Garden Day in Lynchburg
TUESDAY, APRIL 21ST 2026
Garden Day Tour Properties
1303 Langhorne Road
Secluded behind gated stucco walls, this Spanish Mediterranean estate is an architectural treasure. The entrance drive circles a mosaic-tiled fountain, while a wisteria-covered arbor shades the tiled porch. An open porch wraps around the side of the house, offering views of the recently restored teahouse, fountain, and reflecting pool. All structures on the property are stuccoed masonry with green-tiled roofs, creating a harmonious ensemble. Built in 1921, the residence features distinctive Mediterranean details. The grand entry hall, with arched French doors and black-and-white marble floors, has a vaulted ceiling and wrought-iron light fixtures. It opens through spindled arches into a living room where portraits of the owners’ parents by the late Scaisbrooke Langhorne Abbott hang. The library’s intricately carved mantel is one of five throughout the house, while the den’s geometric-paned windows and mosaic tile floor reflect the home’s Spanish theme. The expansive grounds, designed in 1922 by Washington, D.C., landscape architect George Burnap, whose work includes the White House gardens, remain lush. Original boxwoods and uncommon trees like European ash and ginkgo still flourish. Paintings by Mrs. Patterson, her grandmother, and local artists, along with a 1926 Steinway and an 1854 Knabe & Co. piano, complete this remarkable home. The property was last open for Historic Garden Week in 1993 when Tulane’s Mother owned it.
Claudia and Tulane Patterson, owners
Parking
Street parking on or near Sunset Drive: walk to 1303 Langhorne Road and 3612 Sunset Drive
1603 Langhorne Road
Country Gardens
Gracefully situated on 20 acres, this stately English country house was built in 1933 for R.J. Cullen by Fred B. Fuqua Jr. and designed by New York architects Pruitt and Brown. Its blend of white clapboard, painted brick, gray stone, and a Buckingham slate roof creates a timeless façade. Weathered, hand-hewn beams supporting the front porch were salvaged from an old Virginia warehouse; matching beams now frame a covered stone porch added by the current owners to complement the original design. Inside, Colonial and Georgian influences shape the home’s gracious proportions. The wide, high-ceilinged entry hall opens to bright, spacious rooms ideal for family gatherings. The living room features a white Italian marble mantel and a bay window, while the dining room’s picture window overlooks an extended lawn, riding ring, and distant Blue Ridge Mountains. Paintings by local artists adorn the walls throughout the house. A renovated kitchen and adjoining sitting area offer inviting modern comfort. An attached guest cottage adjoins thoughtfully planned gardens linked by brick walkways. Mature magnolia, dogwood, and pecan trees shade borders of boxwood, hydrangea, camellia, peony, hellebore, and fern—creating a landscape that reflects both structure and serenity.
Betty Lynn and John Blanks, owners
Parking
Street parking on Dorchester Court and Elk Street off Langhorne Road: walk to 1603 Langhorne Road
3612 Sunset Drive
Built in 1933 for Mr. and Mrs. E.A. Watson, this distinguished Colonial home was designed by the architectural firm Craighill and Cardwell. The two-story house was constructed using stone from Lynchburg’s old city jail, with the façade, porch piers, and elevation showcasing the reclaimed material. Purchased in 2022 by the current owners, the home underwent extensive renovations and additions. The kitchen features custom cabinetry, soapstone countertops, and a Paris-inspired marble checkerboard inlay that repeats in the powder room and sunroom. Brass hardware throughout the house was carefully restored, and the family room’s cypress walls add warmth and character. The addition includes a sunroom and a master suite redesigned for modern comfort, while a bluestone patio and outdoor living area extend into newly landscaped gardens lined with hornbeam trees. An open, screened veranda offers another inviting outdoor space. A highlight of the interior is a striking two-story mural created by Mrs. Sydnor. Executed in the grisaille technique, the monochromatic design draws inspiration from Colonial and early American landscapes, depicting serene forest scenes with birds and deer. The home’s art collection includes works by local artists, among them the homeowner, reflecting a deep appreciation for creativity and place.
