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CHARLES CITY COUNTY – Governor Timothy M. Kaine today highlighted the role of preservation easements during a ceremony that celebrated recent restoration work at Shirley Plantation, established in 1613 along the James River as Virginia’s first plantation. The event marked completion of a historically accurate “facelift” of the two-story porticos of the 18th-century Great House at Shirley – the first work completed since the owner’s family donated to the Commonwealth a preservation easement on 121 acres last fall.
An historic preservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement that provides for continued private ownership and use of an historic landmark, while granting the state the authority to protect the historic, architectural, and archaeological features of the property.
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Jack Abeel, Governor Kaine,
Charles H. Carter III.
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The Shirley Plantation easement, approved by the property’s 11th generation owner, Charles Hill Carter III, covers Shirley’s core historic area and structures, including the James River shoreline, and the Great House, built between 1723 and 1738. The easement is jointly held by the "http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/" (VDHR) and the "http://www.virginiaoutdoorsfoundation.org/" (VOF), providing for the protection of open space lands associated with the historic core.
“What a great gift to future generations of Virginians and Americans that this historic Virginia property will be preserved through a stewardship partnership between its current and future owners and the Commonwealth,” Governor Kaine said. “This agreement means that Shirley Plantation will always be here along this stretch of river, where the first cradle of settlement took shape, and from which a new nation eventually sprang.”
Governor Kaine has set as a goal of his administration the preservation of 400,000 additional acres of historic and open lands throughout Virginia bythe end of this decade.
During the ceremony, Mr. Carter spoke about the benefits and ease of working with architectural historians and other experts at the VDHR, which guided and approved the restoration work.
“Having an easement on these structures has lifted a burden for future generations of this family by ensuring Shirley will continue to be preserved, protected, and passed on in as close to its original state as possible,” Carter said. “The value of working with the Department of Historic Resources is that no longer will it be the sole responsibility of the Carter family or our staff to make the right decisions to preserve these historic structures.”
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Facelift for Shirley's Great House.
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Guests arrive for ceremony.
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Preservation easements contain limits that obligate an owner to refrain from actions that are incompatible with the historic preservation of the landmark. They also are held in perpetuity, and the obligations pass with the title to the land, binding subsequent owners. Currently, the VDHR holds 420 easements on nearly $1 billion worth of historic landmark properties.
Oversight includes periodic visits by VDHR staff and consultation with property owners when they desire to make changes or improvements to their properties to make sure such actions respect the character and features of a property. In return for donating an easement, property owners are eligible for state and federal tax incentives and may enjoy reductions in local tax assessments that take into account the loss of development rights on a property under easement.
Since the easement program was enacted, the VDHR and VOF have emerged as nationally recognized leaders in cultural and natural heritage conservation, often working together in stewardship of historic buildings and their settings, archaeological sites, and associated open space lands.
During the event, Governor Kaine also unveiled an inscription from an artisan found inside one of the portico columns, hidden for over 175 years, untilit was removed as part of the restoration project last month. After the ceremony,restoration craftsman Jack Abeel added his own inscription to one of the recently renovated columns on the Great House’s porticos.
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