The Centre Hill Mansion in Petersburg is open to the public
Many of you know I recently married a wonderful man who not only makes me happy in so many ways, but he has also introduced me to the charming town of Petersburg, Va., where he has a graceful house originally built in 1830. He has also given me an insider’s look at the historic preservation movement in that city.
Petersburg has great potential to become, if not the next Williamsburg, Va. (where, ironically, many 18th-century Petersburg structures were dismantled and re-erected), at least a model of historic preservation. It is a town rich in historical significance – at the Petersburg National Battlefield, for example, you will learn of the 10-month siege, which, when it ended, caused the collapse of Richmond and General Lee’s army in the Civil War.
The town of 30,000-plus inhabitants, which dates back to the 1600s, also has a number of historically significant and beautiful homes, churches and other structures in a variety of architectural styles, including the Centre Hill Mansion, which is open to the public and which has recently been discovered by Hollywood. Many of the street scenes from the Oscar-winning film Lincoln were filmed in Petersburg’s Old Town.
What it does not have is an organization as successful as the Los Angeles Conservancy. It does have the Historic Petersburg Foundation and a small core of preservationists who are doing their best. But it takes an entire city to come together and put its energy into something as important as preservation.
Petersburg is struggling with economic woes, so it is understandable that its energy is focused in that area. But it has great potential for increasing tourism and further attracting business investors and the film industry by taking Williamsburg’s lead and making a strong commitment to preservation.