncertain. Brick walks
from the Boatwright Era surround the gazebo, with the basket weave pattern used at
each entrance. Brick has also been used to designate a small planting area that hugs
the gazebo perimeter. By standing at the northerly entrance, one can see through
toward the eastern terraces where the pool house now stands. Interestingly, the
gazebo is 11feet wide, exactly 1/3 of the width of an average, formal Dan’s Hill terrace.
15
 Left: This image from the early
Boatwright era illustrates the sand
paths that met the gazebo and
were lined with bulbs.
In the background, the Wilson era
tennis court is seen, which would
be removed before another was
constructed by the Boatwrights.
Photo made accessible by Betty Updike.

Below: This photo of the gazebo

was possibly taken before the
1930’s. The diagonal walkway
that once led from the gazebo to
the terraces is apparent and the
greenhouse is seen to the left.
It is not certain when the diagonal
walk was placed or if it
deviated from a plan that
resembled the existing layout of
the formal gardens. The diago-
nal path was changed during the
Boatwright era.

Photo accessed at: Mitchell, Sarah E., Mitchells Publications/Sims-Mitchell House B&B of Chatham, Virginia.
Website: <http://www.victorianvilla.com/sims-mitchell/local/wilsonr/hgv/index.htm> Accessed in June 2006.

16
Wilson Cemetery

The Wilson Cemetery is located west of the main residence. Only a few gravestones
exist, including that of Ruth Stovall Wilson, Caroline E. Wilson, and Robert A.
Wilson. One large gravestone that sets parallel to the ground has broken and bears
the name of “John.” It is likely that many family members are buried here, but the
graves were unmarked. Colonial/Revolutionary period graves in particular may not
have been indicated by stones. At the minimum, one source suggests two of Isabella
Wilson’s sons, James Anderson Jr. and John Wilson Anderson, are buried here.18

18 Halifax Web WorX. Transcribed from Dan Shaw. South of the Dan Tour.
Accessible at: <www.oldhalifax.com/county/SouthoftheDanTour4.htm> Accessed 5 June 2005.

17
These three existing gravestones are
the most prominent from a distance.
A fourth exists with a sculpted lamb
sitting on top and the name “Carrie.”

Left: Ruth Stovall Wilson

Lower Left: Robert A. Wilson, inher-

ited Dan’s Hill from his father Robert
Wilson

Lower Right: Caroline E. Wilson,

daughter of Robert and Katharine
(sometimes seen as Catherine)
Pannill Wilson

18
The Boatwright Era
In 1931, John Guerrant Boatwright and his wife, Mary Archer Glass Boatwright*,
moved to Dan’s Hill with their children Elizabeth “Betty” Vaughn Boatwright (Updike)
and Robert M. Boatwright. Mr. Boatwright was a talented business man with the
Dibrell Brothers tobacco company (later to be called DIMON), while Mrs. Boatwright
published newspapers with Carter Glass & Sons Publishers. The family possessed
an immense interest in historic places and was proud to be the new owners of the
property. In relation to their historic interest, after less than two years of occupancy,
the family had the honor for their home to be one of the first structures recorded
by the Historic American Buildings Survey. The Boatwrights originally purchased
five hundred acres of the original Dan’s Hill property and would later purchase one
hundred additional acres. Obtainment of vaster lands that once belonged to Dan’s
Hill was not feasible by the twentieth century.

The land held potential for agriculture into the twentieth century. Tobacco and corn
were the dominant crops during the Boatwright residency. The greatest income was
derived from tobacco and four tobacco barns existed on the property, where tobacco
could be hung and dried before it was sold. Cattle, which grazed in the fields, were
kept consistently on the property during the Boatwright era and possibly during the
Wilsons’ time.

In the first decade of their residency, the Boatwright family decided to construct a
pool on the second terrace directly behind the main garden and gazebo area. The
pool included stone paving around its perimeter and pool house with plumbing.
The pool house was a moderately sized structure with separate changing rooms for
men and women. In the summer an awning could be attached to the pool house
to provide additional shade for the structure’s portico. A rear addition, including
the southerly porch, was added to the pool house around 1958. The design of the
addition was fully the conception of John and Mary Archer’s son, Robert.

Other structures were added to the property by the Boatwrights, to correspond with
the changing needs of their generations. Within view of the pool house, a new tennis
court was constructed during the early 1940’s, replacing the Wilson era court. Betty
Updike and her brother would often play tennis at the court for recreation. A new
barn was constructed for Dan’s Hill in the late 1950’s, since the older barn that dated
from approximately 1800, was not meeting the property’s needs. In the 1950‘s the
original kitchen structure was converted into a home for Lois Mingle and her new
husband. They spent a decade in the home with their children until establishing a
larger residence near by.

