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The History of Richard Bland College • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • History of the College | Gurley House Print | Sam Harris and the Pecan Grove | President's House and Surrounding Area | Water Garden | RBC MaceRichard Bland College is the Junior College of the Commonwealth and a branch campus of The College of William and Mary in Virginia. It was established by the General Assembly of Virginia in 1960, and has provided opportunities for higher education to the citizens of communities located away from the main campus of William and Mary in Williamsburg for the past forty years. The affairs of the College are directed by the Board of Visitors of The College of William and Mary. The Board is appointed by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. A president, appointed by the Board of Visitors, is in charge of the actual administration and courses of study at the College. Richard Bland College derives its name from that of Richard Bland, Virginia statesman and champion of public rights. For more on Richard Bland, please visit the RBC library web page devoted to Richard Bland and his accomplishments. Before the Civil War, the property on which Richard Bland College is now located was a plantation owned by the Gurley family. It became an important part of the Union-occupied territory during the 1864-1865 Siege of Petersburg. The present campus was the scene of two battles during that campaign. Shortly before the turn of the century, the Hatcher-Seward family established a dairy and cattle farm on the former Gurley property and constructed two farmhouses. Today they serve as the residence of the President and of the Dean of Administration and Finance. In the early 1900s, the still-beautiful grove of pecan trees was planted. The farm was used as a work camp for about twenty conscientious objectors during World War I. The Commonwealth of Virginia authorized Central State Hospital to purchase the land in 1932 for use as the Petersburg Training School and Hospital for African-American Youth. That institution was moved in 1959, and the land, still owned by the Commonwealth, became the location for the establishment of Richard Bland College of The College of William and Mary. Under the guidance of Colonel (Ret.) James M. Carson, the former hospital and training facility was transformed into Richard Bland College, and classes were held beginning in 1961. In the late 1960s, Ernst Hall (named for a local business leader influential in the establishment of the college) was added to the original campus. In addition, a Student Center/Library building and a gymnasium also were constructed. Colonel Carson retired as the founding President of the College in 1973. From 1973 through 1975, Dr. Cornelis Laban, Professor of Biology, Emeritus, served as the Acting President of Richard Bland College. In 1975, Dr. Clarence Maze succeeded Colonel Carson as President. During his tenure, Richard Bland College expanded its academic programs and created a number of programs to encourage international awareness and travel. Dr. James B. McNeer became the third President of Richard Bland College in 1996. He has been instrumental in restructuring the College to serve the Commonwealth in a responsible manner. For more on this history of Richard Bland College, see the following online library resources:
Gurley House: 1864
(Note that the Gurley House was located approximately where the Gazebo is today.)
Sam Harris and the Pecan Grove A life-long resident of the Petersburg area, Sam Harris, known to friends as "Old Sam," was born in Dinwiddie County about a mile from the present campus of Richard Bland College. Mr. Harris and his team of mules worked on the college property near the turn of the 20th century when the Hatcher Seward Farm occupied the premises. His brother, Charles, also worked for the Seward Dairy and later for the Petersburg Training School, which took over the site in 1934.
The impressive pecan grove was developed by an engineer around the turn of the twentieth-century. The grove is made up of hundreds of pecan trees, evenly spaced apart from one another. A local newspaper article relays various memories Mr. Harris has of the property and the pecan grove:
The article cited above was written following a visit Mr. Harris made to the Richard Bland College campus at the invitation of Poor Richard (RBC student newspaper) staff. The date of that visit is uncertain. While visiting the campus, Mr. Harris shared tree-planting tips with students interested in replanting trees lost to storms and old age.
The Friends of the RBC Library have supported the College's pecan grove over the years; more information about the Friends' involvement with the pecan grove (including the pecan recipe book they helped to create) is available online at the Friends' web site. Due to extensive damage caused by Hurricane Isabel, the College has taken over all fundraising projects involving the pecan grove. Donations may be made for the upkeep and maintenance of the pecan grove by calling 862-6100 or by sending a check to Richard Bland College, Pecan Fund, 11301 Johnson Rd., Petersburg VA 23805. To this day, members of the community, such as Edward Robertson of Petersburg who is pictured below, visit the College to pick the pecans. Area residents are encouraged to visit the pecan grove and to do some pecan picking while here!
President's House and Surrounding Area The President's House The house is typical of those built on many turn-of-the-20th century Virginia farms. The front façade is of clapboard (all covered) with a sizable central entrance and large double hung sash window to the left. The second floor possesses two sash windows equally spaced. The roof is of a transom standing seam in dark green metal.
As for the interior, the front door enters into a spacious, well-appointed living room with a staircase at the main entrance. There is a small library/office to the right of the staircase. Past the living room is a good-sized dining room with a family room (den) to the right. The rear of the first floor is dedicated to a large kitchen and a smaller breakfast area. The laundry room/half bath is to the right. Beautiful oak floors are prominent throughout the entire house, accented with oriental carpets. At the rear of the first level (off the kitchen) is a railed sundeck. Three bedrooms and two baths make up the second floor.
