Chatham Sundial - Fredericksburg VA USA - Sundials on Waymarking.com

A sundial stands near the old kitchen in the gardens of Chatham Manor across the Rappahannock River from Fredericksburg, VA. The sundial is an armillary sphere composed of five intersecting iron rings bisected by an arrow pointing north. It is supported on a concrete pedestal.

Chatham Manor was originally built in the late 1700s. It went through several owners and changes over the next 150 years, until the 1920s when Daniel and Helen Devore bought the property and began its restoration. They hired a landscape architect who designed ornate gardens with statuary and pools on the grounds.¹

The National Park Service acquired Chatham in 1976. Many of the lawn ornaments and statues were put up for auction since the NPS only considered structures prior to 1863 to be of historical significance. In the 1980s, the NPS decided to restore the garden and duplicated many of the original embellishments. It is unclear if the sundial is an original from the 1920s or a replica from the 1980s.

Chatham is open daily from 9 AM to 4:30 PM. Admission is free.

¹ Gardens lost in time « HORTUS 2

Reference:

Chatham a landscape introduction

Sundial Type: Armillary Sphere - series of rings in plane of equator Related Web Site: Not listed

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