460

77

81

64 64

66

95

95

85

Richmond

Roanoke

Paint BankPaint Bank

Port RoyalPort Royal

BoydtonBoydton

Belle HavenBelle Haven

Charlottesville81

Big Stone GapBig Stone Gap

HurtHurt

McGaheysvilleMcGaheysville

BarboursvilleBarboursville

CentrevilleCentreville

Surry Surry

DOWN HOME IN

by Lynn Thornton, Contributing Writer

DOWN HOME SERIES

Again in the year 2005, we’re making our way around the region, each issue visiting a small town and meeting some of the folks who make up the heart of electric co-op country.On this year’s fourth stop, we’ll be ...

There are several routes to thetown of Surry. You can travel byRt. 10, Rt. 31 or on a car ferry

across the James River from James-town/Williamsburg. One of the firstthings you will notice when arriving inSurry is how quickly you seem to getthere. Part of that is due to the straightstretches of routes 10 and 31 that formthe intersection at the heart of the village. It is also partly due to the fact

that there are no stoplights inSurry County.

That fact is a testament to thelargely rural nature of SurryCounty and village-like setting ofthe town. Surry County was formedfrom James City County in 1652. Manyof the existing county roads are in thesame pathways that existed in Colonialtimes. And it is not difficult to find his-tory around every curve in the road.

Through the years, the major industrieshave been related to the production ofpork, peanuts and pine trees and everyJuly there is a festival at nearbyChippokes Plantation State Park tohonor that history.

SURRY

The River House, built around 1830, overlooks the James River at ChippokesPlantation State Park. The Farm &Forestry Museum at Chippokes housesmany early tools and machinery.

AT A GLANCE ...POPULATION: 262

LAND AREA: 1 square mile

INCORPORATED: 1928

FUN FACT: Surry was once known as Scuffletown.

36 Cooperative Living/May 2005

The Pocahontasferry docks at

Scotland Wharf onthe Surry side ofthe James River.

37

For a small town, Surry offers someof everything to a visitor. FayeGrandison, branch manager of theSurry Branch of the BlackwaterRegional Library, has spent hoursassisting people from near and far withgeneaology research. “We have had vis-itors from as far away as Australia ask-ing for information. Requests come inthe mail and by phone. If we can’t helpthem, we direct them to the courthouseor Surry County Historical Society.”

One of the advantages of being in asmall town is how close knit the com-munity can be. That is true in Surry.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LYNN THORNTON

Stacey Richards, employee and faith-ful customer of Farmer Joe’s, comment-ed that she was late for work due tostopping at Zoom’s Convenience Store.“Farmer Joe recently had an accidentand at least 12 people stopped me tofind out how he was doing.” FarmerJoe’s is a combination greenhouse,flower and gift shop, though “Most ofour business is the greenhouse and flowers,” explains Marge Holler,Farmer Joe’s wife. They, with their sonMatt, have been in business in Surrysince 1994 after relocating fromVermont where they were cattle farm-

ers. “We were looking for a warmer cli-mate and found Surry to be a uniquearea. It has always felt like it was meantfor us to be here. The people here arevery kind to each other.”

The building itself was a grocerystore long ago. It currently has a variedassortment of gifts ranging from jour-nals, children’s books, and gardeningitems to decorative cocktail napkins.“Many local people have told us howglad they are we are here” acknowl-edges Marge. Farmer Joe’s is also theonly florist in town. “People are sur-prised at how much stuff we have in

May 2005/www.co-opliving.com

Volunteer firemen Michael Shinaberry (l) and Scott McLuer prepare a stew for afundraiser for the Surry Volunteer Fire Department, which serves the town and county.

Farmer Joe’s Greenhouse and Garden Shop will delightany shopper with its wide array of live plants and spe-cialty gifts. Proprieter Marge Holler displays one oftheir flower arrangements. The Hollers relocated toSurry from Vermont in search of a warmer climate.

here” she added, noting the coziness ofthe shop.

Under large old oak trees at thecourthouse you can close your eyes andlet your senses imagine gatherings from

aromas from a community picnic ...these grounds have seen all of theseactivities in the last three centuries.

Within the courthouse area are sev-eral old buildings. The town of Surrybecame the county seat in 1797 whenthe first session of court was held at thethen-wooden courthouse. The currentcourthouse is in the same location,though it has been burned twice.Nonetheless, county records datingback to the 1600s survive and make thisan invaluable resource for those doinghistorical research.

Touring and research work up anappetite and Surry has several eateriesoffering varied fare. The oldest is theSurrey House Restaurant, which wasestablished in 1954 by Owen Gwalt-ney. It was in the Gwaltney family until1993 when Mike Stevens bought it.“Though ownership has changed, somemenu items have not. The ham rollsand peanut raisin pie remain the mostpopular items for tourists.” The hospi-tality is another thing that has notchanged. A long-standing employer,the Surrey House has several employ-ees who have been working there for30 to 35 years and Miss Elsie Evanshas been baking pies for the restaurantsince 1954.

Mike has expanded the businesssince becoming owner. A dining roomhas been added and a motel behind therestaurant was purchased in 1998.Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner,

The Surry County Courthouse houses records that date back to the 1600s.

