Tag Archives: Spotsylvania

Spacious Home With 3,000+ Sq Feet in Spotsylvania, VA! 11013 Cedar Post Lane Now SOLD!!

Welcome to 11013 Cedar Post located on a quiet cul-de-sac with a very private beautiful lot. This home is spacious and has an open floor plan. It does need work, however, most the work is sweat equity. Enjoy the three tiered deck for entertaining, the kitchen has an island, oodles of cabinet and counter space, step down into the light filled family room. There are windows everywhere for a lot of natural light. Living room and kitchen dining area share a double sided fireplace. The master suite is spacious and has an amazing master bathroom. This home has so many design features that are unique and amazing. A little tlc and you would have an amazing home with over 3000+ sqft. For more information on 11013 Cedar Post Lane, Click Here!

 Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Fredericksburg, Stafford, Orange, Locust Grove, Culpeper, Northern Virginia or even Maryland or DC, we are your Real Estate team committed to finding the perfect home for you! Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by homeowners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar, and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, one of our area expert advisors will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available properties, please visit our website licatagroup.com

Picture-Perfect Home with Beautiful Landscaping in Spotsylvania, VA! 7700 Burnleigh Street Now SOLD!!

Privately nestled among the trees in sought after Stuarts Crossing lies 7700 Burleigh Street. Welcome to this fabulous home situated on a beautifully landscaped lot of over an acre. Relax after a long day with a beverage on your large deck, and melt the day away. You will appreciate the two story foyer and gleaming hardwood floors throughout the main level. This light filled, spacious, open floor plan delights with an upgraded kitchen, which offers granite counter tops, gorgeous back splash, an island, and stainless steel appliances.

You will love the open family room with fireplace for those cool nights, as well as the other formal living areas that will make entertaining a breeze, and an inviting office to work from home in style. The upper level will wow you with an expansive master suite, ensuite bath, and large walk in closets. A laundry room and the other three bedrooms complete the upper level. The light filled, walk out basement is unfinished with the potential for a 5th bedroom and is already plumbed for a bathroom. You will also love the smart home security system, which supports operating all the security features from your phone! This is the complete package! For more information about this listing, Click Here!

 Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Fredericksburg, Stafford, Orange, Locust Grove, Culpeper, Northern Virginia or even Maryland or DC, we are your Real Estate team committed to finding the perfect home for you! Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by homeowners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar, and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, one of our area expert advisors will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available properties, please visit our website licatagroup.com

Top 10 Features That Make Your Home Sell Faster

The first rule in home selling is to know your typical buyer. What most buyers would want to have in their homes is what will eventually sell it. How soon – this depends on how well it fits their needs. While you can’t fulfill everybody’s wishes, some features make your home sell faster than others.

What Buyers Want

You don’t have to get inside your buyer’s mind. Luckily, tips for selling a home are numerous and easy to find. They are based on surveys and statistics and are usually related to a specific market. While steam ovens and floor heating may be a good add-on to an upscale home, those upgrades simply won’t pay off for most sellers. What the majority of people want is a reliable, good-looking, practical, comfortable, and affordable home. The most common features that would make your home sell faster are

  1. Curb Appeal
  2. Ample Storage Space
  3. Sufficient Bedrooms
  4. Eat-in Kitchen
  5. Fresh Paint
  6. Energy-efficient Appliances & Windows
  7. Off-road Parking
  8. Renovated Bathrooms
  9. Hardwood Floors
  10. Modern Lighting

Start With Entrance

The first step to boost the appeal would be to declutter your home, which also applies to your yard if you have it. If the exterior of your house is impressive enough, only then the prospective buyer will come inside and check the rest. To sell your home faster, you need to show to your buyer that you took good care of your home. Nothing shouts good maintenance like a neat exterior. 

Outstanding curb appeal will make your home sell faster

You might not have enough space for a garden, however, even a small secluded patio with a pair of garden chairs or loungers and potted plants can create the feel of a cozy getaway that most new homeowners look for.

Room for the things

There aren’t many who can say that they have too much storage space. Those who need extra storage simply call Verified Movers and rent a storage facility but there is another option. With the help of experts, it is possible to create extra storage and exploit otherwise underutilized space. Additional space for belongings is especially important to families with kids because they have plenty of useful things they don’t want to dispose of even if they’re used only occasionally.

