Tour of Historic Church View Home Set for June 30

Join the Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society on Sunday, June 30, from 1 to 5 p.m. for a tour of Church View’s most prominent structure. Built in 1913, for more than a hundred years this stately house with the wraparound porch located on the curve at Church View has greeted persons traveling through Middlesex County on Route 17. Owned by Mary Lynn Landgraf and Bill Budd, it is now Southern Sighs Inn.

The home and nearby Dragon Run Country Store were built by George Northam using beautiful cypress lumber harvested from the flats of the Dragon Run located at the headwaters of the Piankatank River. The Northam family was heavily engaged in the lumber industry and shipped wood, including cypress, to Baltimore for sale around the country and for export. The Budd-Landgraf team purchased the home in 2016 and they have undertaken substantial renovations while remaining true to the original architectural style.

The home features beautiful hardwood floors, handcrafted French and Afghan Orientals, and fireplaces with gas logs. The guest rooms and common spaces feature a combination of period-specific art and furnishings. Ms. Landfraf has decorated the house with a blend of European style and Southern sensibility. Of special interest are the several themed rooms: one, The Greenbrier Room, pays homage to designer Dorothy Draper’s interiors at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, while another, the Russian Romance Room, offers a hint of the glory days of Imperial Russia.

Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the house and grounds and to enjoy light refreshments. Tickets for the tour are $15 and may be purchased by mailing a check made payable to Middlesex Museum to P.O. Box 121 Saluda, VA 23149. Tickets may also be purchased at Southern Sighs on the day of the tour. Southern Sighs is located at 35 Wares Bridge Road, Church View, Virginia, 23032. The Museum is pleased to highlight the preservation of one of Middlesex County’s fine old buildings.  Proceeds from the tour will benefit the Museum.

Photo provided by Southern Sighs by Roger Koppenrath.

A special and heartfelt thanks goes out to sponsors of this event, including Velma Gray, the Middlesex County Woman’s Club and Suzi Hutchens.