Wheatland

From Tappahannock. on Rt. 17 North go 15.2 miles to Rt. 638. Turn right and proceed to end of road (about 1 mile). From Fredericksburg, on Rt. 17 S, continue 11.7 miles south of Port Royal (intersection of Rt. 17 and Rt. 301) and turn left on Rt. 638.

John Saunders, merchant and planter, constructed this Greek Revival plantation house in the mid-19th century on a bluff overlooking a bend in the Rappahannock River. During his ownership and that of his son, the plantations steamboat wharf was a focus of river transportation and commerce for upper Essex, carrying both freight and passengers between Baltimore, Fredericksburg, Norfolk, and points in between. It is one of the very few surviving steamboat wharves in the Chesapeake watershed.
The farm settled by members of the Hawkins family prior to 1801, was first called "Society Hill." Subsequent owners were Mordecai Spindle and William Gray. The new house, the main portion, is a two-story five-bay frame residence with a raised brick basement and a hipped roof. The building is perfectly symmetrical, with two identical front elevations, one facing the river and the other, the road and has a double-pile central hall plan. The kitchen wing was added in the late 19th century. A boxwood-lined walk leads to the river and a graceful flower garden on the south side leads to a gazebo.

The current owners, descendents of John Saunders, have returned to the house many pieces of original furniture, portraits, and family treasures. Wheatland is listed in the Virginia Landmark Register and the National Register of Historic Places. Open for the first time to Historic Garden Week visitors. Mr. and Mrs. Peter Charles Bance and Mr. and Mrs. Edgar John Dickinson Bance, owners.