The story of Thanksgiving is inextricably linked to the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock despite the fact that America's first Thanksgiving did not occur in Massachusetts.  It took place in Virginia a full two years before the Pilgrims arrived in the New World.

John Wooflief, captain of the 40-ton Margaret, landed his small party of 38 settlers at Berkeley Hundred on December 4, 1619.  They came ashore and gave thanks for their safe passage, reading the message prepared for their landfall by King James I, their English proprietor: "Wee ordained that the day of our ships arrivall at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually keept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God." Each year on the first Sunday of November the landing of the Margaret and the First Thanksgiving are reenacted at Berkeley. (The house is called Berkeley; the settlement, Berkeley Hundred.)

Abraham Lincoln reportedly reviewed Union troops under this Berkeley Planation Sycamore tree

This would be quite enough to secure Berkeley's place in history, but it holds yet another distinction.  It is one of only two houses in America to be the ancestral home of a signer of the Declaration of Independence (Benjamin Harrison) and two presidents of the United States (William Henry Harrison and William Henry’s grandson, Benjamin Harrison).  The other house with this historic significance is the Adams ancestral home in Braintree, Massachusetts.

Berkeley is also credited with the first distillation of bourbon.  In the early days at Berkeley Hundred the colonists worked hard to establish their settlement.  George Thorpe, an Episcopal missionary, concocted a home-brew to encourage their efforts.  His corn liquor proved more popular than their English ale.

The Harrison family acquired Berkeley in 1691, but it was not until 1726 that Benjamin Harrison IV built the Georgian-style main house, the oldest three-story brick house in Virginia.  Benjamin Harrison's wife was Anne Carter, the daughter of Robert "King" Carter.  It was their son, Benjamin Harrison V, who became a signer of the Declaration of Independence and three-term Governor of Virginia.  He held elective office for 42 of his 65 years.  His picture hangs over the mantle in Berkeley's northern drawing room.

Benjamin Harrison V's youngest son, William Henry, the future president, was born at Berkeley in 1773.  He gained fame as an Indian fighter at the Battle of Tippecanoe and became Governor of the Northwest Territory.  When William Henry Harrison ran for the presidency in 1840 he initiated campaign publicity.  You see examples of his buttons and banners when you tour Berkeley.  Although he was born to wealth and social position, Harrison was depicted on his commemorative handkerchiefs as a rude frontiersman standing in front of a log cabin home.

Harrison won the election and became the ninth president.  He returned to Berkeley to write his inaugural address in the room where he was born.  During the campaign, Harrison had been advised by party leader Nicholas Biddle to "say not one single word about his principles, or his creed---let him say nothing---promise nothing..."  The opportunity to speak proved too tempting for Harrison; at better than two hours, his was the longest inaugural speech ever delivered.  He paid a high price for his vanity; he contracted pneumonia from his prolonged exposure to Washington's cold, wet weather and died within 30 days.  His vice president was his Sherwood Forest neighbor, John Tyler, whose smooth succession to the presidency set a precedent for future mid-term transitions.  In 1888 Harrison's grandson, Benjamin Harrison, became the 23rd president.

Though Berkeley looks as if nothing had happened to it since colonial days, history tells us otherwise.  In 1781, during the American Revolution, Benedict Arnold's troops plundered the plantation.  Late in the Civil War, during July and August of 1862, General McClellan made Berkeley his headquarters.  The Union army of 140,000 men camped on the grounds, during which time President Lincoln conferred twice with McClellan here.  Linking the past with the present, the current owner of Berkeley, Malcolm Jamieson, is the son of a drummer who served with McClellan's army at Berkeley.

Berkeley's preeminent role in history is highlighted in a slide program that precedes the guided tour of the house.  After the tour be sure to explore Berkeley’s grounds and gardens.  The plantation is open daily from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.  Admission is charged.

Next door to Berkeley is Westover Plantation.  Although the mansion is not open, the views you can get of the house from various parts of the sweeping grounds are worth your time.  Westover is considered an outstanding example of Georgian architecture.  If Westover looks familiar it is because it is featured in the Williamsburg movie, The Story of a Patriot.

There are several dependencies on the grounds, including the kitchen, smokehouse, icehouse and necessary.  The formal gardens were reestablished about 1900; within the garden you'll see the tomb of William Byrd II, founder of Richmond and Petersburg, buried here in 1744.  Westover's grounds and gardens are open daily from 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.  A nominal admission is charged.

Directions:  From I-295 to the east of Richmond, take Route 5 along the James River toward Williamsburg.  Berkeley and Westover, which are about 22 miles east of Richmond, are well-marked.