*Mary Archer Glass Boatwright was originally from Lynchburg and the daughter of Senator Carter Glass
of Virginia.

19
The Boatwrights enjoyed the diverse landscape of Dan’s Hill. The 19th century English
boxwoods were respected throughout the Boatwright era and additional American
boxwoods were added in the formal garden area. Mary Archer Glass Boatwright
was known to extensively plant azalea shrubs, including those that create a line
between the entrance drive and the lawns in front of the main residence. Lois Mingle
particularly recalls the beauty of white azaleas that created a circle at the southerly
end of the formal gardens that were on level with the gazebo. Both Lois Mingle and
Betty Updike remarked that many azaleas and bulbs planted by the Boatwrights
were lost in the 1990’s due to the growing white tail deer population at Dan’s Hill
and surrounding properties. Early in the 1950’s Robert Burson was called upon to
create original designs for two terrace gardens and the area on the easterly side of
the main residence, the blueprint plans for which still exist. During the 1960’s, Mary
Archer Glass Boatwright established an Oriental Garden and Woodland Walk on the
lower terraces. Both landscape features were considered to be designed by her. The
Woodland Walk included vegetation such as dogwoods, camellias, and numerous
azaleas. The origins of vegetation used to implement the designs are not certain, but
it is known that Mrs. Boatwright purchased numerous plants from catalogs.

The Boatwright era concluded in the Spring of 2005, although their memory and
mark on the landscape will continue into the future.19

19Updike, Elizabeth “Betty” Vaugh Boatwright. Interviews. June-July 2005.

All information on the Boatwright Era was provided by Betty Updike unless otherwise noted

20
Historic American Buildings Survey
The Historic American Build-
ings Survey (HABS) was es-
tablished by the National Park
Service, Department of the
Interior in 1933 to provide
employment during the Great
Depression and to produce an
archive of historic American
architecture. In autumn of
1933, HABS officials arrived at
Dan’s Hill to photograph the
main residential structure and
to create scale architecutal
drawings.
These photographs reveal the
landscape when the property
was in its early stages of the
Boatwright era.

The top and center HABS

photographs illustrate views
of the main residence from the
entrance, while the bottom
photograph shows Dan’s
Hill as seen from the main
terraced area, looking towards
the northeast. In all views
the English boxwoods planted
decades earlier are seen.

21
SOUTH SIDE OF RESIDENCE 1933

This photograph was taken by HABS officials before the pictured staircase was
removed and the addition of a curved side staircase was constructed c.1955-1957.
During part of the Boatwright era and as of 2005 the porch is enclosed by glass.

22
 The original dirt drive appears in
this 1930’s to early 1940’s
photograph. James Newman,
who acted as the Boatwrights’
head of the grounds until his
departure during World War II,
is seen at left.
Photo made accessible by Betty Updike.

Three outbuildings near the

main residence remain in good
condition. A smoke house and
the weaving house are included
in this trio of similarly construct-
ed structures. A privy existed
close by, but was removed after
a tree fell on it during the Boat-
wright Era.
Photo from HABS, 1933.20

A tennis court from the Wilson

era that was removed by the
Boatwrights in the 1930’s is
seen at the left. Boxwood
buffer the tennis court and a
sand based path that is lined
with flowering bulbs and leads
to an arbor covered with climing
vines. A date for this photo is
not available, but is most likey
from Spring in the early 1930’s.
Photo made accessible by Betty Updike.

20George Washington University Site. John Michael Vlach’s The Cultural Landscape of the Plantation. <www.gwu.edu/~folklife/bighouse> Accessed July 2006.

23
 Oil portrait of Mrs. Mary Archer
Glass Boatwright, who was a
Text Placeholder passionate gardener throughout
her time at Dan’s Hill.
Oil painting made accessible by Betty
Updike.

Oil portrait from the 1960’s of

Mrs. Elizabeth “Betty” Vaughan
Boatwright Updike and her chil-
dren Glenn Updike, John Up-
dike and Leigh Updike.
Oil painting made accessible by Betty
Updike.

24
The Boxwood
Boxwood on the property are ei-
ther Buxus sempervirens (Ameri-
can Boxwood) or Buxus sem-
pervirens suffruticosa (English
Boxwood.) The oldest boxwood
associated with the construction
of the main residence and ter-
races are Buxus. Later additions
were Buxus sempervirens, which
is pictured here.

