BERKELEY’S HISTORY BEGINS IN 1619 when settlers observed the first official Thanksgiving in America. The estate was the birthplace of Benjamin Harrison V, signer of the Declaration of Independence and governor of Virginia. Berkeley was 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, General George McClellan’s Union troops occupied the buildings and surrounding fields. While at Berkeley, General Daniel Butterfield composed the familiar tune “Taps”, first played by his bugler, O.W. Norton. The original Georgian mansion, built in 1726 of brick fired on the plantation, occupies a beautifully landscaped hilltop site overlooking the historic James River. Five terraces of restored gardens extend a full quarter mile from the front door of the mansion to the riverbanks. Guides tell stories of Thanksgiving, the Harrisons, the Civil War, and present owners of Berkeley. Native American, colonial and Civil War artifacts can be explored in the museum. Self-guided grounds tours include gardens, original dependencies, and reconstructed slave quarters. Experiencing four centuries of history, tours, and exhibits makes visiting Berkeley a fun and educational experience for all to enjoy. A Virginia and National Historic Landmark
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