Sallie and Walker Sydnor, owners
Parking
Street parking on or near Sunset Drive: walk to 1303 Langhorne Road and 3612 Sunset Drive
4310 Greenway Place
Completed in 1929 for Edwin B. Horner and designed by architect Penn Clark, this Colonial-style home remained in the Horner family for three generations before being purchased by the Godseys in 2017. A 1947 first-floor bedroom addition complements the original design, and the Godseys’ extensive renovations thoughtfully modernized the house while preserving its architectural integrity. The limewashed brick façade, bluestone patios, and copper awning over the kitchen entry—sourced from New Orleans—highlight the home’s enduring charm. Stone walls now border the parterre garden and back driveway, with a water feature adding tranquility to the rear landscape. Inside, widened doorways and raised casings create a sense of openness from the central hall to the dining room and expanded kitchen, where arched windows echo the original porch arches. The kitchen includes a large center island, custom cabinetry, and plenty of natural light. Original mantels and marble surrounds—believed to have come from a downtown Lynchburg bank—anchor the living and dining rooms. Art throughout features paintings by Annie Massie, Anne Harris Massie Winstead, and other local artists, as well as sketches by American Impressionist Bernhard Gutmann. Mature magnolia and Blue Atlas cedar trees, new garden borders, a shade garden, and a bronze, copper, and aluminum armillary by Swedish artisan Sune Rooth add structure and grace to the grounds.
Rie and Eddie Godsey, owners
Parking
Peakland United Methodist Church, 4434 Boonsboro Road: walk to 4310 Greenway Place and Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center.
Poplar Forest
Thomas Jefferson’s private retreat and plantation, Poplar Forest, provided him a peaceful sanctuary for reading, writing, and gardening after he retired from public life in 1809. Designed by Jefferson himself, the octagonal house reflects his interest in classical forms and balance. Ongoing restoration by Poplar Forest’s team of expert craftsmen continues to uncover the brilliance of his design. The interior features four elongated octagons surrounding a central dining room—a perfect twenty-foot cube lit from above by a sixteen-foot skylight. Although the exterior appears to be a single story, the dining room rises over two levels, creating an architectural surprise. Floor-to-ceiling windows and doors in the adjacent parlor open onto the columned south portico, which overlooks a sunken lawn once filled with ornamental flowers and shrubs. Jefferson’s landscape design expressed his love of geometry and order. Archaeological research has revealed evidence of his ornamental grounds, including an eighty-foot-diameter carriage turnaround built by enslaved laborers, double rows of mulberry trees, and oval flower beds framed by clusters of decorative trees. Adopted by the Garden Club of Virginia in 2011, Poplar Forest continues to be carefully restored to Jefferson’s original vision.
Optional Shuttle
Complimentary shuttle to Jefferson’s Poplar Forest from Peakland United Methodist Church, 4434 Boonsboro Road.
Address
1776 Poplar Forest Parkway, Forest, VA 24551
Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center
Tour Headquarters
Nestled within a 47-acre urban forest, 42 acres of which are protected through a conservation easement, the Camp Kum-Ba-Yah (CKBY) Nature Center serves as a naturalized space for outdoor play and education for the public. Founded in 1950 by Bev Cosby, who saw the need for a safe outdoor space for children during the summer, CKBY Nature Center has grown to offer year-round programming. Activities include environmental education field trips, gardening, hiking, team-building, swimming, events at Addison’s Amphitheatre, and special celebrations. In spring 2025, Camp Kum-Ba-Yah was honored with the Bessie Bocock Carter Award from the Garden Club of Virginia for its signage along the Cosby Trail. Blue Ridge Conservation will provide information on native plants, pollinators, and chemical-free yards, while local vendors will sell plants and gardening supplies.
Kyle Simpson, Executive Director
Parking
Peakland United Methodist Church, 4434 Boonsboro Road: walk to 4310 Greenway Place and Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center.
Address
4415 Boonsboro Road, Lynchburg, VA 24503