Walk-in pantry

In case there is enough extra space, usually 5×5 feet, creating a walk-in pantry in the kitchen is a big bonus. Non-perishables stored at the arms reach is something most would prefer. Even more so because they can save on the deals of bulk purchases. Walk-in pantries are affordable add-ons highly appreciated by families.

A kitchen with a walk-in pantry is a great asset

Walk-in closet

On the other hand, walk-in closets are added to master bedrooms and are perfect for empty-nesters in love with neatly organized apparel, jewelry, and accessories. This feature can be made as a part of the existing bedroom or placed in a separate, smaller room. Organizers and many shelving units are worth their price. Walk-in closets are perfect for couples who share storage space and are highly ranked among other features.

That extra bedroom

Nothing attracts buyers more than a cozy extra bedroom. A guest bedroom is best suited for loft space. After all, having a new bedroom in the attic is much better than blocking the garage. If you opt for the renovation of your loft space, consider adding a new small bathroom or at least a WC.

Hearth of your home

Making an eat-in kitchen would leave a good impression on families with children. Resurfacing cabinets and repainting walls is the least you can do to make your kitchen more attractive. A new trend and a highly popular and affordable one is adding lighting under cabinets. The effect is to give your kitchen depth and visually make the ceiling higher. 

There is nothing as attractive as new appliances so the first and most important on the list should be a fridge. Prospective buyers are impressed with spacious and clean refrigerators as this is the appliance they will use the most.

A new coat

The most affordable and yet the best investment is fresh paint. Repainting your walls and ceilings and adding a new coat on the outside leaves a good first impression. Natural lighting is one of the most beneficial features a home could have. Bright walls that reflect natural light will make space visually larger and have a good psychological effect on visitors. If you wish to attract buyers moving to Virginia from another state, for example, you should stick to neutral colors, appealing to many.

Energy-efficient walls, windows, and appliances

If nothing else makes people care about the environment it’s the savings they secure by installing energy-efficient windows, adding insulation to their walls and purchasing energy star rated appliances. Any of these features would greatly appeal to millennials. They are both environmentally and financially conscious. Keeping the heat inside will help them keep their cool, too.

Room for your car

It is difficult to imagine getting anywhere without a car nowadays and having an (at least one) parking slot is a big asset to a home. If your garage space has been repurposed, make sure that you keep at least one off-road parking slot. 

One of the first things buyers ask the real estate agents is if there’s a garage/parking space available. You too might need to hire a lawyer or a real estate agent if you’re buying a new property at the same time you’re selling. A garage can serve as additional storage and as such is indispensable.

Fresh & Clean

A tidy and crisp bathroom is a feature no one is immune to, and refurbishing one is a must. A bathroom is perhaps the only room in the house that is easy to look luxurious and impressive with a relatively small investment.

Hardwood floors

Hardwood floors are durable and lasting and as a feature, they appeal to everybody. And why not; they are easy to maintain and keep clean.

Interior and exterior lighting

Modern exterior lighting is an add-on that sets your house apart. While an exterior illumination boosts your curb appeal, interior lighting is an affordable feature that will make your home sell faster.

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Fredericksburg, Stafford, Orange, Locust Grove, Norther Virginia or even Maryland or DC, we are your Real Estate team committed to finding the perfect home for you! Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by homeowners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar, and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, one of our area expert advisors will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available properties, please visit our website lakeofthewoodsvirginia.com

Fredericksburg Pet Show

Who let the dogs out? You did if you plan on bringing your furry friends to the 8th Annual Fredericksburg Pet Show! The Fredericksburg Expo Center invites you and your favorite pets to join them on September 21 from 10:00 Am – 5:00 PM and September 22 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM at this family-fun event that is sure to put a smile on every face. All well behaved pets are welcome, and the fun doesn’t end with cats and dogs. Pigs, lizards, birds, Opossum and pets of all kinds will be there. All dogs that are attending are welcomed to challenge the Agility Course and Dog Racetrack from Dogloversdays. What could possibly make this event even better?  How about a performance from the famous Twiggy, The Water-Skiing Squirrel! Admission is $9.00 for Adults | $8* Advance, and $8.00 for Seniors (60+) | $7* Advance. Children 12 and under are free! For more information, be sure to click here. We all love our furry friends, so let’s give them a day to show it!

