Private Tours by Advance Appointment - Sundays/Mondays. $24/ Adults (18-64); $10/Youth (7-17); $12 Seniors, 1st Responders, Military/Veterans. Should you have questions and/or would like to arrange your tour, please call the Museum at (540) 672-1776.
The original structure is a Colonial-Georgian home consisting of a one and a half story frame structure built over a full basement. According to author and research scientist Ms. Ann Miller, this residence is considered small by our standards, yet it has a “delightful scale and perfect proportions”; not achieved by accident. Bloomsbury’s circa 1720s-30s size and symmetry “reflects the sophisticated geometry utilized in even the simple houses of the Georgian period.” (Miller) the basement and chimney are laid in English bond (alternate courses of brick stretchers and headers), which was normally used in the 17th century and is unusual to find in an 18th century dwelling. It is unique in Orange County as well. The back portico (covered porch) is framed into the body of the structure and researchers from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation suggested it may be the earliest known such porch surviving in Virginia. There are numerous architectural features in the home that make it a very special architectural gem.
What will be happening this year (2023)?
* We will be preparing exterior panels to share information about the enslaved communities of the owners of Bloomsbury to 1865.
* The original house will be accurately dated.
* The terraced garden will be replanted with period appropriate plants/shrubs.
* Electricity will be installed so that heating and air conditioning can be added discreetly and safely to the home.
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The Honorable Helen Marie Taylor (11/17/1923-1/25/22)
Helen Marie Taylor loved America and the liberty, creativity and prosperity she saw produced by the U.S. Constitution and our free enterprise system. She worked with passion and perseverance to protect and enhance the spiritual and intellectual foundations and the shared living history from which America's many blessings flow. (legacy.com) The preservation of Bloomsbury was a project that was dear to her heart, a passion not a hobby. It was her desire that Bloomsbury be opened for tours to continue her dedication to preservation and education. Further, as one of the co-founders of the James Madison Museum she also wanted to ensure that the museum carried on well into the future. On June 15, 2002 her wishes became a reality. The Helen Marie Taylor Trust and The James Madison Museum (of Orange County Heritage) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding which allows the Museum the authority to provide tours of Bloomsbury which financially benefits the Museum; both of her wishes are being fulfilled. The James Madison Museum of Orange County Heritage is honored to have been entrusted with her legacy.
Images from 9/3/22 Commemoration of Helen Marie Taylor
