791 Morven Drive, Charlottesville

Part of the original 1730 Carter family land grant, Morven was known to Thomas Jefferson as “Indian Camp,” which he purchased for his “adoptive son,” Col. William Short, in 1795. The 19 th -century ambiance of its three-story manor house remains intact even after more recent additions and interior renovations. The last private owner, the late John Kluge, gave the property to the University of Virginia Foundation in 2001. Extraordinary grounds feature the formal and cutting gardens renovated by Annette Hoyt Flanders in the 1930s. Boxwood, tulips, phlox, lilacs, and deutzia, among other shrubs and perennials, fill a series of distinct garden rooms. Notable trees include the centuries-old Osage orange, a state champion Chinese chestnut, and several mature magnolia, oak, and ash trees. Morven was open for the first Historic Garden Week in Virginia in 1929 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.

Heavy rain cancels Morven’s tour. To verify conditions check Morven.virginia.edu