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by home owners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

HAUNTED MANOR TOUR

Want to send a shiver down your spine? Tired of watching ghost shows, and want to experience it first hand? Than be sure to pay a visit to Deep Creek Vintage on September 7, 2019 as they take you along an after-hours ghost tour that is sure to make even the bravest of us quiver in fear. Guests will be a part of a 2.5-hour interactive tour that takes you through the manor, where your courage will be put to the test. You’ll learn the history that lies beneath these haunted grounds, hear all kinds of paranormal activity that occurs within the walls, and take part in a real EVP recording session! Tickets are available for $30.00. Suitable for mature children over 12. For more information be sure to click here. If you’re ready for a frightening good time, then make sure you’re there on September 7th!

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by home owners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

Wild Roots Music Festival at Wilderness Presidential Resort in Spotsylvania, VA!

Wilderness Presidential Resort located at 9220 Plank Rd in Spotsylvania Virginia 22553 is hosting the Wild Roots Music Festival on Saturday, September 21st from 12pm – 8pm.

Licata Group is proud to be a sponsor of this festival that will consist of 4 live Americana bands, several food trucks, a beer garden and many local artists.

Live Music will be performed by: Karen Jonas, Whiskey Revival, Cabin Creek and the Hive Robbers. The craft beer garden will feature local downtown Fredericksburg Brewery: Spencer Devon Brewing.

This is a rain or shine event with tickets for sale at $20 each, tickets prices do not include the beer garden. Purchase tickets here. Grab your friends and family and prepare for a relaxing Saturday enjoying some good music with delicious food!

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by home owners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

History in Our Backyard Chapter 5: an Oral History (continued)

In April, 1875, the New York Sun reported that Anthony Smith, commonly known as Anthony Jones, died in New York at the age of 70. Smith was a former slave who had run-away from the Wilderness of Virginia. During his life in New York Smith had accumulated a considerable estate but had neglected to write a will. Lacking a legal heir, the New York Court System took control of his affairs.

On his death-bed interview, Smith told the story of his life. Once the property of William Jones, owner of the Ellwood Manor estate in the Wilderness of Spotsylvania, His master William Jones had become a widower in the 1820s and several years later William remarried Lucinda Gordon who brought with her to Ellwood Mansion a personal slave, Patsey.

Anthony eventually wooed Patsey and with the consent of their owners they took up housekeeping on the Ellwood Manor grounds. Four children were born to the couple, but only one, the fourth, survived. About the time of William’s death in 1845, Anthony ran-away from his then pregnant wife and the Ellwood estate. He was captured, returned to Fredericksburg and sold to a new owner. After a trip to the South with his new master, Anthony again escaped and made his way to New York City, where he lived out his remaining years. Following the Emancipation, Anthony attempted to restore contact with his family back in the Wilderness, but with limited success. Patsey did retain one of his letters and later cited it as proof of their marital relationship.

The story as related above was published in the New York papers sometime after Anthony’s death. It was soon picked up and published by Richmond, Virginia papers. As a result, two sets of claimants to Anthony’s fortune came forth to the New York Court. One, the remaining sister and brother of Anthony declared extreme poverty. They were represented by J. Horace Lacy, their former owner through his marriage to Betty Churchill Jones, William Jones’ second daughter and heir to Ellwood.

Exhibit 5 J. Horace Lacy

The second claimants were Patsey, his first wife, along with the sole living child who was born after Anthony’s first escape. They were represented by lawyers Alexander & Green of Fredericksburg. When interviewed by the New York court, Patsey explained that she had waited a number of years following Anthony’s departure before taking in a new partner. Though partnered, she claimed to have been the wife of Anthony (citing the letter she retained) and therefore a legal heir to his estate.

The New York Court wrestled with the judgment for nearly a year. They recognized that New York and Virginia laws on marriage differed considerably in the pre-war era. Numerous testaments and affidavits were heard or submitted. Many of the claimants appeared before the referee at least one time. In the end, based on Patsey’s proof of their pre-war marital relationship, the court sided with Patsey. She received the estate, then valued at $20,000, cash and property.

Author:  Bob Epp
Date: March 2018

Read Previous Chapter. Chapter 4: An Oral History of a Local Slave Family

Continue to Chapter 6: Relive the Battle of the Wilderness

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by home owners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

History in Our Backyard Chapter 4: An Oral History of a Local Slave Family

Do you know your family’s history?  How far back can you trace your lineage?  If you are an African American descended from slaves, that quest can be very difficult, often impossible.  Most of what we know about the history of slaves and their families comes from oral traditions carried from generation to generation.  Such is the case of Anthony Jones, a slave on the Ellwood Plantation in the first half of the 19th century, and his family.