This undated image shows rela-

tively mature boxwood on the
second highest terrace behind
the main residence. Lois Mingle,
a friend of the Boatwright fam-
ily who spent much of her life
on the Dan’s Hill property, viv-
idly recalled Mary Archer Glass
Boatwright remarking on trucks
that drove away boxwoods from
the southerly section of the ter-
races just before the Boatwrights
moved in.21
Photo made accessible by Betty Updike.

A youthful Betty Updike is

pictured in the wintry landscape
with her two dogs. Young
Buxus sempervirens are seen
accompanied by a protective
structure around them.
Photo made accessible by Betty Updike.

21 Meangle, Lois. Conversation. June 2005.

25
The Pool House and Pool
The pool and pool house were
established for recreation and
as a social gathering space on
the second highest terrace in the
1930’s. The giant slide to the left
was extremely popular with the
Boatwrights and visitors.
Black and white photo made accessible
by Betty Updike.

This close up of the pool house

shows the original appearance
of the structure, with a young
Betty Updike standing at the div-
ing board’s edge. An open view
to the river and fields beyond is
detected just behind her.22
Black and white photo made accessible
by Betty Updike.

A view of the Pool House from

the formal garden level, taken in
2005, shows the facade of the
pool house has been painted and
the color and texture of its brick
are no longer visible.

22Updike, Elizabeth “Betty” Vaugh Boatwright. Interviews. June-July 2005.

26
The pool house and pool viewed
from the main formal garden
space.

The pool viewed on level, looking

northerly.

An open ceiling structure shel-

ters the outdoor lounging space
adjacent to the 1960’s pool
house addition. The space is
accessible from within the pool
house, as well as from the back
and side.

27
Entries
The entrance into the tennis
court leads from the existing pool
house area. The tennis court
was established in the 1940’s
and is in a different location from
an earlier tennis court that was
removed by the Boatwrights.
The entrance to the Boatwright’s
woodland garden is seen in the
photo almost directly across
from this entrance. The terraces
provided an opportunity for the
Boatwrights to create entries that
allowed one to descend into a
space, such as the tennis court,
thus emphasizing the idea of that
space as possessing its own in-
dividuality, designated from all
other spaces around it.

This sloping entrance leads into

the woodland garden created by
Mary Archer Boatwright.
Bamboo from the former Asian
garden is seen approaching the
entrance at the right. This gar-
den included shade tolerant
plantings, such as rhododen-
drons.

28
Robert Burson’s Designs
The British-born Robert (Bob) E. Burson was both a horticulturalist and landscape
designer. William E. Carson, chairman of the Virginia Department of Conservation
and Development, hired Burson in June of 1930 as head of the department’s Divi-
sion of Landscape Engineering. From that point and throughout 1932, Burson was
directly involved with the creation of the Virginia State Parks. He visited other states,
explored Virginia, and promoted the establishment of six new parks: Seashore State
Park, Westmoreland State Park, Staunton River State Park, Fairy Stone State Park,
Hungry Mother State Park, and Douthat State Park. These parks would bear his in-
fluence and/or designs.23

Due to previous involvement with historical sites, William E. Caron selected Burson
as head of field, archaeological, and historical research on the George Washington
Gristmill in Fairfax County, Virginia. Reconstruction of historic buildings on the site
was the main goal. Burson visited the historical park Spring Mill Village, in Indiana,
during 1932. Here he witnessed planning methods like those used at Colonial Wil-
liamsburg, along with the assimilation of historic buildings, or portions of buildings,
brought from other locations. These influences would contribute to the work done at
George Washington’s Gristmill. Although such influences may not appear at Dan’s
Hill, this example demonstrates Burson’s interaction with historic properties,
involvement at important decision making levels, and a personal consideration to-
wards historic properties through this interaction and travels.24

Burson’s contribution to Dan’s Hill began in 1951, when he was hired by the
Boatwright’s to create designs for the property. Major design areas included
plantings around the main house and the establishment of gardens on the terraces.
The terrace gardens possessed a formal appearance, lined with boxwood and azalea
and were filled with varying flowers and several small trees. Also, the placement
of brick walkways began at this time, possibly accompanied with the placement
of terracotta pipes used for drainage along walks in the gardens surrounding the
gazebo.

23
United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form:
Westmoreland Historic Park District in Westmoreland County, Virginia. section 8, page 18.
24
Virginia Department of Historic Resources. George Washington Historic Grist Mill Registration. <http://www.dhr.virginia.
gov/registers/Counties/Fairfax/NR_FairfaxCounty_GW%20Gristmill%20N.R..pdf> Accessed July 2005.

