Oatlands Inc

REVEALING, UNDERSTANDING & PRESERVING THE HUMAN, ARCHITECTURAL & NATURAL HISTORY OF OATLANDS

OATLANDS' HISTORY IS AMERICAN HISTORY. BETWEEN 1727 AND 1964, THE PROPERTY WAS RESIDENCE TO A SUCCESSION OF TENANT FARMERS, INFLUENTIAL FAMILIES, SERVANTS, AND WORKERS, INCLUDING OVER 150 PEOPLE WHO WERE ENSLAVED. WE CONTINUED OUR RESEARCH TO RECLAIM THE CONTRASTING, YET INSEPARABLE, HISTORIES OF THE PROPERTY'S RESIDENTS. THE MANOR HOUSE, FORMAL GARDENS, DEPENDENCIES AND OUTBUILDINGS OF ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST ELABORATE FEDERAL-ERA COUNTRY ESTATES PROVIDE VISUAL CONTEXT FOR THE FORMER RESIDENTS' STORIES. -OUR RECLAIM YOUR STORY PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO GROW OUR UNDERSTANDING OF PEOPLE WHO WERE ENSLAVED AT OATLANDS AND OTHER CARTER AND GRAYSON FAMILY PROPERTIES AND TO OFFER THAT KNOWLEDGE TO DESCENDANTS, HISTORIANS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. (CONTINUED ON SCH. O) WE ENABLED A WIDER COMMUNITY TO FIND AND USE THE INFORMATION BY ADDING IT TO THE ENSLAVED: PEOPLES OF THE HISTORICAL SLAVE TRADE DATABASE. WE ALSO ENHANCED THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO VISITORS TO OATLANDS WITH EXHIBITS ON THE HISTORY OF THE DAY FAMILY WHO WERE ENSLAVED AT OATLANDS AND HELPED ESTABLISH ONE OF THE EARLY POST-EMANCIPATION BLACK VILLAGES. -WE MADE THE DIARY OF ELIZABETH O. CARTER, LOUDOUN COUNTY, VIRGINIA, 1860-1872 AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE DOCUMENT IS NOW AVAILABLE TO HISTORIANS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC VIA AMAZON. THE TRANSCRIBED AND ANNOTATED DIARY IS A KEY SOURCE OF FIRSTHAND INFORMATION ON THE DAY-TO-DAY LIVES AND INTER-CONNECTIONS OF WHITE AND BLACK FAMILIES ASSOCIATED WITH OATLANDS AND OTHER GRAYSON AND CARTER FAMILY PROPERTIES. THE DIARY IS ALSO A UNIQUE AND VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR INFORMATION ON CLIMATE AND WEATHER, FARMING, EVENTS, AND HISTORIC TOWNS AND VILLAGES. -HISTORICALLY, WALLED GARDEN NEXT TO THE OATLANDS MANSION WAS INTERPRETED AS A 19TH CENTURY VEGETABLE GARDEN AND AN EARLY 20TH CENTURY FORMAL GARDEN. OUR EXTENSIVE RESEARCH INTO THE GARDEN'S 19TH CENTURY DESIGN. PLANTINGS AND MANAGEMENT SHOWED IT WAS ORIGINALLY A FORMAL GARDEN. WE USED THE RESEARCH TO BEGIN RESTORING AND REINTERPRETING THE GARDEN. WE MADE OUR NEW FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH LIVE, GUIDED TOURS.

OATLANDS' AMPLE SPACE AND QUITE PLACES OF SOLITUDE PROVIDE A SANCTUARY THAT ENABLES EACH VISITOR TO CONDUCT THEIR OWN, PERSONAL EXPLORATION OF HISTORY AND THE OUTDOORS. AN EVER CHANGING TAPESTRY OF SIGHTS, SOUNDS AND FRAGRANCES IN THE MEADOWS, WOODLANDS AND GARDENS ALSO PROVIDE A RICH AND VARIED OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE YEAR-ROUND. THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENABLE THE PUBLIC TO ENJOY OPEN SPACE, BEAUTIFUL SETTINGS AND NATURE WERE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT DURING THE PANDEMIC.-WE OFFICIALLY OPENED SEVEN MILES OF PUBLICLY AVAILABLE WALKING, RUNNING, BIKING AND EQUESTRIAN TRAILS AS WELL AS AREAS WHERE FAMILIES COULD PICNIC. -WE OPENED OATLANDS TO THE PUBLIC YEAR-ROUND FOR THE FIRST TIME RATHER THAN CLOSING FOR THREE MONTHS DURING THE WINTER.

OATLANDS CONTINUED ITS SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT IN PRESERVING THE BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS OF THE PROPERTY, INCLUDING OUR 100 TO 250 YEAR OLD SPECIMEN TREES. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS, ARBORISTS CATALOGED, SURVEYED THE HEALTH OF AND CARED FOR TREES. CONTINUING IMPROVEMENTS WERE ALSO MADE TO THE MANSION, INCLUDING ITS RESTORING ITS WINDOWS WHICH HAD BEEN NAILED AND PAINTED SHUT. REOPENING THE WINDOWS IMPROVED AIRFLOW, HELPING TO PRESERVE THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE MANSION.