Braehead

Long-awaited Virginia Walnut

Leading down a long, overgrown drive brings you to one of Louisa County’s most cherished and historical properties. Nestled amongst clusters of mature Walnut and Hackberry trees sits the Braehead House. Built in 1711, this property has a past as colorful and quirky as its owner.

We first visited Ann Eley and the Braehead House back in 2015, and quickly fell in love with the property and her stories. After two canceled trips and a global pandemic, we finally found the opportunity to revisit and collect some very special lumber.

We’re excited to share this story with you all. Hope you like!

One of the first stories Ann shared with us took place around the time of the Revolutionary War. Marquis De Lafayette had a party on the property that lasted three full days. It’s said that he spent one night under the stars, passed out drunk on the front lawn.

On that very same lawn, a storm took down a 300-year-old Walnut tree in the early 1980s. We like to think it could have been the same tree Lafayette woke up under after his night of debauchery.

Ann’s father, a furniture maker and woodworker in his own right, had a sawyer come out and mill the tree to use for future woodworking projects. Unfortunately, he passed not long after — leaving the wood untouched in his woodshop for decades.

lafayette with that foreverhead

That same famous Frenchman has history here in Vermont. After the war, Lafayette was on a celebration tour through New England. It’s documented that he stopped in Royalton for the night before making his way to Montpelier. He drank and dined at the Fox Stand Inn, the very place we now call home — small world!

Back to the story.

When we arrived, we found Ann under the hood of an old, orange lawnmower. She quickly remarked that we were early and she hadn’t had time to make room in the barn. She asked for the gas can so she could get it started.

“I get my gas from a farmer down the road” she said as she poured the crystal clear liquid into the tank. Ann’s Westie was quick to lap up the drops of this farm-made hooch. Something tells me that dog can hold its liquor better than Lafayette ever could.

Nick and his brother, Logan, started to sort through the shorter lumber, setting up a yes, no, and maybe pile. Ann jinxed us — not long after warning us about snakes and spiders, Nick turned over a board and found a Wolf Spider the size of her drunk dog.

Before long, we made our way to Ann’s father’s workshop where the larger lumber was stored. Tucked up under bags of old fertilizer and an antique baby carriage sat about a dozen gorgeous boards. We dug them out, dusted them off, and stacked them outside the shop door. Nick’s Mom, PK, pulled the truck around and we started loading up.

After we were done with the lumber, Ann graciously gave us another walk-through of the main house. When we first toured it years ago, we fell in love with the place immediately. The light, shadow, architecture, furniture, stories, and sounds were all enchanting. We couldn’t wait to take it all in again.

She walked us through the kitchen and dining room first, pointing out the variety of furniture her father had made.

We made our way up the stairs to the main ballroom. She told us that back in 1811, George Washington attended a party here and danced in this very room!!

It’s said this was the party where ole G Dubb himself invented the “stanky leg.” We don’t doubt it.

We went across the hall to a large bedroom that Ann called “the Birthing Room.” The blood-stained floor on the far side of the bed shows there was a struggle…let’s take a second and salute all the mothers out there!

On the opposite wall above an antique wash basin hung a painting that caught Nick’s eye.

“Who’s that?” he asked.

“That’s me!” Ann exclaimed.

It’s a self-portrait she painted back when she was in school.

We then went down the hall to a spare bedroom — “Isabella’s Room,” Ann called it. Sarah Isabella was the wife of Thomas Mitchell, who purchased the property in 1787. After her death in 1825, she decided to stick around a while longer. Ann claims the ghost of Isabella still lives in the home, and this room is her favorite.

That’s her hiding under the sheets.

We’ve found immense satisfaction in finding and sharing these stories. Learning the story and history behind the lumber we use brings life and depth to the wood that conventional lumber yards can’t provide. Stay tuned as we create a variety of pieces from this special batch of Virginia hardwood.