29
Robert Burson’s Design

MAIN
RESIDENCE
ORIGINAL
KITCHEN
STRUCTURE

This image of Burson’s design plan was taken from original

blueprints provided by Betty Boatwright Updike.
Robert Burson’s Terrace Garden Design

This image of Burson’s design plan was taken from original

blueprints provided by Betty Boatwright Updike.
Brick Patterns on Pathways

Basket Weave Pattern

Usually found in spaces of

transition, such as at the
gazebo entrances or before
the stairs leading into the
terraces.

Herringbone Pattern

Pattern comprising the vast

majority of the brick path-
ways. Twentieth century
additions in the landscape
were not created with brick
produced at the site.
These bricks differ in
composition and exhibit
more resistance towards
foot traffic, compared to the
“native” brick created at
Dan’s Hill.

32
Entry Walk Alterations
Originally the entry path was made
of sand and/or soil. Stone was laid
into the entry by the Boatwrights
and remained until the 1950’s. At
left, the 1930’s image shows a view
from the front porch of Dan’s Hill
looking out toward the entry road.
Below is a photo of the same stone-
work that is used by the pool house.

Looking southward to the main

entrance of the Dan’s Hill home,
the herringbone brickwork of the
Boatwright Era is seen.
The brick was placed after a
decision to make alterations to the
property and to hire Robert Burson.
Burson’s design plans were
complete in 1953, dating the brick’s
placement to at least 1954.
Brick was brought from off the site
and is not related to the brick used
in the construction of the earlier
architectural structures.

33
Terrace Step Relocation
The terrace steps are seen
at the image’s center.
It is uncertain if this is the
original access location or
if any steps existed in the
nineteenth century, since
no records show evidence of
such a detail.
The image is courtesy of
Betty Boatwright Updike,
dating to approximately the
1930’s.

The 1953 Burson design

relocated the terrace steps
to line up with the main
residence’s rear porch and
primary axis, as seen in this
2005 image.
This decision leads the eye
down a linear path into the
terraces when standing at
the residence rear or along
its access walkway.
Portions of Burson’s design
emphasized viewsheds of
varying distances, whether
it was the above mentioned
view, or a simple view into
one of the terrace gardens
through a boxwood
opening.

34
Landscape Views from the Residence
Looking northward upon the English
boxwood walk leading to the main
residential structure’s entrance.

The original kitchen structure as

viewed from the kitchen addition
created beginning the summer of
2005.

The turf area on the northwestern

side of the home, viewed from a
upper level of the residence.

35
Barn and Corn Cribs
A barn was constructed by
the Boatwrights just west
of the formal Dan’s Hill area
to be used for storage of
equipment and as a stable.
A stable and corn cribs that
remain undated are located
adjacent to the barn.

Left: A barn constructed by

the Boatwrights

Below: Corn Cribs adjacent to

the barn pictured at the left.

36
West of the formal Dan’s Hill
area and barns, a dirt road
leads to greenspace on the
property, comprised of fields
and woodland. The first lake,
established in the 1940’s may
also be reached and eventu-
ally the road connects into a
residential section, which was
once part of the Dan’s Hill
property.

Left: Looking southward into

a field

Below: Heron Lake,

established in the 1940’s

37
 In the Historic Gardens of
Virginia book, it is stated, “On
this estate is…a very fine mineral
spring---the water having been
analyzed some years ago and found
to contain medicinal qualities
rivaling some of the springs of
the most famous health resorts.”
The exact location of this spring
is not certain. However, Mrs.
Betty Boatwright expressed that a
spring flowed in the wooded area,
which was flooded in the 1940’s
to create Lake Heron. The lake
was created because Mr. John
Boatwright desired to have a lake
on the property for recreation and
various uses. To create the lake,
large earthmoving machinery was
brought to the property for the
first time and large amounts of
soil were moved to create the lake
bottom. In the 1960’s, a second
lake to the east was created.
Aerial photographs of the property
from 1954 show a structure that
would have been destroyed by the
1960’s lake creation and has been
identified as a tenant house.

38
The Thomson Family

Sitting: Jack Vincent Thomson III, Giles Noah Thomson, Luke Alexander Thomson,
Erica Warren Thomson. Standing: Jack Vincent Thomson II, Gayle Giles Thomson,
Brooke Elizabeth Thomson, Henry Stoner Thomson.

With immense enthusiasm for its historical heritage, the Thomson family acquired
100 acres of the original Dan’s Hill property in the Spring of 2005. Gayle and Jack
Thomson have expressed happiness at dedicating the coming years to Dan’s Hill and
believe it will create wonderful memories and a unique atmosphere for their children.
The rich legacy of the residence combined with its intriguing landscape attracted
the Thomson family to the property. Their interest in the landscape has enticed the
family to sustain the formal and natural aspects of the land. The entire family has
proved to be warmhearted and eager to continue the legacy of Dan’s Hill into the
future.
A new kitchen was constructed by the Thomsons on the main residence during the
Summer of 2005 and city water was introduced to the site. Additional land was
added the following year so that Dan’s Hill property could once again greet the river
as in yesteryear.

39
Resources
Clement, Maud Carter. The History of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Lynchburg, Virginia: J.P.
Bell Company, 1929.

Conley, James F. Geology of the Southwestern Virginia Piedmont. Charlottesville, Virginia:

Virginia Division of Mineral Resources, 1985.

George Washington University Site. John Michael Vlach’s The Cultural Landscape of the
Plantation. Accessed at: <www.gwu.edu/~folklife/bighouse> Accessed in July 2006.

Gibson, Robert. A Treatise of Practical Surveying:Which is Demonstrated from its First

Principles, Wherein Everything That is Useful and Curious in that Art is Fully Considered
and Explained. Dublin: Printed by P. Wogan, 1795.

Halifax Web WorX. Transcribed from Dan Shaw. South of the Dan Tour.
Accessed at: <www.oldhalifax.com/county/SouthoftheDanTour4.htm> Accessed on 5 June
2005.

Melton, Herman. Pittsylvania 19th Century Grist Mills. Chatham, Virginia: 1991.

Mitchell, Sarah E., Mitchells Publications/Sims-Mitchell House B&B of Chatham, Virginia.

Accessed at: <http://www.victorianvilla.com/sims-mitchell/local/wilsonr/hgv/index.htm>
Accessed in July 2005.

Phifer, Robert. Letter to Frederick Delius. 27 July 1894.

Sale, Edith Tunis. “The Piedmont Section.” Historic Gardens of Virginia. Richmond, Virginia:
James River Garden Club, 1923. pp. 310-316.

Siegel, Frederick F. The Roots of Southern Distinctiveness. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: The
University of North Carolina Press, 1987.

United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. National Register of Historic
Places Registration Form: Westmoreland Historic Park District in Westmoreland County,
Virginia. section 8, page 18.

United States. Soil Conservation Service., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Soil Survey of Pittsylvania County and the City of Danville, Virginia/ United States
Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service; in Cooperation with Virginia
Polytechnic Institute University. Washington, D.C. : 1994.

Updike, Elizabeth “Betty” Vaugh Boatwright. Interviews. June-July 2005.

Virginia Department of Historic Resources. George Washington Historic Grist Mill

Registration. Accessed at: <http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Fairfax/NR_
FairfaxCounty_GW%20Gristmill%20N.R..pdf> Accessed in July 2005.

40
PLANTS LIST OF DAN’S HILL

Vinca sp.
Fagus grandifolia
Azalea sp.
Gleditsia triacanthos
Chaenomeles sp.
Ilex opaca
Hedera helix
Ilex aquifolium
Lonicera japonica
Juglans nigra
Ligustrum amurense
Liriodendron tulipifera
Lagerstroemia indica
Magnolia grandiflora
Philadelphus lewisii
Malus sp.
Buxus sempervirens suffruticosa
Magnolia x soulangiana
Buxus sempervirens
Platanus occidentalis
Vibernum sp.
Quercus phellos
Wisteria spp.
Quercus falcata
Poncirus trifoliata
Tilia (Americana?)
Syringa sp.
Ulmus americana
Acer palmatum
Abies sp.
Acer platanoides
Maclura pomifera
Acer rubrum
Morus sp.
Acer saccharum
Yucca sp.
Acer saccharinum

Celtis occidentalis

Thuja sp.

Fraxinus americana

Appendix A: Plants List 41

ROSES OF DAN’S HILL

Roses located in proximity to

the Greenhouse and poolhouse
access road.
Two plants accompany each
other on either side of the brick
walkway.

The same roses as shown above,

showing the plant’s overall
structure.

Appendix B: Roses of Dan’s Hill 42

 The Roses shown on this page
are found across from the
Text Placeholder Greenhouse and were most
likely planted in the Boatwright
Era.

Left: The bud of this rose is pic-

tured beneath it.

Appendix B: Roses of Dan’s Hill 43

HABS Plans and Details, 1933

Appendix C: HABS Scale Drawings 44

HABS Plans and Details, 1933

Appendix C: HABS Scale Drawings 45