Shortly before his death in New York City, Jones shared a believable story of his family and their roles at the plantation.   Anthony was the son of Ester and Anthony Jones, Sr., likely the Black Minister for the plantation’s slaves.  Anthony, Sr. and Ester had 8 children, some of whom are documented on slave censuses from Spotsylvania and Orange Counties.

William Jones, the owner of Ellwood, was widowed in 1825.  He remarried a few years later at 78 to Lucinda Gordon, a 16 year old grandniece of his first wife.  She brought her personal slave, Patsy, with her to Ellwood.   Like most slaves during this period, Patsy developed a specialty – her skill was weaving. The younger Anthony took a shine to Patsy as she sat weaving and, after wooing her for an extended time, asked her to marry him.   Patsy agreed and Anthony, as the law then required, had to ask for permission from the plantation owner; after William Jones agreed, Anthony and Patsy took up residency in the laundry house at Ellwood.   They had four children over the next 13 years – the first three (Isaac, Aaron, and Lucy) died in infancy.

Exhibit 4 Slave Auction Block

Over time, Anthony grew increasingly unhappy with his Ellwood life, working the fields and gold mining on plantation property.   In the early 1840s he opted to run away, leaving his then pregnant wife Patsy, his parents and his 7 siblings behind.   He was captured and returned to Fredericksburg where he was jailed and sold to a slave trader, John Ellis.   After the sale, Anthony had to accompany his master on a trip into the Deep South.  On their return by boat, Ellis became sick and died, leaving Anthony in charge of the owner’s personal belongings.  Instead of returning to Fredericksburg, Anthony stayed on the ship headed to New York.  On arrival, he locked his owner’s trunk, gave the key to the ship’s captain, and announced that he was going to Church.   He never returned to the ship.

Anthony obtained employment in New York and for the next few years attempted to correspond with Patsy; she later claimed to have received only one letter which had to be read to her by the local postmaster (Almond).  Unfortunately, she lost that letter during the Civil War. She and her youngest child, Anthony III, later laid claim to the wealth her husband accumulated during his New York working days.  The elder Jones’ siblings, Isaac Smith and Elizabeth Keaton, also pursued the estate through the New York probate court. Those proceedings (1873-1876) and their related testimonials afforded considerable insight into the family, some of which are shared in this article.

(The rest of the story, obtained from the court proceedings, will appear in the next episode.)

Author:  Bob Epp

Date: March 2018

Read Chapter 3: Plantation Life in the Wilderness

Continue to Chapter 5: an Oral History (continued)

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by home owners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

History In Our Backyard: Chapter 2 The Wilderness – The Early Years

Initially, this series on History in Our Backyard described how the Wilderness became the Wilderness.  Now we will delve into the early inhabitants who came to what would become known as “The Wilderness.” All things Wilderness were synonymous with Alexander Spotswood, the colony’s Royal Lt Governor in the early 1700s. He initiated the economic progress of the region through his efforts to establish Germanna fort and an iron industry. One source states that “there, thirty miles from the last outlying farms, the Germans set to work, clearing a site on the riverbank and building a fortified town.” The same source references the fort being supplied by pack-trains of mules and horses.


Exhibit 2 Germanna Fort

Those same pack-trains were instrumental in his 1716 venture into the mountains to the west. His band of adventure-seeking explorers departed from the Germanna fort accompanied by animals laden with supplies including a healthy supply of spirits. He later awarded each participant with a golden horseshoe pin thereby identifying them as the “Knights of the Golden Horseshoe” for eternity.

At the time of Spotswood’s term as Lt Governor of Virginia in 1722, he had firmly established his presence in the area. Through a somewhat devious plan he had accumulated over 80,000 acres of land. Records show that he never sold a single acre of the land, choosing instead to lease lots, mostly in 50 acre parcels, a few in parcels of up to 500 acres.

English law at that time dictated that settlers construct a home and plant an orchard on their leased property within three years. They also had to clear and plant a minimum one-acre garden and/or cropland. Initially, many chose to plant tobacco. The Colony was cash-strapped in those days and tobacco became the medium of exchange in most commercial transactions.

A 1724 inventory of Spotswood’s properties shows that he owned his fort, his large home, dozens of farm animals and the basis of the iron works, namely the Tubal site, about 12 miles east of his residence. At Germanna, he established the first County seat of Spotsylvania and held court in his home. The presence of the court quickly brought its own society; travelers arrived routinely for appearances before the justices.