Cooperative Living/May 200538

The sThe sttafaf f at tf at the Surhe Surrreey Housey HouseRResesttauraurant is alwant is alwaayys rs ready teady tooofof ffer souter southerhern hospitn hospitality andality anddodown home fwn home food.ood.

years past. Perhaps the shouting lonevoice of a politician giving a campaignspeech, or the clanging sound of swordsbeing stacked by Revolutionary militiacamping overnight, or the laughter and

stepping back in time with a 1950s icedrink box to hint of the cold refresh-ment to be found inside. The shopoffers a myriad of pork products fromhams to sausage to bacon. Tasty sam-ples are available on the counter tohelp in your decision of which productsto buy. The business is now in its thirdgeneration of the Edwards family.Eight-year employee Vickie Jonescommented on how devoted peopleare to Edwards hams. “We even have

the restaurant is busiest between Easterand Thanksgiving. At other times thebusiness is patronized by locals whoenjoy a cup of coffee at the counter ora weekday special. The restaurant alsoprovides the meeting site for the areaLion’s Club, Tourism Bureau, andSurry County Chamber of Commerce,of which Mike Stevens is president.

Another unique shop is the EdwardsHam Shoppe. Though it opened in1988, stepping onto the porch is like

May 2005/www.co-opliving.com

people from Smithfield, the HamCapital of the World, come to us fortheir hams,” she laughs.

The shop not only carries ham prod-ucts, but also other goodies made inVirginia like jams and jellies andpeanuts. Hostess gifts, dish towels, and

Edwards Ham Shoppe offers a wide varietyof pork products and gift items. Long timeemployee Vickie Jones (above) takes ordersby phone.

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Surry is located in Surry County, which

is rich in historical sites and interesting

stops along the way. Traveling from

Smithfield on Route 10 you come to the

village of Bacon’s Castle where its

namesake, the oldest-documented brick

house in the U.S. (pictured) famous for its

role in Bacon’s Rebellion, is located. The

house is open seasonally. Hog Island

Wildlife Management Area is located

on the same road and so named because

early settlers kept their hogs on the island

to forage freely. Bird watching, hiking and

fishing are available and the area is open

daily. Educational displays and exhibits

about nuclear power can be found at the

Surry Nuclear Power Station and

Information Center. Information about

the center and tours can be found at

www.dom.com.

Not far from Bacon’s Castle on Route

10 are old ruins from an eighteenth-

century church. A wall and high arch of

a window opening are still standing. The

grounds are open year round.

Chippokes Plantation State Park is

located on the James River with an old

River House high on a bluff above the

river. A mansion, circa 1854, is open for

tours seasonally as well as the Farm and

Forestry Museum where many old tools

and implements are displayed. Smith’s

Fort Plantation is the site of the ruins of a

fort from 1609 started by Captain John

Smith. A story-and-a-half mid-eighteenth-

century dwelling at this location is also

open for tours seasonally. Much of the

interior pine woodwork is original. If you

have never ridden a ferry, take the 15-

minute ride on the Jamestown-Scotland

Ferry, which is operated the Virginia

Department of Transportation. The ferry is

toll-free and leaves on each half hour. The

view from the water gives a different per-

spective to the surrounding area and

what the early colonists saw upon their

arrival. The Country Store on Route 10

at Spring Grove was built in the 1880s. It

is today much like it was then. Antiques,

collectibles, and general goods are sold

here on Saturdays. n

gift baskets are among the other itemsfor a shopper’s delight. Or you maywant to stop in to pick up a ham sand-wich for a picnic at some roadsidetables near the center of town.

If you plan to stay overnight, youmay want to spend the night at theSeward House Bed and Breakfast. Afterwalking up a flower-lined brick path-way past a white-railed porch withbeckoning wicker chairs, you may begreeted at the door by Polly, a friendly,soft, sweet-eyed dog. The house wasbuilt in 1901 by Dr. William andElizabeth Seward. Jackie Baird, agreat-niece, opened the B&B in 1990and has done work to restore the house.“People come here for the quiet and thelocation. There are things to see and doon this side of the river and it is close tothe Williamsburg attractions as well.”The main house has two rooms avail-able upstairs and there is also a separatecottage that was originally built for andused as the doctor’s office. “We havedone renovations to the property torestore the house, but the only thingthat has been added is a side porch.”

Cooperative Living/May 200540

Breakfast is included in the stay, butdinner may be available with advanceplanning. “We have enjoyed visitorsfrom Holland, France, and Greece inrecent years,” states Cynthia Erskine,co-hostess of Seward House. “Andeveryone has been very welcomingwhen we moved to the area andopened the B&B”.

After visiting the town of Surry andriding through the peaceful countrysideat a leisurely pace, you can only won-der how long it will continue as it istoday. The quiet rural nature of SurryCounty will face the same issues ofgrowth that neighboring counties haveseen in recent years. The large agricul-tural base and location of the landmake it an appealing prospect forpotential development and individualslooking for a quieter way of life. Theimpact on Surry will eventually be felt.The first sign may be a stoplight in themiddle of the town. For more informa-tion, visit www.toursurryva.com. n

May 2005/www.co-opliving.com 41