Berkeley Plantation’s history begins in 1619 when settlers
observed the first official Thanksgiving in America. Berkeley’s
1726 Georgian mansion is the birthplace of Benjamin Harrison V,
signer of the Declaration of Independence and three times
governor of Virginia. The estate is also the birthplace of William
Henry Harrison, ninth president of the United States, and
ancestral home of his grandson, Benjamin Harrison, the twenty-third president. During the Civil War, Berkeley was occupied by
General George McClellan’s Union troops. While at Berkeley,
General Daniel Butterfield composed the familiar tune “Taps,”
first played by his bugler, O.W. Norton. John Jamieson, a
drummer boy with McClellan’s forces, returned to Berkeley in
1907 and purchased the house and 1400 acres. His son, Malcolm,
and his wife, Grace, are responsible for the extensive restoration
seen today. The plantation is presently owned by the Malcolm E
Jamieson family. The mansion is furnished with a magnificent
collection of 18th century antiques and artifacts. For more
information on Berkeley Plantation’s amazing story, visit their
website http://www.berkeleyplantation.com. As time pass, so
do people…. or do they?
Many of the staff at Berkeley Plantation as well as visitors have
stated that they have experienced things there that they just
cannot explain. Some have said to have heard the voices of
children, seen shadow figures, heard footsteps when no one else
was around, and have seen apparitions. Also, once during a
paranormal event there at the Carriage House, guests witnessed
a doorknob rattling before the door opened a few inches when
the group leader asked, “make your presence known”.
Events at the Berkeley Plantation
March 4, 2022
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