The house was remodeled in the 1960s, and later between April and August 1996 when the current residents moved in. President James B. and Nancy McNeer have lived in the home for eight years. The house is located at 11301 Johnson Road, in Prince George County, Virginia, with a mailing address of Petersburg, Virginia, 23805. The views from the house are grand, with a Water Garden on one side, the Pecan Grove, and Virginia woods on the remaining sides. There is a fountain with the statue of Hebe in front of the house. There is also a lovely Gazebo at the end of the drive. There is a Guest House, behind the President’s House, which is furnished with antiques from the estate of John and Ada Herrman. There are also two additional dependencies on the site. In April 2005, The President's House will be on tour as a featured home during the Historic Garden Week in Virginia. The President's House has been featured before on the Tour, but this is the first time it has been displayed since extensive renovation was done by the current residents, and it is the first time the McNeers have been involved with the Tour.
The Statue of Hebe The Torch of Youth in Greek Mythology was carried by Hebe, daughter of Zeus and Hera. Hebe filled the cups of the gods with nectar, the eternal restorer of the aged. Richard Bland College’s 150-pound, 44-inch cast iron statue of eternal youth symbolizes hopes of the future-the broader world available to those appreciating both the responsibilities and the benefits which come to them because they are Americans and are free. (from RBC yearbook, STATESMAN, 1972)
The statue of Hebe initially graced the top of an ornate fountain in Central Park (now Poplar Lawn) and later the pool at the farm of the late Hatcher Seward, which is now the site of Richard Bland College and the former site of Petersburg Training School. When the training school was located at the farm, the Poplar Lawn Garden Club asked the State Hospital Board for Hebe with the intention of restoring the fountain at Poplar Lawn. Hebe was given to the club in 1956 and remained behind the E.E. Titus Inc. Machine Shop and Foundry in Petersburg for almost 14 years. Recently the Poplar Lawn Garden Club agreed to place Hebe on permanent loan to the college. The statue will eventually grace a small fountain in a reflective pool on the old campus. ANDREWS-JOYNER Iron Works of Petersburg assumed the role in sandblasting Hebe and donating fountain components. Mayor Arlie G. Andrews volunteered his services to haul the 44-inch statue to the campus. Assisting with the loading operation into the truck were Andrews-Joyner manager Bruce Longstreet, and Wayne Grigg of Emporia, a member of the Richard Bland German Club which is spearheading a drive for the restoration project. (from SOUTHSIDE VIRGINIAN, Nov. 20, 1969) Inspired by Monet’s famous water gardens at Giverny, France, former RBC President Clarence Maze Jr. with the able assistance of RBC Landscape Supervisor and horticulturist Bill Wamsley, created the College’s beautiful Water Garden.
The garden is open to visitors throughout the year. It was started in 1988 and fully developed in 1994. It consists of a a one-acre garden, a quarter of which is under water, along with two waterfalls, two Japanese-style bridges, and a pier. There is a gravel path, benches, and a cupola.
Plantings in the water include Lotus, Water Lilies, Iris, Pickerel, Arrowhead, Cattails, Rush, Parrot’s Feather, Clover, Papyrus, Plantain, and Thalia. Bog plants around the pond include Mayapple, bog Marigolds, Sweet Azaleas, bog Rosemary, and many varieties of Ferns, Cardinal Plant, Lizard’s Tail, and several varieties of Rush.
There are also beds of Daylillies, Peonies, Black-eyed Susans, Columbine, Astors, Fox-glove, Iris, Lady Slipper, and Jack-in-the-pulpit. The surrounding shrubs consist of Azaleas, Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel, Bayberry, Aucuba Japonica, Strawberry plant, red-stem Dogwood, Camellia, Russian Olive, Hydrangea, Leucothoe, Mahonia, Nandina, Fathergilla Gardenia, and Yucca. Water Garden trees include Pecan, varieties of Birches, Leyland Cypress, Lacebark Elm, Bald Cypress, Crape Myrtle, Winged Elm, White Swamp Oak, Japanese Maples, Cherry, Dogwood, Holly, Maple, Virginia Magnolia, Redbud, Blue Spruce, and Hemlock.
The crane fountain (as shown above) was created around the turn of the 19th century. This metal fountain weighs approximately 150 pounds, and stands five feet high. Its wing span measures three feet, four inches. The crane fountain was donated to the Richard Bland College Foundation by Mr. and Mrs. Samuel P. Johnson, Jr. of Petersburg in June of 1996. The crane fountain is reminiscent of a very similar fountain which once adorned the grounds of Virginia's Executive Mansion in Richmond. Bill Wamsley has compiled a collection of photographs documenting the history of the Water Garden. His photographs are featured on this web page and have also been assembled into a short PowerPoint presentation (also available as a PDF document) for easy access and viewing. Please note that the PowerPoint presentation may take some time to load. The library has also archived a complete copy of Bill's Water Garden photographs for its Virginia Room.
Committed to preserving the garden, the College had one of the Japanese-style bridges rebuilt in the Fall of 2007. Also, the bridges, dock and chairs were repainted during the 2006-07 academic year. In Spring of 2007, College President Dr. James McNeer was proud to announce that Richard Bland College had entered into an exciting partnership with the Prince George Master Gardeners Association. Volunteers from PGMGA will be collaborating with RBC Landscape Supervisor Bill Wamsley and his staff to make improvements to the Water Garden. Read more about the RBC and PGMGA partnership. Earl Hopkins, a Colonial Williamsburg woodcarver, has for years carved wood and leather items as a hobby. In 1976, he created the mace for the College and traveled to RBC to see his handiwork presented to the college president. Mr. Hopkins explained that today the mace is a symbol of dignity and power, but originally it was a heavy medieval war club.
Mr. Hopkins designed and carved the mace from black walnut.
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