County courts developed “Order Books” in those days. Both the Spotsylvania and later Orange (after 1734) books contain references to orders issued to Spotswood, primarily dictating that he organize work crews to maintain the road to Germanna and the bridge over Wilderness Run, located near the present day intersection of State Route 3 and US 20. Local residents provided the labor for the crews, usually their slaves. Spotswood did maintain the ferry that operated over the Rapid Anne River, today’s Rapidan. He also maintained his own road from Germanna to the Tubal Iron Works.

Eventually, small enterprises sprang up in the area. Those that were not located at the Court complex would be found along the Germanna Road. Retail stores, grain mills, saw mills, post offices, wagon makers and leatherworks businesses all found their place. Physicians took up residence in the area and church spires began to become part of the local scenery. By 1725 there were 7 plantations alone in the area surrounding the Tubal Iron Works site. The new Wilderness society was beginning to take shape.

Author:  Bob Epp

Date:  September 2017

Read Previous Chapter 1: How the Wilderness Became the Wilderness

Continue to Chapter 3: Plantation Life in the Wilderness

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by home owners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

History in Our Backyard: Chapter 1: How the Wilderness Became the Wilderness

Early May 1864 witnessed the first time that Confederate General Robert E. Lee and Union General Ulysses S. Grant – the two giants of the Civil War – met in battle in an area known then and forever more as the Wilderness.  The area had been known as the Wilderness for more than one hundred years before the Civil War but it was this bloody battle that would put the Wilderness on the map and in the history books forever.  What made these seventy square miles different from the rest of early Virginia?  How did the Wilderness become the Wilderness?  To answer these questions, we must go back to the early 1700’s when Virginia was still a British colony and Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood envisioned starting an iron smelting industry in this area.

Spotswood arrived in Hampton Roads in June, 1710, after being appointed Lieutenant Governor of the Virginia Colony.  Iron ore was known to exist in the area that would become the Wilderness even before Spotswood arrived in Virginia.  The British Government at that time restricted manufacturing to the home islands and looked to the colonies to produce and export raw materials back to England while importing finished goods manufactured from those raw materials.  Despite the lack of permission from the British Government to smelt iron in the colonies, Spotswood initiated the iron smelting operation in Virginia anyway. His initiative was in fact the first attempt at moving away from an agricultural to an industrial based economy in Virginia and actually in any of the colonies.  

There are three elements in that land that are critical to the smelting of iron ore:  the ground must contain iron ore; there must be large forests for fuel, and water for power must be available.  All of these features were abundant in what was to become the Wilderness and Spotswood began acquiring land in this area shortly after his arrival in Virginia. Within just a couple years he controlled over 80,000 acres in present day Orange and Spotsylvania Counties. 

But there was still one feature missing before Spotswood could turn his dream into reality and that was the presence of experienced manpower that could conduct the smelting operations.  So he arranged for the emigration of German iron workers to Virginia; the first emigrants began arriving here in April, 1713.  They were the original settlers of the Germanna community, located on the south bank of the Rapidan River near today’s State Route 3 and Germanna Community College.  By 1715 Spotswood had established the Tubal Furnace below the confluence of the Rapidan and Rappahannock rivers and was smelting iron.  By 1750 there would be at least six blast furnaces smelting the area’s iron ore.

The smelting process required a fire hot enough to reach the iron ore’s melting point, 2,190 to 2,810 degrees Fahrenheit, and it had to be burning continuously for weeks at a time.  The amount of fuel for smelting the iron was enormous – nearly two acres of hardwood per ton of smelted iron – and some furnaces could burn as much as seven hundred acres of timber per year.  To obtain the fuel required clear cutting vast segments of the virgin forest in the area.  The second growth forest that sprang up afterward consisted of smaller, scrubbier trees which allowed the growth of ground covering vegetation.  The vines, briars, honeysuckle, poison ivy and other lower growing vegetation created an almost impenetrable wall of vegetation and resulted in the area, by at least 1750, becoming known as “The Wilderness.”  


Exhibit 1 The Wilderness Virginia

It was this second growth forest that was in place during the Civil War.  Although the 1863 Battle of Chancellorsville was fought in and around the Wilderness, it was really the first encounter of Lee and Grant in May 1864 – right in our backyard – that the iconic name of “The Wilderness” became forever etched in Civil War and American history.

Author:  Don Shockey

Date:  August 2017

Read Previous: History in Our Backyard: Introduction

Continue to Chapter 2: The Wilderness- The Early Years

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by home owners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.