WILLIAMSBURG AREA, SURRY, VA. CELEBRATE AMERICA'S 250TH by living in the historic family home of a Revolutionary War soldier! Lightwood Forest is a beautiful historic house nestled in 110 acres of private woodland preserve. Surround yourself with history, antiques, art and nature, and over two miles of private hiking trails.
Lightwood Forest is in rural Surry County, on the south side of the James River, a short, free car ferry ride from Williamsburg and Jamestown, which runs 24/7, all year.
The space
Celebrate America's 250th by staying in the family home of a Revolutionary War soldier who served under Washington!, standing on land once owned by Pocahontas and John Rolfe! Before going off to war, Aaron and Cathryn Wall named their son Patrick Henry Wall. There was no question about their loyalties.
Lightwood House sits in a private 110-acre park of magnificent ancient woods, fields, and streams, which was part of the wedding gift of Chief Powhatan to his daughter, Pocahontas, and her English husband, John Rolfe. Settled by the English in the early 17th century, the property can be explored via our two miles of hiking trails, where those with keen eyes can discern traces of long-vanished settlement, and ancient trees.
In over 23 years as a vacation rental, we have received hundreds of reviews from different platforms. In that time every single review has been five star with the exception of one four star review four years ago which began "The kind of place where dreams are made". Go figure! However, I believe a twenty year run of straight five star reviews must be a rarity, and since the single four star review we are back to a four year five star run!
In 1978 the house had been abandoned for 18 years, and sat ragged, empty and forgotten in the middle of a field in southern Surry County. Fortunately we were able to purchase the house to be moved from the property, saving it from almost certain destruction. We dismantled the house piece by piece, labeling every beam, floorboard and piece of woodwork. We moved the house ten miles to northern Surry County, to another historic property settled since the early 17th century. Many trips were made hauling beams, bricks and woodwork in our Ford Pinto (which did not survive the experience). A generous local farmer with a love for history loaned us a farm truck to move the massive 12"X14" sill beams and other large framing parts. The house now stands exactly as it did originally at its former home. Even about 50% of the original siding was in good enough condition to be saved, and the original hand sawn pit-saw marks can still be seen.
The house is an architectural gem, and a rarity for a historic vacation rental, as the inside restoration matches the historic perfection of the outside, and is furnished with original sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, and early nineteenth-century art and antiques, along with a few reproductions--two of which were crafted from Lightwood Forest oaks felled by Hurricane Isabel. We have just finished a five year refurnishing project, and have added over one hundred thirty pieces of period art and antiques, including fine English, Continental and American historic furnishings and paintings.
Some of the original paintings are by famous old masters, including Sir Peter Lely, Sir Godfrey Kneller, Frances Cotes, Gainsborough Dupont, William Shuter, Izaak van Oosten and George Morland, as well as others by anonymous 16th, 17th and 18th century artists. It is a rare chance to live surrounded by such period artworks.
Nevertheless, we are both pet and child friendly, and children and pets are most welcomed. The furniture is sturdy and has survived countless children, pets, revolutions, civil wars, tavern brawls, and plagues for centuries, so a couple of hundred more years of use won't hurt! We love having excited children in the house, exploring every nook and cranny.
It has been said that entering the hall at Lightwood Forest feels like walking into a great English Country House- in miniature. After all, we only have five bedrooms, not fifty!
Lightwood Forest is certainly unique-- an historic house on 110 acres of park and woodland, furnished with art and furniture from 200 to 470 years old. We know of no other historic vacation rental in North America furnished with the quality of our original antique furnishings and period art.
Some of our guests have described Lightwood as "magical" or "mystical." For many guests it is a destination in itself, aside from its location near so many popular attractions. Some guests have even cancelled plans to tour for a day simply to stay and enjoy time at Lightwood Forest. Our mission is to provide a hands-on historical experience, and contribute to a love of nature as well.
Originally the home of a young Revolutionary War soldier, Aaron Wall and his family, the house was the center of a small farm in the eighteenth century. Upon returning from the war, Mr. Wall and his family added on to the house to create its present form. The family were rare early southern abolitionists, and Surry County had the highest number of free Black families in the nation before the Civil War. The family's abolitionist beliefs were most likely influenced by their large number of Quaker neighbors, with a Quaker meeting house nearby. The property was long owned in the nineteenth century by Mr. Prince, a free African-American farmer, and was passed down to his descendants.
Lightwood House is beautifully restored, featuring wonderful original woodwork, and yet has all modern amenities, including cable TV, air conditioning, dishwasher, WIFI, washing machine and dryer, microwave, Keurig, as well as a drip coffee maker, etc.
The house was built in several different periods, circa 1740-1760, 1789, 1795, and 1810, (with a modern bathroom addition), which gives an historical and architectural variety to the rooms. After the Revolution, the family prospered and the larger part of the house was built in the 1790s. A final addition was added on to the house in the early nineteenth century. The result is a home exhibiting greatly contrasting period styles.
Children love exploring the nooks and crannies of this venerable old house. Children's toys can be found in closets, and there is a children's play area out back with swings, slide and play tower. There is even a fairy tree in the forest where children can tie wishes...which might come true according to the legend! Up to two canine companions are also welcomed to stay.
Be sure to inquire about our Treasure Hunt quest in ancient Lightwood Forest! For children, and for grown ups who are still young at heart, join a search for the treasure hidden by fairies, who, according to legend, came from far-off Scotland centuries ago and settled among the ancient beeches, poplars, and oaks in Lightwood Forest. Be on the lookout for an ancient parchment scroll, beribboned and heavily weathered, which contains, lore be told, a mysterious treasure map, containing fascinating and elusive clues to the location of the treasure itself. This treasure, protected through the centuries by ancient fairy magic, is contained within a wooden chest that verily brims with a stupendous hoard of jewelry and sundry other baubles, which can be shared and taken home, with, of course, all the good luck and very best wishes forever and ever from the fairies! This one-of-a-kind and once-in-a-lifetime experience for adventurers of all ages costs $425 and can be enjoyed all year long!
There are very few houses of this period in this country available for vacation stays. Usually vacationers would need to go to Britain or Europe to stay in such an historic treasure. Lightwood Forest is a rare opportunity to experience both history and nature, inside and out, first hand. It is one of America's most beautiful and unique historic vacation rentals.
Our mission at Lightwood Forest is to provide a memorable and positive vacation experience, and to instill an interest in history, art and nature, looking towards the future.
**We host a maximum of ten guests in this vacation rental.`
Guest access
The entire house and grounds are rented to your party of ten or fewer. The house is one mile from the town of Surry, and 3 1/2 miles to the free, 18-minute car ferry to Jamestown and Williamsburg. The ferry leaves frequently, runs 24 hours a day, and docks at Jamestown on the north side of the river, giving a good view of historic Jamestown Island during the trip. Jamestown is a 1/2 mile, and Colonial Williamsburg 6 miles from the ferry dock. Busch Gardens is about 12 miles away.
Other things to note
** We have a ten guest maximum for this vacation rental. No parties or events without prior approval of homeowner. Separate contract required.
BEDROOMS- There are five bedrooms, and two large bathrooms, one up and one downstairs. If your party is close to the maximum of 10, I like to let you know the bedroom details, to make sure the bedroom arrangements will work for you. There are four bedrooms upstairs- two larger bedrooms each with a queen-sized bed, one small bedroom with a double bed, and one attic bedroom with two twin beds. The attic room adjoins one of the queen bedrooms, and one needs to go through the queen bedroom from the attic room to get to the upstairs bathroom. It often serves as a type of family suite. There is one more very small bedroom downstairs with a double bed. The bed is against the wall, so it can be difficult for the "inside" person to get out over the "outside" person in the middle of the night. There are two large bathrooms, one up and one downstairs. The upstairs bathroom has a tub/shower arrangement, and the downstairs bathroom has a six-foot jetted tub, as well as a separate walk-in shower. There is only one closet and one wardrobe in the house, but each bedroom has a chest-of-drawers. The stairs are steep in case someone in the party might have trouble with them. The rest of the house is large enough to spread out in, with a large dining room, large entrance hall, and comfortable living room. There is a large fenced-in front and back yard, and 100 acres of forest, meadows, and streams to explore on our two miles